Front rack advise

[jambee]

Folks,
I'm looking for advise on a front rack. My Hunter has mid-fork bosses and braze-ons (see image).
I'm using Paul's Mini-Motos brakes which means that the access to the fork crown is pretty well blocked.
The kind of rack I'm interested in is something like the Velo Orange (or Nitto) Randonneur Front Rack (http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/racks-decaleurs/racks/vo-randonneur-front-rack-with-integrated-decaleur.html).

The issues:
- I can't use the canti bosses to mount anything on (since the Pauls are not open like canti brakes).
- I am using mini-vs so there is not a lot of space for a rack-stabalizer to be mounted to the crown of the fork.
- I need to be able to take off the rack easily (since Hunter is also a BrakeAway).

Any ideas or recommendations?

[mossman]

berthoud: http://www.wallbike.com/berthoud/racks/berthoud-front-rack

[559Rando]

What do you want to carry?
Are you married to those Paul brakes? It sounds like they're not letting you do what you want to do. A proper set of cantilever brakes may be more fiddly, but will allow you to use a Nitto M-12 or M-13.
If yes, then are low rider racks out of the question? Or maybe a Nitto F-15 or a Quickfix support bag (like a Berthoud 192)?

[jambee]

What I'd like to do is front load the bike with a bag like this (http://www.parsleybags.com/DE/cnt_configure_600.html)
These rando-style bags are awesome, made in my own city (Berlin) and are super durable.

I'm not married to the paul mini-moto but I like having at least the stopping power of Mini-Vs and regardless of the brake (TRP 8.4 is another example) they all have the same issue.

I also have no room on the handlebar to hang anything since my Berthoud shifters (for Rohloff) are there.

So at the moment I am facing two options:
1. Build own rack.
2. Change system to Disk Brakes and then use the Canti bosses to hang my VO Hunter to the Hunter :-)

[jbl]

How about using something like a Nitto M-18. The M18 attaches to fork eyelets (or p-clamps around the fork) and a tab at the fork crown. I imagine you could simply use a bolt to attach the fork crown tang.

http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=146_240&products_id=2292&zenid=fb3420669336ea6cee4f9e0400ee273b

[jambee]

I looked into that @jbl. It supports up to 4.4lbs which is not enough for what i'd like to cary in there.

After spending a bunch of time looking at racks built by Rick Hunter I'm thinking that creating my own rack may be the best option!

[mossman]

if you plan on carrying more than what a nitto front rack can take, I'd guess the handling of your hunter will suffer. bikes that are meant for such loads are optimized for front-loading. I'm guessing your hunter is not some low-trail front loader, right?

I'd just get a small handlebar bag. and put most of the weight toward the rear. or use frame bags like relevate designs.

[pinkshogun]

some Old Man Mountain racks mount to the canti studs and then to the dropouts

oldmanmountain.com