The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Hedge_87 on May 22, 2014, 06:05:58 PM
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So I've moved closer to work and have been bike commuting for the first week and I like it. However if I'm going to continue I figure I need to find a better way to carry crap. My bike is a trek ds 8.3. The frame says 22.5" on it and it has 700×38 tires. It's all stock I bought it last spring with the best of intentions but was to much of a wimp to ride my previous commute. I've been looking at getting a bike rack some panners and maybe down the road some fenders. I've done some looking but i'm a little confused on if it would fit my bike or not. I also thought this would be the community to ask for advice on this issues. I really don't need something that is super high tech space aged stuff but I also don't want something I'm going to have replace in a few years. This morning I had to strap my uniforms to the frame and hang my lunch box on the handle bars. Thanks for any help in advance.
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All DS series bikes have rear rack mounts. You need the kind with two arms at the top, one to attach to each bolt on the seatstays.
It might be helpful to stop by a bike shop to look at them in person and make sure they clear your disc brakes; that's the only tricky spot. If you don't want to do that, online models should specify "disc-compatible" or something similar.
The front sus means you won't want to use a front rack, and any front fender you find that fits will have pretty minimal coverage
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Hmmm I use a backpack. If I get hot, I hang it over the handlebars. Been doing this for about 1.5 years.
Just a thought.
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yeah I use a backpack too, just figured OP thought that out already.
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A backpack would work most days if I have anything else to Carry besides my lunch bucket. My main problem was yesterday trying to get a weeks worth of FR clothing loaded up. To do this with a backpack I would have to go buy a bigger pack than the one I got anyways. So I figured why not just get a rack to put the lunch box and a bundle of clothes on and my backpack.
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An Axiom Journey rack would work. They're great racks, very strong and easy to install. After using a rack and panniers for a while you'll never want to go back to a pack.
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An Axiom Journey rack would work. They're great racks, very strong and easy to install. After using a rack and panniers for a while you'll never want to go back to a pack.
I have one, I love it. Light, strong, cheap, effective.
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Just checked it out on amazon. Looks like what I will be going with thanks! I'm pretty new to the whole biking thing so I wanted some expert opinions. I would go to the bike shop and get one there but the closest one is about 60 miles away. I don't for see us needing to go to town for a while so I think I'll just order one