Spotted: Portland Design Works Payload Rack
Spotted this on the interwebs today. I haven’t seen it in person but it looks like an interesting rack. Its made with steel tubing and “double-ply bamboo deck.” The rack boasts a cargo limit of 77lbs. I can’t quite tell how well it would play with Ortlieb or Arkel hardware from just looking at the photo. Maybe a reader has tried it out? If so, send in a review.
We sold one at our shop. Well, to be honest, it might have been stolen. No one clearly remembers selling it. Looks pretty, seems VERY sturdy and weighs A LOT!!! I’d recommend it to someone that really is going to be carrying loads near that 77lb mark. Otherwise I’d recommend the Zefal Safari III, Tubus Cargo or other racks in that range.
Looks pretty. I’d definitely consider one based on appearance, but if I really want that much weight capacity, I would probably want a 2nd, lower rail for the panniers. Otherwise my panniers stick up and limit how much I can carry on the top of the rack. Also they attached that to the mount point I use for my fenders, so now I’m wondering if I have that wrong, but if I did it the other way, my fender stays and rack would cross, which seems like it might be problematic.
Nice Rack. Does it come in silver or chrome? That would be perfect!
You can tell he’s putting it on the Pake C’mute frame though, beautiful combo.
That rack looks nice but it may flex a bit. I just read Jan Heine’s article in the current issue of Adventure Cycling. He explains why some racks work better than others, and this looks like one of the designs that would move too much. Especially while carrying a full load like you and Laura do. Worth a read if you have the time.
I bought this today. It’s really sweet. In fact, I was fully planning on buying a cheaper, lighter rack, but I fell in love with it. It fits the aesthetic of my bike so nicely.