Newbie questions about lights and racks

[Lucky, Fabulous]

I am ready for a rack for my bike. It is just too uncomfortable and heavy for me to carry all my stuff in a backpack. But...and this is embarassing to ask...how do you get them on? I have shopped around for them, and there doesn't seem to be much information about that little detail. I don't have much for tools, which is why I ask. Also, can you take them off when you are not using them? Some day I will get a second bike and will be able to just use this one as my commuter, but until then, I hate the looks of them when not in use (there is another thread about this, so I know I am not alone).

Also, part of my commute is through a very dark bike path. I have a light, but it only shines well a few feet in front of my bike, and it's easy to over ride them. Would a helmet light be a good addition?

[Blueberry]

I know there are lots of light threads.

Racks - your lbs should be able to direct you to one that fits your bike. They aren't too bad to install/uninstall, but I wouldn't want to do it daily or weekly. You could look at a seatpost rack, but I'm not sure how much weight you want to carry (they have limits). As far as tools, all you need is a set of allen keys, which can be picked up for less than $5 at most any hardware store (you usually want metric for bikes). They basically screw on in 4 places.

CA

[PscyclePath]

I am ready for a rack for my bike. It is just too uncomfortable and heavy for me to carry all my stuff in a backpack. But...and this is embarassing to ask...how do you get them on? I have shopped around for them, and there doesn't seem to be much information about that little detail. I don't have much for tools, which is why I ask. Also, can you take them off when you are not using them? Some day I will get a second bike and will be able to just use this one as my commuter, but until then, I hate the looks of them when not in use (there is another thread about this, so I know I am not alone).

Rear cargo racks usually require that your bike have lugs and/or braze-ons on the rear stays that you bolt the rack onto. Most of your higher-end road bikes and especially the carbon frames don't come with these fittings these days. An alternative to mounting to the braze-ons is to use P-clamps which fasten around the seat post and seat stays and give you a place to attach the rack supports.

Here's a link to a thread over at the RoadBikeReview forum answering a similar question, and giving an excellent little (illustrated) tutorial on mounting a cargo rack: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/sho...d.php?t=146866

Someone mentioned seatpost-mounted racks... I've tried this a time or three, and have two of them in my possibles box. Seatpost racks have only around half the weight capacity of a frame-mounted rack -- maybe 20 to 25 pounds at the max -- and it's sometimes hard to get them clamped tight enough that they don't sway a bit when the road gets rough.

If your road bike doesn't have the lugs to mount a rack, or if you've got a full-suspension MTB, Old Man Mountain (http://www.oldmanmountain.com) makes several racks that will attach to the seat stay and the axle/rear skewer. They're a little pricy in comparision to other racks, but they give rock solid reliability and performance.

[NoNo]

As mentioned in the post above, my bike did not have mounts for a rack. I bought a seat-post rack, and immediately brought it back. Not only can it only hold half the weight, but you can't use any panniers with it, because there's nothing to keep the bag from rubbing against the wheel. Picked up a regular rack and told the LBS "You figure it out." They did and I've never been happier. The difference of weight on the bike has been negligable, but the difference in my own comfort is tremendous. No more aching back!