Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

Or get a pelago or soma Porteur rack and have all options available to you.

Or get a cheap as hell tubus fly and one or two rear panniers.

It would be for commuting and round town as well, so i'd rather not have to always carry two panniers.

This one you mean? So it can do panniers and/or rack bag?
https://www.pelagobicycles.com/store/accessories/baskets-and-racks/pelago-commuter-front-rack.html

Yep, I think they look excellent, especially the choice of width for the top. Really want one but already have a Blackburn outpost for my Genesis which does the job ok.

I run a backpack on top of my Porteur rack without issue, so you don't really have to buy a specific rack bag.

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Yeah my current option is tortec ultralite rear rack with one pannier for commuting or two for longer trips. New bike will have front rack eyelets tho so thought I would see what all the front rack craze is about

Is there meant to be a picture there? Not showing for me. How do you secure your rucksack, bungees or a cargo net or something?

Ah is now showing. Looks excellent. Does it feel secure, no bouncing about?

There's a picture attached via LFGSS, weird you can't see it.

I use a couple of bungees, once you figure the best way it's quick and easy.

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Yeah I got a bag specifically to go on top of the rack as well, but tend to only use that when I know I'm going to be carrying bigger stuff/lots of shopping. Like the convenience of using my backpack. No bouncing around, rock solid.

alternatively, you can get the Chrome rack bag.

I have it and it's great.

Looks thoroughly excellent, love the dual front lights too. If that bike had full length mudguards I would hunt you down and steal it

Rack bags are spendy and presumably of limited use off bike tho? Ability to strap down any normal rucksack seems preferable

It did have full guards, toe vs. guard overlap was an issue though and they were getting damaged. Could run ok with 23c tyres but wanted bigger tyres to deal Yorkshire roads, so ditched the guards and put 32s on.

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It's that thing...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Dingo-Front-wheel-Pannier-rack-Lowrider-for-Suspension-fork-26-28-/381447598439?hash=item58d00c7167:g:-IcAAOSwPcVVqPzp

Just bought it to try, of course had to adapt a bit as not intended for rigid 700c forks...
I never had front racks (apart from old steel stuff...) so I can't really compare but so far no complaints, seems stiff enough for the loads I'd ever consider having on it... And since it's considerably cheaper than anything else, I'm quite favorably impressed...

We're mudguards really the difference between 32s and 23s? I was hoping a bike that could fit 35s without guards would be able to fit 32s, or at worst 28s with them...

Depends a bit on the bike.

You need some space for road debris, so generally 32mm or 28mm + guards works. But there may be other niggles, like chainstays, fork crowns or brake shape.

With 25s + guards there was overlap, with 28s + guards there was considerably more overlap.

The era that the frame is from, it was probably very rare that people were running anything bigger than 23s.

Toeverlap is more of a problem with the guards than tyres as tyres just buzz your foot, mudguards get bent and rip out of their fittings.

I expect you'll be fine.

Cool, thanks a lot

and YES, this is an oval cx with what I gues are 650b wheels.

Sorry @TM you've probably said what your front rack is already but I'm on my phone and can't seem to find it. What is it?

It's a minoura gamoh Porteur, but for the money I would def go Pelago.

Yeah pelago looks great too.

Functional hive mind I need some help with my retroshifters.

I want to go indexed 10x1 with a mtb deraileur and bar end shifters on the retroshifters- am I correct in my understanding that the only two options are:

older 9 speed shimano mtb rear mech + 10 speed shimano bar end shifter = successful indexed shifting?
OR
Any Sram 10 speed mtb rear mech + 10 speed Sram bar end shifter = successful indexed shifting?

Don't those use microshift shifters as standard? Could swap the shifter out to the dyna-sys compatible version I mentioned on here recently and use a modern 10 speed mtb mech.

charliethebikemonger.com/micr­oshift--10-speed-bar-end-gear-shifters-b­s-m10-10576-p.asp

How do you find those by the way? Thinking of using on a planned project.

Bit of a long shot, but does anyone know what sized mudguards/tyres I could squeeze into this?

http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m89b185s800p19646/GENESIS_Smithfield_Ex-Display_50cm_2015/RS_GB/67715?gclid=Cj0KEQiAsP-2BRCFl4Lb2NTJttEBEiQAmj2tbdVTGVDR4jVl2SWV3wbNTY2sOpbLzoiU14OO97kvHlEaAgXh8P8HAQ

Was thinking of running these mudguards (mine have developed a crack so are on the way out):

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gilles-berthoud-gilles-berthoud-700c-stainless-steel-mudguards-long-prod32967/

And then getting some chunky, chunky tyres. Already running 35mm Schwalbe Marathons but may go even bigger if possible.