Lowriders on LWB forks

[a.twiddler]

I have read in passing of riders using lowriders on the front forks of LWB recumbents and on the face of it, it seems a way of putting more weight on the front wheel which is quite lightly loaded. I haven't read any accounts of riders' own experiences though. My Linear has a decent rack on the rear, and will take a good sized pair of panniers so in terms of carrying capacity it's not a necessity but is it beneficial to be able to spread it out? I have some brackets, and lowriders are cheap enough, compared with specialised fittings for underseat pannier racks. I can foresee the indirect steering needing perhaps more effort at low speed, but they would be cheap and simple to fit.

Has anyone got any experience or views for/against?

 

[Mr Magoo]

For the last 25 years I have recommended a "Tennis Racket" solution .
It connects to the main beam and projects over the front wheel
So the front wheel and steering control rod/joint are unaffected.
Think how Moultons mount racks up front

 

[a.twiddler]

That would make more sense, being fixed to the frame rather than swinging with the wheel. Do you have a link to a suitable mounting, or pictures?

Thanks.

 

[Mr Magoo]

A bit of diy .............required
Around the Linear frame you have a series of sliding machined blocks with "v grooves"
examples ....seat mount ...gear post mount ...steering mount
You need to engineer a copy section ....ie one long section or perhaps three short blocks
All use allen keys and or pins to secure and locate
You might be able source from a scrap Linear
Ok thats the mounting sorted
The rack element can be pinched from a seatpost rack system
or copy the profile of a tennis racket and mount a top bag
A front bag can be sourced from Radical recumbent seat back bags and help a little with aero dynamics
I hope that gives you a few ideas

 

[flake99please]

A front bag can be sourced from Radical recumbent seat back bags and help a little with aero dynamics
I hope that gives you a few ideas

As far as I am aware, they’re no longer shipping to the UK. Just checked and this is correct. Brexit being the reason stated on their website.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Here in the Isle of Ely , UK (Little Holland ) and host of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat race 2021
D.TEK have maintained and sourced a very wide range of Radical bags.
for the more than twenty years. ?
Some new .......others simply shop soiled plus a selection of pre owned .
Should cater for all needs and price points to keep everyone happy .
Even owners who are considering placing a bag at the bow of their dutch barge (LINEAR)
In fact Radical called Kevin recently to verify he had not done a ram raid in Holland
Funny thing D.TEK are not even official dealers at this stage

 

[a.twiddler]

I did look into the feasibility of getting a Brompton/Dahon type bag mounting block welded to the head tube but although the forks are steel, the head tube assembly seems to be cast aluminium, at least it doesn't attract a magnet, so maybe better not go there.

Another possibility was perhaps the "Dutch bike" solution by Steco or similar, using a clamp round the top and bottom of the head tube to support a platform above the front wheel. Although well priced, they seem to be pretty hefty before you even start putting a load on them. 1.7 Kg? 16mm steel tubing? More for carrying a crate of shopping rather than a bag with a few touring items. Maybe I will turn up a lighter weight version if I keep looking.

The simplest solutions are usually the best, and I'll keep an eye out for aluminium extrusions or best of all, genuine Linear frame blocks in the meantime. Obviously, I won't be in the market for a bag until I've sorted out somewhere to put it.

Meanwhile, I've got one or two other projects to keep me going.

 

[a.twiddler]

Update on the front rack project (bodgect?).

After a lot of rummaging about in the garage yesterday I came up with an aluminium front pannier carrier off an old MTB, a 30-40mm hose clip, a 38mm exhaust clamp, various P-clips and some carrier brackets. This all looked promising. The top platform of the carrier measures 24X14cm and has a raised rail at the back. The round bar of which it is constructed measures 8mm. If I sawed the legs off, using just the top platform….

Ideally the steering head should have an exhaust clamp top and bottom to bolt to the rear of the carrier. Despite a trip to our local tool and fastener specialist I wasn’t able to find anything slimline enough to fit to the bottom without interfering with the steering rod attachment on top of the left fork.

I did come away with some 8mm P-clips and a thinner U-bolt that would pass through the P-clips when attached to the top of the steering head. The cannibalised carrier has a central channel to accept its third fixing. My plan B for the bottom fixing was to use a generic, much beefier, carrier support bracket fitted to this then bent to fit the front of the steering head and held in place with the hose clip. The bottom end of the support bracket has a bit of inner tube round it to avoid chafing.

After some experimentation, drilling suitable bolt holes in the carrier support bracket and cutting to length, the carrier fitted solidly to the bike. The fixings are strong enough that the carrier itself will probably give way first. I probably won’t be going to collect the coal on it but it ought to carry a sleeping bag/bedroll, a lightweight backpacking tent or a bike bag of basic tools or snacks. Now to find a suitable wedge shaped bag to suit!

While I was messing with the front end I noticed that the steering was a bit notchy, so adjusted that. The carrier scrubbed up well. Just need to touch up some of the paint that the U-bolt chipped off the bike while being aligned. Annoying, but it is the paint I put on myself last year, so I have a match.

I have tried to keep the rack at the same sort of nose up angle as the main frame. The result is that it is going to be going around with its nose in the air -anything but a lowrider.

I should regard this version as the Mk 1. If I come across another source of ideas or another suitable rack I might upgrade it.

 

[a.twiddler]

The original idea for a front rack continuous with the frame as per Brompton had its virtues, and the one which I devised lasted through a few trips, including a holiday in Wales with a tapered nose cone bag but a) it was rather unwieldy in my increasingly crowded garage and b) the p-clips were a bit fragile. I replaced them a couple of times but in the end I took the rack off. I still had a hankering for front bags, having a venerable pair of small Carradice lowrider panniers and some frames in my bits box. It was while I was rummaging around for something else, like you do, that I came across a set of fittings for non drilled forks. I put off fitting them for some time as the frames had some locating tabs for some unknown make of panniers and I was reluctant to file them off.

Eventually in a spasm of enthusiasm I did some filing and fitting and chucked them on. I had some doubts what with them being universal and the front wheel only being 20" but actually they fitted as if they were meant for it. After some experimentation with increasing loads including shopping trips I had no qualms about loading them up as long as the loads each side were reasonably equal.
Linear with rack

Linear with panniers

They give the option of spreading the load out a bit, and fitting a smaller bag on the rear rack.
Perhaps I am that rarity, a recumbent rider who uses front panniers, but they work for me so far. I was a bit concerned about extra load on the steering rod but that too seems fine so far.