I grabbed this rack from the parts bin for a 2-day tour. I set it up with my pannier a few days before and realized the pannier and pedals were impossibly cramped. I ended up lashing a dry bag to the top of the rack and was able to do the ride, but curious what the fix is:
- a longer rack?
- a different pannier that sits up higher (I'm already looking at more tour-friendly panniers vs this commuter bag)?
- or is my chain stay too short to outfit it this way?
by adamaphar
8 Comments
A longer rack would obviously be a good solution.
I take it you can’t adjust the bags themselves?
You can adjust both rods that attach to seat clamp, bringing the rack further away from your pedals. Also, some bags have adjustable attachments, sliding front to back.
Maybe shorten connection To seat post to kick out the bottom a bit?
It will be hard to find a long enough rack that gives clearance to avoid your heels from hitting the rack.
I’d suggest the setup where your bag is on top of the rack. Seems to be the most immediate solution.
You could also run smaller panniers. I have to run the small panniers on my road bike. The large panniers give me the same problem as you are facing (my heels will hit the bag).
Touring bikes usually have longer chainstays to avoid this problem, it turns out.
You can try a TUBUS vega, which positions the panniers further back.
https://preview.redd.it/na4v7y76wjqf1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72d7417690534bb81ed0fe1c17432094d19fa611
There are some small changes that might help. Slide the panniers back on the rack.
You could use some PClamps to mount the rack higher and slightly back. These will get you back a few inches but it might not be enough.
That’s an enormous bag.
The Axiom DLX lets you offset the rack further back. But not sure that’ll be enough.
The Tubus rack mentioned will work, but a more affordable option would be something like the Axiom Streamliner DLX. It has tabs that push the rack farther back from the mounting points on the frame; they compensate for the shorter chain stays of road bikes.
But also, those panniers you got are GINORMOUS.