cqlink 

I've just completed an overhaul of an '86 Voyageur. Could you folks point me to an affordable rear cargo rack? I'm not a long distance rider by any means (15-25 mi. max). Just looking for something fairly light, black and capable of holding around 40 lbs or a six pack (whatever comes first).

Here's a few pics of the bike:

mstateglfr 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025ULKGG...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Probably cheaper if you look around. Often times its $27 online. I have one and have used it for a few years now. Its been used for hundreds of rides to carry a truck or to carry fully loaded pan bags.
Easy to fit and adjust too. It can easily hold 40# of gear and is really versatile with mounting bags because you can mount them a few different places for room.



Nice looking Voyageur!

bulldog1935

Here's the traditional Blackburn rack at Backcountry
Blackburn EX-1 Bike Rack | Backcountry.com

cqlink 

Thanks. Will these fit my bike (23" frame)?

bulldog1935

absolutely, here's my very old Blackburn rack on a 25-1/2" frame.
You just adjust the rack rotation and level by how long you make the stay attachment.

cqlink 

Nice looking rig.

As always, thanks for the intel, gentlemen.

SkyDog75

I'll second mstateglfr's recommendation of the Axiom Journey rack. Solid and lightweight, easy to mount and adjust, and that lower horizontal tube gives you some extra pannier positioning options if you ever decide to use 'em.

On the other hand, the classic Blackburn rack is a nice aesthetic fit for your Voyageur, especially in silver.

Can't go wrong either way.

rekmeyata

Why no one asked this question before now is beyond me, but how much weight are you planning on carrying on the rack?

Knowing how much weight you'll be carrying is important since low cost racks are designed for no more than 25 pounds, but that weight limit is misleading since it doesn't take into account when the bike hits a bump and the load jumps up and comes back down with a force that can exceed the racks limit, and the last thing you want is a rack to break while touring or whatever you're planning on doing with the bike that will have the rack.

bulldog1935

racks are rated for dynamic loads, not static loads and include a safety factor for shock loading (which is at least 4x to 5x the rated load).

Nitto tends to rate their racks conservatively, and Tubus always gives their racks a higher rating.
And the OP did state 40 lbs, but even that is a pretty tough load to put on a bike - that's a 5-gallon bucket filled with as much water as you can carry.
10 lbs (maybe 20 lbs of groceries) is more typical unless you're loaded for touring.
(I know one person who can tour for two weeks with 25 lbs - he can backpack for 2 weeks with a pack that light)

Here's Nitto's big rear rack, I believe rated for 55 lbs. I can assure you a 200-lb person can sit on it statically without damaging anything.


the basic Blackburn rack will easily carry a 6-pack and enough blue ice to keep it cold


Lone Peak is still making nice traditional-looking trunk bags (the photo is a Rhode Gear trunk)

rekmeyata

low cost racks do not rated for dynamic loads; higher end rack companies will make a point of specifically saying that theirs are rated for dynamic loads, why do they say this? because the lower end ones don't have theirs rated for dynamic loads which is why i have seen them break even with loads less than they were rated for.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the older touring bikes when loaded with 45 or more pounds of gear had a lot of frame stay swaying that would go on at higher speeds like going down a grade. Aluminum racks are not stiff enough to prevent that sway, whereas cromoly and stainless steel can prevent that. But this is only important if you plan on carrying more than 45 pounds.

bulldog1935

If I was trying to get a cost-effective heavy-duty touring rack, I would buy Racktime (budget Tubus) from Europe.
But the OP asked for the traditional rack to go with his bike.
Blackburn would be it.
Speaking out of turn, I don't think he's a bit interested in this numbers game.



holy crap, look at the construction of lawn chairs that have to support 250 lbs.

Bikerider007

Craigslist bike parts section has racks pretty regular. I see them from $5-50. As mentioned the vintage Blackburn would be a nice touch and the ones I have seen are pretty beefy. Just make sure you get or figure in mounting hardware. You may even find vintage bags.

bulldog1935

his bike has bosses for rack mounts on both seatstays.
Either of the two new racks linked above (including the Blackburn) will come with the right hardware (may have to pick up some M5 fasteners)

The Golden Boy 

I agree- I think the big thing in looking at the "vintage" Blackburn style racks is that you get one of the adjustable ones- the ones with the adjustable stays that go to the... umm... stays. The kind that have the permanent stays are designed for a specific bike in a specific size. For those racks- a rack designed for a 21" Trek 620 probably won't work on a 24" Schwinn Voyageur.

bulldog1935

Yes, the Blackburn rack at Backcountry comes with the right stay hardware.

