Fat Bikes

Fat bikes use large rear hubs and wide chain stays to fit the enormous tyres these bikes are known for. Unfortunately, the width of the chain stays is wider than the width of our carbon and alloy arches, and so it’s not possible to stretch the arch in place. A few companies do produce specific fat bike racks for this reason. It’s worth noting that all our panniers ship with 8,10 & 12mm inserts to fit third-party racks too.

Folding Bikes

Folding bikes typically use small wheels and what we call ‘solid axles’ – that is, threaded axles that form part of the rear wheel and can’t be easily removed. As it’s not possible to remove the original rear axle and replace it with a Tailfin version, it’s not possible to attach a Tailfin Rear System. A second consideration is the narrow frames used on folding bikes; these are usually much narrower than road bikes due to the small wheels used, and our arches cannot be safely compressed to fit these frames.

E-Bikes (some)

E-bikes on the market usually place the motor in one of two locations: at the cranks or in the rear wheel. Bikes that use crank-based motors also use standard rear axles, and so it is possible to fit an our Rear Systems to these bikes (Specialized’s Creo is an example of this).

Some brands position the motor in the rear wheel itself – these are usually on road/gravel e-bikes and not typically seen on MTBs. Some of them (like the folding bikes above)use a solid axle and specific locking nuts to secure the rear wheel.

We produce E-bike Adaptors for bikes using Mahle’s X35 and X30 rear motor (such as Orbea’s Gain e-bike). Motors with a removable rear axle (such as the Mahle X20 or Cytronex kit) may be compatible with our existing axles. Many modern E-bikes are compatible, though, and you can use our Axle Finder to check.

A few e-bikes with hub motors also include rack mounts on the frame itself, so it may also be possible to use our Frame Mount Adaptors instead. We recommend contacting your frame manufacturer to check if there are rated to carry pannier racks, though, and not just mudguards/fenders.

Fixies/Single-speeds

Like folding bikes mentioned above, most fixed/single-speed bikes use a solid threaded axle that is not compatible with our axles. The fork-end style dropouts used on these frames also mean it’s not easy to switch to a QR wheel, as it will be difficult to set the correct chain tension. Many fixed gear frames were intended for velodromes, and so the majority do not include rack mounts either. A few do, though, and so you may be able to use Frame Mount Adaptors (check with your frame’s manufacturer beforehand).

Read how Loz rode the Pan Celtic race 2022 on his track bike

SuperBoost Rear Hubs

Tailfin Thru Axles are sized to fit 142mm and 148mm rear hubs (road/gravel and MTB hubs, respectively). A few mountain bike brands are using a wider rear hub known as ‘SuperBoost’, measuring 157mm, with claimed increases in wheel strength and stiffness. Right now, our Thru Axles are not long enough to securely fit this wider standard, though. There are no immediate plans to develop a longer Axle, but we are continually working on new products, so be sure to sign up to our Mailing List to keep up to date.

32″ Wheels

Bikes featuring 32″ wheels are starting to become the talk of the town. While for some of them, the hub spacing is compatible with our Thru Axles, the wheel diameter is often too large for our Pannier Racks, CargoPacks and SpeedPacks to fit. Never say never, though, so join our Mailing List to hear news and updates about our products.