Fitting Panniers to a road bike

[RhysB]

Hi,

I am sure this has been asked before, i am just inept and finding this.

I am going a small tour in holland germany and belgum at the end of aug, i dont have a touring bike and as such looking at options of how to carry my stuff, i am either thinking of a trailer or panniers.

Ideally i would like to take panniers as i am going out and returning on the eurostar so will mike life easier than a trailer.

Anyhow i have a Bianchi Via Narone C2C road bike with no way of attachign panniers. i ahve heard of using P clips but was wonderign if it was possible for anyopne to explain more and if anyopne has used this system before how did it hold up.

Thanks
Rhys

[b1galus]

when i toured belgium with my son he was on an out and out race bike , i fitted a rack (tubus) with p clips and it was fine. though apart from a couple of days the trails were pretty flat and pretty smooth

[willem jongman]

The problem is that the seat stays are - I think - carbon. I would never fit anything to those (no rack, no trailer, no nothing). Road bikes make lousy tourers, and the more so the closer they are to real competition bikes. I would only tour on this bike if it was a hotel trip, and only if you are prepared to take the very minimum in clothing, like in a small saddle bag and a bar bag (but only if stem and seatpost are alloy rather than carbon). Beyond that I think it is a no no. Sorry, but this seems very much the wrong bike. Don't you have an old steel road bike that you use for winter training (they are very cheap secondhand)?
Willem

[rgc_911]

he's probably right - |I got a fully functional 12 speed 80's Raleigh off eBay for £26!

Needed tyres but took 700c wheels as it was - it's got massive clearances by modern standards, although it would need p-clips for a rack,
it's got mudguard eyes already and a huge wheelbase and a nice springy steel frame.

much rather tour that than a modern carbon beast

cheers
Cookie

[hartleymartin]

P-clips well-secured with nylock nuts and stainless steel screws hold up okay. However, there is still a chance that they can slip when heavily loaded.

[soton]

At least two makers have rear racks which can be supported by the rear wheel axle:
http://www.tubus.com/en/rear-carriers
http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/Rac ... Racks.html.
The brake bolt, or seat stays might be upper fixing options.
I'd be interested to see an unbiased authoritative statement about clamping to carbon fibre stays, or seatpost (which I have), or any other part.

[531colin]

I'd be interested to see an unbiased authoritative statement about clamping to carbon fibre stays, or seatpost (which I have), or any other part.

How about "You do it at your own risk"
I'll bet you free labour building a pair of touring wheels against a used postage stamp that you wont get a statement from a manufacturer of carbon fibre stuff saying that its OK to clamp a carrier to CF stays or seatpost.

[Mick F]

I travelled by train with Bike and Trailer.

I have a Carry Freedom trailer, and I had a suitcase strapped to the load-bed. Bike went in the bike stowage, and Trailer's wheels went into a carrier bag. The load-bed, carrier bag and Suitcase went into the suitcase stowage near to me.

At destination, Bike was unloaded then Trailer's wheels were attached, Trailer connected up, and Bingo!

There's no way on God's earth that I will ever use panniers again with a lightweight road-bike. Believe me, I've tried it.

[horizon]

Hi,

I am sure this has been asked before, i am just inept and finding this.

I am going a small tour in holland germany and belgum at the end of aug, i dont have a touring bike and as such looking at options of how to carry my stuff, i am either thinking of a trailer or panniers.

Rhys

Without intending to be vexatious or facetious, I would advise that you use a touring bike because that is what a touring bike does - it carries stuff. It breaks my heart to see people buying bikes unaware that they simply won't do the job that they hope they will. Many people have two bikes (or more) for this reason. What if I asked you how I would best adapt my touring bike for a forthcoming race this weekend? You would laugh and suggest I get myself a racing bike.

There are solutions of course but another option is to buy yourself a cheap hybrid - it will do the job perfectly well and stand you in good stead in other situations. A second bike is not unreasonable if your first love is fast road use.

[eileithyia]

my aluminium road bike was fitted with seat tube clamp that has fittings included on it to have a pannier rack fixed to it, if all that makes sense, cannot recall what it is called but no doubt any decent lbs would know/supply.

[horizon]

I travelled by train with Bike and Trailer.

I have a Carry Freedom trailer, and I had a suitcase strapped to the load-bed. Bike went in the bike stowage, and Trailer's wheels went into a carrier bag. The load-bed, carrier bag and Suitcase went into the suitcase stowage near to me.

At destination, Bike was unloaded then Trailer's wheels were attached, Trailer connected up, and Bingo!

There's no way on God's earth that I will ever use panniers again with a lightweight road-bike. Believe me, I've tried it.

Helmsdale.jpg

bg Plockton.jpg

And I was just thinking how good your bike looked with the panniers Mick and then I read your full post....

[willem jongman]

I think a two wheel trailer is a good idea for a classic steel road bike, but not for a very light road bike with carbon stays.
Willem

[horizon]

Would anyone seriously want to put panniers (or a trailer) on this bike?

I've edited this post to make it clear that what I meant was NOT "Why would anyone be so silly!" BUT "Shame to do it to such a nice bike!"

(Just for the record, I saw this very bike in a shop window in France and only Mrs H's quick thinking and prompt action saved my credit card from a huge hit. )

[enigmatic]

If you try to put P-clips on carbon stays you're likely to scratch the carbon and/or place extreme stress on the stays in ways not intended. Either way you risk catastrophic failure. My view only, but I guess shared by a large majority here. Also if you have a short rear end (nothing personal!) you may not even have heel clearance when you've fitted the panniers. As someone else said, be it on your on head.

[Mick F]

The material of the frame in immaterial* to the fact you can tow or not. I think that heavy panniers on a carbon frame wouldn't be a good idea as the carbon could be damaged by the clips. If you use clips on a steel or alu frame, all you would damage would be the paintwork.

The main problem is having good brakes and enough grip. Panniers provide better grip because more weight is on the bike and tyres. With a trailer - especially a two-wheeled trailer, the weight of the bike is the same with or without luggage but you still have to stop the total weight.

(*Good eh?)