Aquakitty

I am looking for moderately priced non-low rider front racks for rigid forks without eyelets. I would like a rack with a top panel. been looking at many stores and I haven't seen anything. I could modify the panniers I suppose but my life would be simpler with just a flat top front rack.

subcinco

I got mine off ebay. came with bags for $50. Keep looking you'll find some. Check nashbar.com

ploeg

Uh, yeah.

https://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FREXT
https://www.surlybikes.com/parts/surly_rack/
https://www.oldmanmountain.com/Mercha...egory_Code=CSF

Edit: Oh, you want to mount without eyelets. Not a big deal, most will mount using a clamp on the fork instead of eyelets. Or you can go for the Old Man Mountain, which mounts onto the canti mounts.

Edit 2: Sorry, brain fart. If you don't have eyelets (as opposed to fork braze-ons), that leaves you with the Old Man Mountain, which uses a quick-release adapter to attach the bottom of the rack to the bike (see the OMM photos).

LeeG

google Blackburn MTF-1 front rack

twodeadpoets

Nitto Highrider front rack (Rivendell) High or low mounting



Nitto Big Front Rack (Rivendell) High or low mounting

Bacciagalupe

Nashbar also makes a very cheap, small and strong platform that attaches to the brake bosses:

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Produc...2_167593_-1___

Aquakitty

All I have on the fork is disc mounts, no Vbrake or other mounts. hrm was trying to keep it around $50. Well which lowrider racks use clamps? Thanks.

Bekologist

best deal is the recently reintroduced to the US Market, classic,

Blackburn MTN-1 Front non rider rack. ideally fits bikes with midfork and front eyelets, but i believe comes with clamps.

and only about 40 bucks!

Don't know about availability in BC, we have them in Seattle.

Aquakitty

Ya I can get that at chain reaction, so that comes with clamps? In the pics it looks like an eyelet/brazeon type

jwbnyc

https://www.somafab.com/rack_frontalloy.html

Aquakitty

Nice but thats attached to eyelets

Bekologist

I thought the bag of struts and stuff with the Blackburn had P clamps in it like they do for the EX-1 rear rack but maybe not.

I'll check at the shop tomorrow, i was thinking about buying one anyway.

twodeadpoets

I'm sure that the cheapest front rack you can find will hold up just as good as any of the more expensive ones. And if while on your world travels it ever breaks while in Zimbabwe or Chad I'm sure you can easily save a couple of dollars and get it welded back together again.

ploeg

You probably want to punt on the front rack if you don't have at least two solid attachment points on the fork (such as eyelets or canti mounts). You don't want to risk anything coming loose around your front wheel when you're going down a big hill. This goes double if you have a carbon fork (carbon's strong, but they generally don't make carbon forks with that sort of app in mind).

Aquakitty

It's not carbon just a chromo. This fork actually https://www.ridesoul.com/hooliganforkg4.html, its really nice fork just zero attachments. Ok Maybe I will abandon the front idea... kind of limits cargo capacity though. I guess I bungled on the fork purchase... the old man Mountain racks look pretty solid but I cant really afford $150 after shipping to me for a freakin rack atm.

staehpj1

Tubus sells the Tubus QR Axle Adapter, but it would be pretty easy to improvise something similar:

fietsbob

P clips may do.
the above part will rotate around the QR, if the rack doesnt have 2 places to bolt onto each side of the rack lower end

thats why there are 4 bolts.

aqua K may want another fork for the purpose now required.
or sacrifice some paint to have the fittings attached solidly

M Mouse fittings may be a bit less than safer choices

ploeg

Tubus says specifically that the QR axle adapter is for rear racks. From the Tubus website:

If the QR axle adapter fails on the rear rack, it's an inconvenience. If the QR axle adapter fails on the front rack, it's a serious-injury-or-death situation.

Say that you have the front rack clamped to the fork on the top and fastened to the QR adapter on the bottom. If you fix a flat tire on the front, you undo the connection at the QR adapter, and the only connection between the front rack and the fork is at the clamps. It wouldn't take much to bump the clamp out of position. So every time you remove your front wheel, you're going to make sure that the clamps are still clean, tight, and in the right position so that they don't come apart when the fork goes bump bump bump on the road, right? Yeah, right.

fietsbob

I'll ask why would anyone in BC buy a bike that will not take mudguards?
(It Rained today here.. again )

I think she got the wrong tool for the proposed new purpose .
hang the summer bike on a peg and get a proper tool,
for the new plan..

Aquakitty

It'as not a summer bike, its an MTB touring conversion for offroad.

I never use mudguards. Fenders are for woosies! In the long term I plan on making my own bike packing gear, but for this tour I don't have time to make more than one or two pannier sets. (I have got into outdoor gear sewing recently, made a few bags and clothes lol).

I dont see the big deal, there are a few good racks, like the Jandd Extreme or the Old Man Mountain that would dothe job just fine. I just dont know if I want to pay that for the acks and kit when i could just get a trailer for that price.

vik 

I've had great service for many years from my OMM racks...

twodeadpoets

You could save a couple of bucks by ditching the rack idea altogether and head to Goodwill for one of these to strap on your back

zzzwillzzz

^^my parents still have two of those old kelty packs, and you're kidding about riding with a backpack, right?

Bekologist

Yo, aquakitty! The Blackburn MTF-1 comes with fork P-clamps in the package.

Don't worry about the mounting, front racks have been going on touring bike forks with P-Clamps since Bikecentennial and likely before.

This is your best deal on a non-lowrider front rack that will fit most all forks. EDIT: that is the funkiest fork and this rack, may not work.

twodeadpoets

Sure! I though since everyone wanted to save a dollar or three why not throw ALL the cards on the table!

But you're right, and I've seen bike tourers on my island who looked absolutely miserable wearing packs like these. In fact the last couple I saw, I figured the girlfriend would be gone (sans boyfriend) before the end of the weekend.

I definitely am not advocating buying all the "latest and greatest" stuff. In fact I don't buy into the whole "spending will make you happy" BS either but it often confounds me what some people put themselves through just to save a few bucks.

DISCLAIMER: This is not an attack or rant directed toward anyone, I'm just having a senior moment...