Cycling UK Forum

I have a Gazelle Grenoble fitted with a MIK rear rack. Does anyone know of suitable panniers and top bag that can be fitted either individually - or (for touring) both together? I want the flexibility of having just panniers fitted or just a top bag fitted or both fitted.
Cheers. Tim

Welcome

Please could you add some photos of the rack on the bike.

Thanks

Jonathan

The easiest way to go about this is to fit a rack with a top platform and separate pannier rails below. That probably means a new rack has to be purchased.
Ideally you want the panniers to have an adjustable rail rather than fixed hooks if there is to be much chance of getting panniers and rack pack both onto a simpler rack.

It is sometimes possible to retro fit an adjustable style pannier rail to existing panniers ( Ortleib sell 2 different ones as spare parts) but there will almost certainly be holes which then need mended on the panniers.
As previously requested, pictures would be a great help.

If you want to keep the MIK system for the top bag, you'll probably need a compatible rack with a set of lower rails for the panniers. I know of a Bontrager one, though google suggests there's others.

Here is a photo of the rack on the bike

[url]https://imgur.com/a/OIuSRNa[url]

TimNE wrote: ↑26 Nov 2023, 2:39pm I have a Gazelle Grenoble fitted with a MIK rear rack. Does anyone know of suitable panniers and top bag that can be fitted either individually - or (for touring) both together? I want the flexibility of having just panniers fitted or just a top bag fitted or both fitted.
Cheers. Tim

Hello Tim….I can’t see your photos. Could you try to re-post them if you haven’t got your rack situation sorted?

Is there a rail below the top of the rack on which panniers could be mounted?

Please could you add some side-on photos.

Thanks

Jonathan

PS:For touring we routinely load and strap mats and the tent on the rack between the tops of the panniers. There's a useful thread about advantages and disadvantages of doing this.

only panniers that'll fit on that rack will be throw overs or strap on, neither of which work particularly well.

Never ceases to amaze me how some mfrs go out of their way to build out compatability with any other product, oversize square tube construction, really? Sorry but that has to be one of the worst i've seen in a while,

foxyrider wrote: ↑2 Dec 2023, 5:02pm only panniers that'll fit on that rack will be throw overs or strap on, neither of which work particularly well.

The question was how to use panniers and a top bag, throw-overs are going to make it hard with any top bag and impossible with a MIK one.

Never ceases to amaze me how some mfrs go out of their way to build out compatability with any other product, oversize square tube construction, really? Sorry but that has to be one of the worst i've seen in a while,

I'm not as bothered as you about compatibility, if that's what someone chooses. My Carradice Bagman isn't compatible with anything other than a Carradice bag, that's fine. Apparently the MIK system is pretty good, for it's intended use, in the case of the above rack, I think that's the quick and secure fitting of stuff to the top - bags, baskets, child seats... The problem arises because there was no choice, it's bundled with a new bike, if you want something different it's no use.
I don't think there's anything practical to add to the answer I gave earlier, no photos required, if the OP wants to continue using the MIK top bag and panniers they need a different MIK rack with lower rails. Though they need to choose a rack that matches the panniers they intend to use (There are MIK panniers and racks that might only work together) Alternatively, they can ditch the MIK system and get stuff they know will always be compatible, though they might not find as good a top bag.

Well, I'd never heard of this MIK system! I think some of the answers above assume a traditional pannier that mounts on a round rail. There are apparently pairs of panniers that look like "throw-overs" that also latch onto this different MIK mount, like these:

https://www.cambridgecyclecompany.co.uk ... blue__4692

or you can get a trunk bag that will use the same MIK mount:

https://www.cambridgecyclecompany.co.uk ... 31lt__6408

It looks as if if you could use either, but not both at the same time, but there's talk here https://www.basil.com/en/mik-double-decker-black.html of a "double decker" plate that appears to give you a second MIK mounting above the first one, and includes a picture of MIK panniers and an MIK rack bag mounted together:




As above, all based on idle curiousity rather than direct experience, but I'd try and find out more about this double decker device. And as above if you were wanting traditional panniers rather than MIK panniers, you are looking at panniers that will fit on a rack with a second, lower, rail mounting instead.