Hybrid Result/Rack Question

[Saint]

Well, firstly thank you to all who replied to the threads I
posted during last week regarding choice of hybrid. After
much looking/deciding/undeciding and deciding again I
finally decided. ;-)

Got myself a Dawes Discovery 301 today from my LBS and am
really pleased with it although I have only ridden it to the
top of the road as the weather has been awful today. It's a
lot heavier/sturdier than my 'posh' bike - Scott Roadster S1
but will be ideal for me to do more leisure stuff and winter
riding on.

I need a rack for it and don't wanna fot one of those
hideous fixed ones that I have sen, but rather would prefer
a seatpost one that I can attach/take off as necessary. I am
only likely to need it to carry odds and sods from the shops
etc but don't know which ones are any good.

Wiggle do a couple at around 20 - 30 quid but I can't see
from the pictures whether it actually comes with the sprung
bit that lifts up to enable you to fit your items to it -
does anybody use one?

Hope the weather is better tomorrow - just have to decide
which bike to take put now. Hard life innit?

Cheers

S

[Doki]

Saint wrote:
> Well, firstly thank you to all who replied to the threads
> I posted during last week regarding choice of hybrid.
> After much looking/deciding/undeciding and deciding again
> I finally decided. ;-)
>
> Got myself a Dawes Discovery 301 today from my LBS and am
> really pleased with it although I have only ridden it to
> the top of the road as the weather has been awful today.
> It's a lot heavier/sturdier than my 'posh' bike - Scott
> Roadster S1 but will be ideal for me to do more leisure
> stuff and winter riding on.
>
> I need a rack for it and don't wanna fot one of those
> hideous fixed ones that I have sen, but rather would
> prefer a seatpost one that I can attach/take off as
> necessary. I am only likely to need it to carry odds and
> sods from the shops etc but don't know which ones are
> any good.
>
> Wiggle do a couple at around 20 - 30 quid but I can't see
> from the pictures whether it actually comes with the
> sprung bit that lifts up to enable you to fit your items
> to it - does anybody use one?
>
> Hope the weather is better tomorrow - just have to decide
> which bike to take put now. Hard life innit?

Not used one, but you do know most of them only take 5 kilos
or so? I'd try the LBS again - the bike shop I tried were
cheaper than Wiggle and EBC on their racks.

[Pete Biggs]

Saint wrote:
> I need a rack for it and don't wanna fot one of those
> hideous fixed ones that I have sen, but rather would
> prefer a seatpost one that I can attach/take off as
> necessary. I am only likely to need it to carry odds and
> sods from the shops etc but don't know which ones are
> any good.

Seatposts racks don't work as well as proper fixed racks.
Not as strong and sturdy (for obvious reasons) and they
have tend to swivel round the seatpost (that problem can
be solved but it is a bother). You might not think you
need much strength but odds and from shops can add up.
Some of the more sturdy racks aren't light and convenient
to use anyway. Proper racks needn't be hideous looking or
very heavy.

Having said all that, I do use a Zefal Quick Rack seatpost
rack on my road bike -- but that's only because it would be
awkward/impossible to fit a proper rack to this particular
"race" bike and I really want to keep weight down to a
minimum. This rack is a mostly-palstic job that can only
take a very light load (like the spare jersey or rain jacket
and extra tools, etc I carry about), not shopping. And I
never bother riding without it now, by the way. I previously
tried a Piumi seatpost rack, which broke. Topeak ones are
probably better.

I have a normal rack on my more practical bike. You'd be mad
not to get one for yours, IMO.

> Wiggle do a couple at around 20 - 30 quid but I can't see
> from the pictures whether it actually comes with the
> sprung bit that lifts up to enable you to fit your items
> to it - does anybody use one?

Ordinary bungy cords can be used instead, on any rack, and
in fact work better.

~PB

[Just Zis Guy]

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 15:58:32 +0000 (UTC), "Saint" <me@privacy.net>
wrote in message <cbk6f8$8n8$1@sparta.btinternet.com>:

>I need a rack for it and don't wanna fot one of those
>hideous fixed ones that I have sen, but rather would prefer
>a seatpost one that I can attach/take off as necessary. I
>am only likely to need it to carry odds and sods from the
>shops etc but don't know which ones are any good.

No! Don't do it! You really can't beat a proper dogleg rack
with a rear-lamp bracket welded on, the seatpost-mounted
ones are a fudge for bikes with rear suspension. A good rack
enhances the aesthetics of a bike - it is the finishing
touch which says you are a proper utility cyclist not one of
these fair-weather johnnies :-)

You can even get them with a D-lock stowage under the
platform. You can hang panniers on, or a rack pack, like the
Ortlieb Bike Box. All you need to decide is whether to go
black or silver.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk (http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/)

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

[Peter Clinch]

Saint wrote:

> I need a rack for it and don't wanna fot one of those
> hideous fixed ones that I have sen, but rather would
> prefer a seatpost one that I can attach/take off as
> necessary. I am only likely to need it to carry odds and
> sods from the shops etc but don't know which ones are
> any good.

Another in the chorus of "don't go there!"... Seems a bit
daft to add a Sensible Bike to your stable and then
compromise its ability to be Sensible by putting on a comedy
rack that will be less stable and less able to take Real
Loads than a fixed one.

"Odds and sods from the shops" can be a whole lot more than
that with a decent rack and appropriate bungees/panniers
etc. Might as well let your bike take freight weight, and a
solid fixed rear rack is the best way to do that. And it
gives you the perfect mounting spot for a back light too.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111
ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382
640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net
p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/