Dougmt

I seem to remember seeing this somewhere on the forums but can't seem to find it using search nor browsing hundreds of posts
So... anyone recall a website that sells a rack for mounting on a front shock?
If not can anyone point me to a 1" non threaded touring fork?
Thanks for any help.
Doug

RegularGuy

Old Man Mountain

Dougmt

Thanks!
That's just what I was looking for... now if they were just a little cheaper LOL.
Actually I think I'm going to bite the bullet and go ahead and order one..... cheaper than scrounging up a 1" rigid fork and hassling with correct fit et al.
Thanks again,
Doug

RainmanP

I seem to remember that Tubus makes a front rack for use on suspension fork. Check the Tubus racks at peterwhitecycles.com. Also, Carradice makes a set of front panniers that have sort of a built in mount so you don't need a rack. Can't recall if they work on suspension. PWC sells Carradice also or check wallbike.com. One or both of them have links to the Carradice website also. This will at least give you a couple of other options to check out. Tubus and Carradice are among the most respected brands in racks and bags, respectively.
Regards,
Raymond

Dougmt

Well here's what I did.
First note that I am probably the cheapest person on the board.. well no, I take that back... I'll spend a few $$$$ if the value is there but I tend to research a purchase to the Nth degree. I first contacted performance about their $89.99 front and rear pannier/rack combos that I bought. Seems that if I had bought them seperately I would have saved a substantial sum. After about 5 minutes on hold the CSR credited my card back over $50.00 on the pair... not bad, $130.00 for both front and rear bags and the racks to go with them. Many might question the durability of the racks but the back one is built VERY well... I like the design as it seems stronger than many I've looked at. And as far as the front rack... time will tell but as you'll see later I think the rack is at least in the same field as some competitors. I almost bought a front rack from Old Man Mountain. Now they build some nice racks but after looking at their mounting system for suspended forks I knew I could do as good if not better. Their system is design as a "fit all" solution for suspended bikes and as such lacks some finesse. Here's a pic of the mounting system I would have to use..

and here is another

My solution was scrounge home depot until I had the following:
2- 1-1/2" "L" brackets and 2 half round brackets designed fo mounting 1-1/4" conduit to a wall. I primed and painted both brackets to match the flat black of the rack and it works AWESOME. It's a perfect fit and is VERY solid... I'll post some pics tomorrow.
Doug

LET

My favorite is the Old Man Mountain racks, but buy them from Vaude at their web site. They sell them at a deep discount because their primary interest is selling panniers.

RainmanP

Doug,
Are those the Performance Transit Epic Panniers you bought? I hate to rain on your parade, but I have to warn you about them. I bought a pair of Transit Epic rear panniers a couple of years ago. They seemed very well made, but I found the mounting system almost useless. It seemed almost impossible to get the mount good and snug. Even after doing the best I could, I had one bounce off on hitting a not-too-bad bump. So I ordered a suspension kit from Arkel which worked great. However, after just a few months of daily commuting use the mounting bolts for the suspension hooks pulled through the plastic stiffener. The bags are NOT built to be repaired, using rivets instead of bolts. On examining the plastic stiffener I decided it was completely inadequate. It is corrugated plastic similar to that used in those white plastic mail tubs the post office uses, not nearly sturdy enough for the bouncing and shock that the bags receive hanging on a bike. To their credit, Performance refunded me the entire amount, agreeing with my assessment even though I had modified the bags. I advise you to take a look at that stiffener before you use the bags and send them back if they are still using that flimsy material.
Good luck,
Raymond

Dougmt

Thanks for the heads up.
The mounting system seems petty good to me though... it uses a hook at the bottom and two metal-attached with scews-hooks at the top. An agressive pull on a strap snugs the bottom up. I'm a big guy and I couldn't move the bags once I tugged the strap tight. Time will tell though. I'll be riding the bike locally fo several months using the bags so if they do get funky I'll make up some carbon fiber backer boards to replace the corugated ones.
Again, thanks for the heads up.
Doug