Racking up the new Year

The new year has started with me fighting cold(s), yes two in January, and not doing much bike related.  I have yet to throw a leg over a top tube and I can't even blame the polar vortex.

As a Christmas gift to myself I ordered a Nitto M18 Front rack which had been recommended on bike forums as a good one for a vintage ten speed.  As you can see its arrival was a bit inauspicious, not sure why the seller thought a bag was going to hold up but no damage was done except to the packaging.

Another thing I learned on bike forums is that the stock struts that attached to the fork blade bosses would be too short, so I had ordered some longer ones separately as well.  It is nice to have a community of folks who has been there and done that otherwise I would not have known this would be an issue or that there was a remedy for it.

Curiously my rack did not come with a bolt to attach the rack tange to the fork crown, after one failed attempt with a too short bolt I got a longer one at true value and got the rack attached.

As you can see the stock struts are just a hair short of the bolt boss on the fork leg. while I could have made due with the p-clamp I wanted to make use to the existing boss.

Obviously the 350 mm stays are too long and maybe I could have done the next size down (250mm) but I'd rather have to trim them than end up paying extra for another set that was too short.

My Rivendell bag fits fine and for the first time ever its mounted on a rack with a proper "tombstone" for the leather decaleur strap on the bag.

There is work to be done yet, I need to: trim the excess stays, level the rack, tighten up all the attach points and rework the front brake as I had to disconnect it to mount the rack. As it is the cantilever yoke will interfere with the rack tang, a longer yoke ought to fix that issue.

Last month I was pleased to receive my 2018 Coffeeneur patch, I look forward to earning another this year.

Speaking of goals for 2019 I may sign up for the Tour de Lopez again and put the new rack through its paces at the end of April.  I have plenty of projects for the coming year and hope to do some riding too, especially if I am going to do a charity ride in April.  Happy 2019...a little late.

Ride, Mount a rack. Smile. Repeat.