Both water bottles keep falling off my Superdelite

[sammcneill]

I find the front rack super helpful on a near daily basis even when not bike trekking (it;'s only rated for 5kg btw, but suspect it can manage a lot more than that).
I have a couple of bungee straps on the front rack that are great for holding down 2x 2L milk from the shop, library books being returned, odds and ends I need to pick up but don't want to have a bag on the back of the rack to carry.

 

[Alaskan]

I find the front rack super helpful on a near daily basis even when not bike trekking (it;'s only rated for 5kg btw, but suspect it can manage a lot more than that).
I have a couple of bungee straps on the front rack that are great for holding down 2x 2L milk from the shop, library books being returned, odds and ends I need to pick up but don't want to have a bag on the back of the rack to carry.

You might want to reconsider. The reason the front bag limit is so low is not the weakness of the rack but rather the destabilizing effect too much weight would have on steering, which is even more destabilizing up high by the headset. It's not about capacity, it's about safety.

In addition a bag on the rack behind your is in your slipstream, whereas a horizontally oriented bag on a front rack add quite a bit more aerodynamic drag. I know our motors are great for overcoming wind resistance and weight but they do so at the cost of battery range.

 

[sammcneill]

You might want to reconsider. The reason the front bag limit is so low is not the weakness of the rack but rather the destabilizing effect too much weight would have on steering, which is even more destabilizing up high by the headset. It's not about capacity, it's about safety.

In addition a bag on the rack behind your is in your slipstream, whereas a horizontally oriented bag on a front rack add quite a bit more aerodynamic drag. I know our motors are great for overcoming wind resistance and weight but they do so at the cost of battery range.

Nice call out @Alaskan - had not considered that.
I don't find it too impactful to date, however I don't massively load it up.

I like riding my wife's Pashley Princess Sovereign from time to time and this has a wicker basket attached to the handle bars so REALLY moves around when you turn:

By comparison the 'detached' rack on the Supercharger 2 attached to the frame is a dream as it! I've put a loaf of bread on the rack (unsecured) and it's 'balanced' there happily for a ride home with plenty of corners.

I have put my tent and bedroll on the front when doing some touring and it was fine:

Waitangi Weekend eBike Wandering – February 2021

Sharing my eBike Touring journey around Banks Peninsula on Waitangi Weekend 2021

samuelmcneill.com

However, moving forward on my next trip I'm going to put tent and bed roll in a waterproof 22L Ortlieb bag sitting "across" the two panniers and rack on the back.

Cheers

 

[Alaskan]

Unfortunately the R&M rear racks lack the lower pannier rail that allows you to also carry a trunk bag in the middle (like the rack that comes on some of the Cube ebikes

 

[peterh_nz]

You might want to reconsider. The reason the front bag limit is so low is not the weakness of the rack but rather the destabilizing effect too much weight would have on steering, which is even more destabilizing up high by the headset. It's not about capacity, it's about safety.

In addition a bag on the rack behind your is in your slipstream, whereas a horizontally oriented bag on a front rack add quite a bit more aerodynamic drag. I know our motors are great for overcoming wind resistance and weight but they do so at the cost of battery range.

Hello

Interesting. Are you saying too much luggage on the front rack will destabilize the bike even though the carrier is fixed to the frame and not the handlebars/front forks?

I also find the front carrier very handy.

Peter

 

[sammcneill]

Unfortunately the R&M rear racks lack the lower pannier rail that allows you to also carry a trunk bag in the middle (like the rack that comes on some of the Cube ebikes

Love that splash of orange on your bike! gorgeous

 

[Alaskan]

Love that splash of orange on your bike! gorgeous

Not my bike. Photo is from Court's review. I had 2017 Cube that also featured the lower pannier rail.

CUBE Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625 Review

Price: $3999 | Model Year: 2020 | A high-quality ebike platform capable of long distances and steep climbs. Available in five frame sizes and three frame styles including step-thru, mid-step, and high-step. Only available in one color, but all accessories have matching accents (frame, fork...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Alaskan]

Hello

Interesting. Are you saying luggage on the front rack will destabilize the bike even though the carrier is fixed to the frame and not the handlebars/front forks?

I also find the front carrier very handy.

Peter

I did not make that general statement. I said that

"The reason the front bag limit is so low is not the weakness of the rack but rather the destabilizing effect too much weight would have on steering, which is even more destabilizing up high by the headset."

Significant added weight is best placed evenly between the wheels and as low as possible, keeping the center of gravity as low as possible. This is why front pannier racks generally keep the weight as low as possible. Using both front and rear panniers enables one to distribute the weight evenly front to rear.

Excessive weight at either end, on one tire reduces the traction of the other tire.

 

[peterh_nz]

Not my bike. Photo is from Court's review. I had 2017 Cube that also featured the lower pannier rail.

CUBE Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625 Review

Price: $3999 | Model Year: 2020 | A high-quality ebike platform capable of long distances and steep climbs. Available in five frame sizes and three frame styles including step-thru, mid-step, and high-step. Only available in one color, but all accessories have matching accents (frame, fork...

electricbikereview.com

Not my bike. Photo is from Court's review. I had 2017 Cube that also featured the lower pannier rail.

