Bike Forums - View Single Post - bike shopping and gut check

08-12-11, 08:30 AM

#14

bud16415

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Join Date: Jul 2011

Location: Erie Penna.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by treebound

Is that a homemade rack on the Windsor? Interesting.

Yep a DIY project, all aluminum and pretty light. I should take a few new photos it now has two supports coming up from each lug on the frame. Holds a lot of weight and is really rigid. The top is a thin piece of royal-lite plastic. The reason I built it was to see if it could be done and also I wanted a larger platform than most I was looking at. I have used the bike-bin as a stool and the top of the rack as a makeshift table, great place to set the stove for a roadside meal. The front rack holds my MMS military sleep system on top with a strap. The two side rails are for mounting two homemade panniers also GI repurposed black special forces fanny packs. The MMS is a little heavier than most sleep systems but covers a huge range of conditions and has a water tight bivy. I will have to post the fanny packs when I get some photos.

As to the back rack it was semi DIY also to get started and I have plans of building a companion rear rack to match the front. one trick I did and this photo kind of shows it was to extend the rack back more I bent the lower leg right above the attachment point, the angle is such it meets the flared out other support. That did two things moved the rack back maybe a inch and also lowered it about a inch. the space between your fender and rack is pretty much wasted space and the lower you get your load the better. That’s one of the reasons I never liked the seat post racks they end up being too high and most are on the heavy side. Great for a quick setup to strap a day bag to but not what I would want for heavier gear.
My rear rack the DIY part was to extend it out making room for the center wire basket that stays on all the time. The basket acts as a tombstone to attach anything and everything to. and when the bike is in commuter mode it’s the grocery basket. also the perfect size for the cooler shown (6 pack and lunch).

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