[CR] Pletchser Racks - was nutted brake recessed frame hole infill solution

(Example: Framebuilders:Rene Herse)

Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:34:50 -0400
From: Marcus Coles <marcoles@ody.ca>
To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <590393.9021.qm@web30607.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <590393.9021.qm@web30607.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Subject: [CR] Pletchser Racks - was nutted brake recessed frame hole infill solution

Fred Rednor wrote:
> The piece that Rivendell sells for this purpose can alos be found at most any hardware store for about 25 cents apiece. Also, at the hardware store, you should have a choice of black or white. Anyway, here is the link, so you'll know what they look like. (In the hardware store, look for "Nylon Bushings - 1/4" inner diameter):
> http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/brakes?page=all#product=15-052
>
> One astounding product that Rivendell currently sells is the venerable Pletchser rack. If you have a circa 1960s (or early 1970s) bicycle, and want the most authentic looking luggage carrier, this is the thing to have. Well, there actually were people using nicer racks from British and French sources. But if you were a mere student in those days - and spending your own money - you used the Pletchser, since the American Youth Hostels offices sold it for about 3 dollars.
>
> (Parenthetic note: In the '60s, I actually did see Herse and Singer touring bikes, properly kitted out with decent racks - not to mention fenders and even triple cranksets. But these were all being ridden by people who were contemporaries of my parents, with incomes far exceding the wages I earned at my after school job.)
>
> I have a couple of the rear racks on "run to the corner store" bikes. I rather like the light weight and function of these racks with the wire bale and backstop. They do seem to be able to carry a fair amount of weight but definitely lack lateral stability.

I didn't always like them and they were one of the first things to remove if a bike came with one.

Around here at one point in time I think they were a standard bike shop "value added" enhancement to almost any new non-racing road bike (along with chain stay crushing kick stands). Usually they were just slapped on, clamped to the seat stays and would tend to slide down stripping paint as they went. I later found out that in the supplied hardware there was a T bracket that reached the brake bolt and arrested this behavior, I'm not sure if this was always a standard piece that was just ignored in most installations or if it was added to the manufacturer supplied parts kit at some point in time.

Marcus Coles London, Ontario, Canada. Where "original condition, hardly ridden" often comes with scratched seat stays and dented chain stays.