Mr_Christopher

I'm in the hunt for a front rack and could not find a dedicated thread on the topic, so I thought I'd start one.

Here is a shot of my modern Trek with a Soma mini front rack. I'm having a wooden platform made for it, but it's not what I want to use on my Fuji.



I'm mostly interested in a front rack that has legs that attach at the fender eyelet and such as the VO porteur or constructeur rack. I think I prefer the porteur (without the rail). I want one that will attached at the drop out eyelets and brake bolt.

When it comes to the larger, porteur rack most of what I see are on city bikes with upright handlebars. I'm wanting to put one on my Fuji that has typical drop down (road) bars. So is there anything I should know about a set up like that before I start investing the money and time? I know that adding a rack like that can make fenders a challenge I can deal with that.

So any tips you can provide would be good and post pictures (and details) of your front rack get up!

Chris

Sixty Fiver

VO's constructeur rack is a classic design and would suit a bike with drop bars quite well... building a few of these is on my to do list as they would look quite nice on my old Peugeots and be quite practical.

The porteur rack really suits upright bars as it allows for better clearance for whatever you are carrying.

nlerner

Modified Wald newspaper boy rack on my '66 Sports:


V-O constructeur front rack on my '72 Raleigh International:


12-pack rack on my St. Etienne Porteur:


Nitto M-12 on my recently departed Kogswell:


Jim Blackburn rack w/ wood platform on my '75 Raleigh SuperCourse MkII:


Cheapo-Nashbar front rack w/ wooden platform on a '71 Raleigh SuperCourse:


Custom front rack on my Ebisu:


Neal

Sixty Fiver

Neal,

As always... beautiful.

nlerner

Thanks, Sixty Fiver. You can tell that I have a front rack, er, problem.

Neal

Sixty Fiver

I have a thing for nice racks too.

Mr_Christopher

What are the details on your "12 pack rack" I googled that but so far I'm rolling snake eyes.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

wonderful neal...i think you've got pretty much every angle covered

Maddox

Neal has one of my favorite stables that have been shared on C&V. So much English/British goodness, and each one with great details and equipment.

Top notch as always.

nlerner

Thanks for the generous comments. That 12-pack rack is made by "the rack lady," Leah Stargardter, out of Madison, WI. Here's her flickr stream:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/2681116...7605293367209/

Neal

jtgotsjets

I'd be interested to see any drop bar bikes with front racks mounted too. Was thinking the exact same as the OP—putting a VO porteur rack [but with a rail!] on my currently dropped Pro Tour—and am trying to decide if I need to change the bars or not.

David Newton

As always Neal, your stuff is just right.
Here's my all-American Wald 'drop top' grocery getter. From the size, you can see I don't eat much.

Johnny Alien

Nitto M-12 front rack on my Bridgestone MB-2

beech333

I don't have any good pictures of my only front rack. Here it is, on my 73 Fuji. I took it off when I added fenders, which I no longer need, but it will be going back on soon. It is a Jim Blackburn, like the one on Neal's Supercourse.

Neal: You have a mighty fine collection of bikes and racks.



and zoomed in to try and be remotely helpful.



These have become insanely expensive lately.

southpawboston

nitto M12 on my shogun tourer:



VO porteur (without the rail) on my jeunet:



wife's specialized rockhopper comp with modified wald with wood slats, mounted to a nashbar front rack:

old's'cool

Posted elsewhere before but here is the Sunlite Multifit (no longer available, I believe) rear rack as modded and installed on my FrankenVega. Mods consist of squeezing the legs to fit the ~110mm froung dropout width and reworking the brake bolt strap. Click pics to enlarge.
front rack 001..jpgfront rack 003..jpgfront rack..jpg

wahoonc

I don't have a decent close up of the rack on my Giant Excursion, but here is one of the whole bike. The rack is a Bor Yeur and came stock on the bike.

Aaron

ummbnb

basket..jpg

I realize you asked for racks and not baskets but I thought I'd throw this in anyway. I wanted a front rack with wood accents for this bike, but having already exhausted most of my budget I decided to figure out a cheaper way to get the look I wanted. In steped a $15 Wald basket, a piece of wood trim, hardware, some stain and some poly protectant. All total, materials were about $25 (including the basket.)

Grand Bois

An old Jim Blackburn rack

Wald basket added

noglider 

Is there a way to build a front rack inexpensively? I'm openminded to anything, including starting with something made my Wald. Front racks are too rare and expensive! I want to try handling cargo on the front!

nlerner

Seeing other setups inspired me to take a few more pics of front rackage on my fleet:

My '75 Super Course now has a front Wald basket w/ homemade wooden slats. I couldn't justify spending $70 or more for what Wald wants for this version of their mod. 139 when I could buy the regular one for $15 and make my own. So that's what I did:




My Specialized HardRock is my beater, hauler and lives under a tarp in the backyard. It has a cheapo ($7.95) front rack with a Container Store basket attached by zip ties:


My Rudge now sports a Cetma rack, which I picked up used from a CL seller:




And my '72 Raleigh International has a nifty little bag support-type rack, but not the TA version that fits Mafac brakes. This one just attaches to the brake bolt, and I have it on a Weinmann centerpull:




Neal

Grand Bois

I paid $10 for my Jim Blackburn and got the matching rear rack with it at a local swap.

illwafer

yes. by putting a rear rack on the front, it will save you approximately 50%.

nlerner

The Soma front "mini rack" is $30:

https://store.somafab.com/somialfrra.html

I bought one but haven't installed it. It's not as mini as the TA coat hanger thing, but pretty much the size of the old Blackburn.

Neal

mandrake

I had a rack identical to the Wald on my Rollfast back in the 70's. It was perfect for delivering newspapers.