Seat Post Rack

Overall, I'm really pleased with this rack. It matches my bike quite closely in color and styling. There are two seat post racks available from Schwinn, this one with a plastic shelf and another one made entirely of metal. They're both about the same price. They both have a 20-pound weight limit. This one is slightly easier to install, requiring no tools at all. Since anything I put on this rack will block my rear reflector, I was glad to see that I could remove the reflector and attach it to the end of the rack. The elastic cord included with the rack is fine for tying down small, lightweight packages, but anything over six pounds or so should be tied on with something a little stouter.

If this rack were steel it would hold up better and bend before breaking, it is alloy. I had one rack snap off at the weld near the clamp to the seat post. I was right at the max weight.. I was able to add a steel strap to a second rack to reinforce and eliminate vibration. I drilled a hole in the rack frame and bolted it to the strap wrapped around the seat rails creating a brace. This keeps the rack stable and doesn't flex and prevents the rack from ultimately fatiguing and breaking. Don't expect this rack to hold up over time if you ride over many bumps with 10 or more pounds as a load on rack.

Has a solid weld at the mounting point under the seat. Maybe the 20 lb. limit could be a little higher for this, but shouldn't risk it. It will raise your seat height a little if you keep your seat all the way down against the riser post usually. Easy to attach. Bike is an early 2000's Mongoose Crossway 250. Didn't need the rubber shims for a snug fit around the seat post. Have a wire basket back there and it's now like having a bike with a (small) trunk like a car!

Comparing other units, this is a real value. Serves the basic purpose well. Tricky to install and get it tight around seat tube but once completed it works as expected.

I tried a similar BELL one and it was heavier than this. It fits snugly on the seat post. The only thing that I didn't like was that I had to use pliers to hold the right side nut while I hand tightened from the left side.