vik 

If it had worked on my LHT - nearly every time I rode it...I cycle for utility/transportation so most rides involved cargo. 20lbs is not a lot.


If you only carry a decent load of stuff on your front rack every 4 months it seems kind of pointless to even bother having a front rack. That's 3 times a year. Figure out some other solution that doesn't affect your handling.

I'm crushed you think that about me...

My advice to anyone interested in adding a PR rack to a modern high trail geometry bike is to simply mock up a front rack/bag/etc.. and throw the kind of weight you want to carry on it. Ride it around a few blocks. Maybe try it a couple or three times on different days to see if you adapt to it. If it works for you go nuts and rack it up. If not you just saved yourself the $$$ for a rack you won't use the way you had hoped.

I should warn you though - if you do decide a front PR rack won't work for you there are folks out there that will call you wimp...be strong...

rascaltwitch

To clarify an earlier comment, a cross check is actually more of a mid-trail bike and will handle a front load fairly well. I have a CETMA on mine and it handles okay. The rack has been on a road and track bike in the past and you can certainly tell the difference as trail decreases.

Honestly, I'd go with the VO over the CETMA. CETMAs are dead simple, versatile, durable and the big ugly support actually offers you more tie-downs for big loads. The big problem is that they're wet noodles. As you ride over bumps you can see the whole rack flex at the 90-degree joint between the main platform and the bar support and while the new struts look much nicer than the older Wald version (I've had both), the p-clamp attachments allow the whole thing to sway side-to-side, which really sucks for handling when loaded.

I've never used the VO, but the welded struts and brake hole attachment seem like a much more solid way to attach the rack to your bike.

If you're concerned about how your bike will handle a front load, plunk down $15 and get a Wald basket. Honestly, you might not even bother moving up to something more expensive. Walds are cheap, light and durable. Lots of folks swear by them and you just cannot beat the price.

tashi

Yup, for cheap and huge the Wald 157 is tough to beat.

It was sketchy the first time I rode it, but I was used to it by then end of the ride. To be fair/boastful, the last 18 years of technical mountain biking have made me a pretty good bike handler.

It flexes a bit under massive loads, which makes things more difficult for sure. A more solid structure is always better for large loads that are moving quickly. Wider, backswept bars definitely help.

20lbs isn't a big deal in my experience. 24 beers is easy. I've carried bags of soil and aggregate, that got a little wonky.

I have no idea if the bike I have it on is low or high trail, it's a Nishiki Oro from about 1993:



I removed the basket and mounted it to the rear rack and hated how THAT made the bike handle. It also got in the way when really loaded and when trying to swing my leg over when mounting the bike.

You're all wimps. I am too. Life is easy here in North America. Humans have incredible abilities but the right tools make things easier and more pleasant though. I'd buy the V-O in a heartbeat for a bike that I want to look nice, and the Wald if I don't care about the looks much.