FAQ
About the rack:
What sort of dry bag should I mount on it?
The rack isn't too particular about the specific dry-bag you put on it. It is designed around an 8" (20cm) diameter dry bag that is 12-18" (30-45cm) long. The rack length from front to back is 17" (43cm) - you likely don't want your bag pushed right up to your seat post, but it's ok to overhang the back a little ways off the back.
Specifically, the Sea to Summit Big River dry bags are an excellent option in the 8L and 13L sizes. Revelate Terrapin® drybags also look like a good choice, and are widely available. Revelate's double-ended dry bags (e.g. the Salty Roll) also work well. We've been using a variety of 10-15L cylindrical dry bags with good success. I advise to avoid ultra-light dry bags, and go for something thick and abrasion resistant, as grit will surely be thrown off your tire in that area.
My bike has rack mounts, will the rack mount directly to those?
It's not impossible, but your rack mounts likely won't be in the right spot to install a Mica rack directly to them. The top stays are designed to be mounted on the included 30mm wide clamp. If your bike has rack mounts about 30mm apart, it may work.
Some bikes, such as Surly Karate Monkeys, have mid-stay rack mounts. I believe these are slightly too low to mount directly onto. The length of the legs was made to ensure a good fit on all sizes of bikes, and we couldn't make them too long or they would interfere with certain disc brakes (or make the rack sit too high). The good news is that the included mounting blocks will still work, even if you have factory rack mounts.
This thing is mounted with zip ties?! Don't those break?
These zip-ties are Ty-Rap cable ties, made for outdoor electrical use in all temperatures. The size that we've included with the rack seat stay mounting blocks are rated for 120lbs (534N) tensile strength...and the rack is mounted with four of them. They are crazy strong, and in our experience, they don't get brittle.
What if I need more zip ties?
You can buy 120lb-rated zip ties from many electrical suppliers. 5/16" wide hose clamps also fit in the seat stay mounting blocks, and they are available from most hardware stores. Or, you can contact me to buy more.
This thing is a bit finicky to install, are there installation instructions?
Where are the racks made?
Rat Tail racks are now fabricated in Taiwan in the same shop as many of the other high quality chromoly racks on the market. Some of the small parts included with racks continue to be made in Canada.
My vision for a production model will keep some manufacturing tasks to myself, in house, while leaning on experienced manufacturers as needed to provide the highest quality and most useful products. I'll continue making pre-production and limited release racks in my small shop in North Vancouver, BC, Canada.