Rack pack/storage for this bike?

[Pingu]

I'll take a pic of my Silk Road in place on the rack on my bike to give you an idea of what it's like.

[mzjo]

This is my Silk Road on the folder(not a very good photo, in the garage and taken with the phone).

The height at the front of the opening (behind the snout) is about 15cms (or half a foot in Bojo measures wot you're all meant to use). I think I measured 25 cms on the rails front to back. Side pockets are small but adequate for masks, flasks of gel hydroalccolique but pushed for an e-Trex) and the bottle pocket takes a light wind/showerproof and mostly has my cable lock. The inside will take my "sacoche" (frenchman's handbag) plus three big shopping bags folded up. This is quoted as the 11l size (large size I think; there is a 16l one which is too big to be really practical and which might be called extra-large). They have generally had sound reports from people on here but there are other makers in the market, Carradice as above, Zefal, Topeak etc. What's best value depends a bit on where you are and what is on promo (Carradice for me in France was much too expensive).

So far I'm pleased with it!

edit Forgot to mention that it does have a sort of stretchy bungy/cargonet affair on the top. I think the sack would have to be full before it became trustworthy. The sack is just long enough for a baguette "tradition" which is very useful if you take the bike to the boulangerie at the week-end (and would take a humongous quantity of pain au raisins)

[Pingu]

Here's mine with a much shorter seatpost than mzjo's.


IMG_9166_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Frank9755]

P1260678 by a oxon, on Flickr

There are loads of rack packs out there, some are shorter at the front than others - as discussed above.

But they will all be a bit of a squeeze on that rack because the rack is mounted so far forward due to the unusually short rack stays.  There is a little bit of adjustment in it.  You could certainly rotate it backwards by using that last hole.  At the moment it looks like it is sloping forwards. 

But I'd be tempted to replace those short stays with ones of a more typical length and get the whole rack back by an inch or two.  It will then slope back slightly, but that isn't really a problem.  Mounting it in the mudguard holes, as suggested above, would also help a bit.  I wouldn't move the saddle forward to accomodate a bag - that could be asking for trouble.

[mzjo]

P1260678 by a oxon, on Flickr

There are loads of rack packs out there, some are shorter at the front than others - as discussed above.

But they will all be a bit of a squeeze on that rack because the rack is mounted so far forward due to the unusually short rack stays.  There is a little bit of adjustment in it.  You could certainly rotate it backwards by using that last hole.  At the moment it looks like it is sloping forwards. 

But I'd be tempted to replace those short stays with ones of a more typical length and get the whole rack back by an inch or two.  It will then slope back slightly, but that isn't really a problem.  Mounting it in the mudguard holes, as suggested above, would also help a bit.  I wouldn't move the saddle forward to accomodate a bag - that could be asking for trouble.

^^^ This! I was thinking the same thing and wondering if it would tilt the rack too far. But on looking again it doesn't even need longer stays to gain about an inch. There are unused holes (one on each) further forward which would achieve this. Since it's a ladies frame it can probably tolerate a depart from the horizontal without looking too strange.

[andyoxon]

Thanks all, for the ideas.      

Bike is not the lightest (Dawes 90s tourer), so may favour rack bag on the lighter side.  But may not make too musch diffs.

Will set the rack back, and see what it looks like.

...
There are loads of rack packs out there, some are shorter at the front than others - as discussed above.

But they will all be a bit of a squeeze on that rack because the rack is mounted so far forward due to the unusually short rack stays.  There is a little bit of adjustment in it.  You could certainly rotate it backwards by using that last hole.  At the moment it looks like it is sloping forwards. 

But I'd be tempted to replace those short stays with ones of a more typical length and get the whole rack back by an inch or two.  It will then slope back slightly, but that isn't really a problem.  Mounting it in the mudguard holes, as suggested above, would also help a bit.  I wouldn't move the saddle forward to accomodate a bag - that could be asking for trouble.

Why is that bike so clean?

   Actually this photo, was recycled from a set I took after buying it.


Update.  mrs so has said she doesn't want a 'black hole' for storage.  😅 So colour required, though having a cream coloured tote bag inner may work...