Classic & Vintage - DIY porteur rack

Porteur racks are expensive! But they look so useful!

Here is a set of instructions (http://www.bikecommuters.com/2008/08/03/guest-article-anns-diy-porteur-rack/) on building your own, inexpensively. This rack looks sturdy.

I just might try this.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3254/2729921279_785254ae2f_o.jpg

Neat DIY example for sure.

However, I would modify a Wald basket by chopping it and adding a wood platform before I tried that...way too much work for a mediocre result IMHO. Mediocre because I feel that the asthetics are ruined by the amount of holes all over the steel.

Inexpensive and fugly.

I've been wanting to build a DIY one myself, also because they're expensive but useful. I don't know about the one in your picture, though... it's kinda ugly, don't you think?

Ugly? Fugly? Sure. But you haven't seen my bike, have you?

I'm a functional guy, not an æsthetician!

Have you seen the Wald Basket chopped into a Porteur Rack conversion? I've seen at least one around here on the forums.

Basically you take a Wald 157, 137 or 139 style front basket and cut the walls of the basket down to the lowest cross piece. Then you can put some wood slats across the bottom for classy looks if you like.

I know i saw this done here in C&V just recently but i can't remember who did it.

I'll have to agree with the others. My errand bike is sporting a rear rack on the front with a Wald basket attached. It's a kludge for sure but still more, um, elegant than the erector set example imho. Easier too. You could cut the basket down and/or add wooden slats in the bottom, as I think I recall NLerner doing.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4799438318_ff4003be68.jpg

Ah yes it was Neal!
http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bikes/PorteurOld1.jpg

I think thats really cool and quite classy lookin....those wald racks are pretty inexpensive too for the most part.

I really wonder what the parts to make that DIY Erector Set rack cost? I know the massive Wald 157 goes for around $35 and the smaller 137 can be had for under 20 bux...they take spray paint well too. The ones I sprayed white last summer still look pretty good and they get almost daily use for errand running.

Everything I've seen of Neal's is a class act. How about that chain guard!

yeah that is really something cool.

I might as well post another of his from that same thread I found. This one's a Super Course and it looks like a blackburn rack with a wooden top
http://web.mit.edu/nlerner/Public/Bikes/SCPorteur3.jpg

DIY racks for practical beater duty are intended to address function and excuse form. IMHO though, I have to agree it could have been made 'better'. If it was just function we care about, then cutting down milk crates would make great cost effective racks. Our creative juices urges us to build a better mouse trap. nlearner's bikes are amazing works. Very inspiring.
After some home renovations, I thought Closet Maid hardware could make some nice DIYer racks. The shelving comes in 3 colors, tough, welded wire. I think it would make a better looking rack than the initially posted one. Just a thought.

Blackburn front racks are nice but expensive. I can't find a reasonably priced front rack.

I suppose I should learn to weld. Then the possibilities will be endless!

you can braze a rack together with not much more than a MAPP torch...those are cheap and you can get it at ace Hardware...and not really much harder than sweating pipes under the sink. I've frequently though about buying a cheap bending tool from harbor freight and trying my hand.

Thanks for the kinds words, folks. For more pics of that Wald conversion, go here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lerner.n/20PorteurRack#

Total cost for materials including the basket was $20 as I bought the basket used on CL.

For a couple of interesting DIY front racks, check out this site:

http://www.appleblock.com/small-bag-rack.php
http://www.appleblock.com/econo-porteur-rack.php

Also, a relatively cheap front rack ($30) can be had from Soma:

http://store.somafab.com/somialfrra.html

My usual technique for making a wooden platform is to connect cedar slats to a hunk of wire shelving (the stuff coated with white plastic). I use a couple of strips of thin steel on the bottom and brass bolts and nuts to hold it all together. You can then connect the wire shelving to the front rack with zip ties.

Neal

I've always wondered ...whats the difference between a front rack like the Soma one

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and a blackburn rear rack? ie: why would I buy a "front" rack if I can just get a blackburn-esque rear rack for cheap and use it on the front?

I've always wondered ...whats the difference between a front rack like the Soma one

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and a blackburn rear rack? ie: why would I buy a "front" rack if I can just get a blackburn-esque rear rack for cheap and use it on the front?
I'm pretty sure a side view would answer that question. I held a Jim Blackburn rear rack up to my Lambert 5sp to see if I could mount it on the fork, and it was a no-go; the legs reached too far forward.

For my purposes, a porteur rack would need to accomodate a large size pizza box in horizontal position without much complicated strapping.

The DIY rack reminds me of the Erector Set I always wanted as a kid.

To be honest, I don't have a bike I dislike enough to put something that ugly on it.

I dig the modified wine crate mounted to a cheap front rack idea. One of these days I'll get around to rigging something up like that. That front Soma rack looks like a great rack for the money. Check this (http://cgi.ebay.com/FRONT-RACK-TOURING-PANNIERS-NITTO-RIVENDELL-ROAD-BIKE-/360284363497?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e29f1ae9) rack out. Pretty cool if you have cantilever brakes.

hey thats pretty cool. I like how the top appears to be able to unscrew from the legs...presumably you could bolt on whatever you wanted to those legs.

hey thats pretty cool. I like how the top appears to be able to unscrew from the legs...presumably you could bolt on whatever you wanted to those legs.

That's what I was thinking. Pretty versatile. I'm gonna measure my Voyageur tonight to see if it'll fit.

I like the four point mounting. It should be very sturdy.