Rack on XC bike
h i r 0
Posts: 76
This is possibly bordering on sacrilegious, but I'd appreciate a couple of straight answers amongst the flames 
I'm currently considering getting one of the following bikes:
GT Avalanche 1.0
Carrera Fury
Mongoose Tyax Elite or Super 07
Apart from starting to do some cross-country and generally trying to get fitter on this bike, I need to commute, and that means lugging around my laptop, lunch and other stuff. At the moment I carry all this in an Altura Laptop Pannier on this Topeak rack. It adds up to a fairly heavy package, and I really didn't enjoy using a backpack with this lot in it.
Do any or all of the bikes mentioned above have fittings for a rack, or do things like that disappear as you move toward the more serious end of MTBs?
I'm currently considering getting one of the following bikes:
GT Avalanche 1.0
Carrera Fury
Mongoose Tyax Elite or Super 07
Apart from starting to do some cross-country and generally trying to get fitter on this bike, I need to commute, and that means lugging around my laptop, lunch and other stuff. At the moment I carry all this in an Altura Laptop Pannier on this Topeak rack. It adds up to a fairly heavy package, and I really didn't enjoy using a backpack with this lot in it.
Do any or all of the bikes mentioned above have fittings for a rack, or do things like that disappear as you move toward the more serious end of MTBs?
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Posts
Saying that I found the geometry too short (I am 6'6" though) so swapped the frame for a second hand XL Stumpjumper frame.
That's my shortlist compiled by talking to a couple of mates and reading threads on here. I've yet to actually sit on any of them. The pannier mounts is an important, but secondary point for me. I could always keep my old Saracen for the commute.
I'd definitely recommend sitting on them though, I felt crippled personally by the shorter top tube, always off balance and couldn't lift the front properly. My friend is a bit shorter and has no trouble at all. Completely down to personal preferance and riding style.
The Rockhopper might be worth considering if you have a local dealer:
http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=70269
Saying that I've yet to hear a bad word about the Mongoose you mentioned. The Elite suffers a bit component wise though, the jump in quality for £100 more is pretty big, lighter wheels, a better fork with lockout, fantastic hydraulic brakes instead of mechanical (which I have on my other bike and really don't like).