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Following this years bike packing trip, I’m thinking about swapping out the 7 bags I left with for a rear rack and panniers, thinking that a couple of 20ltr(?!) panniers and (possibly) a bag on top would more than do the job, being on small frames all round, I find a lot of issues with fitting bags on to the bike without…issue
I’ve no idea about racks and compatibility to bikes and googling so far has led me down a huge, confusing rabbit hole
So…STW help…
Looking for recommendations / experiences on good racks and panniers for bike packing duties, maybe something universal to swap between bikes, or is that just a terrible idea? 3 main bikes used for bike packing
Identiti AKA
Surly 1x1
Ragley Trig
So have a mixture of through axles and QR skewers, one has seatstay mounts, 2 do not, all disc brake, 2 have gears
Is there one rack to rule them all or should I be buying bike specific racks / bags, more than likely will only be used once or twice a year
Any rack / bag recommendations or thoughts on this bonkers(?!) idea most welcome
Ive seen a lot of good things said about those so had loosely earmarked them as a potential
are they a universal rack or a case of “you must have this and this on your bike for it to fit properly” ?
If you ride a small frame watch out for heel clearance.
For example I have a big pair of Carradry 24l panniers that need very rearward positioning to miss my size 11s on a medium Free Ranger. They are, however, a very big and deep bag.
I have a Tortec rack that bolts to seat stay mounts. It's easy to fit and remove.
If you put all your weight on the back it will make the front feel very light and it will feel unwieldy when pushing the bike and getting on. That might be exacerbated on a short back end on a small frame.
If you can I'd still put some load up front (bar roll or some low riders). It will improve stability.
For the top of the rack I've generally used a large dry bag and a bungee. This is from Holland a year or so back. A week of clothes, cooking and sleeping gear for me and my son in April (so lots of layers/warm stuff for evenings) 
An option is to use front panniers on the back. Being smaller they are less likely to get heel strike. Ortlieb fronts are 15l each. I have done overnight trips with one front pannier and my sleeping bag/mat strapped on top of the rack, albeit bothy rather than tent.
For racks almost anything will fit the frame wih seatstay mounts. Sometimes small frames need longer stays.
For steel or alu frames without seatstay attachment point you can use
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/carriers-racks/14mm-tubus-clamp-set-rack-eyes-for-seat-stay-mounting/
Ortlieb/ AGU/ Altura are the go-to for panniers.
i like the topeak racks as they allow you to use their proprietary ‘Quik-Trak’ slide on top bags.
ive just taken delivery of one of their ‘Tetraracks’ for the FS.
max 10kg load on the front end.
if they fit, ‘custom’ low rider pannier racks attach to the fork by the Allen mount, halfway up the fork.
no Allen mount?, non-custom versions clamp to the fork via p-clips (like jubilee clips).
remmber to leave clearance for mudguards.
I ve got ortlieb front panniers all round. I leave them on the bike and just use tote bags to cart stuff around. Amazingly noones pinched anything yet despite leaving bike at gym, pool, shops etc
@garage-dweller some good points I wouldn’t (didn’t) have thought of, most notably heel clearance
I’m hoping that size 8 feet with cleats most of the way back (my normal setup) and slightly smaller than 24l bags might negate that but definitely something to consider
dry bag strapped to the top is definitely a good idea as opposed to a “proper” bag, also wouldn’t be against moving whatever is in there to a bar bag or front rack if the rearward weight is a little overwhelming
some good points to consider that I’d have otherwise skipped until it was too late 🤣
@irc never heard of those clamp sets but definitely worth knowing of them just in case so thank you for bringing them up
@greatbeardedone my current bike packing setup is all Topeak stuff so I started looking at their racks by default, they do look really good and are still on the radar
still a way off I reckon for pulling the trigger on some / a rack and panniers so using this as a little research and “bookmarking” stuff to look for when I stagger into shops that stock racks
@poolman the more I read, the more I see comments defaulting towards, mostly, the Ortlieb racks and bags so their definitely on the “look out for that” list
I quite like the idea that they claim to hold more weight than most, not that I carry enough to get close to “testing” these limits out but always better to have too much over not enough
going to keep an eye out for them when out and about as well as others that may or may not have been mentioned within this thread
Large Ortlieb Quickrack and a pair of front panniers is my go to for big loads. Rack jumps between two bikes regularly. It’s excellent. I also have a small QL3 bag and a downtown briefcase that direct mount to the rack. I too like the Topeak MTX system and have that rack on the recumbent with a decent sized top bag and also the panniers as needed. Quickrack is better for sharing across bikes though. It’s a cells t kit and I highly commend. You’ll probably strap something else to the top of that rack.
I had / have earmarked the large quickrack out of the few different options for the proposed tyre clearance if nothing else so pleased to hear it works well
if buying the ortlieb pannier bags, do they attach securely to the rack? Any issues with movement in them at all? Is the rack restricted to the ortlieb bags or are there options to use any bag at all?
I’ve used the Ortlieb quickrack for 1000s of miles on and off road bikepacking with no issues. I use the large one on a mtb with 29x2,6 tyres and can still get a mudguard on. I use ortlieb gravel panniers on the back because they sit high, out of the way and have double rack clips at the bottom (which you could fit yourself onto other ortlieb bags).
I bought a pair of vaude waterproof roll top panniers in 1997. I used them to get to work today they are still in decent nick having being used on the daily commute for 13 years off and on.
Rack is a Topeak one thats been used daily for the last 5 years. It's the clip top one, I've not really used the clip top top bag at all.
