I have front racks on two different bikes that had the same problem, bags could hit the front wheels. One rack was the Soma Lucas mini and the other one from EVO.
Anyway, my solution was cutting a kitchen cutting board in half, using some pieces of metal and then 8-32x3/4 bolts, #8 washers, and 8-32 nuts with the plastic lock. The drill bit was 11-64".
It took a 9mm wrench for the bolts. Anyway, you can look at the pics.


If I had one message to the manufacturers it would be this, please make the support rods the same distance from the middle instead of "leaning inward'.

Nice but they do make 'low rider' front rack attachments for this exact purpose

Jandd Extreme front rack.
There is 0 concern about bags getting into spokes. That is an insane concern to even have to work around.


On an old touring bike of mine.



Holds a basket well too!

just because i'm here and figure we should make the most of it . . . .

Starboard is a good product which is available at either marine stores or internet sales in small pieces & a couple of different thicknesses/ colors.

can be worked with hand or power tools. use heat to polish the edges.

Amazon.com: Starboard - 385983: Industrial & Scientific

another good material for projects, especially bag liners/ bottoms, is Kydex.

Amazon.com : kydex

+1. I have been wondering how it’s even possible.

EDIT: Darn. Just realized who the OP is.

I suggest purchasing racks designed for panniers.

Why does your front rack have orange tape at the bottom of the lowrider section?

And you can safely cut up road kill mid journey!

i assume spark arresting

My money is on some sort of padding. The bottom hooks of my front Ortliebs used to rattle against my rack before I played around with the hook positions. Someone had suggested using something like cloth tape (like the kind used on tennis racket handles) to narrow the gap.

maybe?
The poster suggested buying a rack that's made for panniers, and while that obvious point is obvious, his front rack doesn't look like it's made for panniers with a hook attachment. It looks like modifications were needed.
Maybe I am not seeing it correctly though.

I wanted a front rack with a top deck. I looked at three racks and the Tubus Grand Expedition was the closest to what I needed. It was pretty budget friendly at around 110 euros. I have Arkel Panniers and nobody is making rack hook accessories for 12 mm tubing on racks. I used marine grade SS hose clamps And just happened to have some orange handlebar tape that I secured with Shoe Goo. so both of you are correct. Hook retention and padding.

Yeah, it's all just funny since you said this right before posting a picture of a rack that is fundamentally changed in order to hold your panniers...

No matter who I am, the issue of having bags rub on two bikes was real and had to be addressed. I found a solution without replacing the racks. And it works anyway. I was able to do my grocery shopping twice without an issue. It feels nice to be able to relax while I'm pedaling.

mstateglfr: I used the same hose clamps on my Tubus Tara rack. I planed my mod on this rack. Karen's and dogs dominating other dogs find many things funny.

I have no idea what you are talking about with your last sentence. Am I apparently a Karen that is dominating a dog(you?)? Am I a dog that is dominating another dog? And is it a thing to say that dominating dogs fund many thing funny? I haven't heard that saying, if it is one.

Anyways, its just goofy that you criticized someone for not having a rack designed to hold panniers, yet your rack wasn't designed to hold your panniers.
Irony is fun.

irony or pathos?

i constantly get them confused.

My first time encountering a unicorn.

How about showing us the bags?

Irony is the term that best describes the situation since Rick created the ironic situation.

So midgets won't hit their head.

well this has certainly taken a full circle 180 degree twist.

A full circle is 360 degrees.

exactly the same thing right around the other way