Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

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javatime
Posts: 286
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2014 4:51 pm

Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

Post by javatime »

27 Jan Update Added another photo with the bike out of the shed that may make things clearer :

I have been using handlebar harnesses with drops for a while, but thought I would give the £10 E bay mini rack, or something very similar a go to free up a bit of space on the bars, and make packing a bit simpler. Also when using my winter sleeping bag, the harness gets a bit close to the front wheel.

The attachments provided with the rack seemed a bit flimsy, and also I don't have canti bosses.

I replaced the provided bracket with a couple of aluminium plates that sandwich the vertical part of the deck and bring the load onto the outer sandwich plate where it meets the top rail. Painted black the outer sandwich plate can hardly be seen.

I used a piece of M6 stainless studding through the mudguard bolt hole, keeping this as short as possible whilst leaving space for the cables behind. I removed the canti brackets from the rack and used pipe clips instead. Size here was important...23mm was too big so 21mm worked well with the Escapade steel forks. All nuts are nyloc and threadlocked so shouldn't shake loose.

It works well with the same load I would have in the harness, pictures below and a link to the E bay rack previously found by mikejd

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminum-All ... ect=mobile

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Teaman
Posts: 136
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2020 10:10 am

Re: Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

Post by Teaman »

Looks good 👍
I think I will be limited to a harness as I currently have a suspension fork. I note you said you used one but not enough clearance when carrying your winter sleeping bag. Any recommendation ref a good harness and preferably not expensive?
belugabob
Posts: 601
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:20 pm

Re: Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

Post by belugabob »

Depends what you call expensive.

https://wildcat.cc/collections/handleba ... ar-harness

Very well designed and constructed.

As Mr Rolls (or was it Mr Royce) said - "the quality will be remembered, long after the price is forgotten"
kvragu
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:41 pm

Re: Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

Post by kvragu »

How'd you get the canti boss mounts off? I'm trying on mine but it's a pain.
javatime
Posts: 286
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2014 4:51 pm

Re: Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

Post by javatime »

The brackets were flimsy and held on with poor aluminium rivets, think I drilled through the rivet and pulled off the bracket with pliers
kvragu
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:41 pm

Re: Budget Mini Front Rack Hack - New photo

Post by kvragu »

Thought one would probably need to drill it. I'll have to find a workaround.
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