Carradice Super C rackbag on a Tubus Logo - stable?

[mikeymo]

I'm considering the combo above. But the rackbag is quite a bit wider than the rack top - 160mm wide bag sitting on a platform 92mm wide.

It's not quite like "a mattress balancing on a bottle of wine" as Robert Zimmerman put it. But does anybody have this combination? Stable enough? Mainly road usage, maybe the odd rough track. But might be a bit of weight in it, glass - camera, lenses and binoculars.

Cheers.

[MockCyclist]

Yeah I just checked my Super C and the mounting straps seem to be 150mm apart whilst the rack top is slightly tapered from 90 - 100 mm. The bag does have a semi-rigid base so it can't be squeezed in too much by the straps being tightened. Mine sits on a home made quick release base made out of plywood and zip-tied to the rack so I haven't actually mounted it directly but I don't think I would be entirely happy with it especially if loaded up.

[pwa]

I have that bag (which is superb) and I don't think it will be stable on a Logo without some sort of bodge. It fits a Cargo perfectly. That is why I use a Cargo instead of a Logo.

[tooley92]

I sold my Tubus Logo for the same reason-great with panniers but not so good with a rack bag. Cargo is a much better fit with the Super C bag.

[mikeymo]

Thanks for the replies.

So if I want a rack bag, it's looking like the Ortlieb with the adjustable feet is probably the only thing that would be stable on a narrow rack.

[mikeymo]

I sold my Tubus Logo for the same reason-great with panniers but not so good with a rack bag. Cargo is a much better fit with the Super C bag.

Have you tried the Super C AND panniers on the Cargo?

If so how fiddly was it getting them on?

[tooley92]

I sold my Tubus Logo for the same reason-great with panniers but not so good with a rack bag. Cargo is a much better fit with the Super C bag.

Have you tried the Super C AND panniers on the Cargo?

If so how fiddly was it getting them on?

Good point! Normally either or for me - most of the time rack bag though.

[mikeymo]

I sold my Tubus Logo for the same reason-great with panniers but not so good with a rack bag. Cargo is a much better fit with the Super C bag.

Thanks. So looking at Tubus's website, the Cosmo has the same top platform dimensions as the Cargo. But it ALSO has the extra lower pannier rails. And it's stainless, though that isn't particularly important to me.

What I want is something where I can leave a Rack bag on most of the time, AND sometimes mount panniers AT THE SAME TIME AS THE RACK PAG, without too much fuss. Which I assume the extra lower rails will facilitate. I've just tried, with the cheap rack bag, rack and panniers I've got now, mounting all three. And whichever order I did it in, it was a bloody awkward, and potentially finger-nail breaking (don't laugh, I play/teach guitar for a living, I can't afford to break nails).

The Cosmo, plus Super C rack bag, plus panniers of choice (whichever have the highest mounting points, so as not to interfere with rack bag), looks like the way to go.

On the Spa Cycles site they say "the Cosmo is the stainless version of the Logo", which isn't quite accurate, in terms of dimension, according to the Tubus tech drawings.

Or else lash up some platform type thing for the Logo that the rack bag can sit on. It would probably just need a couple of strips of metal/piece of ply to stabilise the thing.

Cheers

[pwa]

I sold my Tubus Logo for the same reason-great with panniers but not so good with a rack bag. Cargo is a much better fit with the Super C bag.

Thanks. So looking at Tubus's website, the Cosmo has the same top platform dimensions as the Cargo. But it ALSO has the extra lower pannier rails. And it's stainless, though that isn't particularly important to me.

What I want is something where I can leave a Rack bag on most of the time, AND sometimes mount panniers AT THE SAME TIME AS THE RACK PAG, without too much fuss. Which I assume the extra lower rails will facilitate. I've just tried, with the cheap rack bag, rack and panniers I've got now, mounting all three. And whichever order I did it in, it was a bloody awkward, and potentially finger-nail breaking (don't laugh, I play/teach guitar for a living, I can't afford to break nails).

