Macman11393

I recently bought a Trek 520 touring bicycle (1980's ish edition) and I'm now looking to put a rear mount for saddle bags. The trek bicycle has two eye holes on the back frame to mount the rack which from my brief research seems common. I'm looking to use the saddlebags and rear rack for long distance touring and the should be able to hold all of my camping and biking gear (40lbs?), I also plan on getting a front rack but I would like a rear rack, for now, to start small trips.

My bicycle is a 56cm

This is what I looked up so far that caught my eye as a solid set up for my bike. Thoughts? Any ideas if it will fit my bicycle?

Rear Rack
https://www.modernbike.com/product-2...iABEgJo_fD_BwE

I figured this rack because I think its at the least compatible with the saddlebags but not fully sure about my bicycle.

Saddlebags
https://www.thebikesmiths.com/produc...t=292778082322

I like these saddlebags because of the quick release and they look like a high enough quality to keep my stuff dry.

Macman11393

Btw thanks again for all the support and advice. This has been a big learning curve to get into the swing of things and this community has been nothing but supportive.

Cyclist0108

I had that bike. I really liked it. I also had "low riders" for front bags, and it helps to distribute some of the weight to the front.

hillyman

Welcome to the 520 Club! Pannier choice is pretty much a personal choice. About only thing you have to worry about is some panniers will fit better on certain rack size tubing. Touring part of BF or many touring websites worth spending time doing a little research

TakingMyTime

I picked the Trek/Bontrager rack over the Topeak for my bike. The main factor of my choice was that the seat-stay attachments seem to be stronger (at least in my opinion). I like the round tubing of the Bontrager as opposed to the flat connectors found on other racks. The Bontrager also seems to have more ways to adjust and secure the rack.

tclune

I also have the Bontrager rear rack on my 520. It came with the bike, but I have had no reason to change for another. I also use Wald folding baskets instead of panniers. For touring, I throw a few dry sacks with my gear in them. For around town, they are perfect for holding grocery bags and will handle trash that I take to the transfer station. Needless to say, I'm not exactly a weight weenie.
I also have a Soma Porteur front rack, which I think is great. It will accommodate front panniers, which many front racks don't. And it is very useful for balancing heavy loads. My Trek doesn't like it when I have a heavy load in the back and nothing up front. Move some of the weight onto the Soma and it's perfectly content with a big load. FWIW

dedhed

It would originally had a Blackburn fixed stay rear rack. These came in different sizes to "custom fit" different frame sizes.
Vintage Trek Bicycle Catalogs and Bike Brochures, Fisher, Klein LeMond


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Jim...-/253438446430

Dark Arrow

Gday mate

You would probably get more replies if you posted this in the Touring thread

Saddlebags are generally called Panniers in the bicycle world so searching that term will get you more results as well.

That said if you are wanting to do long distance touring in my opinion there is only 2 companies you should consider.

Ortlieb and Arkel

I personally use the Ortlieb classic rollers.

As far as racks go I guess it depends on if you want an original look or look at something new.

Tubus racks are the standard in this part of the world. Pricey but well made.

Surly racks Are reported to be good as well. I use Tubus and have zero complaints.

Good luck and welcome to the best way to travel

Bear

fietsbob

Roll closed bags that are waterproof are nice,
I go Grocery shopping with my Ortliebs, their easy off mounts are secure , locking hooks.. when back on..

IDK what mounting scheme those you have, the back sides are rarely featured pictures..

Macman11393

I love the style and reviews of the Arkel and as soon as I have enough funds to drop on some nice arkel bags, I think those are the ones I'm going with.

Thanks!

transitguy

Hello, Macman
I have a 1995 Trek 520 that has been my ride on many multi-day tours in western and mid-western states. I have it equipped with Blackburn front and rear racks and I use Jandd panniers (Large Mountain Panniers) on the rear rack. I don't use front panniers- instead I use webbed straps to attach my tent to one side of the front rack. Similarly, I attach a small fanny pack containing tools and misc. items to the other side of the front rack for balance. I've had zero issues with the panniers and racks over many hundreds of miles, although I intend to replace the rear rack this year.
I suggest you look very carefully at the attachment system on any pannier set you consider. Having your gear move around or come off the bike is uncomfortable at best and downright dangerous under certain circumstances. The attachment systems used on panniers such as Jandd, Ortlieb, Arkel and Lone Peak seem to work for many tourists, and you can see them in detail on the applicable web site.
Single-compartment, waterproof panniers like the ones you're considering probably work well, but I prefer panniers with more compartments for ease of organizing and accessing my gear. I use light-weight dry bags and ordinary plastic bags to keep my stuff dry. I've been in downpours enough times to know that the important stuff like my sleeping bag and clothing will stay dry with this system. Good luck!

Macman11393

Thanks for the response transitguy. The set up you have on the front rack sounds very useful. I will consider your style to have additional storage. The multiple compartments I'm sure is convenient but I'm more of a one compartment with multiple drybags inside set up kind of guy.

WNCGoater

FWIW I have that Topeak Super Tourist. Seems well made, very sturdy. I'm sure there's "better" racks out there such as the Tubus or Old Man Mtn, but not in this price range and for this price point it does the trick. I have carried Axiom Monsoon panniers on it across rough FS gravel roads but I've only had this rack for several months now and so limited actual use. Take that into consideration.

mstateglfr 

Those panniers weigh over 6#. They are 2# heavier than ortlieb backrollers and those arent exactly feathers.

Just mentioning this because even though traditional touring setups arent lightweight, 2 extra pounds just for panniers is something to consider.

jpescatore

I have a 1996 Trek 520 with the original rear (Trek) rack. I put lowrider racks on the front and for most multi-day touring I use that and just have a trunk rack on the back for tools, snacks and the like - no handlebar bag.

I definitely like the feel of the front loaded vs. the rear loaded, especially on downhill. For flat riding, I have a pair of REI panniers that attach nicely to the rear rack, but needed a bit of adjustment so my heel didn't hit them at back of the pedaling stroke. REI doesn't sell their own panniers anymore - Ortleib is what I've used more recently.

Phil_gretz

It appears that no one has said this yet. For your 1980s Trek, make certain that you have measured the outer separation between the rear dropout eyelets, because that must be matched to the rack that you choose. Today's rear triangles can be ~10mm wider than those of the 1980s, depending on how the rear wheels were configured.


Also, the rack does more than support the panniers. Do you want to mount a rear light on it? Some models have a tab designed for the T-style clip mount rear blinkie. Do you plan to mount fenders as well? Make sure that your attachment plan provides for the fender stays.


Good luck. PG