Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Introduction to the Rack System
What makes a Tailfin Rack unique?
The key differences between a traditional bolt-on rack and a Tailfin Pannier Rack are the way it attaches to the bike, the connections between the rack and luggage and, last but not least, the aesthetics.
A standard cycle rack typically requires dedicated mounting points to be fitted to the bike frame and isn’t compatible (without rudimentary adapters) with bike frames without the relevant threaded eyelets. A Tailfin Rack doesn’t require specialist mounting points to fit your bike, as it uses the rear axle to mount. This makes it compatible with far more bikes, including lightweight road bikes and full-suspension mountain bikes. This means you can use your favourite bike for your daily commute or next bikepacking adventure – not something possible with traditional rack setups.
On top of the increased compatibility due to our mounting methods, a Tailfin Rack also features a quick-release design allowing it to be easily fitted and removed within seconds. This quick-release design uses tool-free mechanisms that provide the same level of attachment security as you would get with a bolt-on style rack.
Another advantage of a Tailfin Rack is that it has been designed to work in conjunction with a complete range of dedicated luggage, creating an entire bike luggage ‘ecosystem’. This symbiotic approach, rather than using separate, individual products, means that all the bags connect perfectly to the rack. All our bags use dedicated mechanical mountings, ensuring a completely secure and rattle-free fit.
Finally, a Tailfin Rack has very distinctive aesthetics compared to a traditional rack. Consisting of the unique rear Arch and detachable top stay, it is far removed from the shape most people associate with a rear bike rack. This provides a more sympathetic outline that works well with all bikes, including high-end, sleek aero road bikes.
Video Complete Guide
What to choose, how to fit
The four Rack options
without pannier mounts
Our lightest Rack with the cleanest aesthetics for carrying our Rack Top Bags.
with pannier mounts
Lightweight but with the capability to carry additional luggage by fitting Rack Top Bags and side pannier bags.
without pannier mounts
Features an additional four bosses for mounting cargo or bottle cages, Rack Top Bags and other items on the top deck.
with pannier mounts
Lightweight but with the capability to carry additional luggage by fitting Rack Top Bags, side pannier bags and three bosses for some Cargo Cages or bottle cages.
Carbon vs Alloy
This is purely down to weight and cost. The Carbon Rack is just as strong as the Alloy version (just ask our racers doing 2000+ km off-road MTB races).
The easiest way to decide which is better for you is to weigh up how much you wish to spend on the setup, and how much of a factor weight is to your objectives.
Bigger budget, high weight concerns = Carbon
Medium budget, low weight concerns = Alloy
The other main differences between Carbon and Alloy Racks are the bosses and top stays. The bosses only feature on the Alloy version but not the Carbon. These allow you to run Cargo Cages with Cage Packs or water bottle cages, further expanding your carrying capacity. The Alloy Journey Rack features 4 bosses on the version without pannier mounts – suitable for all cages, and 3 on the version with pannier mounts – suiting the Small and Mini Cages.
Non-Pannier and Pannier-Mount Versions
We also offer a range of Pannier bags, specially designed to fit our Rear Systems, using our X-Clamp technology to offer a secure, robust, and rattle-free ride.
When selecting the options for your Rear System, you’ll be asked to choose whether or not your arch will have pannier mounts. It is not possible to add these onto the arch later, so it’s important to decide when placing your order whether you’re going to want to use side panniers with your Tailfin setup in the future.
The non-pannier version of the arch is the sleekest and slimmest version, whilst the pannier-mount version allows you to carry more, using pannier bags. Choosing the ones with pannier mounts – especially on the carbon- means you can mount your own third-party panniers using our Third-Party Pannier Adaptors.
Top Stay Length – Long or Short?
The carbon top stay is the horizontal bar that connects your seat post to the rest of the Carbon Rack, and is made in two lengths to fit your bike size best (XS-L or XL+).
The long Top Stay on the Carbon Rack has been designed to allow the Rack Top Bags to sit further back from the saddle and seatpost, allowing easier access to the bag, as well as allowing you to utilise more of the bag’s volume-carrying capabilities. It is 50mm longer than the short version, which we would recommend for riders with bike frames XS-L, bikes, or for bikes with less than 100mm of visible seat post.
The Alloy Journey Rack has a different top stay, which we refer to as the top deck. It is designed to fit our Tailfin Rack Top Bags, but you can also mount your own items to the top deck of the Journey Rack, as long as they are under the respective 10kg and 12kg weight limits (10kg for the non-pannier mount version and 12kg for the pannier mount version).
It doesn’t have long or short top deck options, but instead includes two 50mm fit link connectors (one angle adjustable) for you to choose the correct option for your bike.
For help choosing the right size, look at the guide.
Why use a Rack System over a CargoPack?
Our two Tailfin Rack systems offer versatile combinations for carrying your luggage. You can choose exactly how you carry your luggage with our Racks. As it consists of a base framework, you can opt to fit any combination of Rack Top Bag and side Pannier Bag (pannier mount version only), including fitting side pannier bags from other manufacturers using our Third-Party Pannier Adaptors.
As the bike bags can be removed in seconds, this choice should appeal to those riders who want the convenience of being able to take the bag/s with them when arriving at the office, accommodation, or supermarket.
The Carbon Pannier Rack is rated to road/light gravel use.
The Alloy Journey Pannier Rack is suitable for all terrains when in keeping with the weight specifications.
Fitting to your bike
Our Racks are designed to fit 99% of bikes on the market – whether that’s road, touring, gravel, hardtails, or even full-suspension mountain bikes.
We do this by offering a variety of ways to mount to your bike, so our systems even fit bikes without rack mounting points:
For a more detailed explanation of mounting options for your bike, read our Guide on mounting your Rear Systems.
