Can I attach a rear pannier rack to my mountain bike?

Question

Soon I am going to start doing some side work for UberEats on my bike. I am trying to find a pannier rack to put on my mountain bike. My problem is that I am having a hard time finding one that will work since I am new to bikes in general. I have a Huffy 24" Trail Runner Full Suspension Mountain Bike. I hear you are not able to attach a pannier rack to mountain bikes because of the suspension, others say you can.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Huffy-24-Trail-Runner-Girls-Full-Suspension-Mountain-Bike/440388821

If I could have some help picking one that will fit my kind of bike that would be very helpful. Also if you deliver food on a bike, Do you have any tips?

Answer 1

Yes you can add a parcel rack on the rear, but since the relationship between frame and rear axle changes because of the suspension, your rack has to either account for this movement, or be completely above or below the suspension.

Below suspension:

Source https://www.instructables.com/Bike-rack-for-full-suspension-mountain-bike/
Downside is this one has few triangles and risks wobbling. A lot of the strength is lost by using rectangles in the design, and on a big bump the rack or load may hit the seatpost/saddle.

Above suspension:

Downside of these is there is a lot of leverage, so the total capacity is low. This cantilevered beam rack also concentrates force on your seatpost, adding to the bike's perception of the rider's weight. Also, the bolts have to be super tight to stop the load waggling like a dog's tail as you ride.

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You might consider a front rack, which goes over your front wheel. Downside, weight there affects steering, and impacts your visibility to the road surface. Also your photo shows V brakes, which might get in the way. Sometimes called a radonneuring rack.

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You would probably benefit from a box/basket or milk crate on top of your racks. This lets you put items in without having to strap them down and crush them. Thermally lined shopping bags go inside the crate nicely.

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Another option is a trailer behind your bike, which will allow bigger loads, better insulation, a less-stealable bike, and more visibility. Downside, more tyres on road means more drag, and 2-wheel trailers add width.

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Last resort is to get another bike without rear suspension. This might be the best long-term plan and you can store the MTB for use off-road and all those MTB-like rides. Since uber-eats was mentioned, presumably you live urban with sealed roads. With a load on, you would not be riding off curbs/kerbs because that damages the product, so suspension is less needed.

Aside - never leave anything on your bike while away from it. Carry phones/money etc on your person at all times. Depending on your location, the bike could end up being stolen while you're elsewhere.

Answer 2

Most racks attach around the seatpost clamp or the tops of the chainstays, and to eyelets at the rear dropouts. The reason that attaching a rack to a bike with rear suspension is problematic is that the distance between these points is constantly changing as the suspension flexes.

There are some racks that mount only to the seatpost and are cantilevered out back; there are others that clamp around the chainstays without mounting to the seat tube. Something like this might work. FWIW, from what I've seen, most bike deliverers use insulated backpacks instead of racks.

Also, regardless of whether it is possible, it is a bad idea to carry a load on the rear swingarm because it is unsprung mass, and will degrade your suspension's performance.

Answer 3

Also if you deliver food on a bike, Do you have any tips?

My experience about bikes is that delivering food and bikes don't generally mix. The problem is that in order to go much faster than walking speed, bikes need narrow high pressure slick tires, and the paths cyclists use (especially in so called "cycling friendly" countries that have cycle paths as opposed to cyclists riding on the right side of the road) are generally full of curbs etc. Those curbs with narrow high pressure tires are bumps from hell. If bikes had as much power as cars, that might allow using car-like tires, and if bikes rode where cars drive, that might allow avoiding the curbs. Suspension is very useful when carrying cargo because suspended cargo vibrates less than non-suspended cargo, but unfortunately rear suspension makes it hard to fit panniers and even if you can attach panniers, they could be on the non-suspended part of the bike. Fortunately, flexible panniers themselves have a bit of suspension but usually not so much that any kind of food can be delivered. Also panniers might not be the optimal shape for allowing carrying all kinds of food.

There are three ways you can carry food on a bike:

• Food on a bag that is carried by the cyclist as opposed to being carried by the bike. The problem of this is that the largest bag that doesn't make your back sweat a lot is a small shoulder bag / messenger bag and they are usually so small that only very little food can be carried in them. The advantage is that your arms and legs work as suspension, so the food is very isolated from road vibrations.

• Food in flexible panniers. The problem is that panniers have a fixed shape and there may be food items that don't easily fit. A minor advantage is that there is some sort of suspension due to the flexibility, but my experience usually is that the food won't always be delivered in pristine state because there are limits to how much bumps panniers can absorb.

• Food in basket or attached directly to the rear rack. The bumps and vibrations will completely destroy the look of the food. It may still be edible, but you immediately see it has been carried by a bike.

One solution that might help is that if you can find a fat-tired e-cargo-bike, it may have enough room to carry most food items. The fat tires can absorb large bumps, but unfortunately fat tires and cargo bikes mean the bike would be very slow without electric assist. That's where the electric assist helps a lot and makes a real difference. If you don't have a budget for a fat-tired e-cargo bike, I'd suggest a large backpack and riding either very slow (so your back doesn't sweat like hell) or buying an e-bike and using the assist at the maximum level.

In densely populated cities, a motor scooter might be a much better option than a bike. They have better suspension, are faster, and even if you have to carry the food in a backpack, your back doesn't sweat like hell.

Outside of cities, I think cars have been standardized as the delivery method of choice.