DIY Bike Cargo Rack

Reader Korey, from Northern New York, submitted a DIY rear rack.  Korey writes -

This is my DIY bike carry rack made from wood. The support struts are aluminum bars used by moving companies to hang clothes in boxes.

I have actually never seen a rack like this on a frame like this.  If others have experience with racks on bikes with these types of frames feel free to chime in with comments or contact us with your own ideas/hacks. 

Korey also has a great Flickr photostream.  Check it out - Chandler Photography's photostream

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Comments

[Matt Perry]

I'm no engineer but it seems to me that the distance between the seatpost and the rear axle would vary as the suspension compresses... leaving any solid/bolted rack connecting the two points liable to stress as the suspension is activated. And with aluminum, which does not handle repeated bending stress very well, you are very likely to see some failures in a design like this.

[ClintonRH]

Matt, you're correct. This rack is completely unsuited for the loads it would experience as the suspension moves. Luckily the rear 'shock' on this style and quality of bike is usually unmovable after a few months. Effectively turning the frame into a hardtail with a ridiculous amount of lateral flex. Once the rear shock is frozen firmly in place this rack is probably an improvement.

[alfred klek]

I was thinking the same thing as Matt on this one. A simple fix might be wedging a piece of metal or wood in-between the seat tube and the swing arm effectively making it a traditional diamond frame. I dunno, it just doesn't strike me as a viable hack. Nice workmanship though!

[coventry recycled cycles]

I had the same thought, would it work better if the wood piece extending to the seat tube wasn't as long and the metal attached to the seat tube pivoted?...so when the suspension moved so would the metal arm suspending it?

[Korey]

I've been using this rack for almost a month now and it's holding up to daily use pretty well. The shock doesn't move much since it's an el-cheapo bike and I never ride off-road on it. The metal support bars are not aluminum as I originally thought but are steel. A magnet I dropped at work stuck to one of the struts. LOL!

The hole in the rack under the seat is loose-fitted and the metal strap gives it a bit of play to pivot a bit. I'm hopeful that street riding will allow this monster rack to last a while longer.

I do appreciate the idea of eliminating the space in the frame to stiffen it up. Very cool!