Author Topic: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents  (Read 2066 times)

Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« on: 09 March, 2018, 12:38:18 am »
Is there any luggage options other than the 2 rack / 4 pannier or banana bags or trailer options for touring with a recumbent? My recumbent has no lowrider and the brand no longer make one for the model.

Terracycle are the only aftermarket maker but don't do racks designed for European recumbent brands. They will suggest one that might fit or sell you the closest rack and spare parts / attachments that'll make it fit. For a lot of money.

Shame really because a lowrider option for the current model of my bike is only a £70-80 option from the brand.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #1 on: 09 March, 2018, 08:11:24 am »
No chance of finding one second hand?

Might be worth a call to Laidback in Scotland, or Kevin at D-Tek
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #2 on: 09 March, 2018, 10:40:00 am »
I did discuss it with a few retailers (email but IIRC one by phone). I got the impression they can't get a new rack because they're not made anymore. There was one retailer said he could go to the US recumbent attachment manufacturer or I could go direct. I went direct and they only do ones for us brands. They said one might fit but I could end up having to mix and match between two racks for different brands. That would be at least half the price again.

I also got the impression nobody would take a lowrider off any secondhand one they had. I think Kevin didn't have one in stock anyway.

I'm thinking of getting custom buggy bags made that would allow rear panniers to be used but no need for lowrider rack. It might need me to size up and do some templates. Could be expensive mistake. So could be worth going to radical designs and shell out the £260! :o

LBB don't deal on HPV recumbents so direct ppl to kinetic or others. They're a friendly bunch in the recumbent sector I think. I've been directed to kinetic (my nearest retailer of HPV) by all the other retailers.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #3 on: 09 March, 2018, 02:50:35 pm »
Ortlieb do recembent-specific panniers, not sure they gain you much over standard Back-Rollers, other than aerodynamics: https://www.ortlieb.com/en/Recumbent%20bag/

HPVelotechnik's own panniers gain you a bit more volume: http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/moonbiker_e.html

If you can't get a lowrider (or persuade someone like Kinetics to make you one), banana bags, perhaps in combination with rear panniers, would seem like the way to go.

Alternatively, tailboxes.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #4 on: 09 March, 2018, 04:28:11 pm »
I'm hoping all will fit in 2 x panniers, Carradice rack bag and Radical tail bag (hooks on the seat back) this summer - if they all fit on the bike together.

Otherwise it may be panniers, carradice or tail bag, and banana bags. 
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Kim

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    • Fediverse
Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #5 on: 09 March, 2018, 04:43:02 pm »
I'm hoping all will fit in 2 x panniers, Carradice rack bag and Radical tail bag (hooks on the seat back) this summer - if they all fit on the bike together.

Otherwise it may be panniers, carradice or tail bag, and banana bags.

The latter may give a better weight distribution.  'bents generally like the mass low down in the middle.

(I found the normally unflappable Streetmachine's limit last year when I filled a pair of back-rollers with heavy DIY tools plus overnight stuff and didn't use anything on the lowriders[1].  It greatly exacerbated the low-speed shimmy that I can sometimes artificially invoke by unloading the handlebars, and felt a bit worrisome in corners.  For touring I usually have it the other way round, with all the heavy stuff in the front panniers, and the rears mostly full of down and clothing.)


[1] Yes, the back-rollers could have been adjusted to fit the low-riders and solved this problem, but I was only riding a couple of miles to/from a station, and the extra width would have made getting it on and off the train awkward.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #6 on: 09 March, 2018, 05:13:59 pm »
I'm not sure how that would apply on a cruzbike with the wibbly front end?  I might try a trial run just to see how it would work.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Kim

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    • Fediverse
Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #7 on: 09 March, 2018, 05:32:50 pm »
I'm not sure how that would apply on a cruzbike with the wibbly front end?  I might try a trial run just to see how it would work.

Good question.  Definitely worth experimenting.

Re: Alternative touring luggage for recumbents
« Reply #8 on: 10 March, 2018, 12:30:07 pm »
 Radical's side pods can be as low as panniers if you use one that partially uses the rack.

A large set can be used to replace panniers, or alternatively they can be used with the present ones.


Here is an example where they have been used as a lowrider in conjunction with an Arkel pannier set: