Cycling UK Forum

Hi everyone,
This is my first post so please forgive me if I've broken protocol. I'm looking to put pannier racks on a hardtail and a cube ebike, both of which lack the traditional bolt holes for attachment. Has anyone tried this? There seem to be a few solutions out there. What would you recommend, or have used?
Thanks in anticipation.
John

Welcome

Yes, it's quite a common problem, and there's a lot of useful stuff in the archives.

There's the seat post, the axle, and fitting P-clips around parts of the frame.

I suggest that you add some photos of the bikes so that we can look for possibilities.

Jonathan

Have previously used clips on various parts of the frame. Never had an issue, simply find something which'll fit (Nb. Simple as a modified jubilee clip, if necessary)

What model is the Cube? Some have hidden rack fitting, where instead of stays there's a metal strip under the mudguard and attached to the seat stay bridge.

gbnz wrote: ↑7 Oct 2023, 6:32pm Have previously used clips on various parts of the frame. Never had an issue, simply find something which'll fit (Nb. Simple as a modified jubilee clip, if necessary)

I would favour jubilee clips clamping the frame and something else. A P-clip will distort and loosen because the place where the curve joins the straight an on to the screw hole opens out unless it is made of ridiculously thick metal. It also has to fit the tube exactly to work well. The flexible jubilee clip is already tight. Yes, I know most clips for bikes are P-clips or the even more horrible bump type (like two Ps). That doesn't mean the traditional clip is right, just like the metal teapots and milk jugs in cafes that always dribble and always have.

What about a ready-made product such as this: https://www.ortlieb.com/de_en/quick-rack+F78104. There's a light version too.

I’d be interested to see (from anyone) examples of jubilee clips in use, please.

I’m not sure about using ‘p’ clips for anything that’s particular load bearing, but they can be useful and in the past I have successfully used them as ‘steadies’.

Ortlieb Quick Rack gets a lot of positive feedback from users. I think the bits that come with it include a fixing for the top that works without eyelets, but that you have to buy the no-eyelets adapters for the bottom separately.

Nearholmer wrote: ↑8 Oct 2023, 7:53am Ortlieb Quick Rack gets a lot of positive feedback from users. I think the bits that come with it include a fixing for the top that works without eyelets, but that you have to buy the no-eyelets adapters for the bottom separately.

Quick Rack, Quick Rack Light, and the Seat Stay Adapter:
https://www.ortlieb.com/uk_en/catalogse ... quick+rack

Jonathan

I don't recall having any problems with P clips as supplied with my Karrimor pannier rack back in the 80s though I do recall how much the rack swayed from side to side. Don't take this as a recommendation or otherwise of P clips - just an observation.

. . . saying that though, Tubus do have their own version of the P clip available for £11:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/carriers-ra ... -mounting/


To the people suggest using jubilee clips, how do you mean? I'm struggling to see how they could be used to fix the rack to the frame, especially if using the strut/stay that would otherwise fix to the braze-on/P-clip on the seat stay.

freiston wrote: ↑8 Oct 2023, 1:26pm I don't recall having any problems with P clips as supplied with my Karrimor pannier rack back in the 80s though I do recall how much the rack swayed from side to side. Don't take this as a recommendation or otherwise of P clips - just an observation.

. . . saying that though, Tubus do have their own version of the P clip available for £11:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/carriers-ra ... -mounting/

Alternatively these https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s215p26 ... EC-P-Clips which I have used for fixing various items to bikes, but not racks. The plastic sleeve means less risk of slipping and damaging paint.

There are some other fixing bits at https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s215p0/ ... ack-Spares (including some Tubus jubilee clips for fat forks). Little jubilee clips would be needed to have the flexibility to wrap around seat stays.

freiston wrote: ↑8 Oct 2023, 1:26pm To the people suggest using jubilee clips, how do you mean? I'm struggling to see how they could be used to fix the rack to the frame, especially if using the strut/stay that would otherwise fix to the braze-on/P-clip on the seat stay.

JohnR wrote: ↑8 Oct 2023, 2:12pm There are some other fixing bits at https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s215p0/ ... ack-Spares (including some Tubus jubilee clips for fat forks). Little jubilee clips would be needed to have the flexibility to wrap around seat stays.

Ah! From the Tubus mounting instructions, a tab with a hole to take a bolt & nut is clamped to the fork, going under the clip strap against the fork. So is this how people do it using jubilee clips on seat stays?

I would use a Tubus qr kit for the lower fitting, and a rack mount seatpost clamp of the correct diameter for the upper fitting. Avoid the racks that are an unsupported platform off the seatpost. They put a lot of strain on the seatpost and also swing about.

And yes, some e-bikes have an c-section aluminum 'girder' inside the rear mudguard that can be used to secure the top mounts of a compatible rack.

You can clamp one of these sawn to size under a jubilee clip (with some padding) to give a secure fixing on any diameter of tube: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corner-Bracket ... r=8-5&th=1.

I have a Cube E bike I attached the rack to the mudguard mounts . the forward mounts were wraparound mounts on the seat stays I got these bits from SJS cycles they have a good selection of hardware for racks.

IME P clips [if fiitted with washers and insulation tape packing] are OK for the upper mounts but something better is required for the lower mounts. IIRC blackburn used to make Al bits which fitted to steel frames for exactly this purpose and I made something similar for the 'supercommutter' project