Front Racks: Nitto 32F vs. M18 (And possible WTT/FS 32F)

[Bob K.]

Hey Folks:

I have a Nitto 32F that I bought with my Sam in 2009. I haven't used it much, and it has spent most of its life in a closet. Riv's rating for its capacity is 4.4 pounds. This is probably very conservative, but I am not one to test fate. The M18 seems like a great little rack, and while I can see potential failure points there as well, I like that the struts are adjustable rather than fixed like the 32F. It's also rated up to 5kg, more than double the 32F. If I sold the 32F, I would like $120 shipped OBO.

I would love to hear from anyone with experience using both of these racks. Should I just stick with the 32F because the rating is probably super conservative or should I swap over to the M18? What else should I be thinking about here? I have also considered acquiring an R14 to be mounted up front a la Grant. Would that be a good call? Any other suggestions?

FWIW, this rack will spend most of its time on my new Surly Troll (and some on my Sam), which I will ride mostly off-road and to/from trails. It will support a saddlebag mounted up front and/or a basket, depending on the day.

Thanks,

Bob K. in Baltimore

[Garth]

  If I had a Surly and wanted a small-ish front rack I would get one of their 8-Pack racks or a 12-Pack for a wider platform and excellent with a basket. Both rated to 13.6kg/30 pounds and even the 8-Pack is larger platform than the Nitto. They mount directly to any Surly frame using their braze ons.  That's just me of course, and I have no allegiance to any certain brands, just whatever works best.

[Robert Keal]

Garth opined:

"If I had a Surly and wanted a small-ish front rack I would get one of their 8-Pack racks or a 12-Pack for a wider platform and excellent with a basket. Both rated to 13.6kg/30 pounds and even the 8-Pack is larger platform than the Nitto. They mount directly to any Surly frame using their braze ons.  That's just me of course, and I have no allegiance to any certain brands, just whatever works best."

I agree that the 8-Pack Rack would be a great option for my Troll. I'm greedy, though, as well as frugal (cheap), and I want it to work on my Sam, too. I should've mentioned that in my initial post. My Sam has mid-ish fork braze-ons, but nothing on the crown. Perhaps it could be rigged? 

Bob K. in Baltimore

--

Bob
443 278 4265
http://www.smallsur.com

[Garth]

As I recall from some Riv who tried the Surly X-Pack front racks is that they didn't fit right.  The Riv braze-ons are in the wrong place to use the Surly. You'd need p-clamps, but I'm not sure if it'd still be in the good position. Hopefully someone else will chime in. 

Yes, the Nitto would work on both but you can't use the Surly mid fork mounts for the Nitto either, the p-clamps have to be used since they are in the wrong place for a Nitto.

So the 2 brands are meant to be direct mounted per their own spec. There isn't a universal standard for mid fork braze-ons position. Riv is spec'd for Nitto and Surly itself.

All this as best I know, I'm sure if something is off it'll be expressed by someone else. 

[Robert Keal]

I would think that the Nitto could mount to one of these endless braze-ons on the new Troll fork. You might be right, though! I will try mounting my 32F this weekend once my Troll headset arrives.

Bob K. in Baltimore

[Garth]

  The Velo Orange front rack would easily be used with both as it mounts on standard rack mounts @ fork end and the center crown bolt. However it uses a welded tang so you might have to be bending it to fit each frame, how much who knows until you'd get it.

[Steve Palincsar]

Are sure those aren't warts?

[Robert Keal]

Steve said:

Are sure those aren't warts?

Kind of look like em, but they sure are handy. 

Bob

[Bill Lindsay]

I haven't used the M18, but I have used both the 32F and the Marks rack.  The M18 is basically a Marks rack with one set of struts.  The Mark's rack has the ability to run two pairs of struts in a triangulated way, and most Riv employees use that approach.  Almost every bike photo on the Riv site featuring a Marks Rack has it double strutted.  

In my opinion, the Marks Rack with triangulated double struts is much stronger than the M18.  In my opinion, the 32F is much stronger than the Marks Rack, even if it is double strutted.  

None of this jibes at all with the weight ratings, but there you are.  If I had a 32F and a M18 and could fit either one on my bike, and preferred to use the stronger one, I would use the 32F.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Robert Keal]

Thanks, Bill. I trust your analysis and was hoping you'd chime in. It sounds like I could sell the 32F and get an M18, but it wouldn't necessarily be an upgrade in capacity, despite the numbers. 

I could also kludge together something with the Surly rack so it could fit my Sam, get bendy with the VO front rack, or go aluminum with the Rawland Demiporteur or a Blackburn. 

I could also just keep the darn rack I have, support the tombstone with a strap to the handlebars, and forget about it. That seems too easy, but it's perhaps the right call. Still curious what's out there for potential trades, though!

Bob K. in Baltimore

[tc]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but I'm interested to know if anyone has had success mounting a Surly 8-pack rack on a Riv (Sam or Atlantis, specifically).  Thanks.

Tom