Rear rack extension?
 

My two wheel gear suit pannier covers the rear of my rack and sits too high to allow cars to see my seatpost. I'm thinking of making an extension bar out of PVC pipe for the rear rack so that I can mount my tail lights farther back to increase their visibility. It would look something like the picture but wouldn't be connected to a handmade rack that retails for almost $200 which I cannot afford. Anyone know of a company that sells something like this? I like my rack it just needs a little more...length. http://www.bgcycles.com/extensionbw.jpg

Can you show us a picture of your current rack? I extended mine. It was the kind that clamps to the seat post. Only problem with those is, if you put a full (heavy) bag on it - it will swing your seat left and right on some occasions AGH! To stop the swinging I bought some thin steel bars and cut and bolted them to the little holes on the frame down by the derailer. To extend the rack I bought some tubular aluminum which fit nicely into where the stock bar was. It just took a little drilling and some nuts and bolts. How do you post pictures on this web site? Can I just upload something small or do I have to link to another site?

It's this one, a topeak explorer disc compatible model. I'm not going to put a load on the extension. Just want to mount my tail lights in an area that isn't underneath and obscured by my garment bag much like the rack pictured in my original post. You can upload photos if they're 100K or less using the paper clip icon. You can also link to photos elsewhere on the inter-tubes.

rack extensions for lights and reflectors
 

Well, if you're handy you can get a strip of material from the hardware store. I like this stuff, it's steel, but very thin and is a series of holes. It's about 1/8" thick, 3/4" wide and is very flexible and very easily cut with a hacksaw if you hold it on edge in a vise. Anyway, you can cut a few inches of it and bend it and twist it anyway you want to make whatever kind of extension you need. If I can photograph mine and post it, I will.

If you extend the rear beef up the front or the leverage will fail the front mounts.

I think he is only "extending" in as much as he is mouting lights not really moving a heavy load.

I zip tied a piece of PVC to stick out a few inches past the back of the rack. Spray painted black so it wouldn't look too bad.
rumrunn6 - pics would be great. wouldn't mind doing something less amateur with my setup

OK - pics tonight! :-) I rode in this morning and it was garbage recycling day, so I was pressed for time.

PVC and Zip ties are probably what I will do though I also like the idea of simply bending a strip of steel to serve as a "hanger" of sorts. Either way, I guarantee I'll make it look amateur. Maybe it'll ghetto up my Kona JTS enough so that it will be less likely to be stolen!:D

Yeah, that's the spirit!

OK, I took the pics but it was dark by time I got home and remembered so I had to bring the bike inside and use the on-camera flash. Yuk. Now I can't find my stupid wires to download the images. Ugh They're comin'

tballx - I took some new pics this morning. I'll try to post just the ones that relate to my own rack extension and tail light extension. I used 3 things from the hardware store aside from nuts bolts & washers. 1) Channel Aluminum (to extend the reach of the rack's main arm that clamps to the seat post) 2) Thin flat steel as legs for the extension (these keep the whole rack from swinging my seat side to side! AGH! and they provide more holding power for heavier weights) 3) Thin steel strip with holes (it comes like that) which is soft and very malleable and easy to cut with a hacksaw (for the rear strobe mount)

Actually I find all steel at the hardware store pretty easy to cut with a hacksaw. Though I usually have to buy fresh drill bits for every project ...

OK these may not be in the best order bur here they are. I have a picture or two of the whole bike as well but I'm going to post them in the antique / classic section

Looks like a pretty clever way to support a seat-post-mounted rack - good job!

Joiner plates.
They're super handy for fabbing mounts and extenders and other fiddly-bits. I used a joiner plate and some PVC pipe to make the front rack mount for my handlebar bag. Decaleur = $40.00 My fabbed mount < $5.00

CliftonGK1 - Are joiner plates about 4"x5" with a bunch of tiny holes? If so I've used them too for stuff. Good thinking. I don't remember cutting them though. Do you cut them?

I just looked for images on google and found those "L" bracket things, you know for supporting corners on old drawers and stuff. Those would be useful too.

There are a few different sizes of them at the Home Depot where I shop, but yes you're thinking of the same item.

If you can't find the size you need, they're thin enough that you can easily cut them with a Dremel.

Joiner plates, eh? I will investigate this magic. I'm planning on hitting the home depot for the pvc this weekend anyway.

tballx - Don't forget to show us what you wind up doing, OK?

Hey tballx, How you doing? remember those P-clips someone mentioned? I found some at my store called compression clamps. I built a little front rack today.

Oh here are pics of the new front rack and clamps

you can put it on your seat stays

Nice job there, rumrunn!

My panniers have a little loop to connect a light to. Are you sure your panniers don't?

I'm afraid next to your set up, mine is going to look pretty weak. I'll take some pics tomorrow after I bust out my Zip tie collection. So far, I've spent $3 on pvc pipe. Oddly enough, all the damn pipe had male threaded ends yet the elbow joints had a male and female end. What the hell? I was shopping in the sprinkler system gear so maybe only the sprinklers get the female ends. Who knows.

It looks like it has some kind of tab at the back. Can't you attach the light mount to that somehow?