CUBE Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625 Review

Price: $3999 | Model Year: 2020 | A high-quality ebike platform capable of long distances and steep climbs. Available in five frame sizes and three frame styles including step-thru, mid-step, and high-step. Only available in one color, but all accessories have matching accents (frame, fork...

electricbikereview.com

I did not make that general statement. I said that

"The reason the front bag limit is so low is not the weakness of the rack but rather the destabilizing effect too much weight would have on steering, which is even more destabilizing up high by the headset."

Significant added weight is best placed evenly between the wheels and as low as possible, keeping the center of gravity as low as possible. This is why front pannier racks generally keep the weight as low as possible. Using both front and rear panniers enables one to distribute the weight evenly front to rear.

Excessive weight at either end, on one tire reduces the traction of the other tire.

Yes, you are correct. I omitted the words "too much" from my response. Corrected accordingly.

Cheers

 

[peterh_nz]

Nice call out @Alaskan - had not considered that.
I don't find it too impactful to date, however I don't massively load it up.

I like riding my wife's Pashley Princess Sovereign from time to time and this has a wicker basket attached to the handle bars so REALLY moves around when you turn:

View attachment 91776

By comparison the 'detached' rack on the Supercharger 2 attached to the frame is a dream as it! I've put a loaf of bread on the rack (unsecured) and it's 'balanced' there happily for a ride home with plenty of corners.

I have put my tent and bedroll on the front when doing some touring and it was fine:

View attachment 91778

Waitangi Weekend eBike Wandering – February 2021

Sharing my eBike Touring journey around Banks Peninsula on Waitangi Weekend 2021

samuelmcneill.com

However, moving forward on my next trip I'm going to put tent and bed roll in a waterproof 22L Ortlieb bag sitting "across" the two panniers and rack on the back.

Cheers

Hello Sam.

Am interested to know what model Ortlieb bag are you referring to? Does it clip on the carrier?

Thanks

Peter

 

[sammcneill]

Hello Sam.

Am interested to know what model Ortlieb bag are you referring to? Does it clip on the carrier?

Thanks

Peter

No, going to just strap it down

Ortlieb DrySack - Cranberry - 22L

Ortlieb PD350 Waterproof Dry Sack 22L CranberryPerfect for trekking tours, cycling and camping.This light-weight drybag is constructed from sturdy PU coated nylon fabric. It stores, protects and organizes all sorts of outdoor gear and clothing with a fully waterproof roll top closure. Proven ro

www.completeoutdoors.co.nz

Still in the packaging but plans are to put one on back and possibly one on front rack if needed as I got two.

had to buy sight unseen as shop would not order them in without me committing to buying them which was poor form I thought

 

[Jay Kay]

Hi @sammcneill , which shop in Christchurch looks after your R&M for you? I am returning to Dunedin at the end of 2023 with 2 R&M‘S and I suspect support won’t be as easy as driving 25km across Melbourne to my current (excellent) R&M LBS.

P.S. Sorry completely off topic.

P.S.S. Maybe I should open a R&M dealership in Dunedin!

 

[sammcneill]

Hi @sammcneill , which shop in Christchurch looks after your R&M for you? I am returning to Dunedin at the end of 2023 with 2 R&M‘S and I suspect support won’t be as easy as driving 25km across Melbourne to my current (excellent) R&M LBS.

P.S. Sorry completely off topic.

P.S.S. Maybe I should open a R&M dealership in Dunedin!

Christchurch Electric Bicycles

Christchurch Electric Bicycles is the longest established eBike and Cargo Bike Specialist store in the Christchurch and Canterbury region, selling high-quality electric bicycles, conversion kits, accessories and more. Our workshop specialises in servicing Bosch, Shimano, and Bafang conversion...

christchurchelectricbicycles.co.nz

they’ve been excellent in the 1yr + I’ve had to deal with them.

I go to Dunedin regularly ( in fact spent the morning helping my daughter figure how to find a Uni flat there next year!)

 

[RMK!]

Try a hydration pack, warm water is better than cold water , back in my "right of way" clearing days, the first drink of ice water set the stage for intense thirst the rest of the day, 10 hours of fighting the slopes is pretty intense.

Sorry to be a contrarian on this point but the primary reason I own an ebike (or two) is because "fighting the slopes" is just not in the plan. When thirsty in warm weather, a cool to cold beverage is my only desire. I've owned hydration packs in the past and found they were a PITA requiring a good bit of maintenance.

 

[Cramer Long]

I am so sorry if this has been asked but searches of water bottles bring back hundreds of results of which I read the first five. My water bottles on both sides will jump off the pegs whilst road riding if I go over a bump. Strangely it does not seem to do it off road, but a smallish pothole will have me turning round to fetch it. I do have the front rack which moved the bottles out slightly but I cannot really see a way to tighten them.

I would really appreciate any help.

Short of getting new cages I use those koozies. They seem to help keep things in place , I also found a really nice adjustable cage for $10 at the Walmart ..