Quote Originally Posted by DebW View Post
The Tubus Logo (chromoly) or Cosmo (stainless steel) are great racks. Very stiff and with a lower bar for mounting paniers. And fender mounting holes on the rack.
The Cosmo is what I have and it's very solid, strong and lightweight. I haven't really loaded it up yet, except for a run to the store. I ended up carrying two half gallons of milk, one half gallon of orange juice and other assorted items. Not really sure what I was thinking. I had more trouble fitting everything into the panniers than the actual carrying for the 3 mile ride home.

Fenders are a must have on any commuter bike, IMO. I really labored over putting the back rack on the Surly because of the extra weight. Since I took the plunge and did it, I'm very happy with the rack/pannier option. And no, there is no difference in handling. The Surly's are made to carry a load and actually seem to handle better when loaded down. Except of course if the wind is blowing!