Cycling isn’t just a sport for getting out for a few hours on a Sunday Morning. It’s much more than that. It brings like-minded people together in an amazing community and never gets boring because there are so many disciplines to try and enjoy. One of the best things about cycling is that it gives you the ability to explore.
Touring has been around for many years and was one of the most popular ways to holiday many years ago. Over the past decade, bikepacking has become very mainstream as well; everyone now wants bike adventures.
A big part of bike adventures is carrying your kit on your bike. A great tool for touring is a front rack, in this article we’re going to tell you about the best front racks on the market you can buy and what to look out for when buying a rack.
Watch Our Video Guide
Why use a front rack?
Front racks have become very popular in recent times, with some companies actually making bikes with them already included and equipped when you buy them. They are an excellent tool when it comes to bikepacking. Here’s why;
Can carry heavy loads easily
The beauty of a front rack is that it can typically hold much heavier loads than a saddle bag or a front roll bag. You typically find front racks have a max weight of over 30lbs which is a lot of weight when it comes to touring.
They are very secure
Front racks are typically mounted to the frame and the forks, because of this, they are very secure, and you get no movement on them, unlike a roll bag or a saddlebag.
It’s a convenient way to carry things
We really like how easy it is to carry goods with a front rack. They are secure but also very easily accessible. You can even get to things while you are riding.
They are not expensive
The next thing to mention is price. One of the best things about a front rack is they are incredible value for money. You get them from as little as $20 up to $100.
They are on trend
In the past couple of years, front racks on bikes have become very cool. You will see so many companies supply them with bikes, and even on fixed and single-speed bikes, people rate them.
How do we rate a front rack?
Although front racks might look like a basic bike accessory, there’s actually a lot more to them than you might think. To ensure they will work properly and be the right choice for you, we look at.
- Price
- Material
- Size
- Attachment
- Weight Capacity
Our Top 6 Recommendations
Axion Cycling Rack: Best Value for Money
Price: $55
Material: Aluminum
Size: Medium
Attachment: Quick Release and Rubber Straps
Weight Capacity: 40Lbs
The Axion Cycling Rack is one of our favorites for many reasons. Firstly it’s constructed from strong and lightweight aluminum with an anti-scratch coating. The tubing is 10.2mm thick and because of this can hold up to 40lbs which from a rack weighing 575g is excellent.
It works with all kinds of bikes and even suspension forks which we really liked. It is also compatible with disc and rim brakes.
When attached, you also have a slider option where you can adjust the angle to ensure it will keep panniers well. The only thing to mention we didn’t like was it only works with panniers and doesn’t have a flat top surface.
Pros
- Looks great
- Good carrying capacity
- Lightweight
- Excellent attachment to the bike
Cons
- It only works with panniers
- No flat top
A Final Thought
The Axion Cycling rack is great value for money, well made, and can carry a very decent weight. The only thing that lets it down is no flat top but if you use panniers, it’s fine.
Surly Cromoly Front Rack 2.0: Best Quality
Price: $145
Material: Chromoly Steel
Size: Large
Attachment: For Touring forks
Weight Capacity: 70Lbs
Surly doesn’t just make amazing bikes. They also make excellent accessories, and the Cromoly Front Rack version 2.0 is an excellent example of this.
The rack is large and has an incredible capacity of 70lbs. It is height adjustable, and the most recent version has extra strengthened side struts.
You can use it for panniers and also top bags, and it looks great in shiny silver.
The rack is excellent, but it does come with a few drawbacks, such as it will only fit onto touring forks, and coming in at 3lbs 13oz, it isn’t light by all means. It’s great for carrying large goods and works for panniers too.
Pros
- Large rack
- Huge carrying capacity
- Powder Coated
- Height Adjustable
Cons
- Heavy
- Touring Forks Required
- Price
A Final Thought
The Surly Front Rack 2.0 is excellent, and we highly recommend it, especially when carrying very heavy weights. It isn’t the lightest or cheapest, and you require touring forks, but it is very good overall.
Specialized Pizza Rack: Most Unique
Price: $90
Material: Aluminum
Size: Medium
Attachment: Fork Mounts
Weight Capacity: 33Lbs
The Specialized Pizza Rack is one of the most popular front racks on the market and is well known in touring circles. It’s an iconic rack that is designed to carry large goods and even pizza.
They call it the Pizza rack because of the big flat top, which is perfect for carrying flat things.
It’s a great size and comes in at only 900g, which is very light. It’s a lovely matt black color which is scratch resistant too. For this to work, you will require mounting points on your forks, but most touring and endurance bikes have these. Coming in at $90 it’s incredible value for money and well worth every cent.
