Hi have been thinking for a while about getting the rucksack off my back and fitting a rear rack and bags to the cx bike that all ready has mudguards and discs
Any suggestions that wont break the bank?

I like the topeak mtx platform. Really quick to clip bags on and off. Shame they no longer do the laptop case, they were really good.

There’s a cracking MTX rack in the classifieds for £20 at the moment…

Was going to suggest Topeak as well, not the cheapest, but a pretty good system where everything just clicks into place.

Tubus rack -by far the best. topeaks I have broken several of

Ortleib panniers if you want to be able to take them on and off the bike easily, carradice if you want to leave them on most of the time

ah sorry expensive tho but you get what you pay for.

out of curiosity – how are you breaking topeak racks? mines rated for 26kg, I recon all my office gear together weighs 5 (although the kid in his seat, which also clips in, is probably close to the limit).

btw, the topeak dry bag looks like it fits a 16″ laptop

That mtx system looks good pity the bags are not waterproof, and no stock of the rack on wiggle.

out of curiosity – how are you breaking topeak racks?

Its been a while but using heavy panniers on and off road – the welds failed. Probably an outlier but tubus are steel not alloy and rated to 50kg

I like the topeak mtx platform

unless, like tj apparently, you carry your favourite 25 housebricks with you on your commute 😉

Stealth wanted advert? Anyone lol

Got a lifeline rack and waterproof pannier on my commuter, which was a bit cheaper than the topeak stuff and I’m happy with it.

A rack is a rack, but the lifeline bag is good for the money. Seals up watertight and has kept my clothes and laptop dry through some proper wet rides.

Tubus & Ortileb

Carradice Camper Longflap saddlebag and SQR Block.

My set-up is over 25 years old 🙂

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s73p51/CARRADICE-Camper-Longflap
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s73p1040/CARRADICE-SQR-Uplift

My Tubus rack lasted longer than the frame it was attached to and still going strong.

Not exactly the cheapest option, but I finally changed from backpack to a Carradice SQR Slim last year and haven’t looked back

https://www.carradice.co.uk/bags/saddle-packs-sqr-bags/super-c-sqr-slim

I have and (new) rack and (old) Agu Yamaska rack-pack/mini-panniers I was going to put on classifieds. PM if interested. In fact I have a couple of rear racks.

Pm sent, thanks

I have a spare topeak mtx trunk bag I keep meaning to list in the classifieds. It’s got fold out panniers.

I’ve had a few Topeak beam racks fail on me (with minimal or no load) but their standard rear rack I have now looks fine. (Touch wood, etc)

Do you need to move a laptop? If not then the MTX beam rack is great. I replaced my rack QR with a bolt. I also have the same Topeak conventional rack on the recumbent trike where the trunk bag lives most of the time. I don’t have the one with fold down panniers. I prefer to fold clothes, leave shoes at work and have the hard side pockets for other goods.

I also have an Ortlieb QR3 system which is great for laptop movements.

1997 to today and counting on my waterproof vaude panniers. Still water proof, still in good nick.

I’ve not used it all the time, but it’s had at least 10 years of commuting every day in that time.

Topeak rack in the classified is a great shout.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vaude-aqua-back-plus-waterproof-rear-pannier-bags-pair?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=100624732&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=CjwKCAjw_L6LBhBbEiwA4c46um1J9E2jKO8hgK_tSbtN1GJxoEelscBzln8ryfsFRtTQbIP3Kh_-8RoCQ2wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Topeak rack works nicely with Ortlieb Sport Roller City (the smaller ones, all are waterproof, £70 at Tredz after voucher for a pair).

I also use the Topeak MTX slide on bags with and without the fold out panniers when you don’t need the capacity, robustness or waterproofness of the Ortliebs.

Any recommendations for carrying a 30L rucksack on a Topeak MTX Beamrack? Do I just get a plastic tray, bodge to attach it, then bungee cord the sack on? My commute isn’t frequent or long so nothing fancy required, but it’s long enough to get a sweatyish back when wearing a rucksack. Some kind of large easily-removable trunk bag would also do, wider than the Topeak ones – I need the capacity and I don’t care if it’s wider than the rack.

Why can’t you just bunjee it on?

Just wondering what the done thing is before trial and (potentially-expensive) error. The rucksack is significantly wider than the rack, so I don’t expect it would be stable alone. I don’t want it shifting off the side and potentially entering the wheel. It would be more stable with the stiff back section pointing downwards, but then I need to keep the straps out of the wheel – hence the tray idea.

It would be more stable with the stiff back section pointing downwards, but then I need to keep the straps out of the wheel – hence the tray idea.

If it was me I’d (if anchor points allow for secure fit):

1. Find a snugly-fitting and tough plastic (or waterproof fabric) bag in which to contain your rucksack.

2. Bungee/cargo-net the now neatly-bagged rucksack to the top of your rack

This way no strappy bother, waterproof + can face the stiff back section downwards for stability. Not keen on seat-tube racks tho (high load, potential for swingy-bother if load is heavy/clamp isn’t super-tight, IME)

ymmv. I’d instead choose a wider rack and with stays (unless bike is rear suspension, then I’d go with a Thule pack n pedal rack, tho a bit spendy)

I have a Topeak beam rack for about a year so far on the commuter and no issues so far.

Don’t have any special bag for it, just a 30ltr heavy duty dry bag from Yorkshire Trading and use some podsac webbing with ladder lock straps to hold it in place. Have sewn some Velcro onto them to hold them in place when clinching tight.

Bag usually has clothes a set of Waterproofs and food.