Do you want to know what is the best front bike rack for cycle touring? The answer is not that simple, as there are different kinds. We will shed some light on the options you have for a front bike rack, depending on your riding preference.

When you look for a front rack for cycle touring you have to choose first what type would you like most, as this will narrow down your search. You will take into account different factors, such as your bike´s mounts, – if it has mounts or not- the built and strength of the front rack, the distribution of the load you wish to carry… But let don’t get ahead of ourselves, let’s see first what´s our favourite and what we are travelling with.

Overall, I like the Tubus Tara for its strength and proven reliability. Even after Dace had an incident where she crashed into a post with her front right pannier when pedalling at quite a speed whilst heavy loaded. The way that the rack was built, allowed it to survive. The bridge took the shock and bent, which preserved the sides of the lowrider at the same angle. This proved to us that this is a serious option to put on your bike. 

The pannier that took the hit is another story…

After my previous front rack started breaking down in Germany and then in Norway, I also bought a Tubus Tara, but due to some logistic problems, I could never get it on time, so a kind friend of mine lent me a low rider with history and it´s with me ever since.

Types of Front Bike Rack for travelling

Different options can weigh on your choice of the front bike rack. Because we have different preferences and needs and we ride different rigs, there are different types of front racks for a bike in the market to consider from.

Low riders

These are quite a common option for cycle touring. The special characteristic of low riders is that the centre of stability goes low. In other words, the front load of your bike goes in a lower position, which allows better control over the steering. This translates into cycling with more confidence at higher speeds when you are fully laden. 

Below there are some of the best lowriders for touring:

Tubus Tara

This is a classic on the touring world and has been demonstrating its quality for over 25 years in expeditions dealing with heavy loads. It has been recently improved to fit a wide variety of forks even better and can be positioned more flexibly. 

It can fit wheels of 26” and 28”, and there is a version that fits 29”, which is called Big Apple. 

The weight is 500g / 17.63oz, and 510g / 18oz for the Big Apple. The maximum recommended load capacity is 18kg / 40lbs

The Tubus Tara is made in 25CrMo4 Chromoly, which is chrome-alloy steel with medium carbon content and. 8% – 1.1% molybdenum for strength. Chromoly is a steel that is stronger than carbon steel (more commonly used in bike manufacturing in the ’90s), so more thin wall tubing can be made, usually lighter and stronger, which is perfect for racks. 

Tubus Duo

Just as the TARA, DUO tolerates heavy loads and almost all panniers. It also ­features a longitudinal hole for optimal fit and increased flexibility. With an extended mounting plate for mudguard fixing.

In order to be able to set this low rider, you need to have eyelets on both sides of your fork.

The weight is 510g / 18oz. The maximum recommended load capacity is 15kg / 33lbs

The Tubus Duo is also made in 25CrMo4 Chromoly, which gives it a good and strong build.

One of the roots of the big differences in the design. The Tara has a crossbar going through both sides building a bridge and over the wheel, which makes it stronger than the Duo. Also is 1.5oz lighter.

Minoura FRP-3000

From the Japanese brand, this is an option low-rider type Front carrier for 700C touring/ Cyclocross or MTB bike with V or cantilever brake, as it mounts on the V-brake or Cantilever brake brazed on the top, and using an attached Quick Release skewer axle on the bottom part. 

FPR-3000 is a front pannier rack for the bike which has a 9mm standard quick release skewer and V-brake. Any other front forks (specialized for calliper brake, disc brake or for thru type axle) cannot be used with this rack. Requires disassembling V-brake. Ask professional mechanics if you are not confident in re-assembling V-brake perfectly. 

FRP is one solid welded piece of steel. This model comes in left and right sides which must be assembled prior to installing on a bike. 

Everything you need for the assembly is included in the box, including the 9mm QR Skewer. 

This low rider is made out of steel tube material and a black powder paint finish. It is recommended to maintain from time to time, and if the paint is scratched due to use, sand it down with sandpaper and apply an extra coating of paint to avoid altering the structure of the steel.

It Fits 26”, 650B and  700C wheel sizes. It’s not recommended for suspension forks. If you have a suspension fork and like the design of Minoura, we advise checking two sections below, where we recommend another front rack better suited for this. 

Be aware that this low rider does not mount to Hub nut axle wheel bikes.

