[Yak] BF Folding rear rack

[Tom Revay]

On my three day train/bike excursion while in Ireland in November, I used large REI nylon panniers riding on the rear rack with nothing on the front.  I only carried changes of clothes, but a full complement of lights and waterproof gear gave the load some weight and bulk, though not as much as if I were doing a camping tour in the summer.  I'd estimate the total weight came in at around 20 lbs.

I had no problems with the folding rear rack, though I did check it over after one of my water bottle cages rattled loose.  Irish roads, especially in rural areas, are typically constructed of crushed gravel that's sprayed with an asphalt binder, which yields a rough, sometimes vibrating surface, and racks tend to have a lot of lateral forces applied to them.  Vibrations and side-to-side motion can loosen nuts that hold the rack onto the bike.

When you unpack your bike, I suggest that you have a tube of grease to coat the nuts' threads before you screw them in.  This will permit you to apply more torque while ensuring that you'll be able to unscrew the nut when you repack the bike.  It will also protect the nuts from corrosion.

I still wonder whether the folding rack would hold up to a fully loaded tour.  I've always relied on the Jandd and Blackburn Expedition racks, but these would be difficult to fit into the suitcase.  When I got the BF, I expected to use it as a convenient travel bike, but I'm thinking now of getting rid of my '98 Cannondale T1000 and using my NWT as my primary tourer, and that has me asking the same question that AdamK asked about durability.

Which brings me to ...

On 2/3/2005 at 12:13 PM alex wetmore wrote:

>I use front panniers and a rear saddlebag.  This folds smaller than using 
>front and rear racks which makes the bike easier to stash into the trunk 
>of a car or onto a train.
>
>The bike handles well for me with ~30lb loads with this configuration.  I 
>have the Bike Friday front rack.  My front bags are Ortlieb front rollers 
>and my rear bag is a Baggins Hoss or Carradice Camper.

Now that strikes me as an excellent idea!  My saddles don't have bag loops (please don't tell me to get a B*r*o*o*k*s, I had a B-17 and couldn't stand it!), so I haven't considered this alternative, but there's enough seatpost on the NWT to easily attach a Carraidce bag with an SQR bracket (see
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/bags/sqr-products.htm#harness ).

I don't have front brackets on this bike.  I do have them on my Cannondale, and they're the type that are designed for forks with brazed-on sockets to hold a pannier rack.  Does anyone know if I can use this type on an NWT, or do I have to buy a Green Gear?

Tom Revay
Dedham, Massachusetts