Creo Rear Rack
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kahn
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- northWET washington
I have the aluminum Creo. It might be there but you have to feel for it. Good luck. Otherwise, I think there are collars that can fit on the seat post that provide attachment points.
Deacon Blues
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With a carbon frame I'd personally want to go with the seat post mount, instead of using the fender mount. Heck, if the seat post can support the entire weight of the bike on a bike stand I doubt the attachment for the rack will over-tax it.
mschwett
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- USA
correct - and there is no “fender” mount on the carbon frame. even for fenders, you have you use the seat-post adapter collar. also beware that the seatpost is obviously capable of supporting a lot of load, but like all carbon parts is not designed for very high clamping or eccentric loads relative to the long axis. i’d be pretty conservative about loading a rack on a carbon bike, even a sturdy one like the creo.
Deacon Blues
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If money is no object the Tailfin rack looks very nice, and comes in carbon......for a price. 
Allan47.7339
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I have the Tailfin they are very well built and constructed. The weight of the rack sits on the through axle with the seat post attachment to keep it steady.
Prairie Dog
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That’s the rack that I have in mind for a possible 1200 km trip out to the west coast next year. Does it require a standard 6mm hex to remove the Tailfin axle on the quick release version? I was considering the QR frame mount but am now thinking that the thru axle would be a much more robust attachment point with loaded panniers.
Prairie Dog
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Just found the answer to my question. From their website, it appears to be a 5mm hex that’s required as is on the stock axle.
Allan47.7339
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Yes it's a 5mm. I think they have added to their axle offerings but at the time they recommended the universal which is two pieces. It is easier to install on the non-drive and remove on the drive side. I went with the Carbon Aeropack with pannier mounts and fast release dropouts. I also have a set of frame mounted adapters on a second bike. It is cheaper to get the small accessories with your main order due to shipping. I went with a set of the mini panniers assuming I could use their pannier adaptors if I need a larger bag. The Aeropack is nice because it's easy attach it just before a ride if you need to carry more clothes or a RE battery. Everything is extremely well made with excellent fit and finish and they do not cut any corners to make sure it all does what it is supposed to do.
Prairie Dog
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Thanks for the helpful advice. I’m undecided between the 10L and 22 L panniers but the 20L trunk bag is a definite must as this trip will likely extend out 12-14 days. My wife and I would really like to travel as light as possible since our objective would to be overnight after each leg at roadside inns/motels. We’re not that young anymore to take bikepacking full on.
What size mini panniers do you have and do they hold a significant amount of gear/clothing for your needs which I assume is used mainly for commuting purposes.
At this point, I’m on the fence with respect to the carbon aeropack or the standard setup. However, the Aeropack is less $$, is lighter and slightly quicker to remove. The standard X rack can be used to hold other items besides the trunk bag which can also be separately removed though it seems like the odds are more in favor of the Aeropack.
Allan47.7339
Well-Known Member
I bought the 10L panniers but have yet to use them. The last tour I did several years ago was using ultralight weight backpacking sleeping gear (tent, sleeping bag, air mattress) in one small Ortlieb pannier (front bags used on the rear) and one with clothes on the other side. I had a small Ortlieb duffel bag I could use on the top of the rack to hold daily food. We did all eating in villages or towns and did not need cooking gear. The light weight and the easy on and off with the Aerorack was the main use case for me and I do not like seat bags. I bought the panniers for future use hoping to do another tour and I still have a set of Ortlieb panniers if I needed something larger.
Prairie Dog
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I sense that we might require a pair in each size to compensate for any extra clothing/gear/food we may need to take for the length of time that we're out on the road. If so, it may be a case where I end up with the larger panniers on my bike and my wife with the 10L versions. Will definitely have to nail down a list of essentials/non-essentials that we intend to bring along before we commit.
kahn
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- northWET washington
You will probably have to leave the lawn chair home.
That same thinking always presented itself when going on long backpack trips. But it even occurs when planning for nordic skiing in Europe - what to take, what to leave. Essential as opposed to "nice to have." It even happened with my recent trip to Iceland. Dealing with a heavy, over-packed suitcase caused a lot of packing, unpacking and repacking. Just one day walking on a glacier required gaiters, traction devices, warm clothes (mittens, puffy jackets, hats, warm pants, etc).
Prairie Dog
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I appreciate the reality check. You can tell that I’m a relative newbie when it comes to planning how to pack for an extended trip. We’ll have to keep it simple and not get too carried away since we won’t be too far from civilization so the list won’t include lawn chairs.You will probably have to leave the lawn chair home.
That same thinking always presented itself when going on long backpack trips. But it even occurs when planning for nordic skiing in Europe - what to take, what to leave. Essential as opposed to "nice to have." It even happened with my recent trip to Iceland. Dealing with a heavy, over-packed suitcase caused a lot of packing, unpacking and repacking. Just one day walking on a glacier required gaiters, traction devices, warm clothes (mittens, puffy jackets, hats, warm pants, etc).