The weight of this low rider is 1.2kg / 2.64 lbs, and can support a weight of 10kg / 22lbs, which feels a bit short considering the other two previous contenders.

Front Bike Rack with platform

These are racks generally to be able to support even more load. Generally, the set-up works with the panniers lower are both sides, and a little platform at the top, where you can put a third item, such as an extra bag with something bulky. If you choose his option, bear in mind the clearance after you have your handlebar bag, (if you have any) and check if you can mount your front light at the front if you have any.

From this category, I especially recommend the Surly Touring Front Rack if you have the budget for it. This is due to its great reputation built over the years in large expeditions around the planet, the building is very solid, and it has the maximum carrying capacity of the racks on this list. 

Surly Touring Front Rack

This is probably one of the best front bike racks you can get your hands on. It’s easier to get if you are in the US or Canada, though, due to its availability. This front rack has been used on expeditions all over this planet for years, so it has quite a bit of reputation. 

This version here fits on most of Surly´s forks and some other manufacturers’ forks as well. Just check if your fork has mid-blade eyelets and fork dropouts eyelets to accommodate this rack. If you doubt, just email the manufacturer of your rig, and will be able to tell you.

It features all the stainless-steel mounting hardware you need for installation. It’s both heights adjustable and can fit a wide selection of wheel sizes, allowing you to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible for a stable ride, or even higher if you are going quite rocky. It has a platform on the top, where you can place your sleeping bag or mat. 

Also, this front bike rack allows you to have enough clearance to safely carry large panniers at the front, just in case you are carrying bulky items, such as sleeping gear. In my case, that´s a reality worth considering. 

The weight of this front rack is 1.3 kg / 3.04lbs, and it can carry safely 32kg / 70lb, which makes it the most sturdy and safest bet for an expedition.

I don´t know anyone who is unhappy with this front rack. If you follow the maximum capacity recommendations you will have a rack for life. 

Tubus Grand Expedition Front

This is another good rack to consider. It is formed by a low rider where to carry your panniers, providing lateral riding stability thanks to a low center of gravity, and cargo space on top for bulky gear such as camping mattress and sleeping bag.

It is compatible with most part of the forks with eyelets in the market. Like the Surly, it gives you enough clearance to carry large panniers at the front, which is optimal if you want to carry bulky gear. 

The weight of this front rack is 780 g / 27.5 oz, and it can carry safely 18 kg / 39.6 lbs. That is almost half of the maximum capacity of the Surly, but it also weights almost half. 

This front rack is made in 25CrMo4 Chromoly, which gives it a sturdy and strong build.

Be aware that, like all the Tubus racks, this front rack is not suitable for mounting on spring or carbon forks without eyelets. The fork must be approved by the manufacturer, or by the bicycle manufacturer for mounting a carrier. There must be no crimping.

The diameter is  12 mm / 0.5 in.

The Tubus grand expedition is another good contender to consider if you are looking for a quality rack with several options of haulage and not very heavy built.

Blackburn Outpost Front World Touring Bike Rack

This rack has quite some adepts and good reviews. It has two rails to hang panniers low for good stability or high for increased ground clearance, depending on your style of touring or bike packing. Also, you can take off the top platform if you are not planning to carry anything there and what to save some weight.

It has universal mounting options on the fork, so is quite compatible with most parts of them. Will accommodate most road and mountain bikes wheel sizes, since is adaptable. This includes 26”, 650B, 700C, 27,5” and 29”, and fork widths from 23C up to 3”.

It weighs 645g, or 22.7oz, and can carry safely up to 45lbs/20.5kg

The Blackburn Outpost Front Rack is made of 6061 Aluminum, but despite not being Cromolly or Steel, it has good reviews generally speaking. Mostly talking about its sturdiness. 

Bontrager Carry Forward Front Rack

This is a very similar rack to the previous one, with two rails to hang panniers at different heights on the side, and a platform on the top in order to carry more items.

It’s quite a versatile front rack that mounts to fender eyelets and lowrider mounts for confident stability when loaded. It has threaded accessory eyelets that let you easily mount lights and other essential accessories.

This rack will work perfectly with any fork that has mid-blade eyelets, fork crown fender hole, and lower fender eyelets at the front of the axle, not behind.

Also includes a hardware kit for mounting on both fender eyelets and lowrider mounts.

This front rack can carry safely up to 15 kg / 33,06 lbs

It’s also the cheapest of the options on the section of front racks with a platform.

