Tortec expedition or epic rack?

[Bicycler]

I've had a few Tortec racks including (currently) the stainless epic - quite possibly my best ever cycling buy at £36.99 last year. I was going to share the link on here but I think I got the last one Each of my Tortec racks have been good. Whilst I'm totally happy with the Stainless Epic I reckon that if choosing one of their alloy rack and the price was equal I'd go for the Expedition one. As others have said it looks slightly more considered and practical, if less sleek. You either love or hate the rather agricultural look of racks like that and I love em.

[Tangled Metal]

My last one has a Topeak super tourist dx disc compatible rack. Never had the slide on DX rack bag and TBH the disc mech was out of the way so didn't even need the disc compatibility. Did like the lower pannier rails. That was a very useful thing to have I found. Which is why I have to go for a Tortec with them too. I am switching to Tortec because I just prefer them. They look in the online images to be less chunky and heavy looking than the Topeak one I had. That was a bit too bulky I thought eventhough it is lighter.

Now it is just hard to find any in silver except in Evans for £45. The best prices all say delivery is about a week, guess out of stock and need to get them in from distributor. Annoying as I need them this weekend. Guess I have to order them at whatever price and pay express delivery.

[Brucey]

This weight saving lark always amuses me. ......People, with the disposable income and desire to do so, will spend a lot more to save a 50g or even 100g here and there but not able or willing to lose the couple of stone off their waistline. ....

yeah but when some people buy a lightweight bike they "just want 'the best' " not because they genuinely think they will go faster with it but more because that is what they think they should have for all kinds of other reasons. If they thought they should have waist size 28" carbon fibre undercrackers they'd want those too, whether they fitted or not.... The same kind of chap will go into the Porsche showroom and buy the model where you pay more money to have them leave the carpet out of it etc all in the name of 'weight saving'. It makes stuff-all real difference (outside of racing) except in the -vitally important- posing stakes....

cheers

[Sweep]

Y ou either love or hate the rather agricultural look of racks like that and I love em.

Nice description:) i look forward to a comprehensive range of "agricultural" bike products.

[Tangled Metal]

I just want something to hang bags of stuff from. Don't care if agricultural or high tech in its looks.

[andrew_s]

I'd go for the Expedition, on account of the wider top. £27 at JE James.

steel racks are stronger, and will last if you indulge in expedition touring, heavily laden for long distances on gravel roads, which an alloy rack may not, but for normal UK use an alloy rack will normally be crash damaged, stolen, or otherwise replaced well before breaking is likely.

[Bicycler]

i reckon at that price it is no wonder they are out of stock. I'd have gone for that one. TBH I was hoping to spend low £30s but accepting up to £40. Stainless at that price would have led me to spending that price to get it. Reckon stainless would suit my silver bike better too.

If you want a stainless rack, Raleigh make a 40kg rated one which could be considered. They can be found for just over £30 quid http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Avenir-Stainles ... wodGlgA-Q#. Available in Raleigh (RSP) and Avenir branded versions (which seem identical) as well as disc brake versions. I've never used one and it doesn't look quite as well designed as the Epic but there's a decent review online: http://road.cc/content/review/97015-rsp ... nnier-rack (sweep will be pleased to know that it describes the rack as 'agricultural' )

Like the Tortecs I couldn't find one at a decent price with delivery in time for the weekend.

[fastpedaller]

When I built up a bike last year I carefully weighed the parts on our kitchen scale (always accurate to within 2g of local cllibrated PO scale!) and it was surprising how the weights were somewhat more than the manufacturers'/suppliers' claims! As a secondary exercise I costed out how much I would have to spend to get the same function with lighter parts - it doubled the price of the bike! adding £600 to the cost, but deleting 600g of weight. So £1 per gram!

[pwa]

That's interesting. And I think some of the lighter components you could splash out on might be too light. Having had a couple of snapped off seat posts I no longer trust light alloy posts and prefer something heavier and cheaper. I am even more untrusting when it comes to lightweight handlebars. If there is one place I do not want a manufacturer shaving material away to save grams it is the handlebars. Racks should not be too heavy, but I would not trust a very light one. Unless it were made of titanium, but those are made by Tubus and are too narrow on the top.

