Front Rack for Touring With Atlantis

[Darin G.]

My Atlantis is built up and riding (gratuitous plug for Saturday Cycles in SLC).  An awesome dreadnaught of a bicycle.  I'm running a Nitto Mini-Front with a Berthoud bag and decaleur on the front.  I'm planning a tour and wondering what y'all use for a front touring rack.  I'm thinking of pulling the Mini off and going with the Nitto Big Front.  Seems the Berthoud bag would rest on it in fine, especially with the decaleur, and then I could hang the front panniers on as well.  But,...wondering if there is some other option where I could keep the Mini-Front and use some kind of clamp on low-rider (Tubus?  Bruce Gordon?).  Is there a rack that would actually use the fork braze ons other than the Nitto?  Suggestions with illustrative photos appreciated.

D.G.

[Montclair BobbyB]

I have a Nitto Mark's Rack and Tubus Tara combo setup on a 26" MTB-
tourer... the Nitto for a small bag, and the Tubus for panniers...
works nicely.

I also have a Jandd Extreme front rack for another 26" MTB-tourer,
which I also REALLY like.

That said, my first choice (if cost wasn't a factor) would definitely
be a Nitto Big Front...

[Scot Brooks]

You could certainly go custom and keep the mini around. From what I understand, a regular low rider rack will sit at quite a jaunty angle on a Riv fork. 

[newenglandbike]

I used the nitto mini front and wald basket, with a Tubus Tara lowrider on a 6K tour once.    I would use the exact same setup if I did it again.   The mini-front with wald basket and bungee is incredibly robust, flexible, and handy.     Of course the Tubus low rider's reputation speaks for itself I think.   However, I am sure I could have used a Nitto Big Front rack with wald basket and get similar performance.

Good luck on your tour :D

Matt

[RJM]

Does anybody know if the Nitto Big front rack fits the Atlantis without the use of P-clamps; does it just bolt right up to the braze on? 

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

There are several excellent front racks on the market, but few work elegantly with the Atlantis fork braze-ons. Do you have one of the new Atlantis forks that have threaded holes on top of the fork crown? I adapted a Surly front rack to work on my touring bike...basically by using some rear Surly rack hardware and mounting it like a rear rack making use of the top-crown connection. It was really strong and clean looking. I'll try to dig up a photo.

But there is a downside: I quit using the Atlantis as a front loader, at least with the heavy loads the Surly rack allowed me to carry. I found it unnervingly flexy up front when the front load was substantial. This flexiness led me to conclude that 1" steerers and quill stems were at a disadvantage when carrying lots of weight up front. My Curt Goodrich tourer was 1-1/8 threadless, which felt much more solid up front regardless of how much stuff I carried. A friend of mine reached the same conclusion in the middle of a one-week tour when he tested a compsnion's Surly LHT after complaining that his otherwise gorgeous custom tourer (1" steerer) was scary with a heavy front load. I should clarify that the flexiness did not stop me from enjoying many happy trips and overnights on my Atlantis. The best front load solution I found was a Wald basket that I could clamp on the handlebar and zip-tie to the Nitto mini front. Anchoring the basket between the bar and rack made for a solid connection. Everything that I didn't want in the basket went on the back.

[RJM]

I don't have an Atlantis...yet.  I am trying to decide between the Atlantis, the Hunqapillar or maybe even a Bombadil for loaded touring and as a camp/trail bike to compliment my Sam Hillborne (more roadish setup).  I am on the small side, so it would be 26" wheels on the Hunq or Atlantis or 650b for the Bombadil and was just trying to get a feel for what front rack combo would be appropriate.  I believe the Hunq and the Bombadil have threaded holes on the top of the fork crown; I didn't realize the new Atlantis ones did too.

 

I have a Jamis Aurora that has seen better days and probably should be made into a commuter instead of a touring bike. I used it with a Nitto mini front rack and a Wald basket for my last tour.  It worked fine, but I would like to be able to get more weight down low if I buy a new "touring" bike. 

 

Thanks for relaying your experience with the quill stem/threaded headset on a front loader.  It is certainly something to think about before putting a deposit down.

[Allingham II, Thomas J]

Not sure if this is perfectly responsive, but here's an Atlantis (mine) with a Nitto Big Front Rack:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/4815789426/in/set-72157624427413755

 

It worked very well on a tour with a Wald basket zip-tied on, a small Berthoud handlebar bag above (with the Klik-Fix handlebar mount -- mount without bag is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/4815790104/in/set-72157624427413755/) and Arkel small panniers below.  Handled very nicely, though I may not be as sensitive to handling nuances as others on the list.

 

I believe I could have mounted without P-clamps, but the Paul brakes got in the way.  The picture shows where.

