GearAdvent Day 17: Racks and Bags!

At this point we have covered most of the basics for day rides, so now let’s get to the fun stuff.

When it came to choosing the first rack and bags, I have to say I stumbled over a solution that I had never considered, with my very old fashioned cycling background. A rack on the front (what?) with these super clever holster dry bags.

The rack is a Tubus Tara Low-Rider Big Apple. I love how simple the design is. It’s just a hoop over the front wheel with two rails to attach panniers. It forms a natural triangle with the fork legs so it’s super sturdy, and it attaches only to braze-ons on the fork.

I’d never really thought about going with a front rack until seeing that the Kona Sutra just ships with one standard. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

When I stared to look at compatible bags, again by luck I found reviews of the very loquacious Rockgeist Porcelain Rocket Microwave Panniers, and I was hooked.

These have an ingenious design consisting of gray dry bags, which are roll-top and waterproof, that slide into a sort of holster arrangement that is rigid plastic on the back and fabric on the front and sides. Pictures will describe this better:

It’s not a gimmick – these things work just as designed. One of the great things about this setup is that where many types of panniers use retractable clamps or clips to secure (and remove) the entire body of the pannier from the rack, this avoids all that complexity by just having a holster and a strap.

That allows the bottom section to strap to the bike with rubber Voile straps instead of clamps or clips, which in turn makes these very solidly attached and silent – no rattling around even on rough surfaces. Yet it still solves the need to pull the bag off the bike easily.

When I arrive at camp, I just unstrap the two dry bags, full of gear, pull them out, and set them in the tent. Quick, simple.

As if that wasn’t a big enough party trick, after the dry bags are out, I can use the now-empty holsters to carry things like a bathing suit and towel, or groceries, or beer at the camp site.

Eleven stars. Chef’s kiss. 100% Recommend.