Framebuilders - Fork fitting location specs for lowrider rack mount?

I have been wondering if there is a standard location for the bolt fittings in the middle of the fork for lowrider racks.

Two forks I just checked for you. Very close to 215mm from the center hole on the fork crown to the mid fork rack mounts as near as I could measure with the wheels still in the forks. One is an old Univega Via De Oro and the other is a brand new Steelwool Tweed frame & fork assembly. Both 700C wheel size frames & forks.

I think the standard is 165mm from dropout eyelet to mid-fork BO.

Thanks, I was thinking it had to be from the dropout eyelet, since the distance from the fork crown could vary quite a bit

BG spaces his at 7.5 inches for what that is worth. Doesn't fit the standard.

I think the standard is 165mm from dropout eyelet to mid-fork BO.

The Univega measures 170mm and the Steelwool Tweed measures 160mm from eyelet to mid fork front rack mounting bolts so whatever the standard it seems to have a wide tolerance. Maybe that is why the Surly front pannier rack has such adjustability provided.

tatfiend, thanks for measuring those bikes. Interesting that the crown to rack fitting was the same, but the dropout to rack fitting was different.

The standard is 6.5 inches. That comes out to 165.1 mm, not sure whether it is originally a metric increment or not. Luckily it hardly maters. There seem to be a lot of touring bikes that wear a standard rack at an angle, so it is as well to check the actual parts. I always think an expensive bike with a cockeyed rack looks pretty awful. I always start in reverse order, buy the bag, pick the rack, make the fork (or rack, but at least make sure they are a match). Of course that doesn't help when one is making commercial product to send into the wide blue yonder.

Can I ask a stupid question at this point?

I've just bought a tourer, which had these rack fittings on the front forks in the picture... but due to my not fantastic Japanese, when it arrived, it didn't. I've already got a rack which only mounts to these fittings. I wonder, as I've never really seen them..... what's inside? Can I just drill holes / have someone drill holes in the fork, or is that an insane plan?

Thanks. :)

I think it's an insane plan. I think those fittings should be brazed on, which would involve a repaint.

You aren`t in too bad of shape. Like Unterhausen said, they ought ot be brazed in, which will require either repainting or, if you aren`t picky, just a shot of primer on the sanded and burnt areas. Check out the price sheets form a few frame builders if you aren`t up to doing it yourself- it won`t be too awful expensive. But are you sure you need lowrider bosses? Some racks (Tubus Duo for sure, probably others) supposedly have to be that way, but in some cases you can use clamp on doohickeys.

"what's inside? Can I just drill holes / have someone drill holes in the fork, or is that an insane plan?"

You need some waterbottle mounts which are just little cylinders with a lip on them, and they are threaded inside. You can braze these in place yourself with a propane torch, however the cost of buying the silver and flux would start to come close to a new fork. If you can find someone to do it for you all the better. You will affect the paint in a 2" radius at least, and if there is chrome I would not personally want to do it, or would have to scrape and sand it away in the heated area first. If you just ride the bike loaded the fork paint won't be noticeable. Probably the easiest insert to braze on. There are a lot of little details you have to do right to make everything line up and bond as it should.

Okay, thanks for your help!