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Showerthought: My rear rack broke mid-commute last Tuesday and I learned a lesson about cheap gear
I was hauling my usual load on the way home from downtown Portland when the cheap aluminum rack just snapped at the weld, sending my backpack into the bike lane. Turns out that $25 eBay special from 2 years ago couldn't handle 15 pounds of groceries every day. Has anyone else had luck with the Planet Bike or Axiom racks for heavier daily loads?
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harris.uma14d ago
Read a review from a bike mechanic blog a while back that said Axiom racks are built like tanks for the price. Been using a Skidmore on my touring bike for about 3 years now, never had an issue with 20+ pounds of gear. That cheap aluminum stuff is just garbage, the welds are too thin and the metal fatigues fast. Planet Bike is decent too, but stay away from anything under $50 if you carry weight regularly. Broke two cheap ones myself before I learned the lesson.
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taylor17414d ago
That mechanic's blog nailed it about the welds. The cheap aluminum stuff uses such thin material at the joints that even a few extra pounds will make them crack over time. Your Skidmore sounds solid for touring, I've seen those on a few long-distance rigs and they hold up way better than the budget options. The real problem is people see a $25 price tag and think they're getting a deal, but the metal fatigue sets in fast with daily use. My first cheap rack lasted maybe six months before it started wobbling, then another three before the weld snapped clean off. Planet Bike has been good to me, but you gotta check the weight rating even with them.
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