Tailfin has announced its new Journey Rack, the successor to the now eight-year-old Alloy Rack.
A complete redesign, the brand describes its modular rear-rack system as its “most versatile pannier rack to date”. The rack works across all bikes (including full-suspension mountain bikes) and on everything from the daily commute to long-distance bikepacking trips.
What’s more, you’re no longer locked into only using existing Tailfin top and side pannier bags because the new rack is compatible with third-party options.
The Journey Rack is available in two versions, with or without pannier mounts. The non-pannier version will retail for £150 / $205 / €180, or you'll pay £190 / $260 / €230 to have the pannier mounts. Both include an axle.
Although Tailfin has had a stronghold in the performance market with its rear-rack systems, an increasing number of brands have jumped on the bandwagon. There is the Old Man Mountain’s Elkhorn or the recently released Restrap Switch, for instance.
Tailfin has managed to price the Journey Rack comparably to those options, while not skimping on features.
Keep reading to find out my initial impressions of the rack after a 600km audax.
Thinking of everything
Tailfin has really sweated the details on updating a proven design that balances durability and ease of use.
The Journey Rack combines what Tailfin calls a ‘top deck’, an arch, a front link (you choose between two in the box) and connector kits.
These components run on a ‘tri-pivot architecture’, which Tailfin says allows the rack to move with a bike’s suspension as it compresses.
The signature arch is now claimed to be stronger, thanks to a new manufacturing technique where a crown is welded directly onto the formed hoop.
Tailfin has also revised the Journey Rack’s geometry so it can sit further back from the saddle, improving your bike’s handling and increasing storage space with lower saddle heights.
You can dial in the position of the rack with the two front links provided in the kit – there’s a straight version or a link that can be run in an upward or downward orientation.
The pannier-mount version is rated to take up to 32kg of load (12kg on the top deck and 10kg per pannier), while the non-pannier version steps down to 22kg (12kg on the top deck and 6kg across the quad bosses).
The Journey Rack uses the same Fast Release Dropouts and Seatpost Connector to attach to your bike as Tailfin’s other rear-rack systems, although both components have now been refined to make them stronger and easier to use.
The Seatpost Connector now uses Tailfin’s V Mount rubber found on many of its other bags, which enhances grip. The new lower-profile aluminium lever has a more positive click and the rubber mount now has a quad-hook configuration. Tailfin says the straps of the previous version could stretch over time and risk being overtightened.
The Fast Release Dropouts also have a more premium finish and are 3mm longer to give more clearance for bikes with bulky dropouts.
Wondering if the updated Seatpost Connector and Fast Release Dropouts will be ported over to the carbon racks? I asked Tailfin and the brand confirmed they will be in the future.
When not in use, everything all folds down for easy storage – a feature neither the Restrap Switch or Old Man Mountain Elkhorn have.
Tailfin claims the non-pannier version weighs 580g, and the pannier version weighs 740g. I weighed them at 600g and 771g (both with the upward front link).
The pannier mount version has triple cage mounts and rubber protection towards its base, while the more minimalist non-pannier version has four cage mounts and forgoes the rubber protection.
Bag options
The Journey Rack marks the first time you don’t need to invest into the whole Tailfin rear-rack ecosystem, because you can use what you’ve already got.
It’s a similar move to when the brand released its Bar Cage Bag system last summer, where you could use a dedicated Tailfin option or your own.
You can also strap any bag you want to the 30x10cm top deck, such as options from Ortlieb, Altura and Vaude.
If you want to use one of Tailfin’s bags, the CargoPack and SpeedPack fit (both of which we’ve highly rated), as well as its Pannier Bags.
Let there be light
Just like its other rear-rack options, there’s plenty of interesting accessory add-ons for the Journey Rack.
There’s options for mounting bike lights to the rear of the top deck, including one for a Cateye Nano and another for Exposure’s Boost (£15 / $25 / €20).
There’s also a mount option for a Garmin Varia or Wahoo Trackr rearview radar (£25 / $35 / €30), plus a mount that mimics a seatpost if you want to clip a light on.
Finally, there’s also an angle-adjustable mudguard for £15 / $25 / €20.
Tailfin Journey Rack first impressions
I’ve been testing the Journey Rack with pannier mounts for a couple of weeks.
Although I’ve racked up (geddit?) just under 900km so far, these have all been on commutes and road rides. As such, I’d like to spend some time with the Journey Rack off-road and experiment with different bag permutations before delivering a definitive review.
In terms of bags, I’ve used the brand’s CargoPack for my road rides, and have run this in addition to two 16L Pannier Bags for some of my commutes. I also used the Cateye Nano 60 light mount.
My most significant ride was the Bryan Chapman Memorial, a 600km audax from Chepstow to the Menai Bridge and back (essentially the length of Wales) with a hefty 8,561m elevation.
For this ride, I stored a down jacket and waterproof jacket, food and spares in the CargoPack. The bag was about two-thirds full.
Just like its pricier carbon siblings, the Journey Rack is very robust and it didn’t make the bike unwieldy to handle, even on some of the savagely steep Welsh climbs. I didn’t notice the weight difference between this and the significantly spendier carbon rack.
When I arrived at the ‘audax hotel’ (an experience in itself, I assure you) in a bit of a daze at 3:20am after 394km of riding, I really appreciated how straightforward the bag was to remove off the rack, so I didn’t have to carry the whole assembly inside.
It’s certainly streets ahead of using a conventional saddle bag, which try as you might, will always have an element of sway, and there’s no annoying Velcro to deal with.
The new Seatpost Connector is a clear improvement over the old one, although the one on my CargoPack Carbon has seen abuse in four ultra-endurance races and three bikepacking trips since August 2024 and hasn’t noticeably worn.
Compared to both Tailfin’s carbon racks and competitor options, the Journey Rack is keenly priced, and it’s a shrewd move to offer compatibility with third-party options.
What’s more, like all of Tailfin’s products, the Journey Rack is modular so you can replace and swap parts should they wear out or customise it to your heart’s content.
I’m very impressed with the Journey Rack so far, and the possibilities of how you can run it are endless. It’ll appeal to a lot of riders.