Front Bike Rack for forks without eyelets

All of the front racks we have seen before are mainly designed to be installed in forks with eyelets, but what happens if you have a bicycle without those little holes in the fork to be able to install a rack? Or what happens if your bike has a suspension fork and you don’t want to change it? Don´t worry, there are some options for you in the market. 

My favourite option in this category is the Old Man Mountain Sherpa, for it’s polyvalency and it´s carrying capacity. You can easily set it up on a suspension fork or in a full suspension MTB bike at the back. The only drawback could be the price, but we are talking about a premium rack with a lifetime warranty.

Old man mountain (OMM) Sherpa

The Classic Sherpa Rack has literally been ridden around the world. It can be mounted on the front or rear of your bike. When you invest in a Sherpa Rack Frame, you have to add one of the multiple Fit Kits to your purchase, which will allow you to mount it to the Front or Rear of your bike. Beware to get the correct Fit Kit if you want to mount it either at the front or at the back. Fit Kits include a thru-axle, pair of extenders, pair of dropouts, OMM Pucks and all the hardware necessary for installation.

This rack is also designed for suspension forks or even full suspension MTB bikes if you also decide to set it at the back. The Sherpa is built for trip-of-a-lifetime use and designed for daily adventures. It’s also compatible with electric bikes. 

The front attachment uses the same axle system for a solid connection. 

Regarding tyre width, the Classic Sherpa rack fits almost any bike with a tire width of 3″ or less. Old Man Mountain also makes the Fat Sherpa that will fit fat bikes with 4″ wide tires and larger. 

This rack is approved for loads up to 31.75kg / 70 lbs, which is quite a strong capacity, considering it is aluminium built but is quite sturdy.

It’s quite pricey, but this premium rack it’s totally worth it if you are rooting for a polyvalent rack you can set on a suspension fork and has great loading capacity. They actually have a lifetime warranty.

Minoura MT-4000SF 

This rack from the famous Japanese brand is a much more budget option. Also suited for forks without eyelets. This front rack is designed for long touring & travel. It is a big front bike rack that can mount pannier bags on both sides and a more bulky item on the top platform, like the sleeping bag or sleeping mat. 

It is made with steel, which is quite sturdy and easy to repair anywhere should travel happen along the route. 

It weighs 1.5kg / 3.30lbs, which is a bit on the heavier side. The maximum load capacity is 15kg / 33.06lbs

It can fit 26”, 650B, 700C and 29” wheels, which makes it quite polyvalent. 

It has 3 different mounting options:

• V or Cantilever brake brazed mount 
• Clamp on the outer tube of suspension fork
• Using the included Quick Release skewer axle

Splits into two pieces for storage when not in use, so it’s actually not too bulky of an item if you decide to take it off when not in use. 

If you decide to go for this model, be aware that it does not mount with a Hub nut axle wheel bike, as it mounts over the hub with a QR skewer. 

Axiom Journey DLX Low Rider Front Rack

I had been using this low rider for about 5 years touring around in different parts of the world until it broke due to an incident where I touched a post with my loaded bicycle and one of the plates broke. The other plate broke 2 countries later in Norway. I had it installed in two different rigs: one with a suspension fork and no eyelets and another one on a fork with eyelets. 

This is a decent low rider option for forks without eyelets. The advantage of this one is that you can carry your panniers quite low, so you have better control over the bike. 

It mounts on two pieces. One at each side. It Includes rubberized V-brackets to mount each fork blade. It also attaches over the hub with a QR skewer at the bottom part of each blade. 

Be aware that it fits forks up to 42mm in diameter, which should be space enough for a trekking bike. 

It fits wheels of 26”, 650B, 700C, 29”.

This front rack weighs 585g / 20.83oz and has a carrying capacity of 18.14kg / 40lbs

This front rack has an integrated safety top tab to prevent most bags from slipping, but one of the things that I didn’t like much from it is that it is difficult to fit a 20l pannier as it was sliding off quite frequently, and seems very bulky and not well supported, which made my ride less smooth. I like to take 20l panniers at the front, as I prefer to carry my bulky sleeping gear there.

It is by far the cheapest option on the list, and it could be suitable for you if you are not carrying a larger set of panniers than 12ltrs  per side, and without exceeding the maximum carrying capacity. 

