Old 08-11-19, 04:49 AM
  #26  
Prowler 
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Near Pottstown, PA: 30 miles NW of Philadelphia
Posts: 2,185

Bikes: 2 Trek Mtn, Cannondale R600 road, 6 vintage road bikes

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Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs
. Info on your fork mount racks? .
Ah, yes. "Frugality is the mother of invention." Remember that this whole enterprise is a test. I may really like it (like riding 300 miles thru beautiful country with NO CARS) or I may not like it ( slogging a heavy, sluggish monster bike vs dashing around like an unladen African sparrow on my Crescent). So I'm keeping the investment to a minimum. How to shift weight to the front end? Spend money for stuff I have to then store somewhere and not use again OR fabricate something that will prove the concept then spend money on the proper kit?

Since the mid fork mounts were there already (thru tubes grazed into each fork leg, ready for thru bolts), I picked two of those modern, cheap aluminum bottle cages that everyone sells but look bulbous and BSOish (new adjective???) on anything. I bent each open a bit so I could fit a couple of plastic containers I had - 3" diameter x 8" tall cylinders that once held wet wipes or something. I fabricated an aluminum strap to span from the fork mid point hole to the lower fender braze on at the fork end - using the lower one ensures the QR is not obstructed. I mounted the bottle cage at the mid point hole and a third hole in the strap. I fabricated a pair of green rain covers from a supply of coated rip stop nylon I have (unused tent fly, now chopped to pieces) and secured em to the bike with Velcro straps. So far they are holding well.

The plan is to pack trail mix, granola and other food into plastic bags and stash those into these cylinders. At night they I just take them off and and into the bear bag.

BTW: there's no point explaining my DIY bike stand. Could not be duplicated. The point is that a) I don't like kick stands and b) with the sort of mass I'm carrying, only a brace off the TT is stable enough. I fabricated a two part aluminum rod that lashes to the TT, goes thru the NDS pedal strap and to the ground. Very solid set up for loading and unloading the bike. As usual I have a small wine cork wedge to lock the front brake on for added stability.

Last edited by Prowler; 08-11-19 at 05:01 AM. Reason: added info
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