The Craven 'W' rack and Dolomite panniers arrived as a pile of parts, a bit like a jigsaw but without the helpful picture on the box lid to guide reassembly. And like many good jigsaws there were a couple of bits missing. I've tried to think like Ken Craven might have done and used the parts in the best way I could think of to transfer the load to stronger parts of the frame and fittings. After staring for what seemed like hours wondering how best to complete the fit I resorted to modifying a few of the stays and to making up a couple of extras.
The first picture shows the general arrangement while the second tries to show how a saddle-like brace (from my parts bin not part of the kit that arrived with the panniers) across the top of the mudguard provides the forward pair of rack mounting points. That brace also meant raising the seat 1/2" but only because the mudguard had two convenient holes already drilled, which were too good an opportunity to waste.
The A10 is less well suited to this type of arrangement than the later A65, which has a strong frame loop to carry the dual seat that can be used to good effect. On the A10 there is little option but to transfer some load through the rear mudguard and its stays. The arrangement almost inevitably ends up imitating the Forth (rail) Bridge!
Out on the road the system seems stable enough but load testing is still in progress. A static load test on the rack (I sat on it with the bike on the centre stand) was encouraging. I think a few parts/tools and the odd few clothes etc. won't be too much of a strain.
Still to do - strip, clean and re-paint the rack and stays, replace the fasteners with stainless ones and replace the missing lock on each pannier.
