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Custom Pannier Rack
March 16, 2009
Last spring I acquired a beautiful old touring bike. It was perfect in everyway, except for the fact that no matter how hard I tried I just could not get a front pannier rack to sit level on the fork. For some reason the combination of the rake on the fork as well as where the mounting braze ons were, it always ended up tilting too far back. A little angle I am alright with, but all the racks I tried were tilting back far too much to be safe.
I am lucky enough to be good friends with Barrett Russell. He recently built himself a touring frame and did a 6000 km ride from Saskatoon to Alaska and back again. I told him of the problem I was having and soon enough he was building me a front rack. I wanted something with some classic style and a rack on the top, but other than that I let him do what he does best. The result was amazing.
Barrett had some ideas in mind and after making the top shelf of the rack, he had me bring my bicycle over to his workshop. From there he drilled my fork out at the crown, to add an attachment point. It is truely amazing what a custom made piece will do for a bike. This rack fits perfect and looks as it belongs on the bicycle.
I told him not to bother painting it, and I went about in search of some primer and paint. In the end I decided on Tremclad's Recreational White. It has a nice vintage cream look to it, we will have to see how the pain holds up to touring this summer.
