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With or without Pannier Mounts. Which is right for me?
When choosing a Tailfin Carbon Rack, Alloy Journey Rack, CargoPack or SpeedPack, see the option of adding ‘Pannier Mounts’ to your order. Which option to go for could seem confusing at first. Don’t worry, though; this guide is aimed at helping you with this decision.
What are Pannier Mounts?
Pannier Mounts are small cylindrical sidebars added to our arches at the point of manufacture. These allow you to mount side pannier bags. We opted for large 16mm diameter tubing, which allows us to reduce the length needed, yet also provides an extremely secure clamping area. The Pannier Mounts are designed to work perfectly with all our Pannier bags.
If you are looking to maximise storage space or want the most flexible setup, we recommend selecting ‘with Pannier Mounts’ as you configure your Rear System order. If you never plan to carry side bags and weight saving is your priority, select ‘without Pannier Mounts’.
Note that on the Journey Rack, you can carry third-party panniers on the top deck of the rack ‘without pannier mounts’, too. The rails of the Journey Pannier Rack top deck are 10mm in diameter – a standard most pannier bags fit.
Can I Add Pannier Mounts After My Order?
Unfortunately not. Pannier Mounts are built in when our alloy and carbon arches are manufactured, so it is not possible to add these afterwards. However, if you have an existing arch without these mounts, the good news is that you can change your arch, as our Rear Systems are modular. It’s possible to do this by purchasing just the arch from our Spares Page and switching it with your existing one. Both carbon and alloy arches are compatible, too, so you can opt for a different material if you wish.
The new Alloy Journey Rack arch is not compatible with the current carbon and original alloy Top Stays, though, as it has a different mounting system for the top deck.
How Much Extra Weight Do Pannier Mounts Add?
The additional weight for the mounts themselves is 78g for Carbon Arches, 101g for the fixed Alloy arch, and 160g for the Alloy Journey Rack. Quite minimal considering the versatility they add.
Will The Mounts Work With My Non-Tailfin/Third-Party Panniers?
Yes, as long as you add our Third-Party Pannier Adaptors (sold separately). This additional accessory enables riders to continue using bags they may already own. These adaptors are 10mm in diameter, and the vast majority of pannier manufacturers include inserts to accommodate this size tubing.
You can mount your Third-Party panniers to the top deck of the Journey Rack, though, without requiring the Third-Party Pannier Adaptors. Although that being said, using a Tailfin Rack Top Bags, you cannot attach Third-party panniers to the top deck due to potential interference. This is only possible when using the Third-Party Pannier Adaptors on the pannier mounts.
Pannier Bags and Cargo Cages – are they compatible?
All of our Cargo Cages can be fitted to the Alloy Rear Systems, whether or not it has Pannier Mounts. Please note, it’s not possible to fit Cargo Cages and Pannier bags at the same time, and the Carbon Rear Systems do not have bosses for Cargo Cages. We recommend using the Small Cargo Cage on alloy arches that have maximum 3 bosses. On the Alloy Journey Rack, without pannier mounts, though, you can mount the Large Cargo Cage, as this arch has 4 bosses.
If you have further questions regarding compatibility, you can contact our Customer Service team.
