Nyah

While looking at photos of Surly bicycles such as the Trucker, it appears that their mounts for low-rider racks are the same as mounts for water-bottle cages. Is that what they are and if so, how is the low-rider rack attached to those? That would be quite different from the holes which go all the way through the fork leg (in one side of the leg, out the other) which I'm familiar with. How would these methods of mounting compare to each other in integrity?

Tandem Tom

I use the Tubus Tara and a spacer. I just attach it with an M5 SS bolt and a bit of grease on the threads. Works fine.

Doug64

I also use a Tubus Tara, and attach it the same way, even using grease on the threads.

I just looked at my LHT and the mid-fork mouning bolt holes go through to the inside of the fork blade. I use the same rack on 2 other touring bikes that have the mounting bosses on the outside of the fork blade. I've used those 2 bikes for an estimated 17, 000 touring miles without a problem. However, I do not carry more weight on the front than the rear rack as some folk advocate.

Tourist in MSN

You do not hear of people having the rack pull the fitting out of any forks when people hit bumps.

I have used a LHT fork with both a Tubus Tara rack and a Tubus Ergo rack. No problem with a set of panniers full of camping gear.

seeker333

You should look again, perhaps at better images, and/or on a better computer/monitor. Your concern is unfounded, as every Surly "touring" fork with a mid-leg mount has the type which passes all the way through the fork leg. Here are eight examples, and you should be able to see the boss protruding slightly on the inside of the fork leg in each listed model of fork, which naturally includes LHT and Disc Trucker:

https://surlybikes.com/parts/forks#touring_forks

seeker333

PS I just noticed Surly is now apparently ED coating even the steerer tubes of their forks. The guys at Maxway have clearly run out of things to tweak on the 16-year-old Trucker products.

MarcusT

Considering that most front racks have a weight limit from 10kg-18kg, the M5 bolts should be able to handle that weight without any problems.

djb

I'm not home, so can't check if my troll fork has the holes that go all the way through, but I do know that my front rack bolts don't go all the way through and I've ridden through Mexico and Central America on some rather bumpy roads with no rack bolt issues whatsoever and carried more weight on my front panniers on those trips than in past trips.

so don't worry, be happy.
ear worm infection commence.....

djb

Whaddya know dude, they do (troll fork)

Tourist in MSN

I was a little bit surprised, I assumed my 2004 LHT fork had two separate brazed on mounts on each side of teh fork blade, but it appears that there actually is a single threaded piece that goes through the blade. It is better built than I thought.

When I bought my Lynskey frame three years ago I was surprised that the water bottle mounts are not welded on, they appear to be some sort of rivnut. While that bothered me a bit, it did not stop me from putting full one liter bottles (or one kg) in the bottle cages, so far no problems. But I would not trust the weight on a rack with a rivnut.

seeker333

I believe it is standard practice to use rivnuts for bottle bosses for Al and Ti frames. My 1994 Cannondale, 2001 Litespeed and 2008 TST (also Ti) all had them. I had one of the four bottle boss rivnuts loosen slightly on the Cannondale, but I was able to secure it adequately with cyanoacrylate adhesive. Avoid overtightening bottle cages, as it may "spin" your rivnuts. Loose rivnuts can be replaced, but the replacement may not be an exact match for the original(s), and you may damage the frame and finish when removing the damaged, original rivnut (which makes the crazy glue fix not seem so much like a kludge).

Bottle bosses on steel frames are almost always brazed on.

Pratt

Guessing that if the holes went through both sides of the fork, without a tube, there would be the possibility of crushing the fork tube, which would weaken it

MAK

I have Tubus Duo low rider front racks on my LHT. They look good, they're sturdy and I have no complaints. Quite frankly, I called to purchase the Tara and Wayne at The Touring Store recommended the Duo instead (both were in stock). He never steered me wrong in the past and didn't with this purchase.

Tandem Tom

We have the Tara on both of our bikes. They have a lot of miles on them and function fine. But they are bent a bit so they don't center over the tire any longer. Tried , without success, to reshape.
Had the idea to buy the Duo but since these still work...!

seeker333

^ They're steel, so you ought to be able to safely bend them back to a centered position.

Tandem Tom

Tried but no go. Even put the fork in a tube block in a vise..