To show you how extreme stays can get, here's the Tubus Vega on my daughter's upright mixte:
(this did require ordering the extra-long Tubus stays)

Salamandrine 

For that bike I also suggest a Blackburn rack. It was the standard when that bike was made and they work fine. I took mine for 3 week self supported tours BITD and it held up. I've always been a pretty light packer though.

Be a little careful of Tubus racks as not all will fit a traditional level top tube touring bike, oddly enough. That probably holds true for some other modern racks too.

mstateglfr 

Well ill respond to this since I was one of the posters who you are so amazed didnt ask how much weight the OP plans to carry. I didnt ask because the OP specifically stated the general weight.
So to borrow some words from you- Why you asked how much weight will be carried when its already been discussed is beyond me.

As for the idea that low cost racks cant hold more than 25# and that doesnt take into account dynamic weight when moving...well I really dont know what to say to that other than its an incorrect view. SOME racks which are inexpensive arent able to handle heavy weight. But that doesnt mean all. Again, I have used the Axiom Journey rack for hundreds of rides. Day rides, overnight camping, multi-day touring, and trips to stores. Its held more than 25# dozens upon dozens of times and for who knows how many miles.

The Golden Boy 

By the way- if you're not planning on doing the whole 'loaded touring' thing, finding one of the racks that mount to the brake bridge would be fine for around town kind of stuff. I have had absolutely no problems with full panniers of groceries- including 4 2 liter bottles of soda from the store on my Trek 730 with a "jim blackburn' rack with a single stay connecting to the brake bridge.





As opposed to the two stayed rack:

bulldog1935

but he has the twin stay mount bosses, making that choice a no-brainer

I think his canti cable will easily go between the stays, and if not he can shorten the straddle cable and probably improve his brake geometry

52telecaster

+1. I have toured with a 3 point Blackburn. No sweat. Hell my son used a target rack that held up great. Just use a little common sense.

SkyDog75

The Axiom Journey rear rack is rated for 70 kg (154 lbs). Even if that's a static rating, it's more than sufficient for the stated use. And numbers aside, between mstateglfr and me, I think we've used 'em enough to be confident they're pretty sturdy.

I don't know if it's the best aesthetic fit for a classic Voyageur, but it would be a solid choice functionally.

rekmeyata

I'm not going to get into argument about all of this, but I may be partially wrong in what I said previously. I thought only the lower end racks were static rated but evidently it doesn't matter if it's a low end, or a high end, or something in between, it's up to the manufacture to state static or dynamic which only makes the whole buying process more confusing since you may not know how it was rated unless it's clearly written on the packaging which most don't say anything, or you have to e-mail them and ask them specifically how it's rated. If you have to email them I would hold off buying till you know for sure. I do know the Tubus racks are dynamic rated.

If the static weight rating is 154 pounds then the actual static rate would be close to 30 to 35 pounds.

Either way in general either stainless or cromoly steel rack will carry more load than aluminum rack will, and it will stiffen up the rear end of the bike, however there are exceptions like the aluminum Old Man Mountain racks, but those are high end racks whereas lowend AL racks should not be used for anything far from home, plus steel racks, should a weld fail, can be easily repaired by a welder just about anywhere while with AL not so much.

clubman 

Keep it simple, buy a name brand that fits the bike aesthetically and the odds of failure are silly small. Blackburn, Vetta, Yueh are just a few vintage names you'd like. As mentioned, find one that has long enough arms/stays for a touring style bike. And the adjustable double stay is right mount for the bike.

I've abused so many racks for the years and I think I broke a couple but they were ready for retirement. Wish I was...

cqlink 

Excellent discussion gents. As mentioned, the rack will occasionally carry up to 40lbs. I live near a beach and I'm hauling back some "small' rocks for landscaping. My community decided to extend our bike path up to another recreational area (50-mile round trip). That trip requires a MUCH lighter load. The occasional grocery run is on the agenda but I can't envision much more than 20-pound loads.

Having said that, I thought I'd try the Axiom Journey because of the pannier design consideration, however, I didnt consider the adjustable double stay option (didn't know that was out there).

Thanks again to all chiming in and Happy New Year!