Rack and rack pack recommendations.

I've got a MIK rack on my commuter. It's a decent rack in itself, but there are a range of different panniers, bags and baskets that clip onto it with a standard base. If theres nothing available that suits, you can buy the bases individually and screw your own box to it.

I've always liked the idea of a front rack - aka, Luke's pizza bike...

In this thread
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/best-bikes-youve-bought-for-under-100-pics/

We use a rack and pack a lot. I love the Topeak QuickTrack system which allows you to slide the rack pack on and off really easily. We've an MTX trunk bag (way larger than the road version) and a Super Tourist DX rack. Can easily add pannier bags and so on if needed

+1 Topeak. The biggest MTX trunk bag will take a chicken and the clever fold out panniers carry 4pints each plus some bags of coins. Rack and bag and a chicken and some milk should be <£100.

Liking the look of the MTX. How sturdy are those panniers? Would they be able to carry the milk?
Edit should have read above. Will purchase.

another vote for the topeak system, although I'd suggest for shopping that their baskets are a bit more useful than their panniers, less faffy to get stuff in.

Decathlon £20 Pannier bag is ace.

Front basket with legs. Wald is the obvious brand.
Porteur racks are good (one on my hack bike) but needs a suitable bag or crate to go on it. I use a Lomo rack pack after a recommendation on here. Works well.
Somehow feels better being able to watch your shopping fall out rather than getting home and realising that you've lost an onion or two.
E.g. https://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/wald-1372-medium-basket-silver
https://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/dry-bike-tail-bag.html#SID=119

Another vote for the topeak system.

The ex and i both have the beam racks and i have a proper pannier as well, they've done light weight touring on and off road, commuting on my MTB, race bike and my winter bike, shopping, camping and never missed a beat. I've even used it to carry all my kit (inc spare wheels) to my more local CX races (sort of within 10 miles each way).

I'd buy one again, no question.
IIRC the first bits were bought when i lived in UK, so over 15 years old.

I also have some front Ortlieb panniers, but lent them to a mate for our week's off road fatpacking. So I used my MTX system again, fully loaded (no milk or chickens though) and it stood up to everything, including full fast descent of the Corrieyairack down over the water bars to Melrose. I strap a bungee over the whole lot though for stuff like that.

The retractable panniers are an ace idea.

Interesting to see you can get an adapter plate that'll allow use of those MTX trunk bags with any rack.

Yes, I have one mounted on top of my (adapted, widened) Thule Tour / Pack n Pedal rack on the fatty, a Topeak Tourist rack on the London Road, and about 4 different sized MTX bags. Bit of a convert tbh, much Topeak stuff is really good.

Yes, I've had a Topeak Frontloader on the go for the last 18 months, good kit, and the Topeak phone case I used prior to my current Zefal (for reasons of phone size) was better, too. Might look at getting one of those trunk bags and adapters for future use.

ohhh I hadn;t realised there was an adapter available. Our spare tandem has a rack that doesn't take the MTX bag, I might get one and see if - despite the rack having a top plate - I can get it to work

Please report back if you do. I've got an old Mountain Man rack I've swapped round from bike to bike over the years, and that'd be handy to know.

I used a Topeak rack set up for years and many thousands of miles.

Super DX rack (I think?!)
Biggest MTX rack pack they did, with the fold out panniers
Topeak folding milk crate

I used to attach a child seat to it as well, though I didn’t have the Topeak one. I have to say, the whole set up is absolutely brilliant. It’s SO convenient. Would often do the shopping on the way home and pop stuff into the Topeak bag, would usually carry a folding rucksack in there too. Genuinely ace