Touring - front racks? jandd expedition VS blackburn lowrider

that's actually the JANDD extreme!

the jandd is heavier. is the versatility worth it?
how do they compare in durability?

thanks, tony

the jannd extreme front rack offers a LOT of versatility. a top shelf rack allows overflow packing, strapping jackets away without stopping the bike, etc. the extreme rack is TOUGH.


is the versatility worth it? YES.

thanks!

I have both racks and agree with Bek 100% on the versatility of the Jandd Extreme. The Extreme also has 2 positions for mounting the panniers which is useful. I prefer the upper position even when riding on roads because the bottom of the panniers won't rub on curbs which eventually can cause holes.

That said, these racks are heavy at over 2 pounds (probably twice as heavy as the lowriders). If you aren't carrying jugs of water or doing expedition style, off road touring, etc. it might be overkill. YMMV, but the attachment bracket doesn't seem to fit a wide range of bikes. I had to use P-clips even though I have mid fork braze-ons.

my braze-ons are 7" above the dropout.

thanks, tony

Is the Jadd front rack expedition model compatible with Ortlieb front panniers? I hear from the VW vagabond folks that there experience the Blackburn Lowerider was not good since the ortlieb panniers kept falling off.

They mentioned that they should have gone with a Tubus rack, but for $88, it's a bit steep.

Some racks do not work well with some panniers. I suggest you try any bags you have on each type of rack. Or, you may have to buy another set of bags to go with the racks you finally buy.

They mentioned that they should have gone with a Tubus rack, but for $88, it's a bit steep.

Yeah, the Blackburn *Standard* Lowrider rack has a flat horizontal top bar that the Ortlieb's can't wrap around, so they tend to fall off on bumps. The Blackburn *Custom* Lowrider rack has the round top tube that works with the Ortliebs, but your fork has to have mid-way braze-ons for the BB Custom rack to work.

I use the Jandd extreme and love it with the top rack, I don't like handlebar bags. One thing to concider is if it will clear your front fender if you use one. This was a major issue on my Cannondale T2000. I had some serious mechanical modifications to do before I was happy with the mounting. Happy touring.

I'm thinking of the Surly Front Nice Rack. I like the idea of it being steel/repairable and having a greater load capacity, even if I don't put 70 lbs up front. Any thoughts?

I have the Extreme Front rack and use it with a handlebar bag. On my 19” Trek 520 there is insufficient clearance between the bottom of the bag and top of the rack to mount a sleeping bag, which is something I was interested in doing. In that regard, I was disappointed. I am unable to compare the rack to other front racks. However, it seems very strongly built. Overall, it’s a good bit sturdier than the rear rack that came with my Trek.

There is 3” to 4” between the bottom of the bag and the rack. It easily cleared my fenders. I purchased this rack because I really wanted a rack with a top platform. I hope this will help keep things from dangling into the front spokes.


The rack weighs about 37 ounces, which is 2 pounds 5 ounces, per Jandd’s web site.

I had no problems in mounting the rack.

that's actually the JANDD extreme!

the jandd is heavier. is the versatility worth it?
how do they compare in durability?

thanks, tony
My two cents worth on front racks in general: I just returned from a x-country tour using Nitto/Rivendell front and rear racks. On my next tour i will not use a front rack. My conclusion is that front racks only encourage you to pack more stuff (lbs.) than you really need. Unnecessary weight diminishes enjoyment proportionately.