Faiv Hoogar

The Faiv luggage rack is fixed to the top of the fork, as per the Old Man Mountain. This makes you take advantage of all the suspension capabilities without sacrificing it a bit. It has a lightweight, minimalist design that flawlessly attaches to your front suspension fork. Faiv has a moving connection lower down, near the axle. So the luggage is transported smoothly, unaffected by the terrain, as the front wheel is able to rise and fall unhindered. When it is fully loaded, the rack increases the effectiveness of the suspension. Most of the force exerted by the weight of the luggage is transferred directly to the centre of the wheel. This protects the fork from damage and reduces friction.

The Faiv luggage rack is constructed of thin-walled precision steel tubing and is coated with environment-friendly black powder lacquer. The connecting pieces are made of long-lasting, non-corroding high-grade steel. The moving parts are maintenance-free and ensure a very long working life. The Faiv luggage rack, model Hoogar Standard can carry up to 16kg / 35.2lbs, the model Hoogar Plus can carry up to 18kg / 39.6lbs.

Other Front Racks

Porteur Racks 

These are designed to stabilize larger items when carried on the top of the front wheel. They first saw light in France quite a long time ago in the midst of the XX century, where the porteurs would distribute large amounts of newspapers every day and needed to be somewhere accessible to store them and give them away. 

Nowadays they have many other uses, like carrying pizza, food, boxes, cases of beer, a box full of puppies,  or whatever is relatively big and needs to lay flat.

Surly 24 pack 

Surly’s 24-Pack Rack ups the usable cargo space from the 8-Pack Rack, providing more real estate for more stuff: more beer, more food, more random bits from the hardware store, more puppies,  more whatever. 

It’s manufactured from Chromoly tubing and uses the same stainless steel hardware supplied with Surly’s rear touring rack. And it offers the same height adjustability, so you can keep your cargo close to the ground and stable. It has plenty of braze-ons, too, so you can customize how you secure your cargo or just light your bike up like the space station. 

The 24-Pack Rack attaches to most forks that feature mid-blade and crown eyelets. It gives you a stable, rigid assembly upon which you might place your burden. No one likes a sweaty back and a sore ass, so take your stuff out of that messenger bag and put it on the front of your bike.

It’s rated to carry up to 13.6kg / 30lbs 

Specialized Pizza Rack

On this rack, the top section screws to the side plates so it can be disassembled to lie flat. And the rack’s platform, at 33.5×27cm, is about the right size for strapping pizza boxes too. It’s not just for trips to Domino’s, however. 

Specialized say this aluminium porteur rack “was designed to be a stout companion piece to any around-town commuter or touring rig”.

It weighs 900g / 31.74oz and is rated for a 15kg / 33lbs load, which can be split between the top platform and panniers into the sides. Those panniers need top hooks that fit 13mm rails; some will only fit 12mm and narrower. If the pannier’s lower fixing is a horizontal plastic cleat, you’ll probably find that this sits below the bottom of the rack as there’s only 19cm from the mid-rail to the lower rail. 

Velo Orange Porteur Rack

This Velo Porteur Rack is made from strong stainless steel tubing and polished to a lovely shine. It won’t rust like painted steel racks or fatigue and crack like aluminium racks. The quality is actually superior to that of many custom racks. In short, this is a real load-carrying rack, not an aluminium “style-rack”. Yet the total weight with rail, nuts, bolts, etc. is only 1.079kg / 2.37lbs

The platform is about 36cm x 29cm. A removable rail attachment is included and very handy for smaller packages.

The tangs are pre-drilled to fit 700c, 27″, 26″, and 650b bikes. There are four bosses for a light attachment. There is a boss for securing your fender to the rack — no rattling! 

Mounting hardware is included. The Porteur Rack mounts to the dropout eyelet and the brake bolt (or fork crown hole). Max weight with this configuration is 11.3kg / 25 lbs.

You can use their Straight Arms for Campeur Racks and a pair of p-clamps around the rack’s tube if you are running super heavy loads and want more stability. You can load it up with 18.14kg / 40 lbs of gear if you use this configuration.

Soma Deluxe Porteur Rack

The Soma Porteur Rack is a great option over the standard pannier rack or mini rack. With its wide platform, it is better at carrying odd-sized and bulky loads like a pizza or box full of kittens. You can strap a basket to it and some bag makers are making bags specifically for this style of rack. The platform is 14.25” wide x 12” deep.

