Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

That is pretty cool.

Rear battery lights can >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I've got a Surly Karate Monkey that I want to do some touring on.
Do you guys think a front lowrider rack will work or will it mess up the handling?
I want to ride road and dirt track, nothing very technical off road on this trip.

A lowrider sounds sensible to me,

^ echo this.

I would recommend bikepacking if you were to ride both road and dirt.

Bikepacking is probably the right.
I was thinking lowrider with panniers on front. Tent, sleeping bag and mat on the back.
I've got a Carradice saddle bag that I could add to the set-up if I need the extra storage.

Any advice on what front racks are worth looking at?
Also the Karate Monkey doesn't have any braze-ons for a front rack. Are P-clicks good enough? If not I'm happy to get a frame builder to add them on.

If you can get eyelets put on, they'll always be the best option.

You could always stick an Orge fork on it, pretty sure they're the same but with many eyelets.

Might be cheaper to get eyelets though no?

Waterford.jpg

My inner scoble just went mad. Beautiful bike.

Might be cheaper to get eyelets though no?

Similar, Orge fork looks to be about £70-80, mudguard eyelets are £20 a pop at Oak and bottle bosses £30 (I assume for a pair).

And might need a respray to prevent it from going rusty*.

*not really necessary but better be safe than sorry.

I've got a Surly Karate Monkey that I want to do some touring on.
Do you guys think a front lowrider rack will work or will it mess up the handling?
I want to ride road and dirt track, nothing very technical off road on this trip.

No experience whatsoever, but I'm pretty sure I've read lots of accounts of off-road tourer recommending front lowriders over anything else for the increase weight and traction over the front wheel. But if you're not really going off-road and have room then bike packing maybe less hassle and cheaper.

Similar, Orge fork looks to be about £70-80, mudguard eyelets are £20 a pop at Oak and bottle bosses £30 (I assume for a pair).

Often they're quoted individually so it's worth checking. Maro Vaz is/was a lot cheaper and can do the respray.

Personally, a low rider with a bikepacking saddlebag is a decent combination.

From current project.

It would handle weird but still awesome.

Giovanni Pinarello might be in his nineties, but he'd still kick the arse of the cretin who did that to one of his beautiful bikes.

I have often thought about doing this to an old, sturdy road bike. Even top of the line road bikes were alot more solid 30+ years ago, in terms of load capacity maybe equivalent to a current audax or cross bike? Plus old, narrow gauge steel tubing has the flex to absorb added impact. Also, I have never found pinarellos all that special, so this doesn't bother me. Might feel different about a Merckx.

Personally I'd put the weight under the saddle and maybe inside the main triangle.

Does anyone know a front lowrider rack that will fit with a 2x2.4" tyre?

Saw someone ride this bike to the supermarket, surprising to me but it is apparently more functional than walking....

that frame bag kind of ruins it for me. I'd rather have seen a bigger saddle and bar bags

I agree, they are a bit ugly

Probably less functional than cordura and velcro (paging scott). They'll sell loads.

I think this belongs here, not in anti.

Just to cheer Aches and Pains up :)

Because it got mudguard?