Hi guys, I was visiting a local ebike shop recently and saw the new Tetrarack M2 from Topeak (along with their compatible trunk bags). Topeak also sells a front version that mounts to the suspension fork lowers called the M1. I thought these were really cool, and might perform better than the beam racks from Topeak and others. Since I love full suspension mountain bikes, I went ahead and bought it to test out and share. The bag I chose is their top of the line Topeak MTX DXP with panniers that unzip on the sides and a bottle holster in the rear 
In this video review I also talk about my lightweight hydration backpack (which is a cheap one from Amazon called the TETON Sports Oasis 1100). I like that backpacks do not add unsprung weight to the rear swing arm or suspension fork... they are also easier to take with you vs. leaving at a rack with the bike. Even though the Topeak Tetrarack is semi-permanently attached to the frame, it does not lock to it and could fairly easily be stolen by someone undoing the velcro straps. Of course, the benefits of not having to wear a backpack include reduced shoulder and back pressure, better air flow for cooling your body, and the ability position weight lower (and probably carry more weight).
In this video review I also talk about my lightweight hydration backpack (which is a cheap one from Amazon called the TETON Sports Oasis 1100). I like that backpacks do not add unsprung weight to the rear swing arm or suspension fork... they are also easier to take with you vs. leaving at a rack with the bike. Even though the Topeak Tetrarack is semi-permanently attached to the frame, it does not lock to it and could fairly easily be stolen by someone undoing the velcro straps. Of course, the benefits of not having to wear a backpack include reduced shoulder and back pressure, better air flow for cooling your body, and the ability position weight lower (and probably carry more weight).
- The Topeak Tetrarack M2 is rated up to 12kg (26lbs) and actually held up to that during my testing!
- The rack itself, including all hardware, weighs 1.05kg (2.3lbs) and the trunk bag is 1.25kg (2.7lbs)
- Expect to pay roughly $120 USD for the rack and $110 USD for the bag
- This particular rack is only compatible with seatstay widths between 95cm and 125cm (mine was 150cm wide and barely worked)
- Your wheel size should be between 26" and 29" with tires up to 2.8" wide (mine were 2.3" wide and barely worked)
- The rack is made from aluminum alloy, plastic, and uses sturdy velcro straps, it comes with an allen key
- It's compatible with QuickTrack for Topeak trunk bags and KLICKfix for Racktime, Snapit, and Vario systems bags
- The Topeak MTX TrunkBag DXP expands on the top, has panniers on both sides that unzip and fold down with bungee ties so they don't flap around, it has a bottle holster with bungee tightener (that would come in useful, as my bottle did fly out when going up a curb at speed), has 3M reflective strips, and can carry 22.6 liters (1,380 cubic inches) of gear.
- It seems like the rack can flex side to side a bit, creating a "crack the whip" feeling if it's loaded up. I believe that the rack also bounces downwards and the bottom of the platform can make contact with your tire (depending on the load and where you mount the rack). During part of my test ride, the water bottle bounced up and out. Another time, I thought I could hear the clunk of the rack touching the rear tire.
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