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Tubus racks are beautifully made, relatively lightweight yet durable and come with a great warranty. We believe you’re crazy choosing any other brand for your rear rack. The Cargo is one of the oldest models and comes in two sizes (26″ or 700c).
The why:
– Tubus are the racks to beat in the rear rack world, and are also one of the only rack companies we would recommend for bicycle touring – 9/10 long distance bicycle tourers will agree.
– It uses steel tubing, yet is as light as any aluminium rack
– Almost unbreakable
– Lovely high quality bolts and fittings
– Great warranty replacement program
– Perfect rack to use in conjunction with the Ortlieb Rackpack bags
The why not:
– After a lot of use, the steel tubing rusts on wear patches
– The black beams that connect the top of the rack to your frame will discolour over time (to orange!)
The Difference between the Tubus Cargo and Logo
This is a commonly asked question for CyclingAbout, as these racks are the same price with the same carrying capacity!
We recommend the Cargo if:
– You want to use an Ortlieb Rackpack bag over your rear panniers (larger surface area on the top)
– You want slightly more ground clearance for your bags (off-road touring)
– Your upper seatstay bolts are particularly wide set (the Cargo is a much better fit for frames with this characteristic)
We recommend the Logo if:
– You need additional heel clearance (for people with big feet or short chainstays on their frame)
– You want to strap goods onto the top of your rack (as panniers can be taken off while things are strapped to the top)
– You want a lower centre of gravity (the panniers sit low on the Logo, great for road touring)
For more information on racks
Click HERE for all of our rack tips!
Price:
$110 USD
Similar products:
– Tubus Logo
– Tubus Cosmo (lighter, and made from stainless steel for those afraid of rust)
– Surly Nice rack
Great review.
I also have a Tubus Cargo on my bike, which is Cannondale Bad-boy Fifty-fifty. I bought it in 2004, without a rack. I use it as an all-rounder, Kamikaze style city commuter in big cities, as a fitness bike to commute between cities, and as a touring bike for long distances. (Funny that the 8 gears of the hub are still enough in hilly Austria). I have a set of Ortlieb Back Roller Plus back panniers, purchased at the same time.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070815183720/http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4FSFF.html
My experience with the rack:
No problem with heavy load (no shaking, no bending, no movement), goes strong.
I can confirm the rust, but no orange colouring so far.
I wish sometimes the rack would allow “wider” spacing for the pannier hooks, and in everyday city use the rack is sometimes “too simple”.
I added ESGE rubber hooks, same functionality as a spring-clasp. Very useful to fasten a mat, some books, a plastic bag full with food etc. on the go. I found it so useful that I added it to all of our bikes now.
http://www.amazon.de/BIBIA-Gep%C3%A4cktr%C3%A4ger-Doppelspanngurt-schwarz-verstellbar/dp/B006VISAU2
Great tip on the rubber hook – we’ll have to try it out sometime when we don’t have a Rackpack over our panniers.
I can also highly recommend the Thorn Expedition Rear Rack.
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-expedition-steel-rear-cycle-pannier-rack-black-powdercoat-prod11694/
It’s built like a tank and rated to carry 60kg (although ratings don’t necessarily mean a lot). Weighs 100 grams more than the Tubus Cargo, but is slightly longer (and possibly wider, it’s certainly wide anyway), and has more struts between the two rails. Good for lashing things to, more options for securing the pannier clips, and for stability. A few people have rated it higher than the Tubus Cargo. Also, what about the Tubus Logo? Did you guys look at that? The lower rails for panniers look useful as they would lower the centre of gravity, and also allow for the panniers to be filled a little higher before they start getting squashed by the rack bag on top of them (an issue I sometimes find with other racks). Just my thoughts.
We’re aware of the Thorn rack, but have never seen one or heard anyone talking about them. Thanks for sharing what you’ve heard.
We have a Logo rack at home, but decided to use the Cargo because of its extra width – useful for our big rack top bag. A better design again is the Cosmo which integrates the lower rail style with the wider top. If only our Cargo would break!