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Rack Mounting Variation

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

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Tags

a. homer hilsen, DIY, Edelux, front rack, Mark's Rack, nitto, platrack, porteur, rivendell, strut


Original PlatRack

This is a picture of how I had originally mounted my front Rivendell/Nitto PlatRack on my bike.  I have always liked having the larger platform of the Platrack on my AHH, but disliked the long struts that stretch down to the fender mounts by the axle.  I had removed the rack for the rando season a few months back, but have wanted to put it back on a few times, because it is so handy to have the extra load surface when commuting.

I have had an idea to do an alternate strut configuration rolling around in my head for the past few months, and finally decided to take action.

Multiple Bends Needed

After watching one of the Rivendell videos on mounting a rear rack where they bend the struts with a couple of good hammer whacks, I was inspired.  I bent and shortened the long struts to join at the mid fork braze-on where the other struts from the Mark’s Rack join.

Both Struts Now Attach Here

It is likely “not quite” as strong, and I’m sure it’s a warranty voider in Grant and Nitto’s eyes, but I don’t carry much more than 10 lbs on the front.  In any case, it feels solid as a rock to me.

View from the Front

Because of the imperfect hammer-bending technique I employed, I found that the fender line needed a bit of work after the first mount try.  I loosened up the strut screws where they met the Marks and Plat Racks, and try to cold bend it into the proper position to get better alignment and keep the whole assembly as non-stressed as I could make it.  I also took the opportunity to move the Edelux light to the hole that was off-center.  This will move it out of the line of spray if I’m in rain and there is water coming off the front of the tire.

Showing the New Top Bend

I’ve now ridden with this setup on numerous commutes and a 20 miler.  I also removed the saddlebag and went with just a front rando bag with the tools consolidated.  My Acorn is stable and rides on the rack well, even though it is a smaller footprint.  The bike has been stable for no-handed riding, and with less weight on the saddle, it seems to have less speed wobble with this setup.  I also feel like I get more active suspension from this setup, as it leaves the front fork’s lower half free of additional struts.

Final Shortened Bent Strut

If you have thought about trying something like this, I would encourage it.  It was a simple procedure that just required a mallet, hacksaw (for trimming the longer strut down to size), and some patience.  I basically eyeballed the bend on one side, and tried to do the second strut in the same angles.  It took a total of an hour or so to get what I wanted.

 

More Pics of the Nitto Platrack

06 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

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Tags

a. homer hilsen, cargo, nitto, platrack, rack, rivendell, Wald


Hilsen-Platrack-2-1Hilsen-Platrack-2-2Hilsen-Platrack-2-3Hilsen-Platrack-2-4Hilsen-Platrack-2-5Hilsen-Platrack-2-6
Hilsen-Platrack-2-7Hilsen-Platrack-2-8Hilsen-Platrack-2-9Hilsen-Platrack-2-10

Platrack, a set on Flickr.

I removed the Wald basket when I did the Populaire, and have left it off for the past few weeks to get a feel for usability “naked”. While I have to lash the cargo down a bit more, the small cargo net I use works well. I picked up a box of donuts on the way in to work today, and carried a laptop home on the front rack with no problems, and minimal movement. This set shows the rack a bit more in its raw form.

Nitto PlatRack Attack

01 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

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Tags

a. homer hilsen, basket, cargo net, commute, Mark's Rack, nitto, platrack, populaire, rando, rivendell, road bike


Having convinced myself that low trail is not the holy grail of front loading bicycles (i.e. I don’t have a problem with my higher trail bike), I added a Nitto Platrack (Rivbike.com) to my Hilsen.  I’ve used it now for a few weeks of bike commuting, as well as a 100k Populaire ride with the local randonneur club.

Rivendell Front Loader

Observations so far:

  1. It has the same ride feel as just having the smaller Mark’s Rack on the bike.
  2. The long stays that support near the hub don’t make a noticeable difference in the handling.
  3. There is no additional noise.
  4. I don’t have a problem with the looks – I thought the long stays would bother me, but they are very insignificant.
  5. I like having a wider base of support.
  6. I’ve found the basket to be mostly unnecessary.  Using the Acorn Boxy Rando bag worked great on the Populaire.
  7. The elastic net holds my ShopSack and other additions just great.

With Wald Basket and Cargo Net

The advantages are mainly around having a larger platform.  This makes it a lot easier to transport bulky items without needing a basket, but if you like the built in container a basket provides, it will give it that much more support when loaded.  I.E. no wobble.  It just feels solid.

Other Side

From the Cockpit

Verdict:  Solid! Recommended!  I will be running this combo for the foreseeable future.  I don’t feel it gets in the way, and adds enough versatility to make it worth keeping for commute duty, without being “in the way” for a longer distance ride.  I’m not racing, so I’m not counting grams.  That said, I don’t feel this makes me any slower on a rando.  Tires are something I feel much more when I change things out.

The Rack

02 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

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Tags

acorn, ahh, boxy, hilsen, low-trail, platrack, porteur, rando, rivendell


I’m a convert to front racks, baskets, and nice canvas bags.  I currently use an Acorn Boxy Rando bag on my Riv, and a small Sackville Saddlesack for tools.  On my “donut bike”, I have a medium sized Wald basket with a Riv Shopsack that I totally love.

Rivendell Front End

I was planning to try out the “low-trail” design, but I’m having trouble justifying getting a new bike just to test this.  I recently rode a few low-trail bikes at my LBS.  I tried a VO Polyvalent, and a Rawland rSogn, but they felt not too much different than my Hilsen in terms of stability with a front load.  I think I just key into trail less than some.

Fall Foliage on the Bridge

I am currently using a Mark’s Rack on this bike.  As I want a bit more platform for the Rando bag, as well as the basket I have been known to sport, I ordered a Nitto/Riv Platrack to add to this.

Rivendell Platrack

I’m probably going to experiment with the struts.  They are supposed to run to the eyelets at the front axle, but I’m more interested in having the same supports from the mid-fork eyelets hold this guy in place.  I think it would look cleaner.  I’m also worried about having more reinforcement from the bottom of the fork, as it may stiffen up the fork in a bad way.  It’s probably psychological, but I’ll see if I can get a quantifiable feel for this.

 

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