indyfabz

And who doesn't love pie?

indyfabz

You can even transport your best friend.

indyfabz

Say "Cheese!". Lots of hills on that road.

Yan 

You're getting emotional Indy. I've already addressed this. See the last two paragraphs of my previous post.

One other point: in case you hadn't noticed, the racks in OP's question cannot carry front panniers. They ONLY have the high platform. So let me ask you: how did that firewood handle when you didn't have the low panniers to provide compensation? Don't answer, I already know.

indyfabz

I’M getting emotional?!?!

You’re the one evading the censor to express your emotions, which is a no no here.

phughes

Insert slow clap here.

indyfabz

I get excited about my pies, man.

Yan 

You're welcome.

Let me know if you guys have any other questions or need anything else explained.

indyfabz

mstateglfr 

This is from an errands ride yesterday. Basket and platform front rack. It had 18# of produce at one point and steered fine.
Yes, it's a town ride vs touring. Thing is, the OP didn't ask about touring and actually asked about how they would be for local town riding. Thars what you responded to, and then went on a touring rant over.
Heck, you even acknowledge they can be fine for in town riding, which is what the OP asked about.
All the rest of your posts where you talk about touring is just filler.

As for a front rack on touring, to each their own, bud. You do you and others do their way. It seems comical, and frankly on brand, for you to declare there is one way to do things and everyone else is wrong.
Again, maybe they are just not as scared of how a bike with weight in the front handles. Maybe they are just not as sensitive with weight on the front. Maybe their geometry is different than yours. Etc etc.

indyfabz

Definitely on brand. For his sake, I hope it’s intentional and insincere.

And Robert Beckman didn’t gain the reputation he did by making racks without front platforms.

phughes

Awesome! Yes, please explain how, with all the experience you already detailed, in excruciatingly boring detail, how it is you cannot ride a bike with a front rack. Thanks in advance.

base2 

You will find that rack or one very similar on about half of all bikes in the Netherlands. They are excellent for pizza, milk crates, yoga mats, bouquets of flowers, baguettes, and and whatever else you want to carry. The good ones mount to the frame independent of any steering action. Cortina is the brand I most associate with the one in the picture on the left. You'll find the 3 hole head tube mount on some Bromptons and occasionally on folding bikes, cargo bikes and other Minivelos.

I don't know your location, but here is one (Minivelo made or at least popular in Japan, I think) imported to the United States by Merry Sales/Soma https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...argo-frame-set

As has been discussed, wheel flop is a consideration with load capacity. More rake/less trail will be less "floppy" & will tend to behave better than high flop, high trail bikes. Porteur bikes have very little if any to keep exceedingly heavy loads managable. High flop/high trail just requires more effort to effect the desired maneuver.

Frame mounted above the wheels contact patch/wheel axle is the best of the available options. As far as the bike is concerned you, the rider are just heavier that day. Low rider racks & hanging things of the forks invites all manner of complications into the mix because the load is an active part of any steering or balance function.

Yan 

Here's the explanation you requested:

You typed "front rack". I assume this is a typo because our previous discussion was never about all front racks. Our previous discussion was only about the specific racks in the OP's pictures. We need to be specific because there are plenty of good front racks that do not handle poorly. It is very important that we be able to tell the difference between good front racks and bad ones (which you apparently cannot).

But anyway, to answer your question: I am physically capable of riding this type of racks, however since I have a choice in what bikes I ride, I decided to avoid bikes that handle poorly. Because I have good taste in preferring the most pleasurable cycling possible (unlike you).

Understand now?

indyfabz

You’re just trying to make him more emotional.

mstateglfr 

Hold up- the discussion was also about riding around town(lashing a backpack was mentioned), yet you went rambled on about touring as a defense to your initial extreme claim. You even acknowledged that its a legitimate view to not prioritize handling if its a town bike(which these appear to be and the OP implies). Lets not get too high and mighty about someone not staying perfectly on topic, lest you want your glass house to shatter.

You claimed both racks will make the bike handle terribly. I dont see anything about the step-thru's porteur rack that will ensure it handles terribly.

Yan 

This has been addressed in paragraph 2 of post #29.

veganbikes

I think your problem is you are using racks made out of a canines fecal matter instead of steel, aluminum or titanium those tend to work better as a front rack material.

My Cinelli Mash Work that I built up as the Single Speed/Fixed Gear RandoCross FunTime Machine has a Nitto cantilever mounted rack and it is fantastic but I chose a steel rack on this one. It rides just fine no issues with bag and weight and without. The Specialized Como 5.0 or other models with the Pizza Rack added rode great as well but that one is an aluminum rack not made of any sort of fecal matter.

If you have a problem with bike handling that comes with riding more and practice. I know it is working for me with mountain biking and has worked in the past with my road riding as well. When riding with a front rack it can take some getting used to so that might be a huge part of your real issue beyond the rack material. Ride more and slowly increase the weight as you start to get more comfortable.

mstateglfr 

Mmm, I was trying to throw you a bit of a bone. That high trail design isn't great for a front load and had a low trail fork been used, it would create an I herently more stable front end when riding with gear in atop the rack.

But really- that rack will work fine to hold some stuff and nobody will just crash suddenly because the rack is carrying some weight.
Yes, weight further from the steering axis weight is less ideal than weight close to the steering axis. No, it isn't some disaster waiting to happen.

Yan 

That's not all. It also has bars that give it an effective stem length of zero, which is another factor that will make its steering unstable.

It's designed as a fashion item, that's about it. No doubt it will sell because the general public knows next to nothing about bikes.

phughes

I have never had any issue with short stems making steering unstable. The most it will do is feel different for a short time, as in less than a mile. I even like boxcar stems with zero length. It's a non-issue.

Yan 

Shorter stems are more twitchy. Longer stems are more stable. That's usually a matter of preference and fit but for a bike with this style of front rack, twitchy on top of the problems you already have is the last thing you want. When someone says short stem in the context of a steering speed discussion, they usually mean 6-7cm being short vs 10-11cm being average vs 13+cm being long. Zero is frankly extreme.

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/...-and-handling/
https://www.cyclingabout.com/steerin...teering-speed/

RichSPK

I've ridden most of my life with rear racks. I recently got a Mongoose Elroy that came with a front rack.
https://www.mongoose.com/products/elroy


I strapped my rack bag to the top of it and I've been riding that way for a month or two now. It's not growing on me. I don't like all that weight through the bars. It also catches crosswinds, which want to steer the bike. And it (the rack bag on top of the rack) blocks part of the beam from my headlight. At some point in the future, I'll probably remove the rack and replace it with a rear rack. I'm not finding the frame bag all that useful, either; I'd rather just toss stuff in the rack bag or (on my other bikes) the panniers. Also, this frame bag is bolted to the frame, so I can't easily take it inside with me.

Hermes

Moderation Note. Well, going around / evading the censor is not allowed at BF and is an infraction. And we did a lot of cleanup to fix all the quoted remarks as well as the offending posts. Yan Please leave the thread.

BK007

Just for mail run, easy on & off