What was actually carried by Jim Blackburn front racks?
12-24-20, 12:27 PM
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Stuff.
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12-24-20, 12:27 PM
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i carried a banana and binoculars on mine for my morning rides to the coast when i was stationed at Pease AFB in NH. wish i could find another one of those racks (not another banana) ... i look for them now and then on ebay but no old style blackburns...
12-24-20, 12:35 PM
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I mainly wanted something that would keep a bag from flopping off the side of the rack. If I had one sitting around, I'd have used one of those deep, legal size letter trays. The Wald baskets are kind of big, leftovers from the days when kids delivered newspapers. Ace Hardware by me has some medium sized wire baskets that looked promising too.
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...-racks/6109565
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...-racks/6109557
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...-racks/6109565
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...-racks/6109557
12-24-20, 01:35 PM
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The answer seems to "sorta" The catalog picture I posted and the link to the Cannondale catalog show front panniers mounted, but the wraparound Blackburn rack had a tombstone for a Handle bar bag that doesn't seem to have existed in the US market at the time. The later Blackburn "study" suggests that front panniers should go on lowriders, which the catalog page of racks show directly mounted to a front rack with nothing on top. So I asked the question...
12-24-20, 01:47 PM
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That rack works great with caliper brakes, for cantis you need very careful placement for panniers to not jam the brake arms. It's a good rack design as far as placing front weight. I have used both handlebar bags and panniers on them including on extended tours.
12-24-20, 02:25 PM
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The Sackville small trunk fits like a glove on these racks, I mean absolutely perfect...and the small trunk holds a six pack quite well. I also have attached my fender to this rack using a rear rack brace.
12-24-20, 02:59 PM
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I think that I mostly saw the front racks as stabilizers for low riders. And probably carry some stuff on top. I think most people that toured in the '70s just used rear racks, which is less than ideal. Certainly most everyone that I saw riding bikecentennial only used a rear rack. Usually an overloaded pletcher rat trap. I don't think I saw lowriders without a front rack until much later. I'm sure some people hung panniers off of the front rack, but it doesn't seem like it would work out too well.
Last year I rode part of the Bikecentennial trail near Waynesboro/Afton. That must have been fun fully loaded. And when I say "fun," I mean not fun.
We skipped the side road to the cookie lady's house though.
Last year I rode part of the Bikecentennial trail near Waynesboro/Afton. That must have been fun fully loaded. And when I say "fun," I mean not fun.
We skipped the side road to the cookie lady's house though.
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12-24-20, 09:18 PM
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12-24-20, 09:21 PM
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I have a Blackburn styled Soma front rack that I use to mount a cheap CyclePro bag. I usually keep a few tools, Brooks seat cover, sweater, phone, keys, etc. in there. Fits nice and doesn't move around.
12-24-20, 11:23 PM
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12-25-20, 01:36 AM
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They are very versatile. I’ve done a number of tours loading my tent in one front pannier and sleeping bag in the other. This frees up the rear panniers for the heavy gear. When not touring a front top trunk bag, as others have pictured, works well for long day luggage. I like my lights low, forward and outside so my night bike has its light mount fixed at the left forward corner of the front rack.
12-25-20, 08:43 AM
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This a very interesting thread for me as I've been wondering about how this applies to me. I have a nice Fuji TS III that is great for all around JRA. But I also anticipate that it would be a nice light tourer. So during the frame up rehab I created a front rack. I took a rear rack and bobbed the back end and re-shaped it so it would mount level. A bit longer than purpose designed front racks but cheap (as I don't really know if I'll even like this idea). It mounts to the rack/fender braze ons and has a single strut to the vestigial caliper mounting hole.
This is a relatively low trail bike (~ 31mm) and I've read that low trail rides well with a front load. I also understand that the lower the load is the better. A front rack vs low riders means I can use it with small panniers or a front bag of some sort or both. May be better than a handlebar bag on the bars. All theory as, due to you-know-what, I've not tested this with any load on a long trip. But that's my plan and it may work out. I'm very interested in the other opinions here.
Custom rack made from factory made rear rack
Old Trek front panniers. Simple bar bag modified to strap to top of rack.
