Bike Forums - View Single Post - Front rack to hold a milk crate?

10-28-11 | 06:07 AM

#24

bud16415

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2011

Posts: 1,141

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From: Erie Penna.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony_merlino

I was thinking along the same lines, i.e. scrap inner tube. I really like the way you have that bike set up, BTW. I'm thinking that, for people in my situation, (dense suburban, nearly urban settings), a touring bike kind of setup like that may be the optimal utility cycle. I could do my whole week's shopping with one trip on that bike, and still use it for pleasure/exercise rides when I felt like it, just by lifting off some baskets and/or panniers.

Tony

Thanks, I do love how the Windsor is turning out, and I use it very much in the ways you mentioned. I could easily have 50 bikes as I love collecting and riding them. But I have limited myself to 4 or 5. I have a road bike a Cannondale that I love but I end up taking the Windsor because it rides so much better (softer) and has the low climbing gears. I have a KHS mtn bike converted to a hybrid I really love but take the Windsor because its longer and less twitchy. I could go on.

I bought the Windsor used from a guy that bought it used thinking it just what he wanted as a commuter grocery getter, and he hated it. He was a straight bar hybrid kind of guy. At first I wasn’t too fond of the touring bike ether. I gave it a try and made a lot of ride position changes the most significant being that drop bars don’t have to have you doing a hand stand. The reason I bought it was to set it up as a touring only bike and do a few short overnight trips. The more I rode it the more I figured out I could make the bike multipurpose. I have had that rear basket setup on several bikes, it’s a front basket turned sideways. the basket holds a light weight cooler perfect and is a good all around carry place. the basket was too wide and made attaching the bin panniers imposable so I extended the rack width. if I build a mate to the front rack that will all be in the design. when adding the bins and a basket to the front you are right you can haul as many groceries as you have strength to get them home with. A bike like this could easily carry 80 pounds of groceries for you.

As of late I have been rethinking the front rack and pannier system. Not that there is anything wrong with how I did it or its ability to carry items, but I think the ideal front platform for both Touring and around town use would be one that was frame mounted not fork mounted. I am thinking about a good size frame platform and a really simple pannier mounting below on the fork. the panniers would turn with the fork underneath the fixed platform. Many Dutch bikes are built this way and I think with a heavy load it would be much more stable. I haven't seen anyone do this on a tour setup yet.

Hope you are having fun with the project. Keep the thread going with the progress.

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