Originally Posted by
1989Pre
Your horizontal top tube probably helps keep things from sliding around too much. I'll have to get some short bungees and see if I can get things cinched down really tight. It is just smooth road ride, but a rather long one.
cooker: Besides not causing abrasion to the rod, I'd also like to be cautious about the bike finish. I had it powder-coated a couple years ago, and it is holding up well. It would all depend on how tight I could get the bungees.
Just a mock-up. This just might work. Bike will be in its summer clothing, with slick tires and a rigid fork, but same basically.
Fortuitously, rod butt rests dead-center on diagonal support of rear rack, eliminating any potential for slippage.
Reel seats could cause damage to my orange sparkle finish. I'll think of something thin to put there.
Have you tried putting the butt end of the rod at the end of the rack and then tying it down to the top tube where it meets the head tube. It won't be parallel to the sloping top tube but there's no reason it has to be.
That will shorten the length in front of the bike considerably. You can even have the butt end of the rod hanging off the back of the rack 6-8 inches to shorten it even further.