Tubus Racks

06 February 2004 () by Kendon Glass

Photo: The rack eyelets on the bikes rear stay have ground out over time. This is due to the quality of the bicycles eyelets and not due to the design of the rack. Here I have used cable ties to temporarily support the racks load.

Specs

- Tubular Cromoly
- Braze-on reflector bracket and fender stay eyelets are standard features
- Powder coat finish for corrosion resistance
- The rack is rated to 90 lbs
- 3 year warranty

Performance

Tubis bicycle-touring racks are not cheap but this is for good reason. My first time cycle touring was with a readily available Blackburn aluminum rack. There are plenty of nightmare stories about cyclists stuck in the middle of nowhere trying to improvise with one of these fatally injured racks. The Blackburn racks do a fair job for touring Europe on paved roads but soon as you wander off a well maintained tarmac a pair of Tubus racks is going to save you a lot of heartache. The carrying system is quite often the cycle tourist’s Achilles heel, but it doesn’t have to be.

+ Tubular Cromoly construction means that this rack provides better fatigue-resistance and greater load capacity than aluminum racks.

+ The Tubus bicycle racks are constructed with robust tubular steel that can be welded anywhere if need be. The Tubus construction provides better fatigue-resistance and greater load capacity than aluminum racks. It has been designed with stability and heavy loads in mind.

+ The tubular construction allows room for improvisation should the rack break in a remote location.

+ Tubus provide a specifically designed front rack called 'Swing' tailored specifically for use on front suspension bicycles. The bags sit high which has been handy when fording rivers.

+ The rear Tubus racks have two separate crossbars that the panniers can be attached to. This allows alternate positioning of the panniers over time and decreases the possibility of potential stress points. Stable and durable, this rear rack will work with just about any pannier set made.

+ The Tubus rack is designed with a braze-on bracket for rear lamps. I have also found it useful to attach ‘bunji’ cords.

+ Tubus guarantee to send any replacement parts needed to any place on the globe.

- It has taken me two years carrying a heavy load on some of the world's worst roads to break the Tubus at its weakest point. To set the scene, there were days when we chose to cycle along a railway line rather than tackle the jarring corrugations of the 4000 metre high Bolivian Altiplano trek. When my Tubus rack finally went (see photos) I used cable ties to get me into the next town where I got a weld for 1USD.

- Tubus front racks for suspension bicycles mount the panniers quite high. As a result the bikes stability is more susceptible to high winds especially on downhill’s. This is not a concern once you become used to handling your bikes setup in such conditions.

Performance Update

3 Years on the trail & 35,000 Kilometres later

Over the length of the expedition, having spoken with many cyclists on tour, there is one thing that has become resoundingly clear. The Achilles heel of the long distant cyclist is the rear rack. It is seemingly the touring bicycles most vulnerable point, but it doesn't have to be.

Of course due to travelling the worlds worst roads, at some point on an around the world bicycle tour practically every piece of your equipment will eventually fail. A perfect example of this is the snapping in half of my bicycle frame during a desert leg in Iran. The secret behind the Tubus range of racks that contributes to its reputation of dependability is this. Tubus racks have been engineered in such a way to allow a quick solution repair no matter where it is on the planet that you may find yourself.

Photo: Punishing terrain like this requires only the best equipment

Broken stays, fractured eyelets are no longer an issue. Tubus has made it exceedingly simple to keep the show on the road, whether it be through the tubular design which can be repaired with a reinforcing insert, a quick weld out in the sticks for $1 or by using a few cable ties. Add to this the Tubus three year warranty and it becomes clear that Tubus is committed to keeping you moving forward across all types of terrain.

Like most long distant cyclists I have often thought it possible to construct and design my own indestructible rack. Of course it is possible but at what expense? In the end a good rack comes down to a balance between its weight and its performance over time. I have seen some sturdy home made welds out there, seemingly indestructible, but again every kilo comes into play on the worlds highest passes. The Tubus Expedition rear rack is made from light weight cro-moly steel that’s strength defies logic. The loads that my Tubus racks have managed to bare year after year make them an ‘impressive’ piece of kit for the expedition cyclist.

Thank you

Thanks to Peter for coming to the rescue as promised. Click here to reach the website of Tubus Carrier Systems where you can view a full range of expedition bicycle racks with great design!"

I would especially like to thank Nir, the owner of Aktiv8 in Australia who made the decision to sponsor the Brink Expedition. Thank you also to his employees David and Brad who helped me considerably before the teams departure from Australia. Go to the excellent Aktiv8 Flash website to find more information about their product range.

Photo: The weld - 5 minutes & 1USD later I was back on the road.

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