Reviews of Surly CroMoly Front Rack 2.0: Black

I purchased the Surly CroMoly front rack to use for front panniers and have been very pleased. It is very solid and should perform well for touring on both trails and back roads. Easy to install.

Pros

Large size allows you to carry large panniers on front instead of back
Very Easy installation
Durability for long tours with heavy weight
Worked well with an overloaded Ortlieb handlebar bag.

Cons

Price is extremely high.

Other Thoughts

I kept at least fifty pounds on these racks on my Miyata 1000 for an 11 day tour and the rack performed admirably. For the price I got what was expected.

Pros

Not much I can say, does everything I want it to do. You can mount this thing to anything with the great hardware they include. It's tough, and permits you to put any panniers in the world on it. Can't go wrong getting this front rack.

Cons

None. A couple more boss connectors (counter direction) would be nice, but that's really nit-picking.

Other Thoughts

There are many, many rear racks for bikes, but very few for the front. This one is amazing, it's the third one I have purchased.

Pros

lightweight, strong, large enough for bulky loads on top, low bags lower center of gravity, balances pannier load front to back, easily installed, fits my bike

Cons

none

Other Thoughts

none

Pros

Sturdy
Versatile

Cons

Matte finish isn't my favorite
Whistles at speed

Other Thoughts

I have this mounted to a Surly straggler disc fork. The included hardware includes many options for different forks. It feels very solid and it was easy to adjust. There are many options for pannier placement.

My only complaints are minor. The finish seems durable, but I wish it were gloss black instead of matte. I was able to take off the Surly stickers with a little elbow grease. When riding over ~15mph, there's a high-pitched whistle/hum coming from somewhere in the rack's hardware. It isn't too loud, but is a constant reminder that this great rack isn't quite perfect.

Pros

Went on easy enough although I had one nut and screw strip out after test fitting the rack. Luckily I had some additional similar hardware to replace it. Once in place it is sold and very roomy. My plans are for front panniers and strapping a bag to the top. I've put those items on the rack and they fit easily. Looking forward to testing it out in the field.

Cons

Other then the screw issue good so far.

Pros

Fit and finish = A+, multiple mounting options, will hold alot of cargo, solid construction

Cons

None

Other Thoughts

I mounted this on a specialized fatboy using 4 rubber coated p-clamps, it looks fantastic and is a very solid mount. I also have the rear rack mounted. I use this bike to get in an out of my hunting spot. I can mount my bow or my rifle scabbard on this rack its awesome!

Pros

Fantastic at carrying things lots can be bungeed on and it has carried more than recommended with no trouble. I've been very excited to have this rack.

Cons

Nothing thus far.

Pros

Well built, very functional.

Cons

Instructions bad.

Other Thoughts

Best front rack I could find

Great quality
Solid
Looks good

Pros

Surly Front Nice rack is a great rack for bikes built for touring. Same rack for cantilever or disk brakes. Fairly easy to install. Holds bags low enough to improve balance without scraping ground when cornering.
Can be repaired at any muffler shop on the road but haven't be able to break one yet.

Cons

Heavy-duty equals heavy. If using a car rack that clamps to the front fork, extra clearance is required.

Other Thoughts

Taking Surly Nice front and rear racks on Trans-American tour.

Pros

The rack is as solid as any rack I have ever had in my hands, which has been many. The install was very simple (I put it on a 2011 Trek 7500 Hybrid). Once on, the rack was firm, and incredibly stable under load.

I have used the rack loaded with 30 to 40 lb. several times and lighter weight many more. I have had no issues or problems thus far.

I am very pleased with where the rack sits after mounting and thus where and how the Panniers go (to the best of my knowledge there are two primary choices, one higher than the other).

Overall I'm as happy as I could be with this product.

Cons

None that I can think of at the present time.

Other Thoughts

I have another bike I would love to have a rack like this for, a Trek 4500. There seems to be nothing offered similar to this for bikes with front shocks. So when looking to purchase, make sure your forks are okay... the rack fits most all other bikes, I believe.

Pros

Sturdy, bulletproof, and cool as hell.

Cons

None, unless you're a weight weeny

Other Thoughts

This is a beast of a rack. I've hauled a woman back from a bar on it.

Pros

Versatile and built like a tank, strapped my cj5 to it (just kidding). Very easy to install.

Cons

None.

Other Thoughts

I would like to see some sort of bracketry made to install a hadlebar mounted headlight. Using a handlebar bag I am unable to utilize my Niterider 1400. I ended up rigging a mount on top of a small plastic box mounted onto the front rack.

Pros

Go anywhere
Do anything

Cons

Heavy
Overbuilt
Could be way more than you need

Other Thoughts

I really wanted a rack that would integrate well with my fork mounts (on a Surly LHT).

I also want to have a front rack with a top so I can put light stuff there, like sleeping bag, etc.

Those two items combined led me to this rack, but in reality it's way more than I need on a day to day basis and while people always say the rack is heavy, it's the burly mounting hardware that's heavy, which is a good thing for epic tours through inner mongolia, but probably not essential on the shorter tours I'll use it for.

It's a great rack, it's just not really a great rack for me, but hey that's what happens when you impulsively buy gear.

Pros

Lots of room for fit adjustment to fork. Heavy duty. Will carry a wide range of pannier sizes. Very well engineered and thought out to fit a large range with optional attachment features.

Cons

None so far

Other Thoughts

I have this on an All City Space Horse Touring bike, 700c wheels, rim brakes, and a broad fork rake with drop outs and eyelets, had no problem fitting. The top rack works well for keeping cables out of the way without crimping, and can hold a small front bag to keep the bars free. Detaches very quickly when I'm in commuter mode. Can't tell you about clearance for disc brakes. Quality welds and construction. This would be my first go to rack if unsure about fit.