Blackburn Central Seatpost Rear Rack

The Blackburn Central Seat Post Rear Rack is a tough and well-made product that allows you to carry luggage on a bike that doesn't have fittings for a rear rack. This makes it particularly handy for commuting, when you can do away with a backpack for carrying heavy loads – your lock, for instance. It's also reasonably light and I don't doubt it will work effectively and last for years, but it only works with a beam bag or rack bag rather than panniers, and it's expensive for what it is.

For more options, check out our guide to the best racks and panniers.

First off, Blackburn makes it clear that this rack isn't compatible with non-round or carbon seatposts, though I reckon you might get away with a Giant alloy D-Fuse post as its round front would give you a sufficiently large clamping area.

It's quick and easy to fit, too. Grease up the four M6 hex bolts (you do grease all bolts, don't you?) for which Blackburn even supplies a 4mm hex key. I then used a torque wrench (you do use a torque wrench, don't you?) to tighten them to the minimum recommended 6.5Nm, which I found was sufficient to keep the rack stable even with a quite heavily loaded bag. If this isn't enough, you could go up to the recommended 9Nm maximum.

It's designed to work with seatposts 22-32mm in diameter and it comes with a tough rubber sleeve to stop it scratching the post.

Once fitted it's just a case of strapping your bag to it; Blackburn makes its own Local Trunk Bag but I used it with the Altura Heritage Rackpack.

The clamp is quite compact, and with my saddle in its usual position my thighs didn't make contact with it when I was riding, apart from very occasionally when I was climbing and shifted my position on the saddle.

The rack has a healthy 10kg capacity, and I loaded my bag with a couple of locks and some tools to get it up to a weight approaching that. It stayed in place well without any swaying, though I did get the occasional minor noise from it.

I think this comes from the 'flippability' that Blackburn has built into the rack. A large hex bolt goes through the rack to attach it to the solid spur, but as it's a single bolt rather than a pair, and as it's not a totally flush-fitting connection, there can be a tiny amount of metal-on-metal movement over rougher surfaces. Hence the noise.

As well as being able to turn the rack upside-down for compatibility with different bikes, saddles and bags, you can also move the rack's mounting section back and forth along the central rail, which is then tightened using a pair of hex bolts. The bolts do scratch the anodised surface when you do this, but as this is something you're not likely to do very often, it's not a major issue.

And it works. Simple as that. You can feel that the rack is there when it's loaded, but it doesn't have much impact on the handling, though the lower you can carry the weight, the better.

I'm a big fan of carrying as much as possible on the bike rather than on my back, and a recent pulled muscle in my lower back only further emphasised the advantage of doing this. With a lock alone weighing over a kilo, you can easily shed quite a bit of weight.

This makes it a practical option if you're a commuter with a bike that doesn't have its own luggage-carrying capacity. And with a lifetime guarantee, there's no reason why you wouldn't get years of use out of it.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

The only potential drawback for commuting is that it is only compatible with beam bags rather than panniers as it doesn't have side supports – something to bear in mind if you want to carry a laptop, for example.

Value

There's no getting away from the price of this Blackburn rack, but it's pretty similar to that of the Topeak MTX Beam Rack E Type that Matt tested. The Topeak has a slightly lower capacity – 9kg – and is only compatible with Topeak's own luggage, but it is another high-quality option for a bike without any rear rack fittings.

Another option is the SKS Infinity Universal MIK Luggage Rack, which clamps to your bike's seatstays (non-carbon only) and allows you to carry a beam bag or panniers. Josh rated it very highly when he tested it, but it will cost you £120.

Late last year I reviewed the Elops Seatpost Pannier Rack 500. It's a little heavier than the Blackburn, but that extra weight is accounted for by its side rails, which mean you can use it with panniers or a rack bag. Like the Blackburn it's a fit-and-forget item and tough as old boots, but as well as being more versatile, at just £24.99 it's less than half the price.

Conclusion

This is a well-made and tough luggage-carrying option that you can flip for extra versatility, but as it's only compatible with beam bags rather than panniers, in spite of its high quality I don't feel it offers you quite enough for your money.

> Cycling luggage for beginners: find out the best ways to carry stuff on your bike

Verdict

High quality, tough, well made and with a lifetime guarantee – but quite expensive for what it is