I'm thinking of getting a beam rack for those rare occasions I want to carry more stuff on my road bike.
I see there are nice looking products from the likes of Topeak but I ideally don't want to invest in proprietary bits that only work well with others of the same make. Ideally any panniers I buy would also fit the old but very decent Pletscher rack on my commuting bike. Do common panniers and rack bags tend to fit these beam racks ? Specifically "Topeak Beam Rack RX Rear Rack With Side Frames".
For the immediate application which would happen if the weather looked reasonable for the 'Dynamo only a few litres capacity needed but that's more than a saddle bag.
I see there are nice looking products from the likes of Topeak but I ideally don't want to invest in proprietary bits that only work well with others of the same make. Ideally any panniers I buy would also fit the old but very decent Pletscher rack on my commuting bike. Do common panniers and rack bags tend to fit these beam racks ? Specifically "Topeak Beam Rack RX Rear Rack With Side Frames".
My old Karrimor panniers work just fine with this rack. The side tubes are sufficiently thin to allow the clips to fully engage, and my bags have got a rigid back piece with adjustable length strap for the bottom clip, which engages quite happily on the bottom of the side frames.
Added advantages are that the QR mounting means I can swap it between bikes, and as it's much higher than a traditional rack ('cos I'm 6'2" and therefore have a lot of seat tube available) it keeps it further away from my heels as well.
I'm thinking of getting a beam rack for those rare occasions I want to carry more stuff on my road bike.
I see there are nice looking products from the likes of Topeak but I ideally don't want to invest in proprietary bits that only work well with others of the same make. Ideally any panniers I buy would also fit the old but very decent Pletscher rack on my commuting bike. Do common panniers and rack bags tend to fit these beam racks ? Specifically "Topeak Beam Rack RX Rear Rack With Side Frames".
Mine doesn't have sideframes. However, yes, with sideframes conventional panniers would fit - subject to the weight restriction.
Quoted message said:
For the immediate application which would happen if the weather looked reasonable for the 'Dynamo only a few litres capacity needed but that's more than a saddle bag.
Jonathan Schneider <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]:
Quoted message said:
Do common panniers and rack bags tend to fit these beam racks ? Specifically "Topeak Beam Rack RX Rear Rack With Side Frames".
Yes, they do - with a small proviso. I've got a Topeak Tourist (MTX) rack, which although not a beam rack still has the QuickTrack system and side fasteners similar to their beam racks with side frames. A normal pannier and rack bag ensemble with velcro or buckle straps fits (I've used some old cheapies on my rack) but the QuickTrack channel can bite a little into the base of a standard rack bag or bridge of a "throw-over" pannier set.
Also, the RX might be a little short. If you haven't already got the rack, the longer MTX would probably be better as a larger selection of panniers and bags would fit.
Good point. Especially as I have Campag/neat front cabling and it's somewhere for accessible items. Though it does bring about a rethink of front light mounting (homemade 3W LED hanging from a pair of capacitor clips) slightly more involved than at the [censored] end.
I see there are nice looking products from the likes of Topeak but I ideally don't want to invest in proprietary bits that only work well with others of the same make. Ideally any panniers I buy would also fit the old but very decent Pletscher rack on my commuting bike. Do common panniers and rack bags tend to fit these beam racks ? Specifically "Topeak Beam Rack RX Rear Rack With Side Frames".
My old Karrimor panniers work just fine with this rack.
Reading Geoff's post I realise that I actually have the MTX, not the RX. Looks identical, but I guess it's just a bit longer. And works just as well on road bikes as MTBs.
