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Tubus Airy Rack (09) | $221.69
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For minimalist touring the feathery light Tubus Airy is ideal – though it ain’t cheap

BikeRadar verdict

4 out of 5 stars

"Light and sturdy, but could do with more fitting options"

By Dan Joyce, Cycling Plus

This is the carrier that weight-weenies have been waiting for – yup, the Airy is the first titanium pannier rack.

Pre-production models at bike shows were listed as 197g and the finished article clocks in at 227g – not including the two titanium struts that fix the top of the rack to your seatstay eyelets. Add in both of those and it’s a slightly less svelte 304g.

It’s rated to carry 30kg and seemed stiff enough with that sort of weight aboard. That said, if you’ll be hauling that much on a regular basis, the 200-300g weight saving over a steel or aluminium rack is moot – minimalist touring is where the Airy’s really in its element.

Talking of elements, the Airy’s titanium frame won’t rust and you can buff out scratches with an emery cloth. It fits over 26in or 700C rear wheels and there are accessory kits for bikes without eyelets.

However, the struts that fix the rack to the seatstays are straight rather than dog-legged and only fit parallel(ish) to the top of the rack, so it won’t fit all bikes, such as the small Giant SCR we first tried it on, unless you substitute arms from another carrier.

Manufacturers description

With the AIRY tubus introduces the first carrier made out of the material titanium. With a maximum load of 30 kilos and a weight of 197 grams, the tubus AIRY breaks every record. Titanium is a very difficult material to work with. It can only be cut and processed with special tools and machinery. The material titanium is extremely corrosion resistant and strong, which makes the AIRY carrier nearly indestructible.

User Reviews

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  • User review of Tubus Airy Rack (09)

    Not sure how you can give it 8 when its that price and the weight is really a moot point.

    If you are touring you you will be carrying multiple kg of bags. Also the fact the luggage moves slightly on its own and the increased wind resistance of panniers will soon cancel out any advantage a few hundred grams will make.

    0.3
  • User review of Tubus Airy Rack (09)

    @barbej The weight would be an issue for me. I use one bike for commuting, weekend/club rides and light touring - often I don't have have panniers. And when I don't, the the less rack I'm carrying around the better. I'm currently using a Tubus Fly which is similar but steel and it fits my needs really well - it wouldn't be good for loaded touring but that's not what it's about.

    A general point is that the connecting arms look like they might be the same as the ones on the Fly model in which case they are intended to be bent to fit your bike.

    I'd love one but can hardly justify the price.

    0.3
  • User review of Tubus Airy Rack (09)

    Can anyone confirm this is made in China? If so, the Tubus price premium hardly seems worth it, since you're not paying for German artisans to hand build it (as is the case for their other racks), and it's frankly very cheeky to ask £135 or even £150 since the profit margin must be humungous.

    0.3
  • User review of Tubus Airy Rack (09)

    I agree, I guess it is the warranty you are paying for, though it didn't do me much good. My Tubus Disco lasted for about a week until my bike fell over and the rack bent and cut into my tyre leaving me stuck in the middle of nowhere with a slash in my tyre. Tried to email tubus, but was left emptyhanded because it only covers "normal" use.

    To quote Peter Ronge responsible for design and construction at Tubus: “In a nutshell, our carriers are made for normal use, also rough use and overloading, but they are not good in accidents.” Any my accident wasn't even a serious one, as the bike just fell over!

    So why pay the extra bucks for a useless warranty?

    Suffice to say, I will not be getting a tubus rack again.

    0.3

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Specification

Name:
Airy Rack (09)
Built by:
Tubus
Price:
$221.69

Weight (g):
304 g
Available Colours:
Titanium
Material:
Titanium
Max Load Rating:
30 kg

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