Suggestion: Attaching rear bike rack to cycle WITHOUT rear rack mounts

Just casting around for ideas here.

I am taking a supported ride (yer basic 'credit card' tour), but I'd like to
have a rear rack with a top mounted 'trunk' pack (NOT panniers)

HOWEVER... the Felt F65 frame that I am using does not have rack mounts on
the frame. (I know, I know... why didn't I choose a bike with a rack mount?
For the deal I got, and the quality of this bike, it was way down on my
list)

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do not
have rack mounts? I see the 'one point' under seat rack, but I don't think
that would be strong enough to hold a modest rear 'trunk' pack

thanks for any help!

Mark

--
REMOVESPAM in reply address

"MEvans" wrote ...
Just casting around for ideas here.

I am taking a supported ride (yer basic 'credit card' tour), but I'd like
to
have a rear rack with a top mounted 'trunk' pack (NOT panniers)

HOWEVER... the Felt F65 frame that I am using does not have rack mounts on
the frame. (I know, I know... why didn't I choose a bike with a rack
mount?
For the deal I got, and the quality of this bike, it was way down on my
list)

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do not
have rack mounts? I see the 'one point' under seat rack, but I don't think
that would be strong enough to hold a modest rear 'trunk' pack

thanks for any help!

Mark

Using a seat bag / saddlebag would eliminate the need for a rack to put the
rack trunk on. Rivendell and Carradice offer very nice waxed cotton and
leather bags that require loops on the saddle to hang them from. Wallbike
and Peter White Cycles offer various attachments to hang these bags from a
saddle that does not have saddlebag loops. Jandd and a few other companies
offer seatbags that attach to any saddle.
HTH,
--
mark

MEvans wrote:
Just casting around for ideas here.

I am taking a supported ride (yer basic 'credit card' tour), but I'd like to
have a rear rack with a top mounted 'trunk' pack (NOT panniers)

HOWEVER... the Felt F65 frame that I am using does not have rack mounts on
the frame. (I know, I know... why didn't I choose a bike with a rack mount?
For the deal I got, and the quality of this bike, it was way down on my
list)

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do not
have rack mounts? I see the 'one point' under seat rack, but I don't think
that would be strong enough to hold a modest rear 'trunk' pack

thanks for any help!

Mark

Assuming you did get something like that on the bike you would probably
have a hard time swinging your leg over it for a classic mount/dismount,
unless you just want to edge your leg over the center bar to get on. I
am thinking that some one some where must make a rack that is heavy
enough for a rear rider, like kids would do.
Good Luck,
Bill Baka

MEvans wrote:
Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do
not
have rack mounts?
--------------------------
there are some very solid racks that clamp on the seatpost. people with
full suspension MTB go this route...

d

botfood wrote:
there are some very solid racks that clamp on the seatpost. people with
full suspension MTB go this route...

About 25 lbs is the absolute limit though, and you'd have to be careful
with even that big a load to load it forwards. They're not exactly solid.

If you in addition support the rack, say with sufficiently sturdy wood runs,
by the rear axle or chain stays nearby, then it's pretty good; carrying
the load with the wood strips and supported against side-to-side swings
by the seat post rack.

I strip a Bell seatpost rack down to its center beam (remove one hex screw
and the cheap plastic falls off revealing the center beam) and replace it
with a piece of wood with a milk crate atop it; and run strips down to
rack mount eyes that I happen to have on the frame for support.

Using the center beam to support a regular rear rack against side-to-side
swings, by using both, is another option.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

"MEvans" wrote in message

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do
not
have rack mounts? I see the 'one point' under seat rack, but I don't
think
that would be strong enough to hold a modest rear 'trunk' pack

You might look at the Mighty Burro touring rack.
(http://gaerlan.com/bikeparts/acc/fender/fender.html).

There are clamps for the seat stays at the top if you don't have rack
mounts. At the bottom, perhaps you could bend the adjustable strut
extensions so the QR skewer for the rear wheel can go through the hole,
or bend them such that you could use two more clamps on the chain
stays.

I've often done supports at the top that go to the center brake bolt
hole, but it means contorting a piece of aluminum flat bar around the
brakes and cables, similar to
"http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/ACBMRCKPRT/RK1103" but often
much longer.

One of the Carradice bags from rivbike.com might be a much better
solution.

Also see "http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/baggage_racks/20029.html"
which you may want to use with a saddlebag. It also illustrates how you
might be able to mount the Mighty Burro with clamps, but with the
bottom struts going to the chain stays, rather than the seat stays. Too
bad that Nitto rack is too short for a rack top bag.

botfood wrote:

MEvans wrote:

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do

not

have rack mounts?

--------------------------
there are some very solid racks that clamp on the seatpost. people with
full suspension MTB go this route...

d


I bought one of these and returned it because my thighs hit the clamp on
the seat tube. I was still 20 or 30 pounds overweight at that point,
but I'm not sure it would be different now. Look and see how close your
thighs come to the seat tube or try it before you buy it.

Pam

MEvans wrote:
Just casting around for ideas here.

I am taking a supported ride (yer basic 'credit card' tour), but I'd
like to
have a rear rack with a top mounted 'trunk' pack (NOT panniers)

HOWEVER... the Felt F65 frame that I am using does not have rack
mounts on
the frame. (I know, I know... why didn't I choose a bike with a rack
mount?
For the deal I got, and the quality of this bike, it was way down on
my
list)

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do
not
have rack mounts? I see the 'one point' under seat rack, but I don't
think
that would be strong enough to hold a modest rear 'trunk' pack

thanks for any help!

Mark

I'll give a couple suggestions.

First, you might consider a handlebar bag, perhaps supplemented by a
respectably sized saddlebag. That's my usual configuration for rides
with small loads.

If you want to carry more than that, I'd suggest using only front
panniers. It's not a popular scheme at all, but it makes a lot of
sense. First, your rear wheel already carries the heavier load, and
has the dished spoke pattern, so it's the only one that's likely to
break a spoke. The front wheel is both stronger _and_ less loaded.
Take advantage of that.

Second, unless you've got a carbon fiber fork, you can easily fit front
panniers even without dropout eyelets. I've done so on my daughter's
bike, and it worked fine on a 4000 mile tour. Hardware store P-clips
took care of the lower attachment.

Third, front panniers - unless they are very wobbly - will actually
affect your bike's handling less than loads high in the rear. Their
only effect, in my experience, is to make the steering a bit less
twitchy, which is good for long rides. It's more relaxing.

I've done credit card tours this way, carrying only a minimum change of
clothes, etc. It worked very well.

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 08:53:27 -0600 in rec.bicycles.misc, "MEvans"
wrote:

Is there any sort of reliable rack mounting system for frames that do not
have rack mounts? I see the 'one point' under seat rack, but I don't think
that would be strong enough to hold a modest rear 'trunk' pack

take a trip to your most well stocked local hardware store. look
for plastic clamps to attach stuff to tubing that will work with
your rear stays or front forks. get STAINLESS STEEL screws &
nuts to use with them, because not having rust is worth the extra
cost. i have found ratcheted plastic wire ties to be very
useful, too.

you should be able to clamp around the stays on each side and
fasten the clamps and the bottom supports for the rack with nuts
& bolts at the approximate locations where the rack mounting
bosses would be located.

that's how the blackburn front low rider pannier rack has been
rigged on my MTB for years, clamped to the front fork.