The loop does not have as much practical value when using the rack on the back of the bike as the struts provide support and protect the rear brake. If you are lucky enough to have a bike with rack mount studs on top of the fork crown, it would not be necessary up front, either.
I think Ray is correct about lateral bracing. Most front racks I have seen without the loop are rated lower for weight than those that have one. On Apr 26, 8:54 am, Ray Shine <r.sh...@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > I have toured with the rack, as well as using it locally and for commuting > from time to time. You are absolutely correct. That loop does interfere > with packing objects onto the top of the rack, as well as interfere with some > saddlebags hanging from the seat. I have often considered cutting it off, > just haven't. I'm guessing that its function is to give some lateral bracing > to the rack, and perhaps protect the brake hanger. I guess … > > ________________________________ > From: happyriding <happyrid...@yahoo.com> > To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Mon, April 26, 2010 5:53:45 AM > Subject: [RBW] nitto big rack question > > Hi, > > It seems to me that the horse shoe shaped portion that juts upward on > the seat stay end of the rack would just get in the way when trying to > strap things onto the rack. For instance, my Therm-a-Rest mattress is > 25 inches wide. If I strapped it onto the rack, it would protrude 10 > inches off the back. It seems to me that if the upward jutting > horseshoe portion wasn't there, I could slide the mattress all the way > up against the seat stays so that less of the mattress protruded off > the end of the rack. Why was the rack designed that way? > > Has anyone toured with the Nitto Big Rack? What did you think of it? > > Thanks. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