Since we won’t require any sleeping/cooking gear, I think that most of the space can be organized into 4-5 basic categories including clothing/outerwear, bike kit/tool, toiletries, light snacks, and accessories/electronics. I consider my better half to be one of the best when it comes to packing for a trip as her up bringing in her native Japan required her to be diligent in that respect. We also have both 10L and 20L dry bags that we used on kayak camping trips in the past so we could use those as packing guides when it comes to making a decision on the panniers.Feel free to ad any other specific/related items that you feel might be crucial on a trip such as this. We’ve done a bit of homework already starting with a preliminary route from our front door to the ferry terminal in Tsawwassen. We’ll try and avoid most of the major roadways as much as possible opting instead to ride secondary hwys or paved rural/residential streets.
Allan47.7339
Well-Known Member
Don't rule out chairs, the Helinox Chair Zero is only 17 oz (510 g) and supports up to 265lb. If you will be doing such a long trip with planned accommodations based on no sleeping or cooking gear, you should be able to send stuff ahead or mail stuff home just like the PCT through hikers do. Weather is always the big unknown.
Prairie Dog
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- Red Deer
We actually have a Helinox and used it extensively on our seakayaking trips. It would be nice to bring it along but I’m not sure that we would use it much for this specific trip as it still is quite rather bulky for a collapsible chair though I presume that one could separate the components. Our particular chair has a packed weight of 2 lbs. I mean if people take these backpacking…why not?
My wife made the suggestion that we consider the larger Tailfin panniers as it’s not crucial that we cram them full and instead leave space in reserve. I may also look at other brands such as Ortlieb as alternatives.
Weather is definitely going to play a key role and so we will be paying close attention to our outerwear selection and perhaps (though hopefully not) we might even encounter snow at higher elevations.
Allan47.7339
Well-Known Member
If you are going with the Tailfin system there is no reason to consider the Ortlieb's unless you already have a pair or are planning to use them on other racks as the Tailfin build quality is very high.
Prairie Dog
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We spent the last few days going over details for our west coast trip including sorting out the packing protocol for the Tailfin bags. We still have yet to nail down a departure date but it’s looking more like June as my wife expressed interest that she would like to visit family overseas in the fall.
My wife decided that she didn’t require the 20L trunk bag but I’ll likely make use of it to haul around camera gear and light snacks for the ride.
With that said, I’m really impressed at the amount of detail that has gone into the design and manufacture of Tailfin’s products as everything fits together in such precise manner. There was absolutely no jiggling of loose parts/components and the panniers in particular with their clamps are held solidly onto the mounts. All of the bags and rack are easily removed in matter of seconds. A thru-axle setup means that virtually all of the weight transfer occurs at that point and does not impact the frame whatsoever.
We both opted for the roomy 22L ultralight panniers and there’s no doubt that we’ll come to appreciate the additional capacity. I performed a mock packing session and filled all three bags with what I would likely be bringing along on the trip including cycling/civilian apparel, sneakers, toiletry case, rain gear, electronics (including a 13” laptop), charger for the Creo/RE, first aid kit, field repair kit……
Tailfin’s max weight capacity for each 22L pannier as well as the 20L trunk back is reported to be 9kg (20lbs)/bag. Each of my panniers tipped the scales at around 8lbs and the trunk bag came in slightly less at 7lbs so there was still plenty of weight tolerance for items that I may have neglected to pack. I know that I won’t be achieving the max limits that Tailfin has prescribed but will continue to try and keep the weight down to a minimum over the long haul without sacrificing essential/practical items.
A Shapeways 3D printed mount for a Varia and Cygolite Hotshot gets bolted on to Tailfin’s fixed light mount which is screwed to bottom of the trunk bag. I’ll likely be fabricating a closed cell foam/plastic mount setup for my wife’s light and radar that will wrap around the top of the rack’s arch.
We’ve also paired the rear bags with a uber functional handlebar bag from Routewerks. I’ve written a review of it here.
My wife decided that she didn’t require the 20L trunk bag but I’ll likely make use of it to haul around camera gear and light snacks for the ride.
With that said, I’m really impressed at the amount of detail that has gone into the design and manufacture of Tailfin’s products as everything fits together in such precise manner. There was absolutely no jiggling of loose parts/components and the panniers in particular with their clamps are held solidly onto the mounts. All of the bags and rack are easily removed in matter of seconds. A thru-axle setup means that virtually all of the weight transfer occurs at that point and does not impact the frame whatsoever.
We both opted for the roomy 22L ultralight panniers and there’s no doubt that we’ll come to appreciate the additional capacity. I performed a mock packing session and filled all three bags with what I would likely be bringing along on the trip including cycling/civilian apparel, sneakers, toiletry case, rain gear, electronics (including a 13” laptop), charger for the Creo/RE, first aid kit, field repair kit……
Tailfin’s max weight capacity for each 22L pannier as well as the 20L trunk back is reported to be 9kg (20lbs)/bag. Each of my panniers tipped the scales at around 8lbs and the trunk bag came in slightly less at 7lbs so there was still plenty of weight tolerance for items that I may have neglected to pack. I know that I won’t be achieving the max limits that Tailfin has prescribed but will continue to try and keep the weight down to a minimum over the long haul without sacrificing essential/practical items.
A Shapeways 3D printed mount for a Varia and Cygolite Hotshot gets bolted on to Tailfin’s fixed light mount which is screwed to bottom of the trunk bag. I’ll likely be fabricating a closed cell foam/plastic mount setup for my wife’s light and radar that will wrap around the top of the rack’s arch.
We’ve also paired the rear bags with a uber functional handlebar bag from Routewerks. I’ve written a review of it here.
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