I'm trying to attach a rear rack to my bike, but the problem is there are no top eyelets for the stabilizing bars to attach to on the rear fork. I'm probably using the wrong terminology, so here's a pic so you understand my meaning.



What are my options for attaching a rack? There is the single hole where the brakes are mounted, but I've never seen a rack which can attach with a single stabilizing bar. Surely there must be some kind of adapter which can clamp onto the forks and provide thread holes for the rack, but I wouldn't know where to begin searching.

Also if you've got any suggestions for a good rack that can support 25-30 lbs I'd appreciate it.

P-clamps. Look it up.

Aha, those look perfect, thanks.

or, if you want a rack that mounts to that brake bolt, look no further than the Axiom Streamliner. P Clamps work great though.

Several Blackburn racks either fasten to the brake bolt hole or have the option of brake bolt attachment or fastening with brackets to the seatstays using P-clamps for you application.

BTW, next time you post a picture please resize it to a smaller file size so it doesn't spread across the screen so far.

I'm Pretty Positive that if you PM me your address a Pair of P-clamps will mysteriously aPPear in your mailbox within a week.

That reflector will function better at the back of the rear rack,... and where it is mounted ,
a center strut , as found on many bike racks, can go on that bolt.
a half round to flat washer will help tidy up the brake mounting in that case, the function the reflector bracket is serving now.

P clamps suck. What are you guys talking about. P clamps are flimsy. Teak, ok, so they will hold up a rack and something light, but as soon as you put any weight on it the rack shifts. Not a stable solution.

Same subject, but different problem.

I have a blackburn with the brake bolt mount on my old TdF. Shown here just for reference.



BUT, on my Super Corsa, I picked up a used one needing the P-clamps. The problem is that the rack seems to want another foot of space out back. Those rack brackets are shoved all the way forward, and can't go any further. Is the rack simply the wrong size?



I actually thought this thread would be about how to attached racks without drop-out eyelets. I have another frame that presents me with that matter. I know you can jerry-rig an ugly solution, but I'd love to see good solutions to that problem, too.

Thanks.

You could drill extra mounting holes further forward along in those mounting brackets to let the rack move further forward and sit level.
You will also have to slide the P-clamps down a bit on the seatstays to match the "shorter" brackets.

The rack underside:

I interpret the OP's problem to be that there are no eyelets on the seat stays but that there are eyelets on the dropouts. If that is the case, then any load is supported by the dropout eyelets. The purpose for the attachment to the seat stays (or brake bridge) is to prevent the rack from rotating in the plane of the wheel. That's a very small force and well within the a p-clamp's limitations.

Just bend the mounting rails ends so they can slide by the rack crossmember.

LeicaLad just needs a shorter rack strut set. there are several made..

or hacksaw off some of the excess length

Yup, got plenty, your rack struts lay in a channel in the rack, dont, they?

maybe substitute 4 longer bolts so you can put a flatwasher under those Nyloc Nuts.

then tape them bars eh?

I'll go looking. Open to suggestions, if you know sources.

The other options leave you with sharp edges sticking out and ugly, to boot. The hacksaw approach is really not advisable, as your struts would then be likely to splay open.

Anyway, I hope we've solved the OP's problem. Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I hope it was a "supplement" rather than hi-jack!

Cheers.

the chinese racks come with several struts these days , ask to pick thru the bin of extra ones at your LBS.

FWIW the combination of the extruded channel that will contain splaying , and putting wide flat washers under the nuts
to exert a clamping force that is flat against both tines of the cut off strut. will resolve that situation, ...
the narrow nut can seek to go into the slot between the 2 strips.

.. and one always cleans up a saw cut with a file when they are done, then, you can round edges and corners as desired...

P-clamps can work...contrary to bellweatherman's contention. But they do have to be the proper diameter to fit the seatstay.

For your problem, LeicaLad, you could change the rack to a center mount rack which you might want to do anyway. Your rack is bent either from you trying to force it flat or from carrying a load on it while at that angle.

You could remove the rear bolt and then bend the square part of the rack stays in the above picture down enough to clear the center support. This will allow you to move the stays rearward. But your rack should be replaced first.

I'd suggest the Delta MegaRack Universal. You can buy the center mount stays for it like your Super Corsa that would work better with the centerpull brakes.

Very simple solution to this. Remove the sliding brackets from the rack and cut off 2.5" from the ends. When re-installing, put some washers between the nut & bracket for better clamping. Takes all of 10 minutes.

Rack is bent? Hmm. I wondered why it had such a cant. Duuuh.

I bought this used, and, yet again, got snookered. sigh. It hasn't carried a single ounce while in my possession, so it came this way.

Easier to just toss the thing and start over. I've looked more closely at the welds at the bend. They show stress. A $20 lesson. Cheap.

Thanks.

P.S. - Centerpull brakes? Campy side-pulls on the SC, Modolo side-pulls on the TdF. Doesn't matter, tho. Just the observation.

The rack may be bent but it'll be fine. I've had an old Blackburn bent like that for years - I call it conforming to the wheel curve.

+1 on saw off a bit of the stays and use some flat washers. It usually takes longer to find where the kids left the hacksaw than to do the job.

D'Oh. I meant sidepull. Sorry.

Swapped out the rack. It's tilted a bit too much. A tilt is good to keep bags from sliding into heels, but this is just OTT.

Anyway, wrapped the bars. Rides like a dream. I love the French babes.

My Bontrager rack let me remove one of the aluminum stabalizer stays and move the other to the middle attachment point. After that, it was easy to bend it up and secure it using the bolt at the top of my seat tube. I did have to file the end of the stay so that it fit without pushing against the seat post. It may not be the prettiest solution, but it works, the rack is stable, and secure. It might not work for your frame though.