Cycling UK Forum

Stupid question alert.

What do people use to secure stuff to the top of a rack? I assume some sort of elastic or ratcheting strap?

Recommendations?

I use old innertubes cut into 1" wide strips they work fine.

Most things such as trousers, shirt and towel on the way home from work today a bungie strap. When touring I use two woven straps with buckles for securing my tent.

Woven straps work for me the best, mainy because you can shove other things like locks and shoes in there when sightseeing, generally faffing around, have got totally fed up with packing properly all the time. Guilty as charged on the last one ..

This is what I use:

Silverline 140818 Small Bungee Cargo Securing Net 300 x 300


Cost me £2.70.

These: https://www.alpkit.com/products/airlok-xtra-13-litre - secured to the rack with a couple of velcro straps through the welded on attachment loops. Contains my tent when camping or otherwise my waterproofs/daytime essentials. Waterproof and secure.
Of course, being Alpkit, they're currently out of stock.......

It depends on what is going to be secured, especially size and weight of load. eg Something large(ish) and light = 1 adjustable bungee. (I'd describe a large multi-pack of bog rolls as large and light.)

Somewhere kicking around I have a sort of multi-stranded bungee which seemed like a good idea when I bought it for attaching longer items but I've never found much actual use. It was in a clearance bin at Dodge City (?) a predecessor of B&Q so perhaps I should have got the message. If it's heavier, then I have some webbing straps but there's a limit.

Cue for all the images of people in faraway lands moving abnormal loads.

I didn’t realise it was so difficult. Two bungies running front to back diagonally cross in the middle holds the tent and the washing.

I find that the wide Velcro cinch straps I use on the trailers, work as well on the rear rack

They have advantages as the tension is adjustable and that, with the wider spread of the strap stops the pressure on the load

Paulatic wrote:I didn’t realise it was so difficult. Two bungies running front to back diagonally cross in the middle holds the tent and the washing.

I'm a bungee hater. At first sight they seem great but actually they do have to be exactly the right length to reach the point on the rack that you attach them to (or double or cross over or whatever). And if they unattach and the hook goes in the wheel . . .

I do carry a pair just in case for an unpredictable item like shopping but I still hate them. For regular items such as the tent I use the normal nylon webbing straps with standard clip fasteners so you can pull them tight. I'm experimenting currently with lengths of webbing (cut to length and re-sewn) and buckles from old rucksacks and luggage straps.

For regular items such as the tent I use the normal nylon webbing straps with standard clip fasteners so you can pull them tight.

Aha! Where does one get such things?

... I'm a bungee hater. At first sight they seem great but actually they do have to be exactly the right length to reach the point on the rack that you attach them to (or double or cross over or whatever). And if they unattach and the hook goes in the wheel . . ..

1. That's why I've been so pleased with my adjustable bungee.

2. Even so, it did once come adrift and caught up in the wheel. Luckily, no wrecks and nobody drownded, so I just reshaped the hook and tried to be more careful.

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PS Re ratcheting straps I have a couple for roofrack use. The nylon straps are quite light - much lighter than the webbing used for trouser belts etc - but the metal ratchets would be a silly weight for cycling. They only get very occasional use and I've never checked what else is available.

PPS, I've just googled lightweight ratchet straps and one of the hits defined lightweight as for a load less than three tonnes.

I have used the belts that come with Craghopper trousers to secure my tent to the top of the rack...and they will also hold up your trousers when you get to the campsite, so multifunctional!

ratherbeintobago wrote:

For regular items such as the tent I use the normal nylon webbing straps with standard clip fasteners so you can pull them tight.

Aha! Where does one get such things?

Wetkama on eBay. I prefer the cam buckle version but they stock several sorts.

Bungees and cargo nets keep hooking to the wrong things and let loads bounce loose over big enough bumps.

The problem is getting them short enough. Of course you can cut a long one down but then you might as well make your own anyway. I noticed that Trespass sell both straps and buckles in their shops for that purpose.