I bought a pair of vaude waterproof roll top panniers in 1997. I used them to get to work today they are still in decent nick having being used on the daily commute for 13 years off and on.
Sorry to be the one to make you feel old, but 2010 was 15 years ago now. You've been using them for 28 years
like the topeak racks as they allow you to use their proprietary ‘Quik-Trak’ slide on top bags.This is what i fitted on my winter/commuting bike. Popped a topeak rack on for a 5 day lightweight tour and never took it off... i already had one of their beam racks and a couple of bags, so was an easy upgrade. Have used it in several configurations (dry bags, panniers, topeak bags etc).
You can buy the top plate separately and do a DIY top bag too.
I bought a pair of vaude waterproof roll top panniers in 1997. I used them to get to work today they are still in decent nick having being used on the daily commute for 13 years off and on.
Sorry to be the one to make you feel old, but 2010 was 15 years ago now. You've been using them for 28 years
Yep, 13 ish years of commuting on bike with the panniers since 1997. The rest via car or bus
Ortlieb (and others) do 25 and 20l versions, ostensibly to go rear and front respectively, but the smaller ones also work at the back to keep things more compact.
Unless it's a specific touring bike or you have tiny feet you will have heel clearance issues. Panniers generally have adjustable clips so you can set them up as far back as required.
Panniers Vs bikepacking bags isn't a clear-cut decision. Rear only panniers make bikes handle like s. I'd actually rather have front panniers because at least then the front wheel feels like it has traction. And do not underestimate how unwieldy it makes the bike, I've dropped it at traffic lights before because if you put a foot down slightly off balance it'll start to tip, and the handlebars will not have enough leverage to save you! My fixie commuter now has front and rear racks for this reason, a crate of shopping bungeed to both is far easier to ride than just one big one on the rear.
If you need to take a lot of stuff, and can avoid hills, then 4x panniers is a great solution. If you can't avoid hills then take less s and bikepack. Any other solution is some variation on miserable IMO.
^I wrote a blog post last week saying pretty much exactly that, having just adapted a 26"/135QR Old Man Mountain Sherpa rack to fit on a modern boost 29er. The OMM racks are good but expensive. The Quickracks are a cheaper and arguably more versatile option. I've used Carradry Universal small panniers on both with two bottom hooks - rock solid, and I actually prefer them to various Ortlieb panniers that I've used (to destruction) in the past.
@thisisnotaspoon @montgomery that’s for the input, once again, some very interesting and well made points
seems to be more and more mentioning the issue with all the weight on the back, got me thinking that maybe smaller panniers on the back and as mentioned a rack or small panniers up front or, my thoughts, fork bags to counteract any imbalance, definitely something to consider
hoping to get out this weekend for a bit of window shopping to have a look at some racks and bags for consideration feeling a bit more armed with some knowledge following this discussion
I use a Tubus Cosmo on a Surly ECR (the same rack has also been on a Thorn Raven, Longitude, 456ti, a Surly Troll and a Woodrup Chimera) with Ortlieb front rollers. It works just fine with a tent over the rack and a frame bag/stem bags. No issues with handling and quite easy to pack. I have ridden all over Wales and the Highlands as well as N. Spain with that setup. I hate too much weight up front, especially when lifting the front of the bike on hikeabikes and when hitting water-bars. But I do have water bottles on fork legs and a mini rack on the front for waterproofs and gillet.
I can’t be bothered with the wagging arse rockets some friends use… but I ride with someone with a Tailfin setup front and rear and it really good. If I were starting from scratch with enough cash, I would consider Tailfin. One advantage of a sturdy rack though is that you can temporarily pile it up with water or extra food at the end of a day of after a shop visit and even logs for a ride into a bothy.
I’m currently in the Highlands on the Great North Trail.
I wouldn’t use Panniers if you’re going to be riding/hike-a-biking up anything remotely technical for three reasons. First being that it puts too much weight over the back of your bike. The second is that pushing a heavy bikepacking bike up technical terrain when the panniers keep knocking into your legs is miserable. Thirdly, if you’re riding into a headwind, panniers are like dragging a parachute behind you.
I use a front bar bag in a cradle and a rear rack pack, both from Ortlieb.
Also, T(ake) L(ess) S(hit/tuff).
I’m currently in the Highlands on the Great North Trail.
I wouldn’t use Panniers if you’re going to be riding/hike-a-biking up anything remotely technical for three reasons. First being that it puts too much weight over the back of your bike. The second is that pushing a heavy bikepacking bike up technical terrain when the panniers keep knocking into your legs is miserable. Thirdly, if you’re riding into a headwind, panniers are like dragging a parachute behind you.
I use a front bar bag in a cradle and a rear rack pack, both from Ortlieb.
Also, T(ake) L(ess) S(hit/tuff).
I guess everyone finds what works for them. I’m pretty big so I’m not sure the panniers add much wind resistance! They don’t really annoy me when pushing. I have ridden the GNT and variations of it with panniers! Mind you there isn’t much technical riding on the route.
As for taking less stuff… it depends on how you travel. I often carry the tent, stove and other stuff to use between two people and sometimes take food for several days to avoid looking for shops and faffing.
30+ years cycle touring for me and almost has long riding offroad with camping gear for polaris and such.
always used a rear rack and panniers, even on polaris. tent on rack, light stuff in a rucksack.
for the last 10 years we have used Crosso dry panniers 30ltr per side. but now we follow a take less stuff approach and now use smaller 20ltr per side.
as good as ortlieb and vaude, but far cheaper. from Poland.
seen recently in Holland