Connect+ Front Rack

Kris

This rack is sturdy and should be easy to install on a "compatible" ebike. If I had one of those bikes I would probably have given it 4 or 5 stars. I have a Turris, but customer service said the rack would work with two minor changes: 1. Order an extension for the headlight power cord. Open the upper part of the battery compartment to access the controller and install the extension. 2. Bend the mounting tab on the rack so it tilts upwards and has enough clearance that the Connect+ bracket doesn't hit the fender. I decided to try it. With the rack unbent and the legs pushed up as high as possible on the fork the basket tilted backwards about 9 degrees. If I had to guess I'd say this rack is made of an aluminum alloy, and those usually can't be bent very many times before breaking. So that, combined with not wanting to tilt the basket even further, prompted me to make my own adapter bracket. Luckily I had a piece of scrap aluminim with two holes of exactly the right size that were about the right distance apart. I sawed off the excess to make an ugly but totally functional bracket. Now there's plenty of clearance between the fender and rack, and luckily the makeshift bracket barely clears the front of the top of the fork when the suspension is fully compressed. The clamps that come with the rack for attaching it to the legs of the fork are not the right size for the Turris. The included shims are far too thick but with no shims the clamps slide up and down. I had to cut my own shims from an old inner tube and, since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, attached them to the insides of the clamps with vulcanizing cement from a patch kit. The headlight extension cable is still in the mail. Having read the Turris controller access page on the Ride1up support site I expect the installation to be a little tedious but easy overall. (Those complaining about tearing their headlight cable or having to splice it would benefit from reading the controller access info for their bike. There IS a connector in there where you can insert an extension and if you just need a bit more slack re-arranging the cables in there might do it.) Now that it's installed I can lift the front of the bike by the rack and there's no wobble when I shake it. Considering the weight of the Turris and that front racks are usually light weight, I think that speaks pretty highly of this rack. I was told to expect some installation difficulty but it ended up being more difficult than expected. It turned out really well and I'm quite happy with it but after having to make my own adapter bracket to fit the Turris I just can't give this rack more than two stars.

Kris

This rack is sturdy and should be easy to install on a "compatible" ebike. If I had one of those bikes I would probably have given it 4 or 5 stars. I have a Turris, but customer service said the rack would work with two minor changes: 1. Order an extension for the headlight power cord. Open the upper part of the battery compartment to access the controller and install the extension. 2. Bend the mounting tab on the rack so it tilts upwards and has enough clearance that the Connect+ bracket doesn't hit the fender. I decided to try it. With the rack unbent and the legs pushed up as high as possible on the fork the basket tilted backwards about 9 degrees. If I had to guess I'd say this rack is made of an aluminum alloy, and those usually can't be bent very many times before breaking. So that, combined with not wanting to tilt the basket even further, prompted me to make my own adapter bracket. Luckily I had a piece of scrap aluminim with two holes of exactly the right size that were about the right distance apart. I sawed off the excess to make an ugly but totally functional bracket. Now there's plenty of clearance between the fender and rack, and luckily the makeshift bracket barely clears the front of the top of the fork when the suspension is fully compressed. The clamps that come with the rack for attaching it to the legs of the fork are not the right size for the Turris. The included shims are far too thick but with no shims the clamps slide up and down. I had to cut my own shims from an old inner tube and, since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, attached them to the insides of the clamps with vulcanizing cement from a patch kit. The headlight extension cable is still in the mail. Having read the Turris controller access page on the Ride1up support site I expect the installation to be a little tedious but easy overall. (Those complaining about tearing their headlight cable or having to splice it would benefit from reading the controller access info for their bike. There IS a connector in there where you can insert an extension and if you just need a bit more slack re-arranging the cables in there might do it.) Now that it's installed I can lift the front of the bike by the rack and there's no wobble when I shake it. Considering the weight of the Turris and that front racks are usually light weight, I think that speaks pretty highly of this rack. I was told to expect some installation difficulty but it ended up being more difficult than expected. It turned out really well and I'm quite happy with it but after having to make my own adapter bracket to fit the Turris I just can't give this rack more than two stars.

