Blackburn MTN -1 Pannier Rack – Review Part 2
This panier rack is sturdy and designed specifically to attach to mountain bikes, so long as you get the right size. The MTN1 is for frames up to 21” and the MTN2 for larger frames. I’m going to need this occasionally, and as you can’t really remove these things as and when you want them, this rack seems like the right balance between lightweight and toughness. Blackburn also produces the Expedition rack if you want something tougher. The marketing blurb states that the MTN will carry 15kg, which should be more than enough for any multi day trip I’ll be undertaking in the next year or so.
Fitting these things is very easy, even for a mechanical refusenik like me. You first need to do some minimal assembly by attaching the brackets that attach the front of the rack to the seat stay. It’s then a matter of removing the bolts that protect the holes and connecting them. The difficult part is then attaching the horizontal support to near the wheel nut. Part one of the review explains the difficulty I had in doing this, as while I was convinced I was trying to attach to the right holes, the bolt wasn’t going in. Eventually, it did attach both with a bit of elbow grease and the replacement of the bolt with a longer one. I’ll also need to work out how to attach my rear light as the attachment provided isn’t compatible.
There’s very little more that can be said until it’s been in use for a few months. Some online reviews claim that the steel attachments aren’t as good as they should be and are a weak link in the product. Blackburn on the other hand provide a no quibble lifetime guarantee, so i’ll have to wait and see.
Summary:
Manufacturer (RRP): Blackburn (£34.99)
Weight: 590g
What’s good: It’s a rack that feels bombproof for the price – with the proviso given above!
What’s bad: Could do with an extra long bolt for disc brakes. Seat post attachment doesn’t feel as sturdy as the rest.
