Front Racks

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hartleymartin
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Front Racks

Postby hartleymartin » Sat Nov 18, 2017 12:24 am

I'd like to start a conversation about front racks for touring. I have noticed that rear racks can be had quite inexpensively, but front racks seem to be a whole different case. Notably, the small "rando rack" for supporting a large front bag seems to be rediculously expensive and even good lowrider racks are at least twice the price of a good basic rear pannier rack.

I am using an old Blackburn set of lowriders with a Bor Yueh front rack, which are all available quite cheaply. I would like to get silver versions instead of black ones to fit in with the vintage aesthetic of my Raleigh Royal Tourer, but it seems that anything silver-coloured goes for a premium price.

Any thoughts or recommendations?
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find_bruce
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Re: Front Racks

Postby find_bruce » Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:45 pm

I'm with you - I got a cheap front racks for my commuter from reid, but the rear support is not reliable for a commuter, let alone weighed down for touring - it's a single flimsy bar to the front brake mount that bends & then breaks.

Would like something like the Velo orange Porteur Rack for my commuter & a rando rack for Audax rides, but like you I'm baulking at the price

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hartleymartin
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Re: Front Racks

Postby hartleymartin » Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:38 pm

The price of the small racks to support rando bar bags seems ridiculous, when you consider that the large campeur racks are only about 25% more in price. At the moment I am using a Bor Yueh front rack with blackburn lowrider on the front. Too bad that I can't get them in silver to properly retrofy the look of my bicycle. In the end I just bought a headset decaler mount, though I have not found a suitable bar bag just yet. Something like the Ostrich 506 would be great, but they don't seem to be sold in Australia, and the price is something else I baulk at.
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rifraf
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Re: Front Racks

Postby rifraf » Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:40 am

hartleymartin wrote:The price of the small racks to support rando bar bags seems ridiculous, when you consider that the large campeur racks are only about 25% more in price. At the moment I am using a Bor Yueh front rack with blackburn lowrider on the front. Too bad that I can't get them in silver to properly retrofy the look of my bicycle. In the end I just bought a headset decaler mount, though I have not found a suitable bar bag just yet. Something like the Ostrich 506 would be great, but they don't seem to be sold in Australia, and the price is something else I baulk at.
Enough with the silver already. :lol:

Any painted rack is going to require plenty of touching up anyway.

Might as well get with the program and buy a silver aerosol can no matter what colour you buy.

Hell, you can get stuff now thats reputed to be close to chrome apparently but my point is you can easily get close to your colour of choice.

The Blackburn Lowriders have been around for a long time and will do a turn so I can't imagine why you might begrudge them a coat of silver slops if thats your colour preference.

As for price, I find its the most easily forgotten thing about the parts on my bike once my wallet has recovered somewhat.
I don't begrudge any of the money thats past through my paws and ended up on my bike because for the most part I've picked reasonably well and haven't had to replace much.
There is something to be said for buying once and buying right though for me its with the caveat that I tend to hang onto stuff for a long time.
I had my last bike in excess of 20 years.
YMMV
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hartleymartin
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Re: Front Racks

Postby hartleymartin » Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:02 am

I bought my Raleigh Royal from this very forum in 2010. It has been with me for 7 years. I only ever did one long tour with it and then mostly used it for commuting. The 650B conversion is looking promising.

Honestly, most parts in the original build consisted of what I could lay my hands upon cheaply - being a part time university student and weekend musician doesn't give me much of a budget. I just got lucky that I mostly found good components.
Martin Christopher Hartley

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rifraf
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Re: Front Racks

Postby rifraf » Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:22 am

I look forward to seeing some pics at some stage.

I won't go into a rant over photobuckets attempt to get me to become a paying customer by tactics worthy of a bloke with a peg leg, eye patch, penchant for rolling his rrrrr's and flea bitten parrot on his shoulder.

I'm yet to look into a replacement host but I suppose I ought to do something pro-active.

I'm a fan of old Raleighs and Carltons of which I've had a few in the past.

Good luck with its completion. :)
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Re: Front Racks

Postby Aushiker » Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:42 am

Personally I prefer to buy once and hence I am happy to pay a little bit more [e.g., shop with http://bike24.com to get a reasonable deal] and hence have stuck pretty much with Tubus racks.

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hartleymartin
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Re: Front Racks

Postby hartleymartin » Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:52 pm

For the prices being asked for a randonneur front rack, I am seriously considering forking out for the Surly front and rear racks. Looking at their construction and durability, they look like the sort of racks that would serve me well for the life of several touring bicycles. The front rack is rated for 32kg and the rear for 36kg - far more than I ever intend to carry, but it is better for these things to be well over-built for the intended work. They even come in silver! :D
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rifraf
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Re: Front Racks

Postby rifraf » Thu Nov 23, 2017 3:41 pm

hartleymartin wrote:For the prices being asked for a randonneur front rack, I am seriously considering forking out for the Surly front and rear racks. Looking at their construction and durability, they look like the sort of racks that would serve me well for the life of several touring bicycles. The front rack is rated for 32kg and the rear for 36kg - far more than I ever intend to carry, but it is better for these things to be well over-built for the intended work. They even come in silver! :D
I'd recommend caution here.
Whilst the Surly front rack has recently been revamped and I've not bothered reading the specs,
Surly racks have historically been heavier than competitors for the same carrying weight.
I'm not saying they are a bad rack, in fact most reports are favourable regarding durability.
Just that there are equally durable great brand racks that are a lot lighter.
You weigh up the bang for buck for your self as I'm not trying to tell you how you should roll.
Simply to make an informed purchase decision. :)
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RonK
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Re: Front Racks

Postby RonK » Thu Nov 23, 2017 4:01 pm

rifraf wrote:Surly racks have historically been heavier than competitors for the same carrying weight.
And much, much uglier. :wink:
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hartleymartin
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Re: Front Racks

Postby hartleymartin » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:07 pm

I am not overly-concerned with weight - durability is more important to me. But if racks with better ratings than the Surly ones are available, I'd like to know more about them.
Martin Christopher Hartley

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Aushiker
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Re: Front Racks

Postby Aushiker » Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:30 pm

hartleymartin wrote:I am not overly-concerned with weight - durability is more important to me. But if racks with better ratings than the Surly ones are available, I'd like to know more about them.
Here you go ... or here or here.

I suspect you might notice a theme :)

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RonK
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Re: Front Racks

Postby RonK » Thu Nov 23, 2017 9:03 pm

Tip: the gold standard in racks are made in Germany and name starts with a "T".
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

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rifraf
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Re: Front Racks

Postby rifraf » Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:02 pm

hartleymartin wrote:I am not overly-concerned with weight - durability is more important to me. .
Believe it or not, most of us start at that position...... until someone educates us.

All those "extra durable" grams on superfluous stuff both add up to extra kgs which must be hauled and rob us of "treats" we'd like to take along with us but don't because our bike/gear weight is already too heavy.

You don't have to adapt a low weight mantra as a religion but being part of the choir means you'll have a generally more pleasant trip.

Of course you'll need to find your own balance but once you start doing the maths with the realisation of things like one litre of water equals one kg of weight you'll soon get an epiphany sooner or later.

Theres a reason those ultra-light items are a recurring theme within the touring forum.
You'd think logic would dictate amongst folk pushing bicycles there would be no market for pricy cuban fibre tents or titanium cookware.
They make the ooh and aah pages within the touring section for good reason and its not to play a game of he/she with the most toys wins.
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