Rack/Pannier weight

[bikerHen]

I was lusting after a Surly rack until I discovered the rack alone weights 3 pounds. It may well be bomb proof but three pounds is HEAVY! If I was going to be doing serious global touring I would get one. However, I went with a much lighter and equally well made Tubus rack. It's more rack than I needed, but I had to get the top of the line rack because it matched my fenders. It's on the bike all the time so I wanted something lighter. I have to carry my bike upstairs when I get to work. And my Surly is a heavy sucker! bikerHen

I re-read your orginial post. The shoulder straps on my Ortlieb panniers are great. I would never get myself, my bike and the panniers upstairs in one trip without them. The first time I tried carring my bike upstairs with the panniers still attached I almost fell over backwards!

[Biciclista]

I can tell the difference when i am walking the bike or loading the bike into a car or a bike rack, but I can't tell much difference when I am riding.

[oz rider]

However, I went with a much lighter and equally well made Tubus rack.

I'm getting a Tubus Fly for my new light tourer. My builder has found them very reliable and beautifully light for what I need.

[moderncyclista]

Break one aluminum rack - * with it collapsing into your wheel and throwing you from your bike in heavy traffic - not fun - still have the scars to this day * and "bomb proof" may be a major concern of yours too. Albeit, 3lbs. does seem heavy for a steel rack.

[Catrin]

Break one aluminum rack - * with it collapsing into your wheel and throwing you from your bike in heavy traffic - not fun - still have the scars to this day * and "bomb proof" may be a major concern of yours too. Albeit, 3lbs. does seem heavy for a steel rack.

Surly's site says that the front rack is 2.95 pounds and the rear 2.45 pounds - this includes all of the hardware and so forth to attach them to the bike. I do find it interesting that the rear rack is lighter than the front - but I don't know much about this. http://surlybikes.com/blog/spew/13_-...chnical_stuff/

I doubt that I will get the front rack...

[moderncyclista]

Yeah, there are much lighter ones that'll do the job. You might only want a rear rack - unless you do heavily loaded touring. A rear rack is handy though - I recommend one. Even after my bad personal experiences with aluminum ones. I had a really sturdy Blackburn Trail aluminum rack on one of my old bikes. Hauled like a champ. I guess I'm kind of paranoid about breakage now, I can keep the one I have for now.

[DebW]

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.

[PscyclePath]

I put Delta Megaracks on my Trucker, front and rear, along with two bottle cages. Total weight of the bike before adding bottles and panniers is 33 pounds, 12 ounces.

What I've found over the past month or so is that whether I'm riding the Trucker loaded or fully loaded, it handles pretty much the same. Just be sure to balance your load, and you should be okay.

Tom

[bikerHen]

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!