Pros
- Medium rack
- Very unique looking
- Scratch resistance
- Lightweight
Cons
- Fork mounts required
A Final Thought
We love the Pizza Rack, which looks incredible, is well known in the touring industry and is well worth the money.
Sunlite QR-Tec Front Rack: Best for Quick Release Bikes
Material: Aluminum
Size: Large
Attachment: Fork Mount, Quick Release
Weight Capacity: 45Lbs
Sunlite made an excellent product with the QR-Tec rack mounting system, and it had to be featured on this list. It’s made of aluminum and comes in at the light weight of about a 1lbs which for a large rack is pretty good.
It’s excellent for panniers, and I also love the flat top with the spring-loaded plate to keep goods down.
The rack has great adjustability and can be used on all different wheel sizes. A good weight capacity of 45lbs. It’s ideal for most bikes but you will require the caliper mount and quick-release skewers. If your bike ticks those boxes though, it’s ideal.
Pros
- Large rack
- Very Secure
- Scratch resistance
- Lightweight
Cons
- Requires caliper hole and quick release
A Final Thought
The Sunlite QR-Tec Front light is ideal if you have a caliper mount and quick-release forks. It’s light, easy to fit, strong, secure, and looks excellent.
Topeak TetraRack M1: Best For Mountain Bikes
Material: Aluminum
Size: Medium
Attachment: Strap Mount
Weight Capacity: 22Lbs
Topeak is one of the leading brands when it comes to bicycle accessories. They make well thought out products and the TetraRack M1 falls into this category.
It’s the go-to front rack for mountain bikes because of its unique fork mounting straps. It is very strong and made of aluminum. It can carry 22lbs of weight which isn’t extreme but by all means enough.
It’s very easy to fit, stays very secure, and is excellent for both panniers and top mount bags. There are very few racks that have the ability to be used with mountain bikes. Topeak also has a range of bags to fit too. It is a great solution. The only drawback comes in the cost.
Pros
- Looks amazing
- Great for mountain bikes
- High Quality
- It suits other Topeak goods
Cons
- Cost
A Final Thought
If you are happy to spend a little bit of cash and looking for the perfect mountain biking front rack, the Topeak TetraRack M1 is the way to go.
QWERTYUIOP Bicycle Rack: Best for Adaptability
Material: Aluminum
Size: Large
Attachment: Bolt Mount
Weight Capacity: 38Lbs
The Amazon Bike Front Rack is a great product. Not only does it look really good, but it also is super adaptable for many different bikes.
You can easily use it on a mountain bike, road bike, and even commuting bike with its different mounts. It has a great carry capacity and has lots of space for panniers and bags.
It’s very strong, and you can tell it’s going to work well under heavy weight. Regarding drawbacks, we can say coming in at 2lbs it’s fairly heavy, so if you want to keep the bike weight down, this rack might not be the one for you.
Pros
- Very adaptable
- Easy to mount
- Excellent price
Cons
- Weight
- Not the best looking
A Final Thought
This bike rack may not be the best looking rack, but it will be excellent for different bikes and is super easy to mount.
What to look for when buying a Front Bike Rack?
Front bike racks are an excellent tool. It’s not as simple as just buying the one that suits your budget and if you like the look of it. There are a few other things to think about. In this next section, we’re going to run through everything you need to take into account.
Will it fit?
It’s very challenging for a company to make a rack that will fit all bikes. With so many different types of forks and also lots of different sizes of front wheels it’s not easy to please all.
When looking for a rack, you need to ensure that it will fit your bike. The easy way to do this is to look at the way it mounts and ensure it suits your bike.
Will it carry what you need it to?
You also need to think about what you plan to carry on it. If you plan to carry a backpack or purse, you won’t benefit from a pannier front rack. You won’t benefit from a flat rack if you plan to carry panniers. Think about your storage solution before buying the rack.
Price and Extra Costs
Most racks are fairly cheap to buy, and you will find plenty on the market. Some companies do get you specialist bags only they sell. The rack might be cheap, but the bags to match could be expensive.
Some racks are universal though, and you can use any bags, and we prefer these over other racks. Always go for a rack in your budget and think about the cost of bags too.
Does it look ok?
Racks are not the prettiest things in the world and do make a statement. We recommend going for one you like the look of. There’s such a big difference between different brands; some look boring, and some look incredible.
Conclusion
There are some amazing front racks on the market, and with them becoming very cool in the last few years, we see more and more available. We highly recommend the racks on this list and think you will definitely not be going wrong purchasing one.
Robbie Ferri has spent years working in a bike shop, has worked with industry leading brands on product creation, has been a semi pro athlete, and is a fully qualified strength and conditioning coach. He has broken World Records, bikepacked all over the World and raced ultra distance at a top-level.