---

From: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Darin G.
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 10:34 PM
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [RBW] Front Rack for Touring With Atlantis

My Atlantis is built up and riding (gratuitous plug for Saturday Cycles in SLC).  An awesome dreadnaught of a bicycle.  I'm running a Nitto Mini-Front with a Berthoud bag and decaleur on the front.  I'm planning a tour and wondering what y'all use for a front touring rack.  I'm thinking of pulling the Mini off and going with the Nitto Big Front.  Seems the Berthoud bag would rest on it in fine, especially with the decaleur, and then I could hang the front panniers on as well.  But,...wondering if there is some other option where I could keep the Mini-Front and use some kind of clamp on low-rider (Tubus?  Bruce Gordon?).  Is there a rack that would actually use the fork braze ons other than the Nitto?  Suggestions with illustrative photos appreciated.

D.G.

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[William]

Tom, why must you always taunt me with your pewter Atlantis?  The tax return could buy it, and the build kit is 100% in place (including Nitto Big Front and Rear racks).  The only thing I'm missing is cloth bar tape (thanks in part to you), and the blasted frameset.  But the family unit won't approve it.  Torture.  

On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6:56:22 AM UTC-7, Pudge wrote:

Not sure if this is perfectly responsive, but here's an Atlantis (mine) with a Nitto Big Front Rack:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/4815789426/in/set-72157624427413755

 

It worked very well on a tour with a Wald basket zip-tied on, a small Berthoud handlebar bag above (with the Klik-Fix handlebar mount -- mount without bag is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/4815790104/in/set-72157624427413755/) and Arkel small panniers below.  Handled very nicely, though I may not be as sensitive to handling nuances as others on the list.

 

I believe I could have mounted without P-clamps, but the Paul brakes got in the way.  The picture shows where.

---

From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Darin G.

Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 10:34 PM

To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com

Subject: [RBW] Front Rack for Touring With Atlantis

My Atlantis is built up and riding (gratuitous plug for Saturday Cycles in SLC).  An awesome dreadnaught of a bicycle.  I'm running a Nitto Mini-Front with a Berthoud bag and decaleur on the front.  I'm planning a tour and wondering what y'all use for a front touring rack.  I'm thinking of pulling the Mini off and going with the Nitto Big Front.  Seems the Berthoud bag would rest on it in fine, especially with the decaleur, and then I could hang the front panniers on as well.  But,...wondering if there is some other option where I could keep the Mini-Front and use some kind of clamp on low-rider (Tubus?  Bruce Gordon?).  Is there a rack that would actually use the fork braze ons other than the Nitto?  Suggestions with illustrative photos appreciated.

D.G.

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[Allingham II, Thomas J]

If I could just finish my $%*&%^#@^$% Rohloff-equipped Bombadil, maybe I'd sell you the Atlantis.  But I haven't been able to make it work to my satisfaction. 

 

I haven't yet taped the bars on my SimpleOne, though -- if you need the orange tape back (it's not available any more, right?), I'd be delighted to sell it back to you at an appropriately inflated price.  ;-)

 

Seriously, I like that color, but if you're pining for it, let me know, and I'll shoot it back across our great nation.  I'm probably going to tape the bars on that bike tonight.

---

From: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of William
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 10:26 AM
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [RBW] Front Rack for Touring With Atlantis

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/N6p-6xrDjDsJ.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
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[Allingham II, Thomas J]

sorry all, meant to reply off list

---

From: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Allingham II, Thomas J
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 10:32 AM
To: 'rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com'
Subject: RE: [RBW] Front Rack for Touring With Atlantis

[William]

Thanks Tom, but you forget I need a 58.  Your 61 is all the more unattainably irresistable for that reason.  

On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 7:32:19 AM UTC-7, Pudge wrote:

If I could just finish my $%*&%^#@^$% Rohloff-equipped Bombadil, maybe I'd sell you the Atlantis.  But I haven't been able to make it work to my satisfaction. 

 

I haven't yet taped the bars on my SimpleOne, though -- if you need the orange tape back (it's not available any more, right?), I'd be delighted to sell it back to you at an appropriately inflated price.  ;-)

 

Seriously, I like that color, but if you're pining for it, let me know, and I'll shoot it back across our great nation.  I'm probably going to tape the bars on that bike tonight.

---

From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of William

Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 10:26 AM

To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com

[Darin G.]

I have the new Atlantis with the top-crown connection.  I'm not looking at a large front rack to hold a lot of stuff on top, basically just the Berthoud bag that I have on the mini-front in lieu of a handlebar bag.  The rest of the load would be in the small front pannier's.  I'm thinking the Berthoud bag could sit on the Big Front and still give me pannier capacity.  The more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards the big front.  I have the Shimano cantis (not the high profile or neo-retros) and I hope the big front will bolt to the rack mounts, but I can live with it clamped.  Already have a Big Front in the rear and there's a ton of real estate on that baby.

D.G, 

[Minh]

Darin, I have this combo on my hill borne, it works well, the only thing to keep in mind that both racks add nearly 5lbs to the bike, so make sure you need the carrying capacity in the front. My front is mounted using the bosses but it makes access to the front brakes very difficult. When I get a chance I am going to switch back to clamps, it's just not
Practical bolted to the mounts.