ak08820

Couple of questions about front rack.
1. Is a lowrider a must? Is it possible to tour with just 2 rear panniers, without missing out too many things?
2. There are rack designs (namely Voyager)that don't have a U shaped connecting arm/brace. Are they as good or at least usable? I feel that they are attached at only 2 points and can swing around.

timvan_78

I have had a lowrider front rack for a few years that does NOT have the connecting U bracket. It is on the front of my hardtail mountain bike.

I only had an issue with it pivoting ONCE, under these extreme conditions:
-I was carrying a kid on a child seat so I had my large panniers full of camping gear on the front.
-I was off road, riding down a hill with fist-sized rocks, and I had his small strider bike strapped across the top of the two panniers.
I bent it all back into shape and tightened the nuts en route.
Here is a description of the trip:
https://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topi...TOPIC_ID=51723



All other times (gravel paths, full panniers, hilly roads, etc) they have not pivoted. I have double-nutted the u-bolts that hold the rack to the fork.

The connecting U-bracket would prevent that from ever happening though, so I would go with that.

fietsbob

If your Fork accepts a bolt through it, because a tube is Brazed in through the fork Blade .

then a hoopless design low rider rack can work.. Better if the cross brace is to both sides of the forkblade.


But , No You Can keep your gear to a Minimum and need only a rear load.. maybe You will be happy with the handling ,

putting some mass on the front fork helps balance the weight , and low riders lower the mass to add stability.


+ You can Buy a bike trailer and not have panniers on the bike at all.

indyfabz

Your first question assumes that it's either low rider or nothing. There are other options, such as a front rack that holds panniers and has a platform like a rear rack. My Nitto Big Front Rack has a platform and seats the manniers slightly higher than a low rider rack would.

In any event, front panniers are not an absolute necessity.

ak08820

My bike is Trek 700 which does to have thru holes in the front fork, just threaded bosses.

I do have a small Nashbar front rack on another bike and use that to support a backpack used as a HB bag. But that rack does not look like it can handle small panniers. Racks like Nitto are over the budget I have set for this bike.

andrewclaus

Losing the front panniers on my last tour was the best thing I've done in my touring career. To do that I went with a single-wall tent and greatly reduced kitchen bulk. We tend to expand to fill all available pack space, so with fewer packs I found I carried much less mass. The handling improved to where I could ride no-handed at speeds as low as 9 mph.

On previous tours I used several types of front racks and found that every design is a compromise, as with everything else in life. What works best for you will depend on your packing and riding style, as well as the phase of the moon and how you part your hair.

saddlesores

if you prefer this type of design over a blackburn-style lowrider, you can grab a u-shaped
fender stay/mount from your bike store's spares bin. just the right size and shape to
make a rack brace.

fietsbob

With a mid fork boss and eyelets, on the fork tip .. Blackburn MTF over the wheel racks fit.

you can set up a generous sized handle bar bag sitting on top of it.. if you wish..

lanahk

1. Yes you can tour with just rear panniers. However, if you travel heavy, it is better to be able to balance the load with some weight in front.

2. Yes, front racks without a crosspiece are fine, but you don't have as many places to hang lights and stuff.