Convert high front pannier rack to low rider...?

[SA_SA_SA]

I have a conventional 3 point mounted m-part fmp rack, but found that light front panniees scuppered zigzagging up very steep hills due tovge accelerated steering flop on lean...resulting in use of 24in( two feet) gear....

Has anyone converted such a conventional front rack into a low rider by p-clipping on some horizontal 10/12mm alu tube?

[jimlews]

I have a conventional 3 point mounted m-part fmp rack,

Has anyone converted such a conventional front rack into a low rider by p-clipping on some horizontal 10/12mm alu tube?

That certainly used to be an option with Blackburn front racks.

I should think such an arrangement would benefit (stiffen up) both front racks.

[531colin]

deleted

[SA_SA_SA]

Is p clipping on(to current rack) a single horizontal alloy tube per side much work?

Edit I meant to finesse thelis post after dinner, by adding ' compared to removing old rack and fitting new one?'

[531colin]

Sorry, I thought you were asking for advice; clearly I was wrong. In future I will try to remember not to waste your valuable time.

[SA_SA_SA]

deleted

Sorry but I was trying to ask whether the P clipped horizontal tube pair was a fix other people had tried, and if it was viewed as strong enough for up to at least 3kg to 4kg: simply buying a new low rider rack compatible rack wouldnt require a post on a forum.

I dont understand your deleted link to tubus on that respect.


If you meant a p clipped rod wouldn't be strong enough why not say that?

[531colin]

Front panniers wag the steering because the load is in front of the steering axis.
To get the load as close as possible to the steering axis, its necessary to do several things;
Lower the panniers so they clear the down tube when turning.
Move the panniers back.
Provide a top pannier support behind the fork blades
Provide support below the axle

I don't fancy a front pannier coming loose and getting into the wheel, so I don't think bodging a couple of bits of tube onto your existing carrier is a good idea.

[SA_SA_SA]

Thanks,

The tubus grand expedition looks nice but is a bit heavy, having lots of steel.

I did mount the (super c) panniers as far back as possible (the mounting strip is very rigid) but it would appear that having the weight centred around the axle (by being lower) is more important.

Some rethinking of luggage / distribution / a new rack etc ..... required......or accepting walking up more steep hills ...

[531colin]

No, really, whats important is getting the weight as close as possible to the steering axis. As close as possible to the steering axis means having one top support behind the fork blade, and you obviously didn't do that with a high mount rack.
Lowering the panniers is just a necessary step in moving them back.
It also helps if you put anything heavy at the back of front panniers.
(and on rear panniers, heavy stuff should be at the front, as close as possible to the axle)

[cycle tramp]

I have a conventional 3 point mounted m-part fmp rack, but found that light front panniees scuppered zigzagging up very steep hills due tovge accelerated steering flop on lean...resulting in use of 24in( two feet) gear....

Has anyone converted such a conventional front rack into a low rider by p-clipping on some horizontal 10/12mm alu tube?

I guess it depends on how many steep hills you regularly encounter. If you're only encountering a couple of hills a year, then walking up hills is the easier of the options.

[cycle tramp]

Deleted post as I had misread 531 Colins original post. Apologies 531 Colin

[531colin]

It also helps if you put anything heavy at the back of front panniers.
(and on rear panniers, heavy stuff should be at the front, as close as possible to the axle)

I think it depends on the geometry of the frame...
Certainly when I started cycling conventional wisdom was to stick all the heavier stuff at the back...
..however I've changed with the times, accepting that the rear wheel isn't as strong as the front wheel and, considering I've already got my weight over it, has more than enough to deal with...
..as a result I'm loading the heavier stuff, animal feeds, boxes of wine, etc in the front panniers. I've got so used to having some weight on the front that riding without any load makes my bike seem strange....

Thats not what i posted about at all.

[cycle tramp]

It also helps if you put anything heavy at the back of front panniers.
(and on rear panniers, heavy stuff should be at the front, as close as possible to the axle)

I think it depends on the geometry of the frame...
Certainly when I started cycling conventional wisdom was to stick all the heavier stuff at the back...
..however I've changed with the times, accepting that the rear wheel isn't as strong as the front wheel and, considering I've already got my weight over it, has more than enough to deal with...
..as a result I'm loading the heavier stuff, animal feeds, boxes of wine, etc in the front panniers. I've got so used to having some weight on the front that riding without any load makes my bike seem strange....

Thats not what i posted about at all.

Apologies, I misread part of your post. My original post has been deleted, and I apologise for not taking the time to properly read your post. Hope that's okay.

P.S. on another matter, having viewed your method of steer tube lengthening do you think this is work a normal bike frame builder would be able to do?

[531colin]

Yeah, no worries.....just came on a day when everybody was misinterpreting what I wrote!

A framebuilder would probably elect to replace the whole steerer on a fork with a conventional crown ....just take one out, braze a new one in.
Unicrown forks are welded (apart from an occasional really odd one....there used to be crowns made to look like unicrown, I can't imagine why!)......and you can't "un-weld" like you can "un-braze".

I remember Brucey writing about those "steerer extender" things, which fit inside like a quill stem....he was talking about permanently installing one with epoxy, which is an easy DIY, and if its good enough for Brucey, it would do me!
The weakness of those is that the "expander bolt" has to do double duty.....at its top is a 6mm Allen key socket, but also its tapped for a normal top cap bolt, which is M6 I think? ...there is no reason to break it, but if you do you might have to contrive something to fit the top cap

[SA_SA_SA]

I could just go back to fitting my bulky synthetic sleeping bag transversely on top of the front rack, which at 1.n kg didn,t seem to have as much effect... I had expected the heavier but lower and slightly more rearward panniers to be an improvement.....