Luggage carrier

A luggage carrier, also commonly called a rack,cite web
url = http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ra-e.html#rack
title = Sheldon Brown Glossary: Rack
accessdate = 2007-12-27|last=Brown |first=Sheldon |authorlink=Sheldon Brown (bicycle mechanic) |publisher=Sheldon Brown] cite web
url = http://www.bicyclinglife.com/HowTo/HeavyDutyRacks.htm
title = Bicycling Life: Heavy Duty Touring Racks
accessdate = 2007-12-27] cite web
url = http://www.blackburndesign.com/racks.html
title = Blackburn Design Racks
accessdate = 2007-12-27] is a device attached to a bicycle to which cargo or panniers can be attached. This is popular with utility bicycles and touring bicycles.

Bicycle luggage carriers may be mounted on the front or rear of a bicycle. The rear mount is more common. Bicycles may have eyelets, tapped with a standard thread, at the dropouts on the rear chainstays, and on the front fork blades. Mounting a bike rack is possible without these eyelets, but requires additional hardware. A style of rack clamps only to the seatpost, does not require eyelets or additional hardware, but has a limited capacity.

Luggage carriers can be mounted on recumbents and on folding bicycles, but may require customization or additional hardware.

A common type of child seat designed for carrying an infant on a bicycle mounts to a rear luggage carrier. Some models of child seat are not attached to a luggage carrier but come with their own fixture.

Some luggage carriers come in more than one size to accommodate different sized frames. A common variation is for there to be a different model for road bicycles and mountain bikes.

Rear-mounted luggage carriers are typically designed and tested for a maximum load of 25 kg, some models even for up to 40 kg. For front-mounted carriers, a typical design load limit might be 2×10 kg. Most luggage carriers are not designed to withstand the weight of an adult person.

Luggage carriers are commonly constructed from aluminum, steel, or some combination of the two. Components may consist of tubing, extrusions, or castings. They may be welded, riveted, or bolted together.

Some bikes, depending on their intended use, may be built with an integrated luggage carrier. One example is the Schwinn Phantom.

Panniers may be mounted to front and rear luggage carriers. Removable panniers hook onto the top edge of the carrier and then are held in place by a spring or elastic cord that hooks near the wheel axle at the bottom.

tandards

* British Standard BS EN 14872: Bicycles – Accessories for bicycles – Luggage carriers, British Standards Institute, 2006.
* International Standard ISO 11243: Cycles – Luggage carriers for bicycles – Concepts, classification and testing, International Organization for Standardization, 1994.

ee also

*Panniers
*Bicycle basket
*Utility cycling
*Xtracycle (an extreme form of bicycle mounted luggage carrier)

References