topeak seat post mounted panier racks?

iand-83
iand-83 Posts: 132
edited February 2014 in Commuting general
Has anyone got a topeak pannier rack that mounts to the seatpost and if so how do you rate them? Looking to get some panniers on my hybrid for commuting but want to be able to remove them and the rack easily for when I want to use a baby seat or ride without the rack and panniers. Was looking at the expandable bags which have panniers made into side compartments that fold out when needed. Most I will be carrying is my lunch and a spare change of clothes. Tried a good backpack but still get a sweaty back a problem I don't suffer when riding without a bag.

Comments

  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    I have the bar fitted with the smaller box on my defy. Found it pretty good and did a weeks cycling in France carrying only what fitted into it.. About the size of a shoebox. Lunch and spare clothes should be fine. Bear in mind you can't fit it to a carbon seat post
  • alex_uk
    alex_uk Posts: 56
    I have the topeak beam rack mounted to my seatpost, and then a topeak bag that has a lot of expansion - main bit gets bigger, and also side panniers unzip out. I take it off for the childseat, too.

    This is excellent kit. Really good stuff. I'm very impressed.
  • iand-83
    iand-83 Posts: 132
    Thanks for the replies, I have asked my lbs who can get them in, I think I made a duplicate post by accident and someone said they can move about on the seatpost but my lbs said that would only probably happen of you didn't secure it properly.
    I'd probably only use the pannier part once or twice a week to take fresh clothes to work. Can you remove the pannier frame from the rack if needed?
  • alex_uk
    alex_uk Posts: 56
    It's pretty secure. The QR lever can be done up nice and tight on the seat post. I sometimes find the whole thing has rotated a few degrees and buffed up against my mudguard stay ... but I'm talking tiny movement with a very full load after an hour's cycling, so honestly, that's not significant. And I think since I sprayed some lube on the bolt, it's stopped doing that as well.

    The pannier frame is removable - it's held on by a couple of allen bolts. It's a tad fiddly to slide in and out, but by no means a problem.

    My commute routine is to take in 5 days of clothes on Monday, and on Monday evening to take home last week's clothes which were stored in my locker. So I'm using both panniers + the main bag to carry that lot and keep the bike balanced. It works really well though.

    That means that Tuesday through to Friday I have a lightweight bike!! So to cope with punctures, I have a small topeak saddle bag with the essentials. The pannier bag just fits in place nicely even with the saddle bag in place, which is great because that means I don't forget my puncture repair kit! Typically though, if I'm going to get a puncture then that's when the panniers are fitted, but access to the kit is quick because the whole rack just QR's off the seat post.

    My bag has velcro straps to hold it on to the rack. Topeak also do a sort of clip system. The velcro one was discounted and suits me since I have a lockup shed at work so I just leave the bag on there. If you need to take the bag off much, then probably the clip system is very handy.
  • iand-83
    iand-83 Posts: 132
    Thank you for the in depth reply, i am lucky that at work I get the store the bike inside and won't need to have to remove the bag during the day. I do like the idea of the smaller saddle bag for the puncture repair kit, think I will do that also as that means when I got the rack off and going to use a child seat I will still be ok should I suffer a puncture.
  • matt@theforce
    matt@theforce Posts: 647
    I'm looking at these too. I'm going todo The Way of the Roses this year & have often thought about one of these for my commutes but don't want something fixed as it won't be needed everytrip
  • matt@theforce
    matt@theforce Posts: 647
    Not sure if you've decided or not, whilst doing my research I've found the Carradice Super C SaddlePack gets very good reviews

    http://carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&product_id=34
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    That looks good. Am looking for a solution for light credit card touring...
  • iand-83
    iand-83 Posts: 132
    matt@theforce wrote:
    Not sure if you've decided or not, whilst doing my research I've found the Carradice Super C SaddlePack gets very good reviews

    http://carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&product_id=34

    I haven't fully decided yet but thank you for that link will check out the carradice stuff, looking to fit a child seat and my lbs said a rack and seat won't work together but a removable bag will be a better option.
  • alex_uk
    alex_uk Posts: 56
    Iand-83 wrote:
    looking to fit a child seat and my lbs said a rack and seat won't work together

    I'm pretty sure when I bought my hamax child seat that there was a compatible rack that you could use. Presumably a narrower than normal one so that the seat's leg rests would go either side of it.

    Although you could leave the rack attached, you couldn't use the rack for anything whilst the child seat was fitted.

    I never looked in to it in depth though, because I was more interested in a removable rack (can't remember precisely why, might be because I have disc brakes + mudguards and maybe I was getting worried about where the rack's stays were going to go).

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