TiHabanero

I am building a touring frame and have the barrels to braze to the frame for the upper rear rack mounts, but decided I don't like the way it looks. Thought about drilling a hole in the seat stays and brazing in bosses, but then I have a bump in the tube. I want is really clean looking so figured P-clamps may be the solution. Have used them on a commuter bike for decades without trouble. Any problems foreseen using P-clamps for the upper rack mounts on a touring rig?

indyfabz

Another possible option is this or something like it:

https://www.amazon.com/M-Wave-Seatpo.../dp/B0775L5KTZ

BTW...By the time you put a bunch of stuff on the rack you likely won't be able to see those barrels that offend your sense of aesthetics.

Tourist in MSN

The upper rack bolts do not bear a lot of weight, so probably not a problem. That said, if your chainstays are short enough to put your load center of gravity far behind the axle, the upper rack mounts can pull towards the rear so there can be some tension on those mounts.

If you put the mounts in the tubing like the second option you mentioned, you will never notice the "bump" in the tubing because the rack bracket will obscure it.

cyccommute 

No but P-clamps are a pain. Tubus rack clamps are stronger and easier to install.

IMG_0622 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

These aren't quite the right size but they still work.

seeker333

You object to look of external or internal seatstay rack mounts but are OK with P-clamps? How are P-clamps less ugly than building the frame in the normal fashion? Do you intend to use this touring frame only occasionally for touring, so that removable P-clamps are somehow aesthetically superior? I vote external mounts, easier and perhaps stronger. P-clamps suggest the builder wasn't planning for a rack, or loaded touring. If you ever want to sell the frame, buyers will frown upon the P-clamp solution.

Tubus clamps mentioned above are a little better and a lot more expensive than the P-clamps you will find in the local hardware store - they come in 5 sizes and fit a bit snugger/stronger. Whichever clamp you choose, I recommend getting them large enough to permit the fitting of rubber strips (old inner tube) between clamp and seatstay, to prevent damage to finish/corrosion.

Miele Man

I had a MIELE UNO SL that I wanted to convert to a touring bike. I took the frame to a custom bicycle builder and he brazed on 1 pair of upper rack mounts on the seatstays, cantilever brake bosses on the seatstay, cantilever cable stop bridge, third water bottle braze-on mounts under the downtube. the cost? $60.00 CDN including the parts.



If the bike is going to be a dedicated touring bike then I recommend getting rack mounts brazed on.

If you decide to go the P-clip route I'd go to a bike shop and get the P-clips there as then you know they're designed for a bicycle rack. My LBS gave me two sets of rear rack hardware once when i wanted to get a couple of the rails that fit to the rack and braze-on mounts.

Cheers

TiHabanero

I guess I am being overly picky. Without the rack on the bike I just want the clean look of an uninterrupted tube. This could be due to the four bottle mounts I have on the main tubes. I like the barrels as an attachment point, but drilling and setting in bosses is just as easy with less cleanup work. Perhaps the bosses go on the inside of the tubes? PIA to get to, but makes it cleaner looking.

saddlesores

i can't imagine building my own frame and NOT adding all the solid braze-ons, but instead going with carpy-looking p-clamps.

empty braze-ons look nice with shiny stainless steel hex bolts fililng the spaces.

maybe you can find an alternate use for the braze-ons when not mounting a full rack......maybe design it to mount extra water bottles or an anything rack.

heck, maybe you could mount some of those snazzy trek fork bags there instead.

Happy Feet

I second this if not brazing eyelets on. This way you can just remove it from the seat post when not touring and have that clean look.

Tourist in MSN

I have a 80s vintage Bianchi mixte frame hybrid that I have on my trainer, it has the rack mounts on the inside of the seatstays, not the outside.

I usually use a Tubus Logo rear rack for touring, that is a very narrow rack at the top where the brackets are, thus the brackets are quite close to each other. I often use the inside of the brazed on barrel rack mounts because the rack brackets fit better with that rack. I use hex head rack bolts on those mounts and use either an open end wrench or a 12 point box wrench. Only takes a couple extra minutes to install or remove the bolts.

BikeWonder

May I ask where in Canada you did this (assuming because you paid in CAD)?
I have an '87 Bianchi Grizzly with U brakes (rear) that I would like to convert to cantilevers and make add fork mounts. It would be such a sweet touring bike if it had those adjustments.

Miele Man

I had the work done at https://truenorthcycles.com/ they're a fair bit from you and are located in Belwood, Ontario.

6237 Sixth Line, Belwood, ON N0B 1J0

Cheers

TiHabanero

Well, at least Happy Feet agrees with my sense of aesthetics! I have been entertaining of going with long reach Tektro brakes instead of cantis for the same reason. Canti mounts look ugly, and I seriously dislike disc brakes so that is not an option. I have decided to go with cantis as it really is a better choice for brake effectiveness than the Tektros.