Originally Posted by Radler_

I'm planing a 1500 miles (~50 days) trip for spring 2022 and have to make a decision on which gravel to buy. I set a budget limit around $2000 so carbon frames are out of the question. Since it's gonna be a long trip I'd like to have as much storage capacity as possible, which made me think about using a rear rack where to attach two side bags, but I've noticed that not alll manufacturers include mounting points on their gravel frames for this kind of racks.

Reading here and there I found that some people claim that, since gravels use roadbike-like frames, too much weight hanging on the rack could damage the frame and eventually bend it. However, some manufacturers do include mounting points although I could not find any info on recommended weight limit. In case I can not use a read rack I'd have to use one of those seat post backpacks, which have lower capacity and are not that comfortable to use.

Has any of you had bad experiences after using racks on gravel bikes? Would you recommend against them?

Thank you in advance.