About the suggestion of putting a ply deck on, to broaden a narrow rack. I don't see that as very practical. Most narrow top racks are fitted with those lowered side rails which "lower the pannier to improve stability"*. Which the ply deck would overhang, making it awkward to attach or remove the panniers... Wouldn't it?
Whereas a narrow rack with no low rails, the deck would really obstruct the rail for pannier hooks.
Unless perhaps the deck was kind of wiggly edged, with big cutouts. Still rather in the way though. Shame as I agree it might look nice enough.
*only applies to short fat panniers with the hooks set low on the bag, like Ortleibs. Which would be very high up on that Lynn's key rack.
On another point in this thread, isn't stainless steel also rather inconvenient to weld on tour? Although indeed the equipment, materials and skills are more common than titanium welding, its still beyond a car body or agricultural establishment.
titanium rack - anyone used one?
Re: titanium rack - anyone used one?
GideonReade wrote:About the suggestion of putting a ply deck on, to broaden a narrow rack. I don't see that as very practical. Most narrow top racks are fitted with those lowered side rails which "lower the pannier to improve stability"*. Which the ply deck would overhang, making it awkward to attach or remove the panniers... Wouldn't it?
Whereas a narrow rack with no low rails, the deck would really obstruct the rail for pannier hooks.
Unless perhaps the deck was kind of wiggly edged, with big cutouts. Still rather in the way though. Shame as I agree it might look nice enough.
*only applies to short fat panniers with the hooks set low on the bag, like Ortleibs. Which would be very high up on that Lynn's key rack.
On another point in this thread, isn't stainless steel also rather inconvenient to weld on tour? Although indeed the equipment, materials and skills are more common than titanium welding, its still beyond a car body or agricultural establishment.
If I were in the market for a titanium rack it would be just for taking a rack top bag, not panniers, so the issue of getting panniers on would not apply. I think that is where the use of ply comes in.
Welding? Does anyone ever really need to do that? I did break a rack on tour once and did a temporary fix using wire, string and bits of camping cutlery, and that saw me through to the end of the tour. And it was a lot easier than trying to find a competent welder in the back of beyond.
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GideonReade
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Re: titanium rack - anyone used one?
We've been on a long tour, some of which some people might regard as the back of beyond. In Sumatra/Java we had a Tubus front rack fail (potentially it wasn't installed correctly) and a leather saddle's nose hook. Both were plain steel, both were welded back together, on separate occasions, within about an hour. And they must've been competent welds as they've lasted now 7 more months of touring. The more expensive of the two welds cost about a pound.
In South Asian populated areas there are scores of old motorbikes, so many repair shops to do small welds.
I would hazard a guess that anywhere "developing" will be flogging old vehicles and equipment, so will have lots of repair facilities.
Having said that, one of our rear racks is titanium, and it didn't break. Ditto both frames. Both forks steel, and one did break, but that was in Melbourne, about 5km from a Surly-selling shop, so we didn't attempt a weld (the failed fork wasn't a Surly, just to be clear, but Surly had the same geometry available).
In South Asian populated areas there are scores of old motorbikes, so many repair shops to do small welds.
I would hazard a guess that anywhere "developing" will be flogging old vehicles and equipment, so will have lots of repair facilities.
Having said that, one of our rear racks is titanium, and it didn't break. Ditto both frames. Both forks steel, and one did break, but that was in Melbourne, about 5km from a Surly-selling shop, so we didn't attempt a weld (the failed fork wasn't a Surly, just to be clear, but Surly had the same geometry available).