Ta / specialites t. A. Front rack
 

...the small racks that attach to center pull brakes...
Got one? Does it support a moderately loaded (tools, windbreaker, bottle of wine, ...) rando bag well?

Thanks

-D

Well, it's very small and the wire it's made of is awfully light, like maybe 10 gauge? I never found them particularly useful, but they sure look nice. There is a larger size, about 2x bigger, that follows the same pattern, that would actually do some good.

it is so tiny. not worth it imo.

twss!

D-

I've got one mounted on Mafac brazed on Competitions. It works fine for front rando bags, is elegant , nicely brazed and chromed. One version has an attachment point for a front headlight which is really well integrated. Worth thinking about some more.

bertinjim

I used one for awhile with an Acorn rando bag, and the platform is a little small, but it worked OK. Sturdier than you think - it is solid steel rod after all. There's a similiar (non-TA) model out there that attaches the same way that comes up on eBay once in awhile. The one I have has a 9 x 14 cm rectangular platform whereas the TA measures 6 at its widest point.

Jim -

Stop reading BF and get to work on that black C-37! ;)

Tim in VA

Thanks. I am using a VO Randonneur Front Rack attached to my fork with P-Clamps to support a VO Campagne. Sturdy but a bit crude.
Santa may bring a slightly larger Berthoud Bag.
I will keep my eye out for brake mounted racks...I have tried the VO Gran-Compe ENE Mini-rack but that was
truly too small for the Campagne in my opinion.

-D

I broke one of the Grand-Compe ENE mini-racks by using it with a front basket zip-tied on. It's really not up to much of a load at all, and the TA miniracks I've had in hand were similar in size, so it depends on how much load you plan on putting on it. For that same front basket, I bought a Nitto M1; much sturdier though also much heavier.

I think if the ENE rack was too small for your uses, then this one would be also. Here's the one I'm using currently, which is about 2 cm wider than the ENE:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-NOS-...item2ec370a053

I almost bid on that rack for my Peugeot, but went with the Soma Mini Alloy rack instead. No fit issues with the tang through the Mafac racers and it attaches to the eyelets at the end of the fork. It's not quite as nice a finish though, more of a silver-aluminum look than a true stainless look, but it offers more stability and fastening options if you're willing to sacrifice a brake-mounted setup.

The ebay rack would seem to be stronger at the brake bolt attachment than the tanged VO ENE and 2 cm more might just do it. No light attachment thou.

C & V'er splitting hairs on this I know...and probably ending up with more stuff in boxes and not on bikes...just gotta try it.

-D

Never seen one of the larger non-TA racks with a light mount - only the TA ones. Not as elegant or well finishes as the TA model, but more useful IMO.

I have a small Plestcher type rack that mounts to the fork crown.

I've used both, the TA rack and the Dia Compe Ene. The Ene is about the same size, but the crown mount is much more fragile and more prone to allowing the rack to rotate left-right. The TA rack should be able to hold a small bag and a light load of 2-3 pounds just fine. Any more than that, and you should consider a decaleur to support the bag from above, while placeholding with the rack. But it is a nice rack, and sturdier than you think.

Photo or it ain't so :rolleyes:

Here's one like BG's. They work very well on a flat crown fork. This one is for centre pulls while another model is designed for side pulls. It has a cool flip up back stop and comes with the mini bungee.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_...0/DSC01663.JPG