FAQ
Am I allowed to attach a child seat to my tubus luggage carrier?
No. Please do not attach a child seat to your tubus luggage carrier. Our luggage carriers are extremely resistant to bending and other stresses that occur during travel. However, if attachments such as child seats are attached with crimp clamps, the carrier can break. This is because tubus luggage carriers are made from thin-walled tube. Damage of this kind is not covered by the guarantee.
Please note the following: A child seat that is attached to one of our luggage carriers by means of crimp connectors and the carrying of a person on a luggage carrier in this way invalidates your guarantee coverage and, more importantly, poses a danger to the life and limb of the child or person using it!
Can I continue to use my rear light, which has a 50 mm or 80 mm bolt spacing, on my preferred carrier?
Please take a look at the technical drawing for your preferred carrier. This can be found (as a link) in the information on the product in question here on our Website.
Why are the roundstays and mounting parts provided with titanium carriers not made from titanium, too?
The roundstays of the AIRY and LOGO titanium luggage carriers consist of a bendable aluminium alloy, since in many cases, these roundstays must be bent in order to join the luggage carrier to the bike frame. If the roundstays were made from titanium, they would not be bendable.
The clamping parts with which the roundstays are attached to the luggage carrier are made from stainless steel. This is because otherwise, an extremely undesirable electrochemical reaction (contact corrosion) would occur between the aluminium struts and the titanium, which would make the struts brittle.
Does the luggage carrier load capacity decrease if it is installed on the axle with a quick-release adapter set (art. no. 71500 and 71501)?
Yes. The load capacity is max. 25 kg if the carrier is attached to the quick-release axle, even if a higher capacity is stated for the luggage carrier itself.
Naturally, if a lower capacity is specified for the luggage carrier, this capacity cannot be exceeded with the quick-release adapter set, either.
My frame has oval seat stays. How do I determine the dimension of the most suitable clamp adapter set?
Simply take a strip of Sellotape or duct tape and stick it on the section of the tube where you want to place the clamp. The ends should overlap slightly. Then mark the place where the ends overlap, remove the strip of tape, and stick it to something flat to measure it. The distance from the start of your strip to your marking is the circumference of your seat stays. You now need to divide the result of your measurement by Pi (3.14 is sufficient!) to find the required clamp diameter. Example: Your strip of tape measures 75.5 mm, so 75.5 ÷ 3.14 = 24.04 mm. So you find the 24–25 mm clamp in the tube clamp range – and off you go!
I'm having problems mounting the spring flap on my CARGO or LOCC. What can I do?
The spring must already be pretensioned prior to mounting so that it can get a really good grip afterwards. If you're having problems mounting it, your tubus specialist dealer will be pleased to help you. Alternatively, you can send it to us, and we'll deal with it. If you wish to do this, please contact us directly.The spring must already be pretensioned prior to mounting so that it can get a really good grip afterwards. If you're having problems mounting it, your tubus specialist dealer will be pleased to help you. Alternatively, you can send it to us, and we'll deal with it. If you wish to do this, please contact us directly.
Is there a spring flap for the AIRY titanium carrier?
No, we do not offer a spring flap for this titanium luggage carrier.
My ORTLIEB pannier with QL-1 rail system does not fit the TARA/DUO because the hook is too narrow to grasp the carrier tube. What do I have to do to be able to use this bag with the TARA or DUO?
The lower hook on the bag must be replaced with the hook for the 16 mm tube (Ortlieb art. no. E110). Your dealer can also get this spare part from us: Art. Nr. 30013.
Can tubus rear carriers be attached to all bikes? Do conditions exist for the attachment of a tubus luggage carrier?
All rear luggage carriers from tubus can be attached to all unsuspended bikes that have a hole or eyelet of at least 5 mm on each side on the dropout above the rear axle without an adapter. In addition, there must be eyelets at the top of the seat stays.
If this is not the case, see the next answer.
My bike doesn't have any eyelets. Can I mount a rear tubus luggage carrier anyway?
