Hi all,
Like many others, I want to have both a Yepp child seat and panniers on the bike at the same time which rules out the Ballard bag from Rad. I found some panniers I liked, but of course most normal panniers won't work on the radwagon because the rack is much too large in diameter for hooks, and too wide for most bags with straps connecting them.
After a bit of deliberation, I put together what has turned out to be a pretty solid adapter using standard parts that should be available at any hardware store. Specifically, I used ...
The idea is to use the coupler material to protect the bike frame and offset the tubing such that there is space to get a pannier connected, and use the straps to secure the tubing to the bike. To do this, I ...
At that point, the tubes are attached firmly to the bike and offset by the coupler. It allows me to attach and detach my bags, though usually I leave them attached. For the bottom hook on the bags, I used a simple zip-tie to secure the hook to the frame to keep it from flopping, though the same idea could be reused at the bottom as well.
Hopefully that is helpful for anyone else who wants something like this!
Like many others, I want to have both a Yepp child seat and panniers on the bike at the same time which rules out the Ballard bag from Rad. I found some panniers I liked, but of course most normal panniers won't work on the radwagon because the rack is much too large in diameter for hooks, and too wide for most bags with straps connecting them.
After a bit of deliberation, I put together what has turned out to be a pretty solid adapter using standard parts that should be available at any hardware store. Specifically, I used ...
- ...a length of 1/2" aluminum tubing
- ...2 flexible pipe couplers (e.g. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fernco-1-1-2-in-x-1-1-2-in-x-1-94-in-dia-Coupling-PVC-Fitting/1000075329)
- ...4 adjustable stainless-steel straps (e.g. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Apollo-IDL01/5005337467)
The idea is to use the coupler material to protect the bike frame and offset the tubing such that there is space to get a pannier connected, and use the straps to secure the tubing to the bike. To do this, I ...
- ...remove the straps that came with the coupler. These will likely be too small to reach around the frame + tubing
- ...cut the coupler in half to give me two separate pieces
- ...cut a slit lengthwise in the coupler pieces to allow them to be placed around the frame
- ...place a strap around the frame and coupler, with two attachment points on each side
- ...insert the tubing between the strap and the coupler, ensuring it rests below the frame
- ...tighten the straps, ensuring the excess strapping is rotated inside the bike to keep it out of the way
At that point, the tubes are attached firmly to the bike and offset by the coupler. It allows me to attach and detach my bags, though usually I leave them attached. For the bottom hook on the bags, I used a simple zip-tie to secure the hook to the frame to keep it from flopping, though the same idea could be reused at the bottom as well.
Hopefully that is helpful for anyone else who wants something like this!