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From: dkw@yale.ARPA (David Wittenberg)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: front panniers and low-rider rack
Message-ID: <859@yale.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 20-Feb-86 13:16:08 EST
Article-I.D.: yale.859
Posted: Thu Feb 20 13:16:08 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Feb-86 07:40:55 EST
References: <1217@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Reply-To: dkw@yale-cheops.UUCP (David Wittenberg)
Organization: Yale University CS Dept., New Haven CT
Lines: 43

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In article <1217@decwrl.DEC.COM> hsu@rdvax.DEC (Felix S. Hsu) writes:
>
>Besides Blackburn, does anyone else make a low-rider front rack that you would
>recommend?  I know Vetta makes one.  What is the difference technically and in
>reality?

I used a Balckburn rack (with Tailwind panniers) on a 1000 mile tour last
summer and had considerable problems with shimmy (The bike wouldn't go
in a straight line without a lot of steering at a few relatively narrow
speed ranges.)  Several other people had similar problems.  Some people
did not, although all of us were using Blackburn racks.

I have head very good things about Bruce Gordon's racks.  They are
chrome-moly steel, and semi custom.  The reviews I've read were
unanimous in their praise, so if I ever get around to replacing
my racks that's what I'll get.  I think they cost about $60 for
a front rack (which is apparently the more critical one).

>Has anyone had any experience with the Specialized Tailwind front panniers?  Or
>any other panniers that you would recommend (either way)?  In particular, I'd
>prefer to find a less expensive pannier that is of good quality and has a
>durable mounting system.

The Tailwinds were not bad, but not great.  It was hard to pack into them
well (particularly without removing them from the bike, so stuffing
a sweater into them on the road was a nuisance).  They also didn't fit
the Blackburn rack without burning holes in the plastic back and
relocating the lower support hooks.  I then had to tape around the
rack to make it thick enough so that the lower hooks did more than
just look pretty.  The plastic expanding pins which make sure they
stay on the top bar of the support look like a good design, but of the
four  I started with, only 1 survived the trip.  Overall not something
I would go out of my way to get.

By the way, my Cannondale "overland" rear panniers worked very well,
though they may have been a bit too big.  In fact they were so big
that I put my sleeping bag and foam pad in them in order not to
have too much weight on the rear rack.  I'd recommend them, but
perhaps one size smaller might be a better bet.

David Wittenberg              Wittenberg@yale   (arpa or csnet)
Yale University               decvax!yale!wittenberg