Cargo Rack on MTB - Considerations? - Page 5

06-26-2004, 10:16 AM

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 11:04:16 +0800, Michael J. Klein
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>I asked my LBS about putting a rear cargo rack on my new Yukon MTB.
>He said that nobody does that, and it would limit my use of the bike
>for off-roading.

He lied. I have a rack on my MTB and so do lots of other people I
know. The Yukon is a hartail, right? The rack will not be in the
way. Only if you wanted to hang right over the rear wheel in extreme
descents would it be an issue - and in that case you'd probably be on
the wrong bike anyway ;-)

>The reason that I have an MTB for street use is the
>nature of the roads here. Often they are un-improved and differing
>levels which I feel could be more easily negotiated by a mountain bike
>rather than a road/comfort bike. Given that I don't use it for actual
>hardcore off-roading, are there any other considerations about
>mounting a rear cargo rack on my MTB, other than it looking retarded?

None, probably. I had to use P-clips on my MTB because the rack I had
spare didn't have a brake bridge mounting bar, you can get three-point
mounting racks which bolt to the brake bridge if you don't have
braze-ons. You might have trouble if you don't have eyelets, but I've
never seen a bike which didn't have at least one set of eyelets.
Sometimes you get single eyelets and have to share the bolt with the
mudguards [fenders] and sometimes you get double eyelets.

As to looking dorky, well, I'm not qualified to comment. We have
seven active bikes in the family (4 MTBs, one tourer, a recumbent and
a triplet) and every one is fitted with a rack.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
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88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

06-26-2004, 10:16 AM

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 13:03:46 +0100, "Doki" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote in message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>The
>only problem I have with it is that you can't fit the rear rack on and a
>crud catcher. So you get a muddy / wet back.

Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
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88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

06-26-2004, 10:16 AM

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 13:03:46 +0100, "Doki" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote in message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>The
>only problem I have with it is that you can't fit the rear rack on and a
>crud catcher. So you get a muddy / wet back.

Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 10:16 AM

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 13:03:46 +0100, "Doki" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote in message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>The
>only problem I have with it is that you can't fit the rear rack on and a
>crud catcher. So you get a muddy / wet back.

Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 10:16 AM

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 13:03:46 +0100, "Doki" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote in message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>The
>only problem I have with it is that you can't fit the rear rack on and a
>crud catcher. So you get a muddy / wet back.

Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 10:16 AM

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 13:03:46 +0100, "Doki" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote in message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>The
>only problem I have with it is that you can't fit the rear rack on and a
>crud catcher. So you get a muddy / wet back.

Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 11:15 AM

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Incidentally I've had good luck reviving a 20-year-old ESGE (? German) mudguard
by sawing off the trailing damaged portion, and mounting the rest OVER the brake to get
wheel clearance.

You have to reduce the length to clear the wheel in any case, unless you can
mount it exactly at right angles relative to its displacement.

Over it is the rear rack and milk crate, so upwards-flying debris is caught
in any case, but this eliminates back-of-leg spray.

Added plus : it no longer traps snow, so it no longer drops snow on the chain, and
so the freewheel no longer clogs with the produced ice (no-clog owing to the increased
wheel clearance).
--
Ron Hardin
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 11:15 AM

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Incidentally I've had good luck reviving a 20-year-old ESGE (? German) mudguard
by sawing off the trailing damaged portion, and mounting the rest OVER the brake to get
wheel clearance.

You have to reduce the length to clear the wheel in any case, unless you can
mount it exactly at right angles relative to its displacement.

Over it is the rear rack and milk crate, so upwards-flying debris is caught
in any case, but this eliminates back-of-leg spray.

Added plus : it no longer traps snow, so it no longer drops snow on the chain, and
so the freewheel no longer clogs with the produced ice (no-clog owing to the increased
wheel clearance).
--
Ron Hardin
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 11:15 AM

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Incidentally I've had good luck reviving a 20-year-old ESGE (? German) mudguard
by sawing off the trailing damaged portion, and mounting the rest OVER the brake to get
wheel clearance.

You have to reduce the length to clear the wheel in any case, unless you can
mount it exactly at right angles relative to its displacement.

Over it is the rear rack and milk crate, so upwards-flying debris is caught
in any case, but this eliminates back-of-leg spray.

Added plus : it no longer traps snow, so it no longer drops snow on the chain, and
so the freewheel no longer clogs with the produced ice (no-clog owing to the increased
wheel clearance).
--
Ron Hardin
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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

06-26-2004, 11:15 AM

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> Unless you fit full mudguards or use a rack with a solid platform :-)

Incidentally I've had good luck reviving a 20-year-old ESGE (? German) mudguard
by sawing off the trailing damaged portion, and mounting the rest OVER the brake to get
wheel clearance.

You have to reduce the length to clear the wheel in any case, unless you can
mount it exactly at right angles relative to its displacement.

Over it is the rear rack and milk crate, so upwards-flying debris is caught
in any case, but this eliminates back-of-leg spray.

Added plus : it no longer traps snow, so it no longer drops snow on the chain, and
so the freewheel no longer clogs with the produced ice (no-clog owing to the increased
wheel clearance).
--
Ron Hardin
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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