Fitting a rack to a GT triple triangle frame

Quoted message said:

Having been commuting by bike for three months, I'm starting to see
the appeal of getting a rack and panniers, to avoid the sweaty back
caused by carrying a rucksack.

Forgive the stupid questions, but I'm fairly clueless about how these
things attach to the frame. My bike is a GT Karakoram with a triple
triangle frame (which I thought was a really nifty design feature when
I was about 15...) which I understand may cause problems. It has
eyelets on the rear drop-outs, which is presumably where the bottom
legs of the rack go, but what about the front end? There are no
eyelets or bosses on the seat stays other than the brake bosses - does
the rack somehow attach to these, or directly round the seat stays, or
what?

I will obviously go into an LBS for some advice, but I want to appear
slightly less ignorant when I do :o)

You need some "P-clips" - basically a small clip that bends around the
seat stays and provides an eyelet to bolt the rack on.
eg from Wiggle:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?ProdID=5360007220
Most bike shops should have these.

Alternatively, you could replace your seat post clamp with this one that
has eyelets for attaching a rack:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?ProdID=5300005198

--
Craig Wallace
http://craig.neogeo.org.uk
http://www.neogeo.org.uk

In article said:

Forgive the stupid questions, but I'm fairly clueless about how these
things attach to the frame. My bike is a GT Karakoram with a triple
triangle frame (which I thought was a really nifty design feature when
I was about 15...) which I understand may cause problems. It has
eyelets on the rear drop-outs, which is presumably where the bottom
legs of the rack go, but what about the front end? There are no
eyelets or bosses on the seat stays other than the brake bosses - does
the rack somehow attach to these, or directly round the seat stays, or
what?

You can get little "P-clips" that wrap around the seat stays and have
a tab for a bolt to go through. The triple triangle didn't cause
problems fitting a rack on my GT Arette hybrid (it came with a rack,
and I've fitted another one), but that doesn't prove it will be all
right on your Karakoram.

P-clips:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360007220
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360025909
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5300004308

Alternatively something like this on the seat tube:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5300003159