katsrevenge

It seems that all of the racks I've heard that are pretty good are on the short side. My poor fender is already a bit chewed up.. I'd like to avoid any more of that.

So, what do you guys use on a 27 inch old ten speed type bike?

The Golden Boy 

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking...

I don't think I can really think of a back rack interfering with a fender- unless maybe someone uses a rack specifically designed for a smaller wheeled bike.

The classic "blackburn" racks fit nicely with a load of room underneath for fenders.





The front rack can be a touch tricky, but even mounting to the lower dropout eyelet- there's plenty of room under the rack for the fender. I have seen where people have had to cut into their fender to get it to fit under a rack- or even a fork crown for that matter...

My front rack on this bike is a Vetta- but it's exactly like my "jim blackburn" front rack. The fenders are SKS silver chromoplastic Longboards.

katsrevenge

Sorry.. I am in dire need of coffee..

The last few rear racks I've looked at have all rubbed my fender. The one that came with the bike actually rubbed a spot on it. Looking on-line I see that many are listed as for 26in or 700mm wheels.

Blackburn.. There are so many. I will try googling up 'classic blackburn' then.

The Golden Boy 

What bike are you planning this on?

All my bikes are mid 80s tourers. I have "vintage" Blackburn racks on all of them, except one that has a newer Blackburn rack on it. That one will have room underneath for Fenders as well.


What did you have that did cause you problems?

fietsbob

like these?

Pletscher Modell RS Rear Luggage Carrier Rack Aluminium Old School 28" Wheel | eBay

katsrevenge

Here is bike. She's a 85 World Tourist.

The bike came with the exact rack that Feitsbob linked. The original owner had shoved some plastic in there to try and stop the rubbing even.
I put it on my 26" cruiser and it clears that wheel. I like it, but it doesn't fit the Tourist.

Would this one fit a 27" wheel? I do like to load up a week's worth of groceries and cat litter. Heavier is better.
Amazon.com: Ibera PakRak Bicycle Touring Carrier Plus+, Frame-Mounted for Heavier Top & Side Loads, Height Adjustable, Fender Board, for 26"-29" Frames: Sports & Outdoors

AZORCH

Pretty tough to beat the classic Jim Blackburn front and rear racks in my book. I ride tall bikes and have no problem with fender interference… do shorter frames have a greater problem?

The Golden Boy 

That's a pretty bike!

You kind of run into a problem that I don't have- Where to mount the upper rack struts.

Your bike is smaller and the stays seem down further. My wife's bike is similar- She's got a Planet Bike Eco Rack- it's got really long struts that we bent down to the mounting point- but I think that rack doesn't have room under it for 27s and fenders.

It looks like the one you linked to would be the right size- it sort of looks like there's a few inches above that 26" tire there.

crank_addict

I've had and still use a Blackburn from 1980. Loaded touring they still flex, felt through a steel frame. That said, they work and robust enough to stand the test of time.

Big pass on the Pletscher rack for work. Just a lightweight runaround for a picnic basket, etc..

Last year I purchased an Axiom heavier duty aluminum tubed, no brackets and bolt directly to the bike frame. Bargain buy anytime online for $39. They offer many types and I'm sorry I don't recall the model I have but its far superior to the old days Blackburn.

katsrevenge

I honestly don't know. This bike does...
The seat tube is 16 inches, center to top (I just measured it).

I thought it may be rubbing because of how the seat is set back above the wheel. But I am far from an expert, very far, in fact!

Ah... just googled them. They are.. pricey, LOL.

Think I'll order that pakrak. At the worst, it will be another one I have to return.

katsrevenge

I read an amazon review that said this one is also bent to fit.

And thanks. This is the first bike I have restored to a rideable state. It was a freebie with a basket. Meaning, to get the basket I had to take the bike.

It has a front freewheel system that is a lot of fun but since the tools are hard to find to do something as simple as correctly repack the rear hub... Yeah. I'm thinking seriously about turning it into a 3 speed internal hub/one speed deal and learning all about changing drive trains while at it, LOL.

Funny enough, the rack name was starred out!

It's done decently so far, but it wobbles under 30 pounds of kitty litter, LOL.

crank_addict

I noticed that the Pletscher rack was starred out... like its some nasty slang..LOL. That's old school, Swiss made, many supplied to Schwinn.

Anyhow, the Axiom brand offers numerous models from light to heavy duty. If your after something with capacity, they have a model that is more 'bridge' like in that the sides angle in to the top frame. Then you want something with girder reinforcement. Does your bike have braze-ons? I will say, the Axiom on my Giant aluminum frame is rock solid. Fortunately the bike frame has neat and concealed thread ports instead of braze-ons. I've gone with heavier built wheels but loaded panniers and a throw of logs on the top for firewood easily exceeds 50 lbs.. No sweat. Regardless, hopefully you have some braze-ons to bolt the rack directly to. Clamps work but its a weak point.

Bicycle Addict

Planet bike Eco Rack may not be vintage but they work well with mounts that go around the seat stays if you do not have mounts, they will pretty much mount on anything, the tubing is thicker so my panniers do not move around as much. Utilitarian.

gaucho777 

This "Jim Blackburn" front rack barely clears the front fender with 27" wheels. Actually, it doesn't clear it! If you look closely, you will see that I had to carefully trim out a horizontal notch into the fender so the rack strut would allow enough fender clearance.

katsrevenge

Ack!!! I don't want to cut my fender! The water would get in!!!

I like that rack though. A front rack is much more streamlined than a basket..

gaucho777 

^No, it's a very tight fit. I cut the fender slightly smaller than necessary and then filed it to a smooth fit such that I had to press the fender strut into place. Trust me, water does not get through. Besides, even if a magic drop of water somehow found a way to work up through the fender and around the strut, it's unlikely to splash you--and in such circumstances, you'd probably be wet all over anyway.

katsrevenge

I seem to suffer from advanced puddle fording. Sigh.

It's just the idea of having to cut into something nearly my age, I guess. I was considering drilling another hole in the back for a taillight mount.. but as of yet I haven't been able to make myself do it.

I'm not too worried about the parts being authentic 'vintage'; but looking the part isn't bad. I ordered that rack I linked to earlier...and a set of faux leather grips...

gaucho777 

I get that. I'd also think twice if I had nice vintage fenders. In my case, everything on the bike is vintage except the fenders--which are cheap plastic Planet Bike fenders I picked up for $8 on CL.

kjmillig

Reviving and old post:
I recently bought a mid 1990s Specialized touring bike with 700c tires, and I have a front rack/fender setup EXACTLY like that with a notch cut in the fender. I don't see a way to raise the rack, but I don't like having the slot cut in the fender.
Any ideas?

palincss

Perhaps if it's that close to the fender you might be able to actually bolt the rack to the fender. That would prevent relative motion between the two.