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Adding utility to a SS bike...

It's not that I think a single speed bike needs to have any utility beyond being fun to ride but sometimes you just want to multitask. For many hip young urban singlespeeders (...or so I hear; I'm neither hip, nor young, nor urban) improved efficiency in beer consumption is a secondary goal of owning a bike. With that in mind I decided to weld up a front rack to aid in this pursuit.

These pictures are of the rack in primer and only test fitted onto the bike. I will be spraying the rack with black "truck bed liner" and getting it on a bit straighter. I'll also be riding it to the liquor store to pick up a full six pack as the test pack is empty. :(

The construction is welded steel angle iron and steel rod with U bolts to attach to the handlebars and micro-u bolts (from cable clamps) used to adjust the platform height and level. Total cost was about $20 in materials and about 2 hours of labor. I am considering pop-riveting a piece of plastic onto the base of it so it can be used to transport something other than booze but we'll see if that ever happens.

Comments, questions, or snark about what kind of beer I drink are all welcome.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_1182.jpg
The rack.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_1183.jpg
U bolts attach the rack to the handlebars.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_1184.jpg
Washers welded to the upright supports.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_1185.jpg
With no solid platform, this rack does little but support a 6-pack.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_1186.jpg
I attempted to get a closeup showing the micro-u bolts and how they allow the rack to be adjusted. Sorry so blurry.

If you'd made the platform wider but with a recessed section for holding a six-pack--or maybe two side-by-side that could make the rack even more multi-purpose.

Looks like you need a section of flexible tubing. It'll be hard to suck the beer out of the bottles with them mounted so low.

Nice work.

Good thing every fixed gear/single speed item has a bottle opener attached to it these days. I like it lots. How well does it work with oddly-shaped six-packs, such as Red Stripe?

This looks familiar...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADSR (Post 10196861)

Good thing every fixed gear/single speed item has a bottle opener attached to it these days.

Mine has a custom under-seat opener. The pics are sketchy but that is a bottle opener sticking out. (I also have an opener on my keychain, and sometimes I buy twist-off beer too)

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_0438.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADSR (Post 10196861)

I like it lots. How well does it work with oddly-shaped six-packs, such as Red Stripe?

I tried it with some squatty Sierra Nevada bottles and it was a tight fit but it worked. After the textured spray I'm not sure if the wider bottles will work or not?

The innovation on a front rack is great- not much seems to be out there. Same as fenders- they seem to be pretty simple, but there's surprisingly few choices. G-B maks super nice ones for $300, Planet Bike makes okay ones for $40, and that's kind of it.

As an aside, this is the best option I've found thus far for front racks: http://tiny.cc/LIjbN . Mountain Supply- CAD exchange rate doesn't hurt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by max-a-mill (Post 10198204)

inspiration?

I wish I had a full fabrication shop like that. The parts for mine were cut using only hand tools in the kitchen of my 900sqft apartment and welded together [500 miles away] in my parents garage where my welder lives now due to my apartment dwelling lifestyle.

It'd be more useful if the beer bottles still had beer in them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ismellfish2 (Post 10197930)

The innovation on a front rack is great- not much seems to be out there. Same as fenders- they seem to be pretty simple, but there's surprisingly few choices.

Some of these aren't cheap, but there are some really useful front racks out there:
Racks:
http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?m...1581_1584_1695
http://www.passstow.com/psgallery0.html
http://www.velo-orange.com/racks.html
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/bags_and_racks
http://cetmacargo.com/10%20CETMA%20c...ks%20index.htm

Custom racks:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2681116...7605293367209/

The VO fenders are decently priced:
http://www.velo-orange.com/fenders.html