Tortec velocity pannier rack - can owners please measure something for me?

[JoeSla]

Hello, I've got a new bike with disc brake calipers located outboard, so fitting a pannier rack needs some careful thought. I've worked out that a Tortec Velocity or Velocity Hybrid or Tour Ultralite might fit, but only if the bottom vertical strut is at least 6.5cm long before the angled strut bends out towards the rear. This angled strut would then sit just above the caliper. Would anyone with these racks mind measuring this for me? Thank you very much.

[531colin]

A photo or two of the relevant part of the bike wouldn’t be a bad idea

[JoeSla]

Sorry you're right, I didn't immediately see how to add pictures, but I've added one to my OP!

[TheBomber]

My Tour Ultralite measures about 4.5cm to the centre of the bolt hole, so unlikely to be enough based on your estimate. I chose it for a similar use case to you though - to work on a frame with a calliper (BB7) mounted on the seat stay. I add around 5mm of spacers between the rack stay and the frame fitting; with that rack and the extra clearance with the spacers it then works fine. Do you have a local shop with one of the Tortec options in stock that you could try? It’s hard to know from measurements alone whether a rack will fit.

[geomannie]

On mine about 5-6cm depending on where you measure, but 5cm below the lowest part of the weld.

[JoeSla]

My Tour Ultralite measures about 4.5cm to the centre of the bolt hole, so unlikely to be enough based on your estimate. I chose it for a similar use case to you though - to work on a frame with a calliper (BB7) mounted on the seat stay. I add around 5mm of spacers between the rack stay and the frame fitting; with that rack and the extra clearance with the spacers it then works fine. Do you have a local shop with one of the Tortec options in stock that you could try? It’s hard to know from measurements alone whether a rack will fit.

Thank you, I am expecting to have to add some spacers too. Good to hear it worked in your case.

[JoeSla]

On mine about 5-6cm depending on where you measure, but 5cm below the lowest part of the weld.
IMG_20240305_083545171.jpg

Thank you, that picture is perfect! It it sooo close, I am going outside to measure again.

[Brucey]

I would first get a rack too see if it fits. Should it not, I'd then modify it so that it did, eg. by using short lengths of steel tubing to make the rack a bit taller. The steel tube should have an ID which allows for some kind of sliding fit between the rack and the tubing, to be held in place using epoxy resin.. Either splice the tubing into the rack, or (if you can) make new feet by squashing and drilling the tube (usually not too difficult to do), which requires just a single epoxy resin joint each side.