Whilst all mounting options will work well, we would always recommend Axle Mounting (Option 1) as it provides the most robust and weight-bearing mount. If you’re unsure of your axle type, use our Axle Finder Tool.
Please see this Video Guide for properly attaching the Seat Post Connector.
Modularity
A unique feature of Tailfin products is modularity. Components have been designed to be replaceable and can be swapped over. See our Modularity Guide for more information on cross-compatibility of our products.
Repairability and other details
Repairability
The other distinct advantage of being completely modular is that damage to one part of the system doesn’t mean the end of your Pannier Rack, as each component can be replaced easily. Our Racks are guaranteed for 5 years for equipment failures/defects, but in theory, they should last a lifetime of use.
All individual parts for Tailfin’s Bike Rack systems can be found and purchased on our Spares Page.
Which bags can I use with a Tailfin Rack?
Carbon Rack FAQs
We recommend the Carbon Pannier Rack for road/light gravel if you’re riding with the Removable Rack Top Bags. You can ride off-road when carrying just side panniers on your Carbon Rack, though. If you’re looking to ride more off-road trails with the Top Bags, we recommend our Fixed CargoPack or SpeedPack systems or the Alloy Journey Pannier Rack – which can be used off-road with our Removable Rack Top Bags.
Yes, our Carbon Rack works with road and gravel bike suspension systems such as Trek’s IsoSpeed and Cannondale’s Kingpin suspension systems.
We recommend using the Carbon Pannier Rack with just side panniers if you’re riding off-road.
The carbon Rack has been tested to carry a maximum of 27kg (road use only). The alloy Journey Rack has been tested to carry 32kg (pannier mounts version) and 22kg (non-pannier mounts version). The carbon rack has been designed to be strong, and we have historically seen close-to-zero failures due to impact. The main differences between the Alloy and Carbon versions of the Rack are weight, price, and aesthetics. You can check out our comparison blog for more information.
It is possible to mount a seat-post light to the Rack, just as you would your regular seat post, but it may rub the Rack finish after heavy use. The removable CargoPack Top Bags have loops on the rear of the bag made for certain clip-on lights, or we offer an Adjustable Light Mount, and a Fixed Light Mount, which fits to the 64mm spaced bolts on the base of the removable CargoPack Top Bag to allow you to mount your rear light directly to the pack. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use these light mounts with the removable SpeedPack due to a lack of mounting points on the bag.
This depends on the type of riding you’re doing now and your plans for the future. If the majority of your trips are short overnighters, then you probably do not require panniers. If you’re planning some bigger adventures, commute often, or want the option to carry up to 27kg in the future, then we recommend the pannier mounts, as these cannot be added after (you would require a new arch available on our Spares Page). With our Pannier Adaptors, you can also carry other brands of panniers.
You can only mount the Varia to the CargoPack Top Bag. To do this, you will need the Adjustable Light Mount, and fit this to the underside of the CargoPack Top Bag. For the most secure fit, we recommend ordering the Garmin Seat Rail Kit separately too. The Tailfin Adjustable Light Mount has a GoPro fitting, so you can use it in conjunction with the Garmin kit to attach the Garmin Varia Radar to it.
The CargoPack is an 18L bag featuring 1.5L external mesh side pockets, 1 central TPU strap over the middle of the bag, and the option to roll the bag to clip together in the centre, or down the sides (V2 – Jan 2026+ only) using provided T-hook straps. The SpeedPack is a 10L bag featuring a 3L external mesh pocket over the top of the bag. It rolls close at the rear of the pack, allowing you to clip it down the sides with the provided T-hook straps, or close it in on itself like a standard dry bag.
We offer spares for much of the Rack, including a Rebuild Kit, and these can be found on our Spares Page. For warranty queries, please submit a warranty form.
No, as the carbon rack does not have bosses on the arch, it can only carry panniers (pannier mount option only).
Journey Rack FAQ
Pannier mount – 32kg (12kg top + 10kg per side).
Non-pannier mount – 22kg (10kg top + 6kg per side)
Yes, there are interchangeable FitLinks that allow the Rack to fit better to a range of bikes by changing the Seatpost clamp position. This means that the top deck can be positioned horizontally to the ground for most riders.
Yes, you can use your CargoPack (9kg for Gen1 CargoPack) and SpeedPack Rack Top Bags on the Top Deck of the Journey Rack.
You can mount your CargoPack (9kg for Gen1 CargoPack) and SpeedPack Rack Top Bags. You can also mount your own items to the top deck of the Journey Rack, as long as they are under the respective 12kg and 10kg weight limits. Please note, when using your own bags/items, these may wear the anodising on the top deck.
Yes, it is designed to work well off-road with the Removable CargoPack and SpeedPack Rack Top Bags, Panniers and any other securely fastened items on the top deck.
Yes, both options are available.
Yes, the diameter of the top deck rails is compatible with 10mm diameter pannier hooks. Alternatively, you can use our Third-Party Pannier Adaptors on the Pannier Mounts instead, leaving the top deck free to strap an additional bag/item to it without the panniers obstructing the straps. Whilst using a Tailfin CargoPack/Speedpack you cannot attach Third-party panniers to the Topstay due to potential interference. This is only possible when using the Third-Party Pannier Adaptors on the pannier mounts.
The pannier mount version of the Journey Rack works with Small and Mini Cage as it has 3-bolts. Note that you cannot fit/use a pannier while the Cargo Cages are mounted.
The non-pannier version of the Journey Rack works with all Cargo Cages, and has 4-bolts.
These attach at the underside of the top deck at the rear. We offer mounts and lights for you to stay seen when using the Journey Rack.
Yes, the mudguard is available as an additional accessory.
Still have questions? Get in touch with our Customer Service team.