Note: none of this has been used in the wild yet. So I'll not be surprised if I'm wrong. As I said, this rack has a single brace to the front of the fork, at the caliper mounting hole, unlike the Blackburn design. I anticipate that the single strut can flex a bit when needed so the whole fork is not braced out of the flex needed for road bumps. I also have a large front bag, like those randonneur bags. Gives me another option though I have to keep myself from loading too much stuff on this. Not what its intended for.
This is a relatively low trail bike (~ 31mm) and I've read that low trail rides well with a front load. I also understand that the lower the load is the better. A front rack vs low riders means I can use it with small panniers or a front bag of some sort or both. May be better than a handlebar bag on the bars. All theory as, due to you-know-what, I've not tested this with any load on a long trip. But that's my plan and it may work out. I'm very interested in the other opinions here.
Custom rack made from factory made rear rack
Old Trek front panniers. Simple bar bag modified to strap to top of rack.
Note: none of this has been used in the wild yet. So I'll not be surprised if I'm wrong. As I said, this rack has a single brace to the front of the fork, at the caliper mounting hole, unlike the Blackburn design. I anticipate that the single strut can flex a bit when needed so the whole fork is not braced out of the flex needed for road bumps. I also have a large front bag, like those randonneur bags. Gives me another option though I have to keep myself from loading too much stuff on this. Not what its intended for.
12-25-20, 09:09 AM
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Am I doing this wrong?
I have the matched set of those Blackburn racks on my commuter.
I found that the bike was much more stable with my rear panniers on the front rack, so I put them there. Maybe 15 lbs on each side.
I get the occasional funny look, but I get those off the bike as well.
no pic, sorry.
I found that the bike was much more stable with my rear panniers on the front rack, so I put them there. Maybe 15 lbs on each side.
I get the occasional funny look, but I get those off the bike as well.
no pic, sorry.
12-25-20, 11:58 AM
#39
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Of course, it could also be (and most likely) the photographers didn't know, mounted it like they could and hid the jerry-rigged attachment to the fork end behind the pannier...
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12-25-20, 12:22 PM
#40
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I've got 2 different styles of Blackburn racks (the "wraparound" with a little tombstone and an extend-a-strut thing with a 'wall' at the back), as well as Vetta copies of the same styles. I pretty much entirely use them as a front bag support.
IMG_1703 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
720FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
620FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
TX700FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
M1000FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
As mentioned- Yes, you *can* mount panniers to them- but it gets squirrelly with the weight that high. I only used the front racks once to carry any significant weight and it threw my steering around. Probably because I put too much weight in and with the weight that high and out farther from the center of the bike, even little turns built up more momentum.
It's also worth noting, you can mount panniers to the rack AND mount a front bag to the rack at the same time, so it's not an 'either/or' proposition.
(thanks pee bucket for your watermark on my pictures)
IMG_1703 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr720FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr620FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on FlickrTX700FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on FlickrM1000FrontRack by Dave The Golden Boy, on FlickrAs mentioned- Yes, you *can* mount panniers to them- but it gets squirrelly with the weight that high. I only used the front racks once to carry any significant weight and it threw my steering around. Probably because I put too much weight in and with the weight that high and out farther from the center of the bike, even little turns built up more momentum.
It's also worth noting, you can mount panniers to the rack AND mount a front bag to the rack at the same time, so it's not an 'either/or' proposition.
(thanks pee bucket for your watermark on my pictures)
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
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12-25-20, 01:59 PM
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I think I might try and bend a new handle par bracket that drops the Cannondale handlebar bag down to the rack height. I'd want to put something between the bag and rack to keep the bag from chafing.
12-25-20, 04:21 PM
#42
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I wasn't born yet when these were originally released, but I imagine they carried more than their fare share of lightweight girlfriends... The type you don't want your wife to find out about!
In the coming months I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one of the rear-mounted wraparound front Jim Blackburn racks. The crown on my Centurion is drilled and tapped on the backside and way too elegant on the front for me to drill it through for a mount...
In the coming months I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one of the rear-mounted wraparound front Jim Blackburn racks. The crown on my Centurion is drilled and tapped on the backside and way too elegant on the front for me to drill it through for a mount...
