The rear rack on the bike shown is the typical size for a French touring rack.
Designed for rear bags, the top platform need not be large.
The reverse question is why are Nitto racks so large? They look like something that fell off a motorcycle.
Mike Kone Boulder CO
>
\r?\n> Last night when I got home from work I found I had experienced
\r?\n> a doubleheader: Both the new issue of VBQ and Asphalt arrived
\r?\n> in the mail. I love it when that happens.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I have a question about one of the accessories on the wonderful
\r?\n> french bikes that show up on the pages of VBQ. Most of these bikes
\r?\n> are fendered bikes, and many of those have a rack that appears to
\r?\n> mount to the top of the fender and to eyelets on the dropouts, but
\r?\n> not to the stays. Check out this image from Jan's archive pages:
\r?\n>
\r?\n> http://www.mindspring.com/
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> What is that rack used for? It seems to far back to be a support for
\r?\n> a saddle bag, and seems too short for panniers. Am I wrong about the
\r?\n> latter? Can anyone comment on this rack? Would loading this up with
\r?\n> filled panniers stress the fenders?
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I read every word in VBQ before I store the issue on the bookshelf.
\r?\n> Asphalt is a different experience. I find I am of two minds about
\r?\n> the latter. While I really like the color photos, and some of the
\r?\n> text, I find it less of a literary experience, perhaps because the
\r?\n> focus is not enough for my tastes on lugged steel bikes, and riders
\r?\n> pictured usually have billboard type riding clothing on (this is
\r?\n> personal preference, but I prefer single colors, no writing
\r?\n> unless it 'advertises' a cycling club or cycling event that the
\r?\n> rider actually participated in). That said, I really, really would
\r?\n> like this magazine to survive and grow. I think it has great potential
\r?\n> to become most of the things Buycycling isn't while covering our
\r?\n> pastime in a way that we actually participate.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I'll end with a plug that if you are thinking about subscribing to
\r?\n> either or both of these publications, then do it. These publications
\r?\n> only survive with subscriptions.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> rob hawks
\r?\n> richmond, ca