Racks rule!

sean65

Hi Guys,

Just fitted a rack to my Condor Fratello. It's great. I don't use it for anything just yet but it's already given me a psychological advantage.

Why? Well think about it. Because I'm no longer on a bling road racer people see the rack and don't expect me to be fast. A fair assumption but utterly wrong. So when I'm tired, other cyclists can overtake me and it's not a problem. After all, I'm riding a bike with a RACK. It becomes a comforting excuse for having slacker fitness and less ability than other more candid riders I see when out riding.

On the other hand, when I'm on song and riding fast it completely and utterly demoralises bling road racers to be overtaken on the hills by some bloke riding a steel framed bike with a RACK and MUDGUARDS.

It's excellent. Get yourselves a rack fitted.

whyamihere

It is great fun. Yesterday I was late for uni, so pulled out all the stops on my commuter with rack, 2 panniers and mudguards. There's a section with a very slight downhill followed by an uphill. I normally ride the downhill around 25mph, then the uphill at 15, saving my energy. There's a roadie who occasionally passes me. Being late, I was behind him. I did the downhill at 40mph in my highest gear, didn't shift down on the uphill, stood up and raced up it at 35. Overtook the shocked looking guy like he was standing still.

Diogenes

whyamihere wrote:

It is great fun. Yesterday I was late for uni, so pulled out all the stops on my commuter with rack, 2 panniers and mudguards. There's a section with a very slight downhill followed by an uphill. I normally ride the downhill around 25mph, then the uphill at 15, saving my energy. There's a roadie who occasionally passes me. Being late, I was behind him. I did the downhill at 40mph in my highest gear, didn't shift down on the uphill, stood up and raced up it at 35. Overtook the shocked looking guy like he was standing still.

About 2 years ago on a club run we were heading into a nasty headwind so were tucked in behind each other, all on tourers with racks, top bags and mudguards. Up ahead we espied a chap on a bike worth more than all ours put together dressed to kill in his finest CSC livery.

You should have seen the look on his face when 4 old blokes slipped past with a friendly "morning", and did he work hard to get on our tails. Couldn't resist it though so we put the hammer down and dropped him.

D :twisted:

Slipknotjonny

If we were Chavs comparing our 'Wolf in Sheeps clothing' Corsa's and Saxo's, I bet people would think that we were Ars****es!

whyamihere

Slipknotjonny wrote:

If we were Chavs comparing our 'Wolf in Sheeps clothing' Corsa's and Saxo's, I bet people would think that we were Ars****es!

Ah, but the difference is that these bikes truly have impressive engines.

Slipknotjonny

Ah silly me, of course you are absolutely correct.

I'm going to whack a rack on the De Rosa right now.......if only I could find my No Nails and Gaffer tape.

:shock:

the_hundredth_idiot

I don't have a rack on my Fratello but I do have a Carradice saddle bag - a bit old school and (I think) suggests the rider is a pootler. My riding position is also, to quote a guy at Condor, "quite relaxed" rather than the bum in the air approach which seems so popular.

So, from a "Silly Commuting Racing" PoV, there is no face lost in being passed by, say, someone on a De Rosa. But the guy on the De Rosa has a lot to lose if the speed monkey is hiding in my saddle bag and urging me to pedal like the wind.

iain_j

Just don't use one with my brother around. He finds them very useful for holding on to and getting a tow