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Old 09-15-06, 10:58 AM
  #10  
NoReg
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The top mount is mostly to add extra stays for your fenders. Almost all the nice fenders I have seen for sale use only one stay at the back position, along with the rack, so the forward eyelet is not useful. But I have seen olde looking touring bikes with as many as three/four struts to the fender. Two wires per eyelet.

The nicest custom set-up is for the lower rack mount to be on the blade itself just like the upper rack mount, and for the fenders to be attached to the racks not the eyelet on the drop out. So on a really nice custom these days there isn't any reason to have any eyelets. The main function of double eyelets is they identify the fork as being touring inspired. What you really need on a stock touring bike are the back eyelets and the rack mount on the upper fork, the front eyelets are useless, though they might be nice to have if something broke.

On my stock fork I mount the rack to the inside of the rear eyelet, and the fender to the outside. I use a special wire for the fender with a welded on bar/eyelet so that the fender wire can never spread leving the rack improperly supported and break something up front. Overkill but a nice sanitary approach.

The rear drop does need two eyelets.
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