It has an additional interface with fork mini rack eyelets (If your fork doesn’t have rack eyelets, you can still use the rack. This is just for extra stability and safety.

It has Adjustable height, and it’s designed for 700c and 26″ wheeled bicycles.

This rack is built on Stainless steel construction, so is quite sturdy and durable. 

It mounts to hub axle (can also fit onto eyelets of some forks if you don’t use the tangs)

The Lower horizontal strut can take a small bag or pannier, so it’s quite flexible.

It comes also with an optional fence available to transform the rack into a shallow basket

It has an Extra eyelet for dynamo lamp or another gadget

The Maximum load can carry is: 10kg / 22 lbs and the total weight of this front rack is 1.20kg / 2.65 lbs

Understanding a Front Bike Rack. The Buying Guide

When we are considering a front bike rack for our bikes, we have to have in mind different questions that will help us to make a good choice, and hopefully save us some headaches in the future.

Does my bike´s fork have eyelets to be able to install a front rack?

The first thing we need to check before buying any rack is to check if the fork of our bike has any eyelets, so we are able to install it. These are little holes on the mid side of your fork, and also at the bottom., next to the axle. 

You also have to account for the brake system of your bike. Not all the front racks in the market are compatible with disc brakes. For example, of the items on this list, the Minoura FRP-3000 is the only one not compatible with disc brakes. 

The suspension forks are not equipped with eyelets for a front rack, but there are different designs in the market compatible with this kind of suspension, like the Old Man Mountain´s front rack, or the ones covered in the section above.

Conversion Brackets:

In addition, if you don’t have mid eyelets, Tubus sells nice conversion brackets that can fit most parts of lowriders. 

P-Clamps:

The first two bicycles I used to tour with were an MTB and a trekking bike both with suspension forks. I came around this issue of not being able to fit a front rack by getting a set of P-Clamps and attaching the top part of the low rider to the fork and the bottom part to the axle through a long QR skewer. I used to get these from a hardware store, and usually quite cheap, so I used to always travel with a couple of sets just in case. It worked well for many years until I changed into another low rider. 

How is it best to pack your load at the front bike rack?

The best way to pack your load on the front rack is the lowest possible. The load on your bike acts as its centre of gravity, so the lower you set it, the more stable your ride is when you are reaching higher speeds or even turning. This will effectively translate to having more or less confidence when you ride.

I like to ride with large panniers at the front, so I can carry my bulky sleeping gear. That’s why I like a front rack or a low rider with long enough tubing to accommodate 20l panniers. 

Some people like to have a platform above the front wheel to carry bulky and not so heavy items. If you have to do so, try to put the lightest gear there, as if it is too heavy it will affect the manoeuvrability or your ridge. 

What’s the real difference between the building materials and what to go for?

The main materials you will find the racks are made of are Chromoly (25CrMo4), stainless steel, aluminium and titanium. 

Any of the materials can be used in order to build a good rack. For example, the Old Man Mountain is made out of aluminium and has one of the highest carrying capacities on this list, and also a very good reputation. But in general, the most durable ones seem to be the ones made out of Chromoly or stainless steel. 

Aluminium It’s lighter and stiffer than steel, but it’s also more brittle and easily damaged. Chromoly is slightly heavier than aluminium, but the tubes can be thinner and have reduced stiffness, which provides a stronger rack.

Steel is ductile, unlike aluminium, which makes it possible to offer stronger seamless steel tubes. Also, steel is reliable: it fails in a predictable way, bending before it breaks. Aluminium, on the other hand, is more like glass, which breaks before it bends.

Far higher in price than steel or aluminium are more exotic materials, such as titanium. Its strength is comparable to steel, but it’s lighter. Compared to Chromoly, titanium is not only a more expensive material but also requires a more meticulous manufacturing process because it can be easily contaminated, which results in a significantly more expensive rack. That’s the reason why they are way more expensive.

In my opinion, the higher price doesn’t justify the improvement of quality from Cromoly to Titanium.

What´ next?

In conclusion, for touring I prefer the Tubus Tara lowrider, due to its capability, strength, load capacity and price. I like the position of the panniers being quite low for stability and better handling. They are made of steel and are quite durable and well made. 

After choosing a food bike front rack you can pack and start your adventure. Before you do that, Why don´t you check our awesome tips for stealth camping?