A pannier rack needs to fit your bike, and your bags need to fit the rack. Most guides only talk about the first part, but here we’ll help you check both, step by step.
1. Check your bike
Begin by checking your bike’s frame before looking at racks.
- Eyelets: Check for small threaded holes near the rear wheel axle and at the top of the seat stays. Tubus recommends 5 mm eyelets in both spots. If your bike has these, a bolt-on rack is your best option.
- Wheel size and tyre width: Every rack lists which wheel sizes and tyre widths it fits. Make sure yours match, and include mudguards if you use them.
- Disc brakes: Rear disc brake callipers can block the rack’s legs. Pick a rack designed for bikes with disc brakes.
- Carbon frames: Avoid using clamps on carbon frames. Some brands, like Tubus, don’t allow it. If your frame has eyelets, use them, or choose a rack that mounts on the wheel axle.
- Your bike’s weight limit: Manufacturers set a maximum combined weight for the bike, rider, and luggage. Adding a rack doesn’t increase this limit.
2. Choose the type of rack
Rack bolted to eyelets: best for most riders
If your bike has eyelets, this is the strongest and most stable choice. We suggest a rear rack with three side bars on each side. These bars support your bags, prevent them from swinging or hitting the spokes, and make the rack stiffer and less wobbly when loaded.
No eyelets
Clamp-on racks, axle-mounted racks, and seatpost racks work for bikes without eyelets. They usually carry less weight than bolt-on racks, so always check the maximum load. If you want to use panniers on a seatpost rack, make sure the manufacturer says it’s suitable.
E-bikes
Many e-bikes come with a rack designed for the bike, sometimes with the battery built in. Before buying bags, check how they attach. Our strap-on panniers fit e-bikes with a bolt-on rear rack, as long as there’s space to pass the straps around the rails.
3. Check the rack top: this is where panniers fit or don’t
Look at the top of your rack. You’ll see two main side rails running from front to back, joined by smaller cross-bars. Some racks also have a spring flap on top. For our strap-on double panniers, four measurements determine the fit:
- Gap between the rails: 12 to 16 cm. Measure from the inner edge of one side rail to the inner edge of the other.
- Drop below the rail: at least 34 cm. Measure from the top rail down towards the rear wheel hub and the gears, so the bag clears them.
- Rack length: at least 20 cm, ideally 34 cm. On a rack shorter than 34 cm, the bag overhangs.
- Side bars: three on each side recommended. They stop the bag swinging and touching the spokes.
The straps need space to wrap around the rails, and the rails must be exposed. Racks with enclosed rails or those designed only for click-fit bags won’t work with strap-on panniers.
Bags with hooks or clips attach to the tube, so for these, measure the tube’s thickness and the length of straight rail needed for the hooks.
You can enter your rack’s measurements on our Will it fit? page to check which BikyBag will fit.
4. Check the load
Each rack has a maximum load set by the manufacturer. Add up the weight of your bags and their contents, and keep under this limit. If you plan to carry a child seat, make sure the rack is rated for it. The current standard, BS EN ISO 11243:2023, requires at least 27 kg for a child seat.
5. Think about your heels
If your heel hits the front of your pannier while pedalling, the right rack can help. Racks with a low side rail keep bags lower and further back, while racks with a swept-back foot move the whole rack further back. For more details, see our article Panniers hitting your heels? How to stop it.
6. Lights and reflectors
In the UK, a bike ridden between sunset and sunrise must have a red rear light and a red rear reflector marked BS 6102/2. Many racks have a mount at the back with two holes, either 50 mm or 80 mm apart. If you add a light or reflector there, make sure your bags don’t block it.
Which BikyBag fits which rack
- Classic and Model M double panniers: two top straps loop over the rack’s top rail and buckle beneath it, and a hook-and-loop strap wraps a lower strut. Rails 12 to 16 cm apart, at least 34 cm drop. No tools needed.
- Classic One single pannier: adjustable hooks lock onto top tubes 8 to 16 mm thick and need at least 94 mm of straight rail. It fits e-bike racks with integrated batteries or spring clamps. A lower bar on the rack lets the lower catch stop the bag swinging. Recommended load 5 kg per bag.
- Shopper 16 single pannier: two fixed hooks, 20 cm apart, for top tubes up to 13 mm thick and at least 20 cm of straight rail. No lower catch, so it lifts straight off.
Not sure? Enter your measurements on our Will it fit? page, or send them to us. We’ll confirm the fit before you order.
Questions riders ask
My bike has no eyelets. Can I still fit a rack?
Yes. Clamp-on, axle-mounted and seatpost racks are made for this. They usually carry less, so check the maximum load, and don’t use clamps on a carbon frame.
Will my panniers fit my rack?
For our strap-on double panniers: the side rails are 12 to 16 cm apart (inner edge to inner edge), the rack drops at least 34 cm below the rail, it’s at least 20 cm long, and there’s room to pass the straps round the rails. For bags with hooks, check the tube thickness. Our Will it fit? page checks your numbers for each bag.
Which panniers fit an e-bike rack with a battery?
It depends on how the bag attaches. Strap-on panniers fit if there is room to pass the straps around the rack tubes. Our Classic One’s hooks work on racks with integrated batteries.
Why does my rack wobble?
Check the bolts are tight, and that the load is under the rack’s maximum. A rack with three side bars on each side is stiffer and wobbles less.
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Panniers hitting your heels? How to stop it