Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The Best Rear Racks for Bikepacking? (Video)
As of late, there’s been a resurgence of minimal rear racks with lightweight designs and more off-road-friendly features. In our newest YouTube video, Neil walks through several of his favorite models and talks about what rear racks offer over seat packs. Watch it here…
While they never really went away, we’ve seen quite the renaissance of lightweight racks being used for off-road bikepacking over the last few years. Several new models have even gotten more tire clearance and clever new features that cater to bikepacking and unpaved cycling pursuits. In our latest video, Neil provides an overview of a handful of new racks and shares his current favorites and a few other noteworthy options.
Be sure to hit up our Gear Index to find a full list of rear bike racks, accessories, and information. And here are the racks Neil mentioned in the video with relevant links and basic information:
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Old Man Mountain Elkhorn Rack
The Old Man Mountain Elkhorn is a cleverly designed and highly versatile rack that can be mounted to the front or rear of the bike. It comes in two sizes, features a three-pack of mounts on each strut and fitments for mounting to about any bike, including an optional axle mount kit. Find our review here.
Made in Taiwan / 638 grams / $168 at Old Man Mountain
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Tailfin Aeropack
The AeroPack is Tailfin’s cross between a racktop bag and a modern seatpack. It features three-pack eyelets on each strut, a unique quick-release axle mounting system, and is great for bikes that don’t have built-in rack mounts. Find our full review here.
Made in Taiwan / ~780 grams / $420 at Tailfin
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Tumbleweed T Rack
The Tumbleweed T Rack is a versatile Chromoly steel rack that features a set of three-pack bottle mounts on each main strut and a 120mm wide by 300mm long top platform that can be used to support a large saddlebag, or to secure a drybag in lieu of a seat pack. Find our review here.
Made in Taiwan / 617 grams / $130 at Tumbleweed
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Ortlieb Quick Rack
The Ortlieb Quick Rack is made from aluminum tubing and features a quick-release cam mechanism to attach and detach from the bike in seconds. It has with a maximum payload of 15 kilograms and can be used for commuting or touring.
Made in Germany / 580 grams / €70/$100 at Ortlieb
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Sim Works Burrito Rack
Made of tubular chromoly steel by Nitto in Japan, the new SimWorks Burrito Rack is a compact rear bag support that can fit a wide range of bikes. It attaches securely to the seatpost and both seat stays using adjustable struts that can be eyelet-mounted or connected with included clamps. The Burrito Rack comes in chrome or black-plated options with a load capacity of 10 kilograms (22 pounds).
Made in Japan / 410 grams / $200 at Simworks
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Aeroe Spider Rack
The Aeroe Spider Rear Rack is the oddball of the bunch. It’s a modular rear rack system that can be used alongside the included cradle to hold any dry bag or tent or integrated into a more complex system using Aeroe’s quick-release gear pods. Find our review here.
Made in Taiwan / 996 grams / $129 at Aeroe
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Tubus Vega Evo
The Tubus Vega rear rack is a classic, low-profile rear rack that we’ve been using for years. It has a minimal design with no lower tubes and a simple construction. Tubus claims it has clearance for 2.35″ tires, but we’ve used it with 3″ plus tires (see here).
Made in Taiwan / 510 grams / $199 at Campfire
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