Soma Fabrications Deluxe Porteur Front Cargo Rack - Black - 18559

I got this rack for my Trek 520. I have a couple of folding Wald baskets on the rear rack that I use for everything. They're very convenient. However, when the weight on the back gets up above forty pounds or so, the handling of the bike suffers. So I decided to get a front rack to be able to better distribute the weight. I also wanted to be able to add front panniers for touring as needed. The Soma seemed to be the most versatile option I could find, so I got it. It has a lot of installation options, so I decided to let my LBS (Full Circle in Florence, MA) do the installation for me. They did a great job, but I can't tell you whether the installation is simple or a major pain. The rack is very stable when properly mounted, and putting some of the weight up front really improves the bike's handling when it is loaded down -- something like 60/40 with the heavier load in back works well for me with my bike. The rack handles front panniers well enough (I use Nashbar Waterproof Front Panniers on mine although they are a tad large for the low mount. But they will fit and haven't given me any problems yet.) I secure the load on top of the rack with a bungee net. The rack is perfect for things that are hard to carry otherwise -- I've brought a water melon home from the super market; taken a pie to work; and carted kittie litter to the town's recycling station. I decided not to get the optional fence for the rack because of the odd lots that the rack carries and haven't regretted that decision yet. I couldn't be more pleased with this rack. The photo shows my bike loaded for the recycling center with 25 pounds of kittie litter on the front rack.

this is the second soma porteur rack i've purchased. already have one of these on my current daily rider with 3500 miles on it this year. i'm building up a second bike and this rack was on the "must have" list for the new bicycle. the horizontal strut that this rack has (that other porteur racks do not have) is very useful. have a dynamo powered light and Wald folding bicycle basket mounted to one side, and often hang an Arkel Bug Pannier/Backpack from the other side. very solid product.

I wish it mentioned fork size. I’m having difficulty with this, but after further research online, it should have been included in the description. Seems like a good product for some bikes.

Love this thing. I had to get some custom machining done to get it to fit on my Specialized AWOL but other than that, this thing is rock solid.

Seems super solid and lightweight . I mounted this on my Soma Wolverine with 29x2.0 tires and there's plenty of room... With the hardware and brackets it should be no problem to mount this on a lot of other bikes. The only gripe I have is that I had to modify the extension brackets at the bottom a little and I had to run out to buy a longer bolt where it mounts through the fork.( kinda annoying considering the fact that I mounted on a soma bike/fork. Really no be deal though only reason I'm giving four stars. As far as quality...Excellent!

Great product, quality and light weight!