Tubus rear racks: Cargo vs Logo

[foxyrider]

+1. I've just completed a Scotland C2C offroad and my (small) Ortlieb panniers drove me mad as the lower hooks kept coming unhooked over rough terrain. My first job when I get home is to purchase and add another set of hooks to each pannier.

Ortliebs new gravel Panniers (Is everyone jumping on this bandwaggon?) have two lower hooks for that reason.
https://www.ortlieb.com/en/Gravel-Pack/

I think that those gravel panniers aren't any more expensive than normal ones at the same capacity, so they're kind of a no brainer to my mind.

Apart from colour and the extra hook I can't see that the 'gravel bags' are any different to the City panniers I have - same size, closure, weight and materials. And City bags were cheaper than the standard Rollers so you pay a chunk more for two hooks that you can pick up as spares for significantly less. Think I'll pass thank you.

[gregoryoftours]

Ah ok that's good to know

[pete75]

Another by the by, I have 2 lower hooks fitted to all of my ortlieb panniers. They can be arranged in an opposing configuration the requires rotation of the pannier to hook them around the strut but makes them very secure for riding off road.

+1. I've just completed a Scotland C2C offroad and my (small) Ortlieb panniers drove me mad as the lower hooks kept coming unhooked over rough terrain. My first job when I get home is to purchase and add another set of hooks to each pannier.

Shock cord around each pannier prevents that happening.

[AMMoffat]

Another by the by, I have 2 lower hooks fitted to all of my ortlieb panniers. They can be arranged in an opposing configuration the requires rotation of the pannier to hook them around the strut but makes them very secure for riding off road.

+1. I've just completed a Scotland C2C offroad and my (small) Ortlieb panniers drove me mad as the lower hooks kept coming unhooked over rough terrain. My first job when I get home is to purchase and add another set of hooks to each pannier.

That sounds really interesting, could you give me some information on it or gpx files etc? I'd be really grateful!

You have a pm

[PH]

Ortliebs new gravel Panniers (Is everyone jumping on this bandwaggon?) have two lower hooks for that reason.
https://www.ortlieb.com/en/Gravel-Pack/

I think that those gravel panniers aren't any more expensive than normal ones at the same capacity, so they're kind of a no brainer to my mind.

Apart from colour and the extra hook I can't see that the 'gravel bags' are any different to the City panniers I have -

Yes, but yours aren't called GRAVEL

[foxyrider]

I think that those gravel panniers aren't any more expensive than normal ones at the same capacity, so they're kind of a no brainer to my mind.

Apart from colour and the extra hook I can't see that the 'gravel bags' are any different to the City panniers I have -

Yes, but yours aren't called GRAVEL

True, they go by Fred and Ginger!

[Vorpal]

With regard to the 26kg, is this possibly something to do with legalese with regard to not clearing it for carrying children? Seem to remember other Tubus racks where it quoted 26kg but dropped you the nod that tests showed it would survive 40kg of spuds.

I would expect it to have more to do with not getting sued in the USA than anything else.

[GideonReade]

Returning to the original question, I initially had a Ti Logo on my back country tourer (700c x 40mm/mudguards). I decided to change to a steel Cargo because:

The "low" mounting is a bit pannier specific. Using Carradice Super C panniers, on the Logo's low side rail, the RHS pannier bottom fouled the RD and prevented use of some high gears. I did make a spacer to resolve this, but still... Anyway, my point here is that ages ago Ortleib decided to make their panniers short and fat, with the hooks low down on the pannier. And Ortlieb are now so dominant, that the racks have had to come into line. If one uses an older style pannier that is taller, and/or has the hooks higher up on the pannier, one doesn't need a "low rail", indeed can't use it, the pannier is already "low". And the loaded bike ends up a fair bit slimmer as a result.

And also the Cargo weight rating was higher. Seemed good idea for a big trip.

And steel could be welded, unlike Ti. (and yea, verily, a steel Tubus rack, not this one, did need welding on that trip).

Personally I like that with only a high rail, the pannier hooks and top load are all sort of obscured and entangled. Makes it harder for nasty people to nick my stuff.

My bugbear with Tubus is that its easy to carry (and restock) rack bolts to replace the inevitable shakees, but much harder to remember, and also restock, for Tubus's numerous spacers. I ended up carrying M8 steel nuts as spares, ugh.

[pwa]

I've already said that I prefer the wider top area of the Cargo, but what I forgot to mention was that with stuffed full rear Ortlieb panniers that come level with or a cm above the top of the rack you get, effectively, a very wide platform with the rack top forming a slight central trough into which long objects (such as a tent in a bag) sit snugly and are not inclined to move about sideways. Getting such items secure with a thin bungee is, after a bit of experimentation, a doddle. Why anyone would want their panniers a few cm too low to help in this way is a mystery to me.

[Vorpal]

It depends on the load on top of the rack. If I have a rack top bag there, I'd just as soon the panniers were out of the way. I'f I'm putting a tent there, that is easiest with panniers mounted higher.

The other thing to consider is how often the panniers need to be accessed. Because if I am frequently going into a bag, I don't want the rack top load in the way.

[pwa]

It depends on the load on top of the rack. If I have a rack top bag there, I'd just as soon the panniers were out of the way. I'f I'm putting a tent there, that is easiest with panniers mounted higher.

The other thing to consider is how often the panniers need to be accessed. Because if I am frequently going into a bag, I don't want the rack top load in the way.

My own preference is to regard stuff in the big rear panniers as "packed for the day", not to be touched until camp. My smaller front panniers are the ones that get opened during the day. So once the rear panniers are on, I don't want access until the tent comes off the top of the rack.

[Blackredgold1964]

Sorry, very late response but I thought the alternative I found might be interesting for others. I eventually ordered a rack from Islabikes; BEINN 26" small with 345mm height. the struts to connect to the setastays fitted well although tubus struts, which are more versatile, fit too. I'm quite pleased with it.