Reddit reviews Voyager Low Rider Front Rack - Blk

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MXQA1E/ref=wms_ohs_product_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They were dirt cheap and the reviews were good so....

I've owned two Blackburn EX-1s. I foolishly sold one with the matching kid's seat, but the other has seen near daily commuting use for five years. I love everything about it, with one exception: it has no place to mount a rear tail light. It's light, made from bar stock rather than tubes, and despite constant heavy use, it has held up great. I've used it for a bit of bike-packing as well and have probably exceeded the 40lb max many times without issue.

I also unfortunately own this POS. I bought it to replace the EX-1 I sold and it is not worth even half the $25 I paid for it. It's constructed from tubes instead of bar stock and has the wide, flat plate on top. As a result, it bangs and clangs with every single bump. It was on my wife's bike for a while, and she could sometimes be heard from half a block away. It also mounts using aluminum spacers, resulting in a less solid rack that can sway and jiggle (just a little) when loaded. The tubes are thick enough that some panniers aren't able to be mounted without modification. The only good thing about it is that I can mount a taillight to the little tab that hangs off the back.

For rear racks, the #1 thing I would look for is one constructed from bar stock. Tubes simply make too much noise. I would avoid the flat plate on top as well unless you're buying from a B&M store where you can bang your hand on the rack to see how much noise it makes. Mount points on the rear for a taillight would be a huge plus. If Blackburn made one like the EX-1 with a mount, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Aluminum is obviously lighter than steel and perfectly OK for your uses; most of the steel ones are intended for long-haul touring where they can be welded if they break. Look for a rack that can mount without spacers for a more secure attachment.

I own this Nashbar front rack, which seems to be a clone of this Blackburn rack. For the price, it's worth it, but I had to modify mine to fit 35mm knobby tires. I also needed spacers to mount it, which the rack did not come with. My fork has mount points in the middle of the blades, so I can't comment on how well it mounts using the U clamps.

I've never used a front rack that holds the panniers up higher, but I'd be hesitant to buy one (unless it could be returned at no cost) without trying it first. The lower the load, the lower your center of gravity. Having a higher center of gravity can change your handling dramatically. I would also be extremely hesitant to buy a front rack that did not have a cross bar for stability (like this one). My first time out using the front rack, I put my floppier set of panniers up front, and my handling was so bad it was dangerous. I swapped them, learned my lesson, and wouldn't dare set out with any load in the front that could possibly sway.