hsu@rdvax.DEC (Felix S. Hsu) (02/18/86)
Besides Blackburn, does anyone else make a low-rider front rack that you would recommend? I know Vetta makes one. What is the difference technically and in reality? Has anyone had any experience with the Specialized Tailwind front panniers? Or any other panniers that you would recommend (either way)? In particular, I'd prefer to find a less expensive pannier that is of good quality and has a durable mounting system. Please reply to me directly. internet: fhsu@athena.mit.edu uucp: ...!decwrl!"fhsu@athena.mit.edu"
dkw@yale.ARPA (David Wittenberg) (02/20/86)
Summary: Expires: Sender: Followup-To: Distribution: Keywords: In article <1217@decwrl.DEC.COM> hsu@rdvax.DEC (Felix S. Hsu) writes: > >Besides Blackburn, does anyone else make a low-rider front rack that you would >recommend? I know Vetta makes one. What is the difference technically and in >reality? I used a Balckburn rack (with Tailwind panniers) on a 1000 mile tour last summer and had considerable problems with shimmy (The bike wouldn't go in a straight line without a lot of steering at a few relatively narrow speed ranges.) Several other people had similar problems. Some people did not, although all of us were using Blackburn racks. I have head very good things about Bruce Gordon's racks. They are chrome-moly steel, and semi custom. The reviews I've read were unanimous in their praise, so if I ever get around to replacing my racks that's what I'll get. I think they cost about $60 for a front rack (which is apparently the more critical one). >Has anyone had any experience with the Specialized Tailwind front panniers? Or >any other panniers that you would recommend (either way)? In particular, I'd >prefer to find a less expensive pannier that is of good quality and has a >durable mounting system. The Tailwinds were not bad, but not great. It was hard to pack into them well (particularly without removing them from the bike, so stuffing a sweater into them on the road was a nuisance). They also didn't fit the Blackburn rack without burning holes in the plastic back and relocating the lower support hooks. I then had to tape around the rack to make it thick enough so that the lower hooks did more than just look pretty. The plastic expanding pins which make sure they stay on the top bar of the support look like a good design, but of the four I started with, only 1 survived the trip. Overall not something I would go out of my way to get. By the way, my Cannondale "overland" rear panniers worked very well, though they may have been a bit too big. In fact they were so big that I put my sleeping bag and foam pad in them in order not to have too much weight on the rear rack. I'd recommend them, but perhaps one size smaller might be a better bet. David Wittenberg Wittenberg@yale (arpa or csnet) Yale University decvax!yale!wittenberg
peters@cubsvax.UUCP (Peter S. Shenkin) (02/21/86)
In article <decwrl.1217> hsu@rdvax.DEC (Felix S. Hsu) writes: > >Besides Blackburn, does anyone else make a low-rider front rack that you would >recommend? I know Vetta makes one. What is the difference technically and in >reality? Sorry, I don't know the answer to this. But I have another question. I use low-riders, Blackburns, and have the model for braze-ons that go all the way through the front fork tines. In this model, there is no hoop connecting the left and right rack; instead, each rack has two top horizontal struts (instead of one) that go back and straddle the tine. There's a bolt that goes through one strut, through the fork and out through the other side, then through the other strut. I've had severe vibration problems in fast descents, despite balancing my panniers carefully. I wonder if it's because each pannier/rack can independently "lever" or twist a fork tine. In the older style low rider racks, the racks and fork together have their rigidity enforced by the connecting hoop between the left and right racks. Thus, for example, with this older style the two fork tines couldn't simultaneously twist outward. I wonder if anyone knows whether this might be correct; particularly if anyone has tried both types of rack and found this problem with the independently mounted halves for full braze-ons. Peter S. Shenkin Columbia Univ. Biology Dept., NY, NY 10027 {philabs,rna}!cubsvax!peters cubsvax!peters@columbia.ARPA
barrys@hercules.UUCP (Barry Steel) (02/25/86)
If you don't mind the money, Bruce Gordon racks (and the matching Needle Works bags) are the ONLY way to go. I have a set (front/rear) on my touring bike. They are flawless, according to Bruce > 15 times longer lasting than Blackburn. The panniers are built stronger than my Gregory Pack! That is difficult to do. They racks are one piece, made of miter-cut chrome-moly tubing, covered with epoxy paint. They run around $85. They will accept any bags, but are made especially for the Needle Works panniers. The panniers range from $125 to $150. Bob Beckman "Mr. Needle Works" is just fanatical about quality. Its been a pleasure doing business with both of these people. There have been several write-ups about both of these products recently (last 6 months), I can't remember if it was in Bicycling or Bicycle Rider. Both people are in Eugene, OR, and advertise in the masjor cycling mags. barry steel
barrys@hercules.UUCP (Barry Steel) (02/25/86)
About the "semi-custom" Blackburn low-riders. My wife's bike has these. They are mounted on Renolds 531 forks. So far have used them on a week long tour, with a lot of weight in them, with ABSOULTLY no problem. You can grasp both racks (at the front, where you have the longest lever arm) and get almost no discernable flex. I was, quite frankly, surprized. I suspect they will not last as long as the BG's though.... barry steel
barrys@hercules.UUCP (Barry Steel) (02/25/86)
In article <849@hercules.UUCP> barrys@hercules.UUCP (Barry Steel) writes: >with epoxy paint. They run around $85. They will accept any bags, but Oops, that's the price for the rear rack, the front is a little cheaper at $65. barry steel
buz@umich.UUCP (Greg Buzzard) (02/27/86)
I planning on buying a Bruce Gordon front rack. Presently, the needleworks panniers are a bit out of my price range. Does anybody have suggestions for more moderately (say $55 - $85) priced panniers that will work well with the BG rack?
