Touring rack
The addition of plywood to the touring or commuting rack takes a new
twist with the use of a combination backpack/rolling luggage bag with
extendable handle.
The ply sides applied to the aluminum rack now covered with a 24"
long ply and 3 chili bean can widths wide and fastened to the dropout
eyebolts with spacer nuts and 6mm bolts reputed to be a grade 8 is
lightened with four wide holes that take shock cord hooks. The broken
aluminum rack seat stay support is replaced with a metal angle iron
from ply top to seat stay cross member.
I had a complaint on ply for racks-guy's rack was warping. Construction
ply needs drying 2-3 weeks before reliably taking paint. Nailing the
cut sections flat onto a frame might help. or use recycled ply.
One supports the roller pack's solid bottom or more shock cords with
bottom hooks facing down, cords then strung over the ply top and hooked
into the other side's holes.
The top plastic form that holds the extendable handles' top guides
has room for a loop of shock cord that holds the bag up at its top with
the cord traveling over the ply top to the other side's lightning
holes.
The trick is the plastic tops metal extendable handle guides now rest
their edges on the ply top and are secured there by the shock cords.
While not wind efficient as a real cycle bag the mid grade
"ballistic" polyester cloth luggage roller/pack is effective for
local or short trip touring. You need a map directory to locate the
stuff in multiple pockets that are double zipper accessible from the
side when mounted.
If in Wal-Mart, examine the wall bags-the wal-cloth; that's embossed
"ballistic" cloth of unknown chemistry and is not durable under
load. The bags I have come from the flea market with broken handles
then cut off.
The stock bag is easily reinforced with baseball stitching on the
bottom seams using a curved needle and upholstery thread, the bottom is
reinforce able with another nylon-from the thrift's unusable bag
collection- laid into the bottom and sewed to the side-use a light
cardboard template cut like a cereal or cardboard box unfolded then
folded.
The hard plastic bottom needs cushioning on the front and probably the
side edges preventing the edge from cutting into the fabric; a plastic
bag shoved in there or better an aquarium or milking hose cut, cut
inserted on bottom's edge and maybe glued on with goop.