Why many rear racks no longer triangulated?

[SA_SA_SA]

It seems many rear pannier racks are no longer triangulated despite having enough struts to make it easy:

I wonder why?

[pwa]

Buy a proper one. Tubus for example. It will cost more but it will last.

[mercalia]

what does triangulated mean? a picture of both would be useful? The very nice large carrier that my dawes one down came with has lasted 20 years & has carried heavy weights

click to enlarge

[NetworkMan]

I've always wondered just how much benefit the triangulation really brings.
I have three racks, an old Bor Yueh which is somewhat triangulated, a Topeak one which isn't and a Tubus Fly which isn't. The Tubus is made from largish diameter stainless steel tube and the other two from thin aluminium rod. The Tubus is by far the stiffest and the other two about are the same.

[NetworkMan]

what does triangulated mean? a picture of both would be useful?

Two of the struts meet the top of the rack close in to the middle so that viewed from the rear they form a triangle with the base at the bottom.
Edit: This Blackburn is an example. It's somewhat triangulated.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackburn-Expe ... B000NORUTM

[mercalia]

what does triangulated mean? a picture of both would be useful?

Two of the struts meet the top of the rack close in to the middle so that viewed from the rear they form a triangle with the base at the bottom.

so what is mine? - see picture above. I suppose it has the triangle feature

[NetworkMan]

what does triangulated mean? a picture of both would be useful?

Two of the struts meet the top of the rack close in to the middle so that viewed from the rear they form a triangle with the base at the bottom.

so what is mine? - see picture above

No I don't think so - see my edit for a picture. Look at how the rear struts are joined to the carrier top.

[mercalia]

Two of the struts meet the top of the rack close in to the middle so that viewed from the rear they form a triangle with the base at the bottom.

so what is mine? - see picture above

No I don't think so - see my edit for a picture. Look at how the rear struts are joined to the carrier top.

well maybe not rear trianngle but then my carrier is very wide so more a rectangle from the rear and of course not supported at the end so I can attach a rear light that you cant on the Balckburn

[LollyKat]

I've always wondered just how much benefit the triangulation really brings.
I have three racks, an old Bor Yueh which is somewhat triangulated, a Topeak one which isn't and a Tubus Fly which isn't. The Tubus is made from largish diameter stainless steel tube and the other two from thin aluminium rod. The Tubus is by far the stiffest and the other two about are the same.

The Tubus Fly is triangulated, in two planes. I'm not surprised it is the stiffest.

[Vantage]

My bikes frame flexes more when loaded than my non triangulated rack. It's a fairly beefy Ibera thing and is strong enough for me to sit on (I've done it) but it's as square as spongebob squarepants.
The problem with triangulating a rack is that it results in a narrower top. If you don't use that bit then fine, but most tourers/commuters do.

[alexnharvey]

I don't understand. You can have triangulation and a top that extends beyond the triangular legs.

[nigelnightmare]

It seems many rear pannier racks are no longer triangulated despite having enough struts to make it easy:

I wonder why?

What do you mean by "triangulated"?
As Mercalia said "pictures would help".

[Vantage]

As network man already stated, if you look at a rack from behind as its fitted to the bike, you'll see the struts either go straight up at 90° which isn't triangulated, or they'll go up at an angle towards each other which is triangulated.

Triangulated

Non triangulated

[Brucey]

Blackburn were amongst the first, if no the first, to have triangulated stays


By 1980 they were well established and had started to make adjustable models as well as ones of fixed geometry.



Although not indicated here the fixed geometry racks were available in (three?) different sizes to fit different sized framesets.

1981



the lateral triangulation made these racks way stiffer (especially considering the weight of them) than almost any that had been previously available.

These days you can buy racks that are both triangulated and made in tubular steel, which is probably the most efficient way of making a lightweight rack that is also very stiff/strong.

cheers

[mercalia]

well you can only have a triangulated rack if the top is narrow - unlike mine which is very wide, unless you dont support the top some where, as in Bruceys picture above? so cant see why triangulation is a preferable. My rack seems very rigid - has 4 ribs across the top for one unlike Bruceys just 2 and also 2 internal ones not just the ourside frame