Ortlieb Front Roller Plus

[mistermark]

Hey guys, I've had a quick look for some info but can't answer my question.. Which is: Why do most sites say Front Roller Plus are for 'front or rear rack (lowrider)?
Is this just that your gear sits a bit lower? surely no (i was gonna say 'self-respecting' but..) 'lowriders' would even use panniers.. a lowrider is one of those weird town cruising chopper-like bikes right? am i just being foolish? I have 26inch wheels and suspension forks... and am ordering from China so need to get this right!
Thanks to y'all

 

[P.H]

Is this just that your gear sits a bit lower?

It's different types of front rack. Nearly all modern ones are lowriders, where the pannier rail is well below the top of the wheel. A few years ago the rail on most front racks was higher. A pannier designed for lowriders (as I think all are) will fit fine on either.
Tubus describe their range as lowriders;

http://www.tubus.com/index/lang/en/rubrik/Lowriders/

 

[Bodhbh]

As PH says a lowrider is just a rack where the rail for the pannier to clip on is low down (as opposed to front racks where the rail is above the top of the wheel with a platform to bungee stuff too). As the centre of gravity is low the handling is better and some weight in the front panniers improve it. If you have a browse at the photos you can see the difference between the OMM lowriders and front racks:

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/RackPages/FrontRacks.html

 

[Crankarm]

Did you I read correctly that you are intending to fit lowloader front racks to your bike which has suspension forks? If so a lowloader bike rack won't fit as they only work on fixed forks. They are called lowrider racks because the panniers mount lowdown on the rack centring around the hub axle height so the centre of gravity is lower.

Anway to fit panniers to the front of a bicycle that has suspension forks you will need a special rack as the forks move and also do not have braze ons for mounting a front rack. Wiggle do a special Tubus rack for bikes with front suspension.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Tubus_Swing_Suspension_Fork_Front_Rack/5360025263/

This bike has a typical Tubus low loader rack with Ortlieb Front Roller Classic panniers but it has a fixed fork so you could not use either of them AFAIK.

http://www.pbase.com/canyonlands/image/83944863
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Tubus_Ergo_Lowrider_Front_Rack/5360025262/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Tubus_Tara_Lowrider_Front_Rack/5360025260/

 

[mistermark]

Anway to fit panniers to the front of a bicycle that has suspension forks you will need a special rack as the forks move and also do not have braze ons for mounting a front rack. Wiggle do a special Tubus rack for bikes with front suspension.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Tubus_Swing_Suspension_Fork_Front_Rack/5360025263/

This bike has a typical Tubus low loader rack with Ortlieb Front Roller Classic panniers but it has a fixed fork so you could not use either of them AFAIK.

yes you're right i'll be mounting on suspension forks. the shop here just said no problem (i'm in china and have a good bike shop here, but they didn't spend long looking at the bike.).
If i got this tubus design, do you know if the ortlieb front rollers will fit on it ok? it looks like the bags would sit higher on the front wheel with these...

 

[mistermark]

that tubus swing is 77 quid on wiggle! anyone know if there's an alternative, or where i could get one cheaper?

 

[mistermark]

i've found this that looks like it might be ok, the delta
or these, the carrier axiom odysee
any idea on tehse two? i just read mounting directly on the front wheel can cause more vibration than having fixed forks!

thought evans were selling the tubus swing for £56.99 (google), but on their site they're £104!!

 

[Bodhbh]

If you look at the OMM site I linked to, you'll see there is an 'Ultimate Lowrider' rack which also fits suspension forks. Some of their other front racks do too, but they sit the load higher.

I been using the Ultimate Lowrider this year and it seems bombproof. You should be able to get it either from OMM in the US or Carridice in the UK.

The Tubus Swing seems a very neat piece of engineering - sitting the load above the suspension - and is sturdy enough. However for road use the handling seemed much less stable than a lowrider with the centre of gravity being higher and all. I would only use it if you're going over some serious terrain and want the load to sit high above ruts, rocks and whatnot on your route.

 

[mistermark]

If you look at the OMM site I linked to, you'll see there is an 'Ultimate Lowrider' rack which also fits suspension forks.

Actually I was looking at the wrong rack on there, but someone wrote on CTC that racks on the front wheel increase vibration and limit suspension. Are yours on suspension forks? Had any issues?

 

[Bodhbh]

Actually I was looking at the wrong rack on there, but someone wrote on CTC that racks on the front wheel increase vibration and limit suspension. Are yours on suspension forks? Had any issues?

No, last year I was using suspension forks with a tubus swing. I got sick of them been locked out most of the time and forks rusting up over winter use, so replaced them with Kona P2 rigid forks and the lowrider rack. So no experience of using the lowrider with suspension forks.

Like anything, you get used to it fine and the stability is not *that* bad, but the did bike ride better loaded once I swapped to a lowrider. So guess you decide which is the lesser of the two evils .

 

[mistermark]

So guess you decide which is the lesser of the two evils .

you mean think of replacing my forks? damn it.. at this rate i'll have no money left for the trip!!
or guess i could tighten the forks as much as possible? bit pointless having suspension then but it could save me some hassle and money

thanks for your help though, a lot