Fitting a pannier rack to an MTB

[AodanH]

Last night I tried to fit my new pannier rack only to find the frame does not have any eyelets near the rear hub. It has the threaded bosses on the upper seatstay but only a disc brake mount near the rear hub.

To make things more awkward is has Ritchey style dropouts which means the QR is recessed into a little casting meaning I can't just connection a bit of flat plate with a few holes drilled in it.

In desperation I did check my old Trek frame which does have eyelets near the rear hub but nothing for the upper connection to the seatstays. Also this frame needs a new headset and hopefully not much else if I I try to rebuild it.

Anybody got any ideas ? Can you get clamp-on eyelets to connect to the bottom of the seatstays?

[Jon H]

Two suggestions; either buy some "P-clips", which wrap around the seat stays - which is exactly the clamp-on widget you described, or bodge it yourself by cutting up an old inner tube and wrapping that around the stays to protect the paint, holding it on with some electrical tape, then use some cable-ties to fasten the rack onto the stays. Neither will be as good as proper welded-on eyelets, but should be OK unless you're doing fully loaded up touring.

[Rob]

should of bought my rarely used panners off of me!!!

then you wouldnt have any trouble and would of saved yaself a bundle

[Tamar Collis]

I did fully loaded touring using p-clipped panniers and was fine - but I'd recommend you take spare p-clips & spare rubber bits to protect the frame & check regularly. Biggest problems were when I tried to tour off-road with p-clipped rack. That didn't really work.

[AodanH]

Thanks guys, I'll need to get shopping tomorrow. At least I know something exists now and it works for something heavier than a mudguard. (Being a structural engineer, I'm always happier with a bit of welded steel but I'll have to make do with what's available.) I'm off to India mid Sept for 3 weeks so don't have a lot of time to mess about.

[jeffmesie]

To fit a rack to my old road bike I used p clips at the bottom and a seat clamp with an extra bit for the threads

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?Ma ... t%20Clamps

Works great, once I got the right diameter p clips.