My friend just got a Surly Karate Monkey. He’s going to use it as an off-road tourer and he’s looking for a rear rack. The Karate Monkey is a 29er with disc brakes. It has fender but not rack eyelets (at least the model my friend has). I think the best way to mount the rack will be using the fender eyelets combined with a P-clip or the tubus adaptor attached to the seat stays. The issue then is not how to attach it, but rather ensuring it has the right clearance for large tyres and a disc caliper.
The Topeak Explorer 29er rack seems to be one clear option - it is designed for big wheels and discs. But I’d prefer a Tubus if there is one that fits - buy right once, and I like steel tubes. The Tubus Disco will fit, but it uses a quick-release mount which I’d prefer to avoid in favour of using the fender eyelets. The Tubus Logo comes in a 29er version, but I’m not sure if it will clear the disc caliper.
Anyone come across this before and have suggestions? I’m aiming to purchase the rack online (already putting in some other orders), so I don’t want to waste a bike shop’s time by asking for their help and testing what fits first.
I’ve run a Tubus LOCC on a Charge Duster using spacers to spread the rack and fit over the disk callipers. Carried heavy loads over lots of mixed terrain, no worries. I was alarmed by it when I first saw it, but it’s always been fine. Stainless bolts of course.
(Doesn’t have to be a LOCC - I’d even say better to not be a LOCC - but you should be able to fit most Tubus racks by spacing them out. P-clamps at the seat stays)
Here’s a pic. Snot the greatest to show the rack, but it’s all I’ve got right now, and the bike snot built up.
Have a 700c Super Tourist for discs and swap between two bikes both without seat stay eyelets so use one of these Universal Cycles -- Salsa Rack-Lock Seatpost Clamp 2019
On a small frame the ones that clamp to the seatpost could work better as you can keep the stays more or less horizontal to the rack
Used P clips for a bit but these clamps make the rack on then rack off pretty quick if you keep the clamp attached to the rack and use the old seat post clamp.
While not fancy, they are a solid and cheap rack and work well enough with a load that I cart the 11 year old daughter on it without any rattle or creak. Have used this rack on a large el mariachi, which would be pretty similar in geo to the KM, with 1.9 inch kenda karmas but not any wider than that, seemed to still have enough rack to tyre height to go bigger?.
Gets a bit complicated in the rear if you want to run a rack, muddies and wide tyres and discs off the one set of rear eyelets but is doable with something like Old Man Mountain racks way better but big $$ .