[Brucey]

When I built up a bike last year I carefully weighed the parts on our kitchen scale (always accurate to within 2g of local cllibrated PO scale!) and it was surprising how the weights were somewhat more than the manufacturers'/suppliers' claims! As a secondary exercise I costed out how much I would have to spend to get the same function with lighter parts - it doubled the price of the bike! adding £600 to the cost, but deleting 600g of weight. So £1 per gram!

Honestly, I think that the claimed weights are often just made up.... but £1 per gramme? Actually that is pretty typical for bike parts and it may even be how some manufacturers set their retail prices on some products.... it is a spookily 'good fit' to otherwise similar Shimano SPD pedals for example...

Is it worth it? Usually no, of course not, not outside of the most closely fought kinds of competition. I think weight saving is perhaps best viewed as some kind of luxury or indulgence outside of that...?

in this context posh/less strong carriers are a bargain; you can save weight for less than £1 per gramme this way. Not as good as tyres, and perhaps wheels in some cases... but you pay for those in reduced strength in many cases, swings and roundabouts...

cheers

[Tangled Metal]

So for a rear rack what makes a good weight? The super tourist DX disc compatible from Topeak was about 600-700g which reviews said was light for a rack with that sort of design. The Tortec exped is about 1000g. The Epic is lighter IIRC. Is 1kg too much? Where do people draw the line with rack weight?

Personally I never even thought of rack weight whenever I've bought one. Design is more important to me.

[Samuel D]

My Tubus Fly weighs a little over 400 g (as weighed by me). It is impressively stiff, too, but of course it is small and very narrow. For carrying two modestly sized panniers, it may be hard to beat.

[Bicycler]

But no good for the OP as TM wants a rack with a lower set of rails. For regular utility or touring purposes higher reliability , lower rails and a useable top come before low weight for me. Then again I am carrying too much weight around my midriff which rather dwarfs a few hundred grammes saving on a rack.

For a bike mostly ridden unladen or rarely carrying huge loads something like the Fly or the Tortec Ultralite (aka Velocity) (I like mine and only costs about £20) make a lot more sense. No point carrying around a bit of scaffolding on the back of your bike just to carry a few tools and a butty box.

[Brucey]

I think that if you ride your bike a lot with the rack on (but the panniers off) then the weight is worth a second thought, (especially if you already bought a lighter weight bike @ £1/g...).

If you never carry more than 40lbs, and your panniers fit OK then a Blackburn rack (say an EX-1) is worth a look. They claim 570g weight which at £25-£30 seems like good value. Similarly the tortec velocity (25kg load rating, 570g, ~£30) -although it lacks a wide top platform, or the tortec ultralite (claimed weight varies from 400g to 560g, 25kg, £22) which may not allow some panniers to fit very well?

None are quite what the OP wants because they don't have low rails.... they come at a price (£s or lbs)...

But you can get lighter racks than this but not at this kind of price, I think? Maybe someone has spotted a bargain somewhere?

cheers

[boblo]

So two quedtions; which rack and what weight steps are noticeable?

I have a couple of Tortec Expeds and IIRC, they are around 600g? I bought mine for around £20 and they are fine. I also have a Tubus equivalent and a 'proper' (as in 30 year old) Blackburn EX1. They're all fine thought the Blackburn doesn't have a rear light plate.

As for weight, I'd simply apply your backpacking logic. Go sub 10kg and if you really want to go mad, get an ally or Ti rack to really keep the weight down. It does matter that it's not on your back, you can still spoil perfectly good rides by carrying too much. I'm almost religious about keeping the weight down.

Use good backpacking gear and you'll probably be able to ditch the front rack and panniers. Choose rear panniers carefully and you can save more weight there. When backpacking, I am for ~8kg for 2-3 nights inc food and water. I apply this to cycling and enjoy it more for it. I save even more weight as it makes the wallet lighter as well.