Hey all, currently building up a mixed surface touring bike to accompany my hardtail. Looking to fit it with lowrider racks and small front pannier bags. Maximum weight carried in each bag will be about 5-6kg so don't need anything overbuilt. I would prefer to go stainless or maybe ti if there is anything available. So far the tubus nova seems to be the only one I can find but I'm  sure there must be others. Looking for experience with the nova or anything else you might have tried. BTW I will be mounting to a surly cross check for with braze ons.

Cheers for the advice, durability was my main concern on this.I have just ordered a custom bag with vx21 xpac and 1000d. Decided to leave this one to the pros as I have a big trip planned soon.
 I am looking forward to making my own one day and might do so for my commuter/ pub bike.

Hey all I was in the opshop and spotted a pair of mountain design gore TeX pants real cheap. They were not my size but have plenty of material to make a frame bag. I havnt seen any frame bags made from gore TeX and was wondering the reason behind this. My 2 assumptions are that it is either too expensive, or that it isn't abrasion resistance enough for this purpose, in which case I could look at adding another material to the area that would be most affected. Let me know what you guys think.

I'm currently running flat pedals, got some SPD pedals and shoes coming in about a week so that might give me some seat post room as I will be further back on the pedals, hoping I will have clearance for on of those clamps. Going to have to file the lip off the inside of the clamp to make it flush for the post. Still wondering about the rack, might have to look for something designed for a fatbike, unfortunately rack brands don't specify the width between the legs.

Also looking at dry bags i didn't realise 10L was so large, might just go with one mounted on top.

Might consider attaching to seat stays, not willing to drill the frame for structural and warranty reasons.

This is cool I've been looking at making my own harness after using the revelate harness we have at the shop. After seeing this I can see this working well with my original plan. I just happen to have a backpacking bag with the same hood bit, pocket is huge.

Idea for mounting drysacks. The idea being I will have clearance for my heels as well as being able to shift my weight over the rear wheel when the post gets dropped on more difficult sections.

Possible mounting point ( marked with yellow strap)

Robert axle project axle with m10 studs

Hey guys I have a challenge for all you handy diyers. I am trying to figure out a good system for attaching a rear rack to my giant xtc+. It has no rackmounts, no mudguard mount, no seatclamp and a dropper post which has to be slammed to give me my correct seat height so no seat post to play with either. The rear axle is boost 148x12.. The seatstays are carbon so I am reluctant to use clamping force on this area. I have done heaps of research but it will require a custom job.

 For the lower mounting points I have found the yoke mount thru axle by Robert axle project that has an m10 threaded part on each side. This is larger than the default hole on most racks that are designed to take an m5 bolt, so I will probably have to modify the bottom mounting point on the rack. I will also require a rack that is wide enough to clear the axle and frame(172mm according to the Robert axle website). Thankfully the disc brake sits inside the frame.

I also need to make sure the upper section will clear a 27.5 x 2.8 tire.

As for the upper mounting point I'm extremely limited in options and will probably have to custom Mount it to the seattube. I feel the strongest point is above the seat stays and below the top tube as it has the seat post reinforcing this area( see picture) however this area is an interesting shape and will need something that will be able to match the contours. I'm thinking of using something similar to the revelate handlebar harness mount but using a more sturdy strap attachment with rubber frame protection.

As for the rack I am looking to mount a 10 litre drybag on either side as it will be lighter and more aerodynamic than a traditional pannier setup, as well as providing heel Clarence( xtc chain stay is short and I have big feet). I have included a sketch to give a better idea of my drybag idea.

Just wondering if anyone else has had these issues and has any advice/ things they would do differently.
Also need suggestions for rack selection, preferably lightweight and wide enough to clear axle and tire.