pgf@mtung.UUCP (Paul Fox) (02/27/86)
A while ago I spotted a front rack setup in an Eclipse product
brochure which looked kind of neat, and I was wondering if anyone
had tried it. Note that I haven't seen it in any local bike shops,
or mail-order catalogs.
The "rack" part of the thing is essentially a long narrow U-shaped
hoop whose two ends attach under your quick release clamp. It
extends up and over your front wheel, crossing it a little over a
foot ahead of the fork. The bags are supported by clamping (or
clipping?) to this hoop and your front fork. (At this point I'll
refrain from trying to produce one of those clever character-
graphics renditions so popular in this group... :-)
I can't recall whether it *only* worked with their (Eclipse) bags
or not.
The thing appeals to me because of the ease of disassembly-- no
tools involved. Any other opinions?
While we're at it, what are people's opinions of front vs. rear
panniers? Are fronts plus a seat pack and handlebar bag sufficient
for long-weekend kinds of tours? Fronts-only would seem to be a
better weight distribution than rears-only, but is that
significant? I've never ridden with any sort of panniers, though
I've been a semi-serious rider for years.
--
Paul Fox, AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel NJ.
[ihnp4|vax135]!mtung!pgf (201)834-3740peters@cubsvax.UUCP (Peter S. Shenkin) (03/03/86)
In article <mtung.676> pgf@mtung.UUCP (Paul Fox) writes: > ... While we're at it, what are people's opinions of front vs. rear > panniers? Are fronts plus a seat pack and handlebar bag sufficient > for long-weekend kinds of tours? Fronts-only would seem to be a > better weight distribution than rears-only, but is that > significant? I've never ridden with any sort of panniers, though > I've been a semi-serious rider for years. > It's considered better to try to distribute the weight, if there's a lot of it. If there's only a little, it's better in the back, because any weight in front impedes your low-speed stability (which relies on quick corrections with the handlebars). Weight down low in front may actually *increase* high-speed stability, by resisting deflections due to "road noise" -- rocks, cracks, etc. Weight up high in front makes steering a bit unstable, and current thought is that one should avoid it. That means no handlebar bag; however, most tourists do keep at least a small handlebar bag for the map pocket and a very few necessities (perhaps a bandana and a bag of trail-mix) that one wants to get at easily. Peter S. Shenkin Columbia Univ. Biology Dept., NY, NY 10027 {philabs,rna}!cubsvax!peters cubsvax!peters@columbia.ARPA
mink@cfa.UUCP (Doug Mink) (03/05/86)
In article <mtung.676> pgf@mtung.UUCP (Paul Fox) writes: > ... While we're at it, what are people's opinions of front vs. rear > panniers? Are fronts plus a seat pack and handlebar bag sufficient > for long-weekend kinds of tours? Fronts-only would seem to be a > better weight distribution than rears-only, but is that > significant? Peter S. Shenkin <cubsvax.444> adds: > It's considered better to try to distribute the weight, if there's a lot > of it. If there's only a little, it's better in the back, because any > weight in front impedes your low-speed stability (which relies on quick > corrections with the handlebars). Weight down low in front may actually > *increase* high-speed stability, by resisting deflections due to "road > noise" -- rocks, cracks, etc. Weight up high in front makes steering > a bit unstable, and current thought is that one should avoid it. I've found that even regular front paniers add to high speed stability enough for me to carry a 35mm camera w/telephoto in a padded handelbar bag. I've ridden with both low-riders and normal-height front panniers and haven't noticed much difference except that low-riders and Huret odometers don't mix. -Doug Mink mink@cfa.UUCP mink%cfa.UUCP@harvard.HARVARD.EDU