[recidivist]

...get your mind out of the gutter.

I've been putting some miles on the Q-ball and have been really impressed with how easily it morphs into a touring-tire epic-fire-road-dirt-pavement type bike. So now I'm thinking about how I can put a rack on it. I know, I know. If I wanted a rack, I should have got a KM. Oh well.

To the problem is that it isn't really designed for racks. No braze-ons, etc. Ideally I'd find something that wasn't a total PITA to take on and off. So I'm looking at Old Man Mountain:

Anyone have any comments?

 

[hitekrdnk]

Check in to the seat post mount models. Or just get a BOB.

I do have to admit that AN-S flashed through my mind reading your header.

 

[recidivist]

Hm. Either of those options would work great for the quick-change. I wonder about the overall strength of seatpost models.

A trailer, though. Hmm...

 

[hitekrdnk]

I think the seatpost models hold up fine as long as you avoid the really cheap ones. I think Moots even makes/made one at one point. I even seem to remember seeing them used on some ultra endurance bikes last year?

I just took a tour of the BOB factory and saw their history lineup on the wall. Pretty cool to see how it all came to be and they still do alot there to make the product better all the time. The best thing about the BOB concept is that it will work with any bike, including 29"ers if you get the proper front yoke.

For our day to day commuting and grocery getting here we just use our messenger bags.

 

[recidivist]

I hadn't thought of the Moots rack. Now that's go bling.

I use the old courier bag for most day-to-day stuff but it doesn't excel at the farmer's market/grocery role and I certainly wouldn't want to go camping with it.

Maybe I'll contact OMM and see what they have to say for themselves.

 

[MMcG]

Give Scott Q a call and see what he might recommend. He might have some good ideas too.

 

[C.P.]

maybe AntBike - Mike F. would fabricates an option for you, his stuff is nice & worth asking at least...http://www.antbikemike.com/basketsandracks.html

 

[hitekrdnk]

But that is exactly why I like to use the bag for grocery getting cause the SO can't go wild and if we need more we just go back again another day which means another bike ride to Bargainica. Gotta love health food stores in U towns.......

 

[Drevil]

Those Old Man Mountain racks are well-made. I don't have the one that has clearance for disc brakes because, er, I don't have disc brakes . I've been told by several people that if you want something custom from them, you can. Just call 'em.

As for the seatpost racks like the Moots one, you can't hold that much with them. I have a Nashbar knockoff and it works well for those very light packing days.

 

[BrickTop]

For what it's worth - I recently went through this exercise in preparation for the Great Divide Race. The OMM rack is the one most commonly used and is even sold by the Adventure Cycling Assoc. Both solid endorsements. Also in researching the race itself, I found one too many tales of seat post mounted racks snapping during the race. I don't know your intended use, but perhaps this info helps.

...get your mind out of the gutter.

I've been putting some miles on the Q-ball and have been really impressed with how easily it morphs into a touring-tire epic-fire-road-dirt-pavement type bike. So now I'm thinking about how I can put a rack on it. I know, I know. If I wanted a rack, I should have got a KM. Oh well.

To the problem is that it isn't really designed for racks. No braze-ons, etc. Ideally I'd find something that wasn't a total PITA to take on and off. So I'm looking at Old Man Mountain:

Anyone have any comments?

 

[ito]

Check in to the seat post mount models. Or just get a BOB.

I do have to admit that AN-S flashed through my mind reading your header.

Seat Post racks won't hold enough weight for extended touring. 25lbs is the limit of most of those racks. If you do get a seat post rack I would purchase a Thompson post to go with it. For extended touring that is the only post I'd run with that style of rack.

For what it is worth: I toured down the California Coast two years ago with an OMM rack on my fixed gear Karate Monkey. It held up superbly. My one complaint was that I could scrape the back of my heel on my panniers once in a while. This has never been a problem on a touring bike due to proper rack positioning. As it was, I just bungied the panniers back a bit and never scraped again.

I'm planning on riding the same bike cross country and up into Canada this spring and I will most likely be using a BOB trailer. Less stress on the bike, more room for gear, and I think it will handle the offroading I plan to do better than a full rack setup will.

For offroading with racks I would definitely talk to OMM. They do certify the racks for it and having used one I have no doubt it could withstand the journey, but I'd be carefull what Panniers I put on it. You'll want a pretty heavy duty suspension system that won't tear apart while going through some babyhead rocks. I went on a some rough roads and even offroad a few times with my KM and I know the Jansport panniers took a beating. They survived, but it wasn't for very long and never that rough.

Good luck and let us know what works for you. As I said, I'll probably be using a BOB this spring, possibly with my OMM rack as an assistant.

The Ito

 

[recidivist]

Thanks for the good suggestions, everyone. I'm thinking moderate loads with some frequency -- one-to-three night wilderness trips, shopping, picnic trips, that sort of thing. A seatpost rack might suffice, but I'd hate to find the limitations. And I think a trailer is a great idea for, uh, lets say straight-line trips -- touring, long-hauling of various sorts -- but may not be as fun for the urban trips.

Looks like I should just talk to OMM and see what they suggest.

Just gotta try it out...

 

[ito]

Thanks for the good suggestions, everyone. I'm thinking moderate loads with some frequency -- one-to-three night wilderness trips, shopping, picnic trips, that sort of thing. A seatpost rack might suffice, but I'd hate to find the limitations. And I think a trailer is a great idea for, uh, lets say straight-line trips -- touring, long-hauling of various sorts -- but may not be as fun for the urban trips.

Looks like I should just talk to OMM and see what they suggest.

Just gotta try it out...

You'd be surpised how agile a trailer can be. It also seems to add some stability to the bike.

I would stay away from seatpost mounted racks. They just never seem to work well. They are also useless for panniers as they sway too much.

The Ito