Exactly what is the 'Rat trap' for

[mike killay]

Many cycle pannier racks including both of my own have a very strong spring device looking like a large trap for rats.
How is this supposed to work?
Other than a newspaper or something thin, I cannot see how else it operates.

 

[flecc]

Waterproofs like a rolled up cape are the traditional use for these Mike. That's why the leading edge is usually turned down to retain the roll in place when the trap is inclined upwards.
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[KirstinS]

Waterproofs like a rolled up cape are the traditional use for these Mike. That's why the leading edge is usually turned down to retain the roll in place when the trap is inclined upwards.
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I had also always wondered about the "rat trap "

Good to know [emoji106]

 

[anotherkiwi]

From back in the days before Bungee cord was invented. Another historical wart... I don't and won't have one, probably too many bad memories of bloody and bruised fingers...

 

[flecc]

From back in the days before Bungee cord was invented. Another historical wart... I don't and won't have one, probably too many bad memories of bloody and bruised fingers...

But bungees are a source of numerous nasty injuries causing A & E attendances. It's usually due to the end of an overstretched one slipping from one's grasp or the attached end releasing and flicking forcefully upwards. They've caused some very nasty eye injuries.
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[anotherkiwi]

1. choose correct length
2. never over-stretch
3. use the attach points which are on all modern racks
4. no more rat trap!

 

[flecc]

1. choose correct length
2. never over-stretch
3. use the attach points which are on all modern racks
4. no more rat trap!

I gave an agree, but like to keep number 4. It can be very useful in a variety of ways, particularly for the original purpose of holding a cape.

Among other things I've used it a few times to retain the odd road kill pheasant where it had been struck and killed by a vehicle but not run over. Cheaper than the butchers and no shotgun pellets in it.
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[mike killay]

I gave an agree, but like to keep number 4. It can be very useful in a variety of ways, particularly for the original purpose of holding a cape.

Among other things I've used it a few times to retain the odd road kill pheasant where it had been struck and killed by a vehicle but not run over. Cheaper than the butchers and no shotgun pellets in it.
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How do we know that it was road kill?
Or did you find some fiendish way of trapping pheasants?

 

[flecc]

How do we know that it was road kill?
Or did you find some fiendish way of trapping pheasants?

We've got lanes that are used by fast traffic dodging congestion on the main routes and the wildlife suffers. It's the trucks that get the pheasants when they can't gain enough height in time. There's little injury, I think they die of shock more than anything.
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[jwm]

Many cycle pannier racks including both of my own have a very strong spring device looking like a large trap for rats.
How is this supposed to work?
Other than a newspaper or something thin, I cannot see how else it operates.

it's the first thing I put the bolt croppers through, I've never seen the point of them, pannier bags and bungees all the way!

John

 

[flecc]

it's the first thing I put the bolt croppers through, I've never seen the point of them, pannier bags and bungees all the way!

They come from the days of saddle bags when no-one in Britain used panniers, and there were no bungees back then either.
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[daveboy]

We've got lanes that are used by fast traffic dodging congestion on the main routes and the wildlife suffers. It's the trucks that get the pheasants when they can't gain enough height in time. There's little injury, I think they die of shock more than anything.
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Crikey, How ugly are the drivers.

 

[vidtek]

From back in the days before Bungee cord was invented. Another historical wart... I don't and won't have one, probably too many bad memories of bloody and bruised fingers...

Bungee's can be very dangerous, in a local shopping centre in Perth a few years ago, a 16-year-old was killed by one. He and many other youngsters were employed to collect shopping trolleys, and they used bungees to couple them together. One day it slipped out of his fingers and caught him in the neck and killed him, a real tragedy. Work practices were changed after this incident.

 

[flecc]

From back in the days before Bungee cord was invented. Another historical wart... I don't and won't have one, probably too many bad memories of bloody and bruised fingers...

I've just remembered I had another use for the carrier sping clip.

On my Dutch throwover panniers I slit and hemmed the cross panel so I could use the sping clip to hold the pannier set in place. It worked well, here's a photo showing that: