If you’ve got a bike with suspension, then getting a rack to take pannier bags has, in the past, either been extremely difficult or downright impossible. The standard rear racks, which fit to the seat post and rear triangle just won’t work, as the back end of the bike will be shifting up and down.

There’s also the issue of needing different racks for the front and rear of the bike if you’re planning on touring, and front suspension also severely limits your bag carrying options.

Enter the Pack’n’Pedal tour rack from Thule. If you like to go adventuring on your bike, but you need to take more stuff than you can carry on your back, then this may be just the ticket.

It’s designed to work on pretty much any type of bike, including full suspension, and to work on the front AND back of the bike. Add to this a quick attachment system, and you have a rack that you could use for commuting, transfer to your mountain bike for a weekend’s bike trekking, then back again in time for Monday morning.

This is the theory behind Thule’s Pack’n’Pedal Tour Rack – we’ll be looking to see how easy this actually is in practice, and how it performs in a range of conditions.

Price: RRP £85
More information: Thule
Available from: Leisure Lakes