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12-26-20, 07:51 AM
#43
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Find/make a front bag that'll work there. If you're into fashioning things, I have an old government issue telecom bag that I'm never going to get around to doing anything with- it's yours if you want it.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
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12-26-20, 12:42 PM
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How about a small laundry basket, some wire ties and bungie cords, a Blackburn rack, and a happy dog in the basket.
12-26-20, 01:46 PM
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I wasn't born yet when these were originally released, but I imagine they carried more than their fare share of lightweight girlfriends... The type you don't want your wife to find out about!
In the coming months I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one of the rear-mounted wraparound front Jim Blackburn racks. The crown on my Centurion is drilled and tapped on the backside and way too elegant on the front for me to drill it through for a mount...
In the coming months I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one of the rear-mounted wraparound front Jim Blackburn racks. The crown on my Centurion is drilled and tapped on the backside and way too elegant on the front for me to drill it through for a mount...
12-27-20, 11:03 AM
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12-28-20, 01:10 PM
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Another nagging question that keeps me up at night... and not to veer to far off course from the 2nd tier touring bike thread...
What are those cool vintage front racks actually used for? They certainly look cool and certainly make a bike look like a serious touring machine.
For context, I have a 1982 Miyata 610, the one with caliper brakes and "the good" tubing, so maybe a bit closer to a Sports Tourer. My intention is to out fit it as a "period correct" "playing dress up" light tourer. I have a Jim Blackburn style (CyclePro with diving board) front rack that I was going to put on it, but then got to thinking. What would I actually use it for? I have a Cannondale handlebar bag, the mounts directly to the handlebars, so I don't need the rack top for that, and while the matching Cannondale front panniers look like they'll fit the rack, it seems ride wise, that I would be better off with a set of low riders. I'm also inclined to leave off the rear rack and use a matching Cannondale saddle bag. I guess I'd need the rear rack to carry a sleeping bag, if I was doing an overnighter, but I have other bikes for such ventures. Here's the bike, the last time it came down off the ceiling:
And here's some of the vaguely relevant literature I've found.
"The Project" Looks like they tried the high mounted Pannier position and didn't like it.
Similar racks, with a front rack with low riders mounted. So what go's on top?
Similar bags, with panniers mounted high. My handlebar bag is a bit smaller. I haven't found any vintage bags made for the top of this style rack, at least for the US market.
Here's the 1982 Miyata catalog
and the 1982 Cannondale catalog for good measure.
So the question remains, Blackburn front racks, Functional or Fashionable.....
What are those cool vintage front racks actually used for? They certainly look cool and certainly make a bike look like a serious touring machine.
For context, I have a 1982 Miyata 610, the one with caliper brakes and "the good" tubing, so maybe a bit closer to a Sports Tourer. My intention is to out fit it as a "period correct" "playing dress up" light tourer. I have a Jim Blackburn style (CyclePro with diving board) front rack that I was going to put on it, but then got to thinking. What would I actually use it for? I have a Cannondale handlebar bag, the mounts directly to the handlebars, so I don't need the rack top for that, and while the matching Cannondale front panniers look like they'll fit the rack, it seems ride wise, that I would be better off with a set of low riders. I'm also inclined to leave off the rear rack and use a matching Cannondale saddle bag. I guess I'd need the rear rack to carry a sleeping bag, if I was doing an overnighter, but I have other bikes for such ventures. Here's the bike, the last time it came down off the ceiling:
And here's some of the vaguely relevant literature I've found.
"The Project" Looks like they tried the high mounted Pannier position and didn't like it.
Similar racks, with a front rack with low riders mounted. So what go's on top?
Similar bags, with panniers mounted high. My handlebar bag is a bit smaller. I haven't found any vintage bags made for the top of this style rack, at least for the US market.
Here's the 1982 Miyata catalog
and the 1982 Cannondale catalog for good measure.
So the question remains, Blackburn front racks, Functional or Fashionable.....
12-28-20, 01:56 PM
#48
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The high Blackburn rack worked fine for me. These photos were taken in 1983. I eventually bought a low rider which was just becoming popular then. The older style high rack provided a platform for my tent. The higher weight did not significantly affect handling. I did not use a handlebar bag.
She needs a saddle though. Maybe that's what the JB is for, after your ride.
