Tubus + Carradice Bike Bureau ?
 

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Anyone using the Bike Bureau? Or can offer some speculation on whether it'd work with a Tubus Tara or Smarti?

I'm building up a new commuter for my girlfriend. She's expressed an interest in a minimalistic front rack like a Tubus Tara. Her new fork lacks mid-fork eyelets though so I'm leaning towards a Tubus Smarti instead. My main question is whether anyone has used a Carradice Bike Bureau with either of these racks. I haven't purchased the pannier yet, but all my research points to it being the one. I realize I can either use P-clamps or the Tubus kit to mount a Tara to a fork lacking eyelets, but I think the Smarti might end up looking "cleaner" and with the right bolts be quite secure. I realize the load will be a little higher up on the Smarti, but I think that'll be okay.

I'd be curious to hearing about any other similar racks and bags. I don't think I'm interested in a front rack that is two separate pieces though, especially lacking mid-fork eyelets. Likewise, I think the Bike Bureau is hard to beat, especially with the flap to protect her clothes from road grime.

Her touring rig will be getting a front rack with a platform and she can use that as her truck, so no need for a platform on the front rack on this one. She wants it light and minimalistic for her commuter.

Thanks in advance!

That is awfully big for a front rack, and I'd bet a pretty penny it's not light.

You can easily carry one pannier on a rear carrier without noticing it. I doubt you could carry several kilos of bag and goods on one side on a low rider up front; as seems to be your plan. This will pull the handlebar to one side constantly, meaning steering demands constant attention, whereas steering should not.

Should you insist on carrying a single big thing up front, you'd be better of by regarding it as a handlebar bag.

+1, a single front pannier always pulls to the side..

I run a balanced pair up front..

Consider .. Carradice SQR offers a seatpost bag, wide and flattish,
for laptops and etc.. it clips on and off ..

bike bureau = too big for front rack, unless you're strapping it across the top of a porteur style.

I had a bike bureau, hated it. Couldn't stop the cover from flapping in the breeze.

Thanks for all the feedback! I had been just looking at pictures of the bag, doing an image search for it actually on a persons back one finally sees how big it is. It is QUITE large!

That said, I frequently run just one pannier on my front rack, usually full of scrubs and underclothes though, so not terribly heavy, but a full size Ortlieb nonetheless. It doesn't bother me any running just one pannier up front, except for every now and then I'll feel a little fatigue in one arm. But I'm a big dude and I'm used to having a pretty big load up front when touring, and I've never used low riders so I don't know how that'd affect steering in comparison. My Ortliebs don't seem to want to fit on the lower hangers of my Rivendell/Nitto "Big" front rack, and my Old Man Mountain Cold Springs is hardly a low rider either. BUT, I'm not going to expect her to run that giant Bike Bureau on one side now that I realize how big it is! :lol:

I totally agree on the SQR+ a bag for the back. She's considering this as well. I run a SQR with a 18L Zimbale and a Carradice Cape Roll everyday on my commuter, only running one or sometimes two panniers on the front rack occasionally.