If your bike has no eyelets above the rear axle, our Adapter set for QR-axle-mounting (art. no. 71500 and 71501 – only for Logo 29”) should be able to help you. In this case, the carrier is held by the axle of the quick-release adapter. However, please note that this is not compatible with our Evo models.
Alternatively, we offer a thru axle adapter (art. no. 71700) to which racks can be mounted either directly or with the help of a foot extension (art. no. 70024, 71500, 71600).
If your bike has no eyelets at the top of the seat stays, you can mount our carriers there with clamp sets (depending on the diameter of the seat stay, art. no. 71614-71624).
Even suspended rear swingarms with 5 mm threaded eyelets can be suitable for mounting a tubus luggage carrier. However, it is best to have this possibility checked by your specialist dealer.
What prerequisites are there for the mounting of the different lowrider models?
The TARA and GRAND EXPEDITION FRONT lowriders are suitable for all forks that have 5 mm eyelets on the lower fork ends (often, the mudguard stays are attached there). In addition, attachment eyelets should be soldered onto the middle of the forks. If this is not the case, the TARA can be mounted using mounting kit LM-1 (for fork blades with a thickness of 20-26 mm) and mounting kit LM-BF (for fork blades with a thickness of 25 – 40 mm).
The DUO lowrider is suitable only for forks with eyelets on the lower fork ends and eyelets on the middle of the forks, both of which can be seen from the inner and outer sides of the fork tubes. Eyelets that are visible only on the outer side of the forks are insufficient, since they do not enable the correct mounting of the DUO.
My bike has disk brakes. Can I still mount a tubus luggage carrier?
In the case of mounting problems, our foot extension (ART. NO. 70024 and 70063 (only for Logo 29”)) can help to move the carrier a few cm higher and to the rear. This solves the collision problem. Please note that the foot extensions are not suitable for the Evo models. Alternatively, you can mount our rear carrier DISCO. We designed this specially for bikes with disk brakes (the foot extension is already elegantly integrated into this product).
Which carrier fits my frame?
You can find size information for our luggage carriers directly on the product page and inside the product description here on our homepage. Speaking generally, a luggage rack designated for 28" will fit a bicycle frame with 28" wheels. In case of doubts, the exact dimensions of our carriers can be found under "technical drawing", which allow conclusions about the structural conditions of the frame.
Where can I find dimensions such as the installation height and width of a luggage carrier?
Here on our Website: For each carrier, click the technical drawing for answers to this question.
Where can I find out the maximum permitted tyre width for my carrier?
Here on our Website: For each carrier, click the technical drawing for answers to this question.
I need to bend the 8 mm round struts provided with the carrier in order to join the carrier to the frame. Is this allowed? If so, what's the easiest way to do this?
The roundstays can be bent to a maximum angle of 45°. You must make sure that the bend is at least 20 mm away from the flattened end of the roundstay. The easiest way to bend the roundstays is in a vice. However, you must place a piece of leather or a similar material underneath so that the roundstays don't get scratched.
TIP: In the case of a luggage carrier with two roundstays, both roundstays should be bent together to ensure exactly the same bend is created.
Can I shorten round stays myself?
Yes, doing so yourself is not a problem. Using a metal blade saw, shorten the round stay by about 1 cm longer than the required spot. We recommend deburring the freshly cut edge before sealing it with black color and the included end cap (article number 71008).
Can I attach a tubus luggage carrier to a carbon frame?
If the frame has eyelets that enable the attachment, not a problem! However, if these eyelets are not present, it's more difficult: A clamp set is not allowed to be used with carbon frames. The carbon fibres could be damaged by the required crimping action. For more information, please contact your specialist dealer.
What must I pay attention to when attaching my luggage carrier if the spacing of the carrier feet does not precisely match the spacing of my bike dropouts?
For all of the products listed on our home page, there are technical drawings and assembly guides showing the minimum and maximum installation width of the luggage carrier feet. To avoid impairing the stability, even load distribution, and lifetime of your tubus carrier, please make sure that mounting does not take place under tension and that any lasting deformation of the product is prevented.