Paul

Id say if your an experienced mechanic with a good set of tools it's moderately easy to install only because the rubber clamp things are a pain. I ended having to use needle nose pliers on side side to clamp it while trying to put the screw through and the nut on. I think if the bolts were 5mm longer they would be easier to put on. That's the only downside, I wrestled with those clamps for a good hour. Its really sturdy and I custom mounted a pet carrier to it. My dog weighs about 15lbs and the bike rides great with this setup. Nice design, just needs a little work on the hardware side to make the install smoother.

Paul

Id say if your an experienced mechanic with a good set of tools it's moderately easy to install only because the rubber clamp things are a pain. I ended having to use needle nose pliers on side side to clamp it while trying to put the screw through and the nut on. I think if the bolts were 5mm longer they would be easier to put on. That's the only downside, I wrestled with those clamps for a good hour. Its really sturdy and I custom mounted a pet carrier to it. My dog weighs about 15lbs and the bike rides great with this setup. Nice design, just needs a little work on the hardware side to make the install smoother.

Paul

Id say if your an experienced mechanic with a good set of tools it's moderately easy to install only because the rubber clamp things are a pain. I ended having to use needle nose pliers on side side to clamp it while trying to put the screw through and the nut on. I think if the bolts were 5mm longer they would be easier to put on. That's the only downside, I wrestled with those clamps for a good hour. Its really sturdy and I custom mounted a pet carrier to it. My dog weighs about 15lbs and the bike rides great with this setup. Nice design, just needs a little work on the hardware side to make the install smoother.

HILARY K.

Awful design, took 3 people to get it on, left screw came off within 1 week, now it’s unusable.

daco328

Like another review mentioned, I also pulled out the light and the cable ripped. Not sure what I can do about that. Have not even rode it yet. After watching the video it appears there is several inches of slack in the braded cables. This does not appear to be the care with the turris. I also have exposed wires and not enough slack. Also, the rack will not fit with the fender. Again, the video appears there is plenty of room for clearance.

daco328

Like another review mentioned, I also pulled out the light and the cable ripped. Not sure what I can do about that. Have not even rode it yet. After watching the video it appears there is several inches of slack in the braded cables. This does not appear to be the care with the turris. I also have exposed wires and not enough slack. Also, the rack will not fit with the fender. Again, the video appears there is plenty of room for clearance.

Sara

After waiting 2 weeks for the rack and basket combo, I struggled significantly to put the rack on my Core 5. Despite the front rack listing 2 other models (Roadster and Rev 1) as not compatible- I learned later through a separate support article that the front rack is ALSO not compatible with the Core 5 model. Would have greatly appreciated having this information listed on the front rack purchasing page with the other incompatible models. Had the rack been able to be installed, I'm sure it would have functioned fine (thus my 2 stars instead of 1). However, now I have a partially assembled rack, a basket with no purpose, and damage to my headlight. The headlight specifically was written as needing to "pull out" the wires to reach the front of the rack, and upon unraveling the coating and pulling gently on the wire, my headlight ripped right out leaving exposed wires. Now my bike and I will have a separation until I can figure out how to safely rewire it since my commute to and from work as a nurse is typically in the dark at least one way.

Sara

After waiting 2 weeks for the rack and basket combo, I struggled significantly to put the rack on my Core 5. Despite the front rack listing 2 other models (Roadster and Rev 1) as not compatible- I learned later through a separate support article that the front rack is ALSO not compatible with the Core 5 model. Would have greatly appreciated having this information listed on the front rack purchasing page with the other incompatible models. Had the rack been able to be installed, I'm sure it would have functioned fine (thus my 2 stars instead of 1). However, now I have a partially assembled rack, a basket with no purpose, and damage to my headlight. The headlight specifically was written as needing to "pull out" the wires to reach the front of the rack, and upon unraveling the coating and pulling gently on the wire, my headlight ripped right out leaving exposed wires. Now my bike and I will have a separation until I can figure out how to safely rewire it since my commute to and from work as a nurse is typically in the dark at least one way.