pannier heel problems

mark4711

put rack and panniers on my old specialised hard rock mtb with the view of some cycling adventures with a tent and the open road. however can't pedal, the panniers are in the way. wrong rack? wrong frame geometry? although bike has bolts in frame for a rack. middle of rack over the rear hub so not sure if I can push the rack back any further. surely any weight behind the hub and I'll be wheelying everywhere. If I raise the rack it initally looks like it would have to be up level with the saddle which can't be right. are my cycling adventures dashed? please help

thedudeinthehat

mark4711 wrote: »

put rack and panniers on my old specialised hard rock mtb with the view of some cycling adventures with a tent and the open road. however can't pedal, the panniers are in the way. wrong rack? wrong frame geometry? although bike has bolts in frame for a rack. middle of rack over the rear hub so not sure if I can push the rack back any further. surely any weight behind the hub and I'll be wheelying everywhere. If I raise the rack it initally looks like it would have to be up level with the saddle which can't be right. are my cycling adventures dashed? please help

Hi Mark

had the same problem when I first picked up panneirs.

Should be a straight fwd fix deopending on make pf panniers-

most panniers have adjustable slide rail on top - where the two clips latch onto the pannier frame.

Also, if there is a lower, left right facing latch (rather then up-down as on top) this can be adjusted with an allen key too.

By adjusting the latches, top and lower , the bag should be able to mount on the pannier so that the bag shoots out slightly from the pannier rack- and well clear of your heels

Another issue which I'm sure you picked up on is if they are Left/Right set of panniers.

good discussion here-
http://www.cyclebanter.com/showthread.php?t=186992

if worst comes to worst just go to lbs and they may find a way to mount bags further back

adventures bck on???

thebouldwhacker

thedudeinthehat wrote: »

most panniers have adjustable slide rail on top - where the two clips latch onto the pannier frame.

By adjusting the latches, top and lower , the bag should be able to mount on the pannier so that the bag shoots out slightly from the pannier rack- and well clear of your heels

That should do the trick

But if not get a seat post mounted rack which has the effect of having an elevated bag position. I have one from Axiom (Spelling) which carried about 25kg around Wales last year without issue on a converted mtb. The load isnt as stable as lowriders but as I said I found it more than adequate

Like this
[Embedded Image Removed] But check the max load allowed to make sure you get the right one, some are made for small loads. Oh yea probibly not the best if your seat post is carbon.

Hope this helps

Holyboy

Carriers can be a pain to get right,most of them dont come supplied with long enough stays to fit modern frames, 95% of the ones I fit require fitting with longer stays but it does depend what carrier it is, if you can get the carrier fitted level with the ground then the stays are ok. A picture would really help! You can also get a seat clamp with bosses attached which means you can secure the stays higher up and also as said above you may be able to move the bags back a bit if they have movable fittings, but carriers are NOT easy to fit properly!

Raam

I used a bungee cord to hold the panniers further back on the rack.

BostonB

I have a rack and panniers on my old MTB. Had problem with heel clearance too. I spent a bit of time messing around with a couple of racks till I got one that allowed me mount the bag further back, and a bit higher.
I'll take a photo if I get a chance. As it is the bag is mounted so it sticks out a bit past the back of the rack. it would make more sense if you saw it. http://tinypic.com/r/33bi837/7

mark4711

Thanks people, I'll have a play around at the weekend and let you know. Still a bit concerned about the weight being placed beyond the rear wheel hub, wouldn't it make the front very light and effect steering, hill climbing etc?

BostonB

If you are going to be carrying a lot of weight, then something like this might be better.

http://velo-city.org/touring-trailers/index.html
http://andy.ride-earth.org.uk/mountain-bike-and-cycle-tour-gear-and-equipment-reviews/extrawheel-single-wheel-trailer/
http://www.saubers.ch/14-first-post-and-an-introduction-of-myself/

blorg

mark4711 wrote: »

Thanks people, I'll have a play around at the weekend and let you know. Still a bit concerned about the weight being placed beyond the rear wheel hub, wouldn't it make the front very light and effect steering, hill climbing etc?

It is better to have it over the hub, or as close as possible, but it is not that big a deal. I have mine behind the hub. You need to put it just far enough back that you can avoid the heel strike.

mark4711

well after a weekend of fiddling and cursing I've come to the conclusion that my bike frame is probally to small for paniers. However my rack is also to short? can't push the panniers much further back than the middle of the hub anyway. Borrowed some small 12ltr panniers which very nearly did the trick so reccon if I get a longer rack that can also sit a bit higher I'll be in buisness. That and mastering the subtle art of minimalist packing. Old man mountain rack possibly, but seems expensive?

thebouldwhacker

This is playing on my mind... I have big feet, I take a 48 shoe and I have had issues with racks and bags before due to heels hitting off the bags but I've always got around it. Your problem is perplexing.
Just for my own piece of mind I want to know;
What size frame is the bike?
What size foot are you?
where the rack attaches to the frame below the saddle are those links extendable?
If so have you extended them?
Fully?

Failing you getting your rack on I can loan you the seat post rack mentioned above, its an Axiom with a weight load of 25kg (or there abouts). It wont solve your issue long term but will get you touring anyway.

feck sake lads

mark4711 wrote: »

well after a weekend of fiddling and cursing I've come to the conclusion that my bike frame is probally to small for paniers. However my rack is also to short? can't push the panniers much further back than the middle of the hub anyway. Borrowed some small 12ltr panniers which very nearly did the trick so reccon if I get a longer rack that can also sit a bit higher I'll be in buisness. That and mastering the subtle art of minimalist packing. Old man mountain rack possibly, but seems expensive?

i would say the trailer is your best bet,i bought a single wheel trailer for light touring havent tried it out as yet still building up my bike but if you like i will loan it to you for your trip ,what part of the country are you in .;)