As an end-customer, can I acquire luggage carriers, accessories, or spare parts directly from tubus?
No, unfortunately that's not possible. At tubus, we supply and support specialist bike dealers as a manufacturer of high-quality components. Please contact your local specialist dealer, who will be able to provide expert help.
I've lost an individual part from my luggage carrier. How can I get a suitable spare part?
All spare parts for your luggage carrier can be delivered to specialist dealers by tubus – including parts for older models. Please just ask, and your specialist dealer will be glad to order the parts you need (if they're not already in stock).
Why is there abrasion on my luggage carrier from my saddle-bag, and what can I do about it?
The surface of tubus luggage carriers consists of two layers. The base layer is a cathodic dip coating (CDC) like that used for the underbody parts of cars. In accordance with automotive standards, it can withstand a 400-hour salt spray test, which corresponds to a full lifetime for a car. We also apply an additional polyester layer that can withstand a 500-hour salt spray test.
In combination, these layers provide a surface that is more than twice as resistant to corrosion as an automotive part found on the underside of a vehicle. However, just like other coatings that can be applied to steel parts, this coating cannot withstand the effects of heavy-duty mechanical abrasion like that caused by panniers. Panniers often have highly glass-fibre-reinforced suspension systems. Glass fibres or beads are added to the polyamide plastic to strengthen it.
If there is no unreinforced intermediate part or protector between the hooks and the lower support and attachment parts of the bags and the luggage carrier, significant abrasion is inevitable. Unfortunately, this cannot be prevented by any type of luggage carrier coating.
For information on how you can best protect the surface of your carrier, see the answer to the next question (care and maintenance 02).
How can I prevent raw spots on my luggage carrier caused by the panniers rubbing against it?
Since abrasion can always occur during travel despite our usage of state-of-the-art resistant powder coatings on our luggage carriers (see care and maintenance answer 01), we recommend that you protect your luggage carrier with our abrasion protection set (79006) or protection film set (79005).
In particular, the transparent film (79005) was newly developed in 2018 to meet our requirements and has been tested in harsh conditions in accordance with our standards to ensure its adhesive power, resistance to UV rays, and abrasion resistance. In addition, please always make sure that your bags sit tightly on the carrier. The inner diameter of your bag hooks must be adjusted in line with the tube diameter of our carriers (if necessary using adapter parts that should be provided with the bag). The lower hook should also be as firmly attached as possible to the tube (on the TARA/DUO, an optionally available wider hook can be used due to the 14 mm tube). This is because a bag that is firmly attached cannot move, and will therefore cause less abrasion.
How do I treat raw spots on the luggage carrier?
If there are already spots that have been rubbed bare or rusty spots on your luggage carrier, you can simply sand them back with fine sandpaper where necessary (the rust must be removed) and then paint over them with a commercially available touch-up stick (automotive accessory, e.g. black: RAL 9005 matt / silver: RAL 9006 matt).
Please note that a tubus luggage carrier that has bare spots resulting from rubbing bag hooks or their reinforced corners does not constitute cause for a guarantee claim.
Are there tubus luggage carriers that do not require a powder coating?
Yes. You can choose one of our stainless steel or titanium carriers:
• AIRY
• COSMO
• FLY CLASSIC Edelstahl
• LOGO CLASSIC Edelstahl
The surface of these carriers is blasted but uncoated, and nevertheless rust-proof (Airy) or resistant to rust. This means that there's nothing for bag hooks to abrade. At most, the hooks can minimally change the surface structure of the material, which will hardly be noticed at all.
Please note: Our stainless steel luggage carriers are not rust-proof but are largely resistant to rust. In extreme conditions such as high air humidity, salinity, and chemically aggressive atmospheres, localised flash rust can occur. However, this can be removed using chrome polish.
Steel luggage carriers - do they not rust?
None of our luggage carriers has ever been sent back to us rusted through. The steel alloy of the chrome molybdenum that we use can rust if there is no surface protection. If the plastic layer on your tubus luggage carrier is damaged down to the steel, however, the tube will not rust through as a result and large parts of the plastic will not flake off.