Panniers, racks + touring

[Tallman]

So I'm most likely going touring with one of my Bro's and a good mate of his on January 1st, 2010. I have a Fuji Roubaix Pro which doesn't have any mounts for racks, and the clearance between the legs of the forks is ~32 mm (I think...).

I've been recommended Mr. Tuffy tyre liners with Continental 4 seasons for a near puncture proof combination, but I'm stuck on what to do about front and back racks and panniers.

If anyone can help me out on this matter, ie how to attach panniers + racks to the frame, or which panniers or racks to buy, it would be great!

 

[Fixie God]

I've seen painers etc. that are attached to your axle and you just screw them on with your wheel???

Also ones that have elastic ties. Never actually used any though.

 

[Lanky Love]

Ive used a rack that attaches just to the seat post before. It was a bit of a disaster, in the middle of no where, half way though a three day ride, it snapped off. But it was pretty loaded up, and it broke halfway down a fast bumpy hill (we were on rarely used fire roads on mtbs). If your sticking to the road its probably ok though.

 

[Oddjob]

You can get pannier racks that mount to your seat post collar and the seat tubes. I think Topeak and a few other brands make them.

In terms of tyres the Schwalbe Marathon or Continental Top Contact are great, road tyres are okay until you get onto dirt backroads and then they get cut to shreds. Just be careful about how much room you have at the back for touring tyres. The Scwalbes come in a 700x25 from memory so that should fit just about any road bike.

In terms of panniers you will only really need rear ones. Take it from someone who has ridden 20km hills while touring, you will want to drill holes in your toothbrush to save weight. I use Ortliebs classics, the original and still the best.

 

[Mal01]

Old Man Mountain make racks that'll fit pretty much anything - uses the QR. Not cheap, but very good. Mine survived 500+ km off-road in Tassie last year. You can get them locally here.

 

[thelankyman]

I would be very hesitant to use a perfomance road that doesnt have mounts for touring. It usually means that the bike is not designed for it! The bike will flex an incredible amount (esp with the carbon), the wheels could buckle and worst case the racks and the extra weight could cause the frame to crack or fail with you on it. Check out their website to see what the max weight for the bike is. I got back today from a 2 day 350km albury-melbourne ride and my specialized tricross which has mounts and it flexed enough when out of the saddle. Spec rated the bike to take a 135kg rider and 25kg of cargo. I am 90 and the cargo was 15kgs. I wouldnt want to try it with the full weight!