peteymills@hotmail.com
12-31-1969, 08:00 PM
If you've ever gone touring in Germany, you know that the whole
country is criss-crossed with tiny dirty roads and trails, perfect for
exploring on a bicycle. And if one plans to tour further afield, this
may be the only choice offered!
On my second day out of Bremen, however, one of my rack bolts broke
while riding over a cobblestone street. It occurred to me just how
marginal this whole set-up is: your luggage is only supported by a
pair of thin aluminum rods attached to the frame with two tiny bolts.
To expect this to hold a heavy load while riding at high speed over
rough surfaces is ludicrous. I was constantly losing bolts while
touring in East Germany. At the time I thought they had rattled loose
because I had not properly fixed or glued them (and I had brought no
loctite or superglue) but now I wonder if they didn't just shear off.
Does anyone know of any mass-produced (i.e. not custom) rack mounting
systems that aren't quite so Mickey Mouse? While I'm at it, does
anyone know of good panniers for off-roading? At the moment I'm using
a pair of MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) panniers, which aren't bad,
but they've changed the attachment system so that it's not as secure
as it used to be. (but more convenient, naturally.)
country is criss-crossed with tiny dirty roads and trails, perfect for
exploring on a bicycle. And if one plans to tour further afield, this
may be the only choice offered!
On my second day out of Bremen, however, one of my rack bolts broke
while riding over a cobblestone street. It occurred to me just how
marginal this whole set-up is: your luggage is only supported by a
pair of thin aluminum rods attached to the frame with two tiny bolts.
To expect this to hold a heavy load while riding at high speed over
rough surfaces is ludicrous. I was constantly losing bolts while
touring in East Germany. At the time I thought they had rattled loose
because I had not properly fixed or glued them (and I had brought no
loctite or superglue) but now I wonder if they didn't just shear off.
Does anyone know of any mass-produced (i.e. not custom) rack mounting
systems that aren't quite so Mickey Mouse? While I'm at it, does
anyone know of good panniers for off-roading? At the moment I'm using
a pair of MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) panniers, which aren't bad,
but they've changed the attachment system so that it's not as secure
as it used to be. (but more convenient, naturally.)