Touring - Front lowrider racks

I'm looking to get a nicer lowrider rack for my touring bike. Currently I have the one MEC sells. It doesn't fit the bike that well (they bend outwards, it makes me worry about the fork mounting bolt I've used to hold them on), and I would like something a bit heavier duty as I'd like to carry full panniers on them. Most models I have found that look sturdier don't have the bar that connects the two together. I had always thought this would make them much sturdier. Can I trust lowriders for long trips that don't have a bar connecting the two racks together?

I have had trouble with the Blackburn front lowerider rack and my Ortlieb panniers. Ortliebs have a spring loaded clip that locks the packs onto the rack but the blackburns have a flat piece of metal that keeps the ortlieb clips from clipping all the way around.

I met a guy with this rack. It is simply beautiful, sturdy, and stainless steel. You can get them from The Touring Store (http://www.thetouringstore.com/TUBUS/Duo/DUO%20PAGE.htm)at a discount.

http://www.thetouringstore.com/TUBUS/Duo/Tubus%20Duo%20Front%20Bicycle%20Rack%201.jpg

Those are pretty, but my Surly Nice Front Rack is da bomb. :)

It is _so_ solid. Plus you can put stuff on the shelf!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/surly%20nice%20rack%20front.jpg

I put my panniers on the second rung, for a truly Lowrider experience. ;)

I have had trouble with the Blackburn front lowerider rack and my Ortlieb panniers. Ortliebs have a spring loaded clip that locks the packs onto the rack but the blackburns have a flat piece of metal that keeps the ortlieb clips from clipping all the way around.

I met a guy with this rack. It is simply beautiful, sturdy, and stainless steel. You can get them from The Touring Store (http://www.thetouringstore.com/TUBUS/Duo/DUO%20PAGE.htm)at a discount.

http://www.thetouringstore.com/TUBUS/Duo/Tubus%20Duo%20Front%20Bicycle%20Rack%201.jpg

I have a Tubus Tara (the picture is of a Duo). The Tara is solid and well built and, to me anyway, is quite lovely;) Well worth the investment and won't interfer with more modern attachment systems.

Jannd lowrider front rack.

One piece and not overly expensive. Their lowrider position is near ideal (not TOO low), it has a cross the wheel brace, and the tubing is stout.

Gordon is a nice lowrider. Not that expensive if you are trying to move up.

Here is something you may not already have seen:
http://www.slbike.com/e/index.html

Gordon is a nice lowrider. Not that expensive if you are trying to move up.

Here is something you may not already have seen:
http://www.slbike.com/e/index.html

Hey, those are cool. :-) Now I've got to find a place in Ottawa where I can buy one of these great racks. :-/

Been looking at some Axiom Journey 2 lowrider front racks that look pretty decent. Think I'll go for them if I can't find any of these fancier racks.

I'm in Oz, where low riders don't exist yet. I'm waiting for my Surly Nice front rack to arrive in about 2 weeks :)

Then I can heave the piece of wire junk that I have at the moment.

This Winter I replaced a MEC and a Blackburn lowrider with Bruce Gordon's Lowrider (http://bgcycles.com) racks (one on the touring single and one on the touring tandem).

I'm just back from a 3-week tour with the tandem + trailercycle and I think the Bruce Gordon's rack was the best investment I made on that subject.

This Winter I replaced a MEC and a Blackburn lowrider with Bruce Gordon's Lowrider (http://bgcycles.com) racks (one on the touring single and one on the touring tandem).

I'm just back from a 3-week tour with the tandem + trailercycle and I think the Bruce Gordon's rack was the best investment I made on that subject.

I've heard great things about his racks. Where'd you go to get one?

I guess my big question is, is the stabalizer/cross bar really useful in lowrider racks? Should I be concerned about using a lowrider rack setup without the stabalizer bar?

I've heard one good thing about racks with out the stabalizer is that if one side gets damaged, it wont have any effect (affect?) on the other side.

I've heard great things about his racks. Where'd you go to get one?


www.bgcycles.com

Bruce Gordon
Bruce Gordon Cycles