The Cosmo, plus Super C rack bag, plus panniers of choice (whichever have the highest mounting points, so as not to interfere with rack bag), looks like the way to go.

On the Spa Cycles site they say "the Cosmo is the stainless version of the Logo", which isn't quite accurate, in terms of dimension, according to the Tubus tech drawings.

Or else lash up some platform type thing for the Logo that the rack bag can sit on. It would probably just need a couple of strips of metal/piece of ply to stabilise the thing.

Cheers

It sounds to me like you are getting your head around this very nicely. I never use rack top bag and panniers at the same time with my Cargo. If cycle camping I would have two full rear panniers upto about the level of the rack, then a tent and a few other bits across the top, held by bungees. Which is not too fiddly. Stuff I'm going to need en route goes in front panniers. But if I wanted to use panniers and rack top bag I can see that might be fiddly. If the Cosmo has a wide top, that could well be your answer. The Super C rack top bag is a wonderfully useful bit of kit I wouldn't be without, so it is worth a change of rack to use it. The bag has saddle bag like capacity but is held rock solid without any fiddling.

One extra thing to check. Rack heights. Does the Cosmo have the rack top at the same height above the drop-out as the Cargo, or is it higher to allow for the extra rails. Worth checking because the bag is quite tall and might foul the saddle. (Edit. Just checked and they seem to be very nearly the same height)

[mikeymo]

I sold my Tubus Logo for the same reason-great with panniers but not so good with a rack bag. Cargo is a much better fit with the Super C bag.

Thanks. So looking at Tubus's website, the Cosmo has the same top platform dimensions as the Cargo. But it ALSO has the extra lower pannier rails. And it's stainless, though that isn't particularly important to me.

What I want is something where I can leave a Rack bag on most of the time, AND sometimes mount panniers AT THE SAME TIME AS THE RACK PAG, without too much fuss. Which I assume the extra lower rails will facilitate. I've just tried, with the cheap rack bag, rack and panniers I've got now, mounting all three. And whichever order I did it in, it was a bloody awkward, and potentially finger-nail breaking (don't laugh, I play/teach guitar for a living, I can't afford to break nails).

The Cosmo, plus Super C rack bag, plus panniers of choice (whichever have the highest mounting points, so as not to interfere with rack bag), looks like the way to go.

On the Spa Cycles site they say "the Cosmo is the stainless version of the Logo", which isn't quite accurate, in terms of dimension, according to the Tubus tech drawings.

Or else lash up some platform type thing for the Logo that the rack bag can sit on. It would probably just need a couple of strips of metal/piece of ply to stabilise the thing.

Cheers

It sounds to me like you are getting your head around this very nicely. I never use rack top bag and panniers at the same time with my Cargo. If cycle camping I would have two full rear panniers upto about the level of the rack, then a tent and a few other bits across the top, held by bungees. Which is not too fiddly. Stuff I'm going to need en route goes in front panniers. But if I wanted to use panniers and rack top bag I can see that might be fiddly. If the Cosmo has a wide top, that could well be your answer. The Super C rack top bag is a wonderfully useful bit of kit I wouldn't be without, so it is worth a change of rack to use it. The bag has saddle bag like capacity but is held rock solid without any fiddling.

One extra thing to check. Rack heights. Does the Cosmo have the rack top at the same height above the drop-out as the Cargo, or is it higher to allow for the extra rails. Worth checking because the bag is quite tall and might foul the saddle.

Good call. The nice thing about a company like Tubus is they have good drawings to refer to. Let me check:

Cargo, mounting point to rack top - 373mm - for "28 inch" wheels
Cosmo, mounting point to rack top - 370mm - same for all wheels, apparently.
Logo, mounting point to rack top - 370 mm for 28 inch wheels, 390 for 29 inch wheels.

don't know what the difference is between 28 and 29 inch wheels. this looks like another part of the hell that is bike wheel/tyre sizing. Sheldon will probably have a table. But it looks like 29 inchers are fat MTB bike wheels. I'm on a standard British tourer 700c 32mm wide tyres.

