Our buddy Quinn sent in the following cool cargo trick — a detachable carrying system:
Don’t feel like carrying the extra weight of panniers and a rack when you don’t need it? Do you feel the need for streamlining and speed? Well, Quinn devised a method using a spare seatpost and saddle, an Axiom Odyssee seatpost rack and a pair of Cannondale panniers.
When you need carrying capacity on your bike, just remove your existing seatpost and slip this “module” in. Quinn added an extra seatpost collar to the post as a “slide stop” and to get everything lined up on the first try.
If you’ve got a spare seatpost and saddle, this is a brilliant idea — carrying capacity when you need it, no extra weight and heel-catching equipment when you don’t. Thanks, Quinn, for sending this one in!
We’re always on the lookout for great commuter tips and tricks. If you’ve got a favorite one, send ‘em in and we’ll post them.
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I like milk crates!
Or you could just get the Topeak beam rack with a quick release.
http://www.topeak.com/t8/products/racks/mtxbeamrackex.php
If you browse their site you’ll find you can also get beam racks with pannier supports. The Topeak luggage all slides off with the push of a button so it’s easy to remove.
Bah…the Topeak rack is only rated for 15lb of weight, whereas the Axiom rack can support up to 25 kg…that’s 55 lbs!!! At least, that’s what their brochure states.
That is a big difference.
That’s a big difference indeed, Jack, but do you really want 55 pounds hanging off of a seatpost rack? That seems a big optimistic of Axiom.
Good point. It DOES seem rather optimistic for a seatpost rack!
I sure wouldn’t hang 55 lb. off a carbon post, that’s for sure. A cheap aluminum one…perhaps.
I’ve been convinced for a while that racks are pretty conservatively rated — way back when in my college days, I used to take “surf rides” on the back of my buddy’s MTB with a Blackburn rack attached…it was rated for 50 lb. or so, but I never had any problems with my 130 lb. drunken weight on there! The rack withstood a ton of abuse — way more than the designers ever intended.
[...] Escrito por Jack de: bikecommuters.com [...]
I can assure you the rack holds 55 lbs, I load it with 40+ every weekend.
I holds so much that I actually got worried about the rear wheel enough that I am having a 36h wheel built for me.
I was thinking of getting one of these but the poor review on Amazon.com has put me off. Have you had a good experience?
Dude! You found my old panniers from the 80′s! I always wondered what happened to them.
That rack looks better than the other seatpost ones I’ve tried, but it looks like, from the pictures on their website, that it’s supposed to be secured at the bottom somewhere too (axle? eyelet?) That would definitely help with keeping swaying to a minimum, but would take away the quick in-and-out trick. Can Quinn speak to this at all? I’m looking at getting either this or the Odyssee suspension model, since my stupid bike doesn’t have mount points anywhere, so I’d be interested to hear his experience.
Brian, that particular model of rack doesn’t have a low-mounting point…those loops are merely to support the panniers.
If your bike doesn’t have mounting points, vinyl-covered “P-clamps” do the trick quite admirably:
http://www.velo-orange.com/pforfeat.html
On that site, they’re listed to be used with fenders, but they work fine with racks, too. These type of clamps are often available at well-stocked hardware stores, too.
Thanks for your help. I saw clamps referenced before, but usually in reference to putting them on the seatposts, or so I thought. Not sure how comfortable I’d be with clamps there, or if they’d work with my disc brakes, but it’s worth looking into a little more.
Thanks again.
I agree. cheap, open, light weight, milk crate zip tied to top of bike rack rules. can just drop stuff in it and easy access to it.