I really don't know the history of the Ocean Air/Mark's rack, but they currently sell (out of stock) the Mark's rack in both "factory configured" and "rambler mount," so your work there is not yet done. Just from reading the post linked to in the product description, it seems they made the mods because they have the fork crown mounts on the Rambler they sell, and they like the rack and wanted to customize it for their bike. Hard to be certain from photo shown, but it also would appear that the Paul Racer brakes that their bikes come with could be running some interference with the standard "factory configured" mounting. But it sounds like you may have found more of a back story there.
If you read the thread, the original poster admitted the title of the thread was misleading. Yes, the Clementine has fork and crown eyelets, though the struts needed some bending. I've also had a Mark's rack for I guess about ten years, moving it as needed from bike to bike, front to back. Currently it supports a bag in front of my Kuwahara. Not visible in the pic I could find, but the bag straps are looped over the handlebar, and the bag is zip-tied to the rack in two spots, which should keep catastrophe at a minimum. It also probably depends on where on the wheel the arc of the rack would fall--if the rack is mounted very high, with struts to the fender, I imagine the possibility of a total front wheel lock is greater. Not that you would want to calculate that and consider it a safety check! (I include the photo of the bag on the Nishiki's Pletscher rack to demonstrate that perhaps I am more cavalier about racks than some--though that is a rear set-up). There are gazillions of front racks sold with similar 3-point diving board attachment systems. For instance, this aluminum rack rated at 22 pounds from REI: <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1ogWd_Ehn7Y/V2pu_J02MbI/AAAAAAAAHAw/yWaVpcWAPtgv3SGZmzinLUU4nlJPEiVSwCLcB/s1600/woodrup.JPG> https://www.rei.com/product/852184/racktime-top-it-front-bike-rack Here is what REI says about racks: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bike-bags-racks.html Note the safety instructions (ie, none whatsoever). I would hazard a guess that REI sells a few more three-point attachment racks with "junk" diving boards that Rivendell. Not sure if they have a forum you can join. Hope your new rack configuration works well. <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1ogWd_Ehn7Y/V2pu_J02MbI/AAAAAAAAHAw/yWaVpcWAPtgv3SGZmzinLUU4nlJPEiVSwCLcB/s1600/woodrup.JPG> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-01DXJkSDrRU/V2pvDD4P-MI/AAAAAAAAHA4/jiGPh3jJMX8n76-QSAtzlWyYI5fiImjUACLcB/s1600/Nishiki%2Bin%2Bsnow.JPG> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mQvsKR7LN34/V2puyxveDqI/AAAAAAAAHAo/Z2gQ-vvFadwcyvcUvWf5Ioirw5AxOOyGACLcB/s1600/kuwahara%2Bwith%2Bmarks.JPG> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Syasj7Bk9AQ/V2puv9CsgqI/AAAAAAAAHAg/9VuKg39uTCkboDOTMj0EUdkrkHZdh-MVQCLcB/s1600/clem%2Brack.JPG> On Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 12:40:42 AM UTC-4, Northof49ncold wrote: > BTW, the subject of the thread is tang bolts coming loose [Actually > "Mark's/M18 Failures?" Which brought me here although the tang bolts figure > in there. Other posters mentioned breakages long before me] > I have nothing but the utmost respect for Grant and Riv (regardless of my rant) but find it strange that a wee little outfit like Ocean Air Cycles in Ventura CA recognized this obvious weakness years ago and addressed it with fork crown mounts ie a 4-point connection. I noticed Surly's 8 and 24 pack racks -- 4-pointers again -- but was concerned about actually mounting it on a non-Surly fork that doesn't have matching eyelets, especially on the crown. How did you rig it on your Clementine? Does that bike have fork and crown eyelets? I would just like the industry to own up to the perils of a 3-point mount and state the maximum payloads that work in the real world. Riv does that but doesn't go the one step further and adopt a 4-point mount like Ocean Air uses. Likely due to a small market, aesthetics etc. <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1ogWd_Ehn7Y/V2pu_J02MbI/AAAAAAAAHAw/yWaVpcWAPtgv3SGZmzinLUU4nlJPEiVSwCLcB/s1600/woodrup.JPG> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
