Helpful Guide to Bike Racks and Panniers

Using racks and panniers really opens up the world of bike travel – whether it’s the daily commute, a weekend in the countryside or a few months on the open road.

Keeping loads off the shoulders, racks and panniers literally take the backache out of both touring and riding to work – once tried, you’ll appreciate what an advantage they hold over your rucksack for any ride longer than a few kilometers/miles.

In fact, panniers have come a long way since their humble origins – delivering freshly baked baguettes down cobbled French backstreets. Nowadays they’re available in a huge range of materials to suit every pocket and intention – with roll tops, bolt-on pockets, ingenious release systems and even funky designs. Outwardly simple, panniers are constantly being improved.

There are new ideas filtering into the rack realm too, as riders look to extend their horizons, both on and off-road. After all, fitting the right carrier to hang your bags on is just as important as how you carry your kit. The meanest, toughest touring machine is one thing -but if your rack can’t match its cargo, it will, shimmy like a rattlesnake slithering across the road. Likewise if you’re commuting, there’s no need to burden yourself with heavy-duty steelwork designed for the Serengeti.

Trailers are another option. Add to this a range of bar bags, saddlebags and rack packs, and before you know it your faithful steed will have taken on the size, shape and load-hauling duties of a Bactrian camel.

Rack materials

The best racks are generally made either from aerospace grade aluminum rods or tubular steel. Which one you need depends on what you’re carrying, where you are going and how far you are travelling. Light and stiff, aluminum racks are amply sufficient for moderate loads on good roads – Blackburn set the ball rolling in the 1970s and is still the benchmark. Steel’s advantage is that “it’s less prone to fatigue and it’s generally repairable – just pop in to your friendly local welder. The best steel racks are as light and stiff as their alloy counterparts. If you intend to pack in the weight, make sure your rack is heavy duty enough not to flex under serious loads or you will find that your bike’s handling is compromised.

Pannier materials

Pannier bags are largely split into three categories: welded, nylon (Cordura) and Cotton Duck.

One hundred per cent waterproof panniers use high frequencies to weld seams together. Based on early designs of truck tarpaulin sewn together, the process was pioneered by Mr. Ortlieb in the early 1980s and it’s a testament to his foresight that most companies have now adopted their own versions. Encased in PVC (tougher but eco-unfriendly) and Cordura (lighter), different weights of material are available with different resistance to abrasion – if holes do wear through, you’ll need to patch them up with a special kit. Welded panniers tend to be simpler in design with fewer pockets.

Cordura or other nylon panniers are more traditional and can be advantageous in having extra pockets and zips for easy access to kit and snacks. Though they can be water repellent, the seams will let in moisture. Most nowadays include a waterproof, high-vis shell, stowed in its own pocket. Although not absolutely effective, it should keep out all but the very worst storms – though you do have to stop to put it on, restricting access to the bags.

Lastly, Cotton Duck is a super hard-wearing, easy to repair material tried and tested over years of expedition [touring. It’s both breathable – so damp clothes won’t go musty – and its fibers expand in the rain to keep moisture out. In practice, Cotton Duck is 95 per cent waterproof – on really prolonged downpours bagging any valuables is a must.

Watch out

Keep an eye on your racks when touring, particularly on bumpy roads. Even tiny repetitive movements wear divots in the tubing, so wrap contact points with: electrical tape, both to protect the finish and reduce play. Check bolts every few days, or applies a few drops of Loctite to prevent them working loose – stainless steel bolts are less prone to snapping than aluminum. Ensuring that bolts are long enough to run completely into the mounting eye also helps. P-clips are fiddly to set up but are useful if you don’t

Panniers are a wonderfully simple and efficient way of carrying around extra material. Some fit to the front wheel of your bicycle as well as the rack.

P-clips are fiddly o set up but are useful if you don’t have eyelets on your frame – they should be available at your local DIY store. Wrap the stay in electrical tape to reduce the chance of it slipping and gouging your frame. If you don’t have any dropout eyelets, Tubus now produce axle-mounted fittings. Even better though are Old Man Mountain racks that use a skewer through the hub and V brakes as fixing points. If you’re running disc brakes, calipers sometimes interrupt the rack leg – particularly with cable pull versions. While the rack can sometimes be spaced out with an aluminum rod, Jubus’s fixings for disc brakes are designed to work with their own models by moving them further back.

When fitting panniers, make sure there’s enough room for heel clearance. Aim to keep loads located as directly as possible over the rear axle and keep the mounting clips spaced wide to stop the pannier bending out at the sides. Even the toughest panniers can get damaged from day to day, so try not to lean your loaded bike carelessly against walls, to reduce abrasion. Your pannier first-aid kit should contain a strong thread (or dental floss) and a thick needle for repairs. Welded seam panniers are harder to fix effectively so it’s wise to carry a spare set of patches and glue with you, and then apply patches to both inside and outside.