What's it like to balance the bike during out of the saddle climbing with all the weight on the front? I would imagine that you would lose all ability to rock the bike (but never having tried I can't really say). This isn't an issue for those with flat terrain but for the hills I climb every day going to work, I like to have my weight on the back of my bike. For really heavy/big loads, I have a Burley Flatbed (should be showing up through Fedex any second now) on the way. I'm hoping the trailer gets me even more car-free.

Oh do not worry about balancing the load. I ride a Counterpoint Tandem with a stoker centered over the 16" front wheel. My regular stoker is about 260 pounds (more after the holidays :) ). I practiced with increasingly heavy loads until I had the steering habits set. She and other stokers need to stop pedaling at slow speeds especially during turns to preserve balance. Not a problem with cargo. It would be more of a problem with the weight so high. Go for a trailor for heavy cargo, I did.

Well, obviously it's harder. Having an extra thirty plus pounds anywhere on the bike makes it harder to climb, harder to descend, and harder to steer, too. But the front seems to be the best place to keep it while you're riding. One of my favorite hills to climb in SF is Taylor Street (do a Google image search for "Taylor Street SF"). I used to occasionally climb that hill with heavy boxes on board, and trust me, having it up front felt the best. It's the most stable, easiest on the bike, and I could always keep my eyes on it.

When I climb "out of the saddle", I put most of my weight forward anyway, and lean a little on the bars.

Consider the FreeRadical. It extends your bike and gives rack top length of around 24 inches and is rated to carry 200 pounds.

Geez, where's the rear wheel on that thing?

Lance, I like your front racks. You make anything a little narrower?

I've got a city bike with the biggest Wald baskets you can buy, front and rear, and the bike handles a lot better with the weight in front.


I think it would be fairly easy to custom build a bike rack using Wald hardware for a front basket ( I believe those S.F. front racks built by lancekaager and espoused here are using off the shelf Wald fasteners, or at least it looks a lot like the Wald hardware) and creating your own shelf for the rack. You could use plywood, bamboo, plastic, a grill grate, whatever, I guess....and you'd be styling!

IF anyone wants a set of Wald front basket hardware, PM me. I actually broke a Wald front basket, thoughourly thrashed it in about 7 years but the hardware was still good. I had to buy a second basket, so have a totally new, unused set of basket hardware just sitting in my giveaway box.

Thanks. Yes, I do. Look at the CETMA 6rail. It's made with a narrower platform that measures 12 x 12, the size of a record album cover. It's the most popular, and the cheapest, too.

Long before I came along, bike messengers in SF have been modifying thier Wald baskets into a more versitile platform. For years, they've cut away the sides and front from the basket and bent back the sharp edges to make an "L" shaped carrier. As you can imagine, the result is a lighter and more maneuverable "rack", which is also better suited for carrying oversized boxes. Problem is, they're kind of flimsy and crude...but they do the job.

I used one of those huge "Paper boy" Wald baskets (for messenger work) for a little while and I didn't like it. I found them to be top-heavy and cumbersome with or without frieght on board. And there seemed to be too much unnecessary metal there. Not to mention that it was completely useless when I'd get the occasional oversized box(s).

I'm a strong believer in making your own stuff from scratch, no matter what it is (I guess that's where good ideas come from). I think people should use thier imagination to make something original for themselves, whenever possible. It's been pretty well established here that just about anyone with a little motivation (and apposable thumbs) can make their own trailer, or rack, or bags, or whatever, without having to buy an overpriced one from a manufacturer. Sometimes the things you make yourself are superior to the mass produced stuff on the market. Heck, that's how I got started in the first place. DIY.

Your CEMTA racks are built using Wald stays and handlebar brackets, though?


Those CEMTA racks looks rightous, and the price is hella affordable.

Yep. All CETMAracks are made with Wald struts and brackets. They're strong and super versatile.

For those interested...


Within a few days, the retail price of all CETMAracks will be increasing by twenty dollars. Additionally, they'll be better coated with enamel paint.

Shipping will still be free.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...pressed300.jpg

They look good. However, I'm riding with Softride stems. Does that mean that I could not mount a CETMA rack?

Currently, I'm riding with an Old Mountain rack and a basket on top. The problem of the Old Mountain is that it lacks lateral stability. If the bike falls, and that happens with a frequency of once per 8-12 months, the rack folds to a side and it is damn difficult to straighten it out. How is the CETMA rack with regard to the lateral stability?