brackets for hooking on Pannier strap hooks

medindexer said:

I have a touring bike. The panniers are held on by clipping over the rack and then clipping hooks on the end of elasticated cords to 2 brackets that attach to 2 brackets very close to the back axle thread. I cn't find anywhere in my town (Edinburgh, Scotland) that has these. Does anyone know where in the UK I can pick them up (by mail order/online)? I'd very much appreciate anyones advice. Thanks

i'm guessing that it's the brackets you need, not the elastic cords with hooks. still, there are many kinds of brackets and it would be impossible to guess what kind you need without more information. if you could include the make and model of the panniers you have, the type of rack, and if possible a picture or two of the attachment areas, it would be easier to give you some concrete advice.

you could also try the pannier manufacturer's homepage and perhaps send them an email.

many types of panniers that employ bunjee cords with hooks are meant to attach to the downward facing crotch on most modern racks where one or two diagonal struts are welded to the main load carrying vertical strut, a couple of inches or so above where the rack bolts on to the top side of the rear drop-outs. these types of racks don't require any extra hardware to clip the hooks to. if you have racks that only have one vertical load carrying strut, i'd suggest getting racks that have one or two triangles. beside being what you may need for attaching your panniers, these are much more stable. racks with only 1 downward strut are notorious for starting to shimmy at higher speeds with heavy loads on downhills.

failing all else, while it may look rather inelegant, there is usually a way to jury rig something that will work if you browse around a home hardware, plumbing, or especially marine hardware section.

good luck