A luggage carrier, also commonly called a rack, is a device attached to a bicycle to which cargo or panniers can be attached. This is popular with utility bicycles and touring bicycles.
Bicycle luggage carriers may be mounted on the front or rear of a bicycle. The rear mount is more common. Racks on the front are mostly reserved for utility and freight bicycles. A special type of front rack is a low rider which is mainly used for bicycle touring.
Bicycles may have eyelets, tapped with a standard thread, at the dropouts on the rear chainstays, and on the front fork blades. Mounting a bike rack is possible without these eyelets, but requires additional hardware. A style of rack clamps only to the seatpost, does not require eyelets or additional hardware, but has a limited capacity.
Luggage carriers can be mounted on recumbents and on folding bicycles, but may require customization or additional hardware. Additionally, specialized or customized luggage carriers are often required on bicycles with (rear) disc brakes or full suspension.
A common type of child seat designed for carrying an infant on a bicycle mounts to a rear luggage carrier. Some models of child seat are not attached to a luggage carrier but are fixed to the seat tube.
Some luggage carriers come in more than one size to accommodate different sized frames. A common variation is for there to be a different model for road bicycles and mountain bikes.
Rear-mounted luggage carriers are typically designed and tested for a maximum load of 25 kg, some models even for up to 40 kg. For front-mounted carriers, a typical design load limit might be 2×10 kg. Most luggage carriers are not designed to withstand the weight of an adult person.