Anyway... It looks like the Cosmo and Cargo are the same, give or take 3 mm.

Looking at the Super C rack pack, it looks like fitting it together with panniers might be easier than my current rack bag, which has velcro that has to go right under the rack, back up the other side, through a buckle thing, and then back under the rack to make contact with the other type of velcro, which is on the UNDERSIDE of the bag. Whereas the Carradice one has four seperate ones that just needs to go down and back up the and fastens on the side, yes? That might work with a standard rack, like my current one. Probably best things is to get the Carradice rack pack soonish, and see how much of a fiddle it is.

Thanks for your help.

[rotavator]

Whereas the Carradice one has four seperate ones that just needs to go down and back up the and fastens on the side, yes?

Yes the Carradice bag has four separate Velcro straps.

I have been looking into this First World issue myself recently and having measured my bag I would say that the ideal rack for the Carradice rack bag would be 135 mm wide at the front, 125 mm wide at the back (so its feet would fit nicely betwen the rails) and would have a flat platform at least 290 mm long.

One thing that I don't like about the bag is that a light hung on the loop on the rear pocket tends to point down towards the road so a rack with a lighting bracket might also be worth looking for.

[mikeymo]

Yes the Carradice bag has four separate Velcro straps.

I have been looking into this First World issue myself recently and having measured my bag I would say that the ideal rack for the Carradice rack bag would be 135 mm wide at the front, 125 mm wide at the back (so its feet would fit nicely betwen the rails) and would have a flat platform at least 290 mm long.

One thing that I don't like about the bag is that a light hung on the loop on the rear pocket tends to point down towards the road so a rack with a lighting bracket might also be worth looking for.

Would those measurements be internal or external? Rail to rail inside or outside? Or centre to centre? And I infer that the bag tapers slightly from front to bag.

I've got a slightly uncomfortable feeling that I'm going to spend ages on research, buy a rack/bag combo and find that it doesn't sit flat/square, because the feet get in the way. Though presumably Carradice have figured that out?

Yes, I know what you mean it being a about "First World" issue. I think it's about 2.5 billion people don't have access to clean sanitation.

[pwa]

Regarding fitting a rear light to the Carradice Super C rack bag, the simplest solution i found was simply to drill a hole through the back pocket and put a screw through, with appropriate washers, and attach the light directly to that. A flatish cheapo Cateye thing as a supplement to the main light on the rack below. The Cargo takes one with no problem. The pocket needs to be stuffed with its contents to hold the light at the right angle with little movement, but it works well as a system. Water ingress into the pocket is negligible to non-existent with the screw in there.

I've never noticed the feet being a problem with the Cargo. The bag sits fine. I didn't even notice the bag had feet until it was mentioned here! If the Cosmo measures up the same on top it won't be an issue.

[mikeymo]

I've never noticed the feet being a problem with the Cargo. The bag sits fine. I didn't even notice the bag had feet until it was mentioned here! If the Cosmo measures up the same on top it won't be an issue.

Thanks. The Cosmo is the same WIDTH as the Cargo, but I've just notice that it has a slight rise at the back end, as well as the usual rise at the front end, giving a flat rack length of 252 mm. I've emailed Carradice to ask if that's enough. I can't tell how long pocket on the back end is. If you've got time/patience/energy and you can measure it that would be appreciated. On the other hand, I'm not a million miles (well, 15, actually) from Spa. As it's them I'd buy it from anyway I guess the thing is to go there and see if it all fits together like I want.

Cheers.

[MockCyclist]

Just had a quick look at the many Google images of the Super C rack pack, and it seems like it's slightly obstructed by the saddle when it's mounted centrally (front to back) on the rack. Whereas if you want easy access, as I do, it has to be mounted a bit rearward.

Here's mine (with extra homemade pocket to utilise the no-man's land under the saddle) on my slide-off mount. It's very secure but you can see it's hanging over the back of the rack. This is a Logo rack on a 26" wheel bike. I get my Ortlieb panniers on as well with no issues.


20150702#P1080893.jpg by Mock Cyclist, on Flickr