DIY bike front rack under $25 (2023 new version)

[@johnbrann75]

I'll never buy a rack again. Its so easy to build your own and you get it exactly what you require. I must say of all the KZbinrs you do the best job with your bike without having all the high end and expendive tools for the job. Your ability to improvise is truely inspiring.

[@garysprojects]

Cheers John ! That means a lot thank you ! Hahah it comes from not having a workshop and just a small space, but yeah gotta make the most of what you have ! Cheers!!

[@mountaincruiser817]

Looks good. Only thing I would change is te middle strut that goes to the fork crown. Make it steel, now it's going to bend when loaded and riding on rougher surfaces. The steel strut can be easy found and pre bend and drilled.

[@garysprojects]

True that’s a good suggestion 👍 cheers!

[@ezeckielthomas6798]

@@garysprojects Mine failed and I was saved by my front fender. Made one from stainless steel 🤘Another suggestion would be to use nylocks.

[@garysprojects]

@@ezeckielthomas6798 hell ya 👍

[@diegocoloradoluna5966]

I was about to comment exactly that, still very nice

[@derekhobbs1102]

One of my first tasks when I started at job back in 98 was making brackets from 3mm flat bar. I soon learnt about having twists in flat for rigidity.

[@garysprojects]

Nice!! Yes twists would definitely make it stronger !

[@RosieCarter-lf4wc]

Gaz, you're the best!! I didn't't know about the marvels of 3mm aluminium flat bar, my life has changed!! I just made some braces for my rear rack and was able to put that cute twist in the bottom of the bar so it can attach to the frame of the bike. Thanks for the inspo mate 😍

[@garysprojects]

thats awesome great to hear that it helped!! cheers :)

[@ThalassTKynn]

This is brilliant! I've been wanting a rack for my bike, and this is basically exactly what I need.

[@garysprojects]

Cheers !! nice to have a front rack on a bike for sure!

[@GreenGrow-ck3pg]

Yes thk u

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate

[@daniellarson3068]

Nice - When I see the price for this stuff in bike shops, there is quite the incentive to make your own.

[@garysprojects]

Hahah definitely ! Cheers !

[@andyc972]

Nice project Gary, I love how accessible this is ! As you pointed out the only real weakness is the bracket, but if this one piece were substituted for steel, I'm sure this would be resolved ! It may be worth getting a Pop riveter for projects like this as Rivets would leave a smoother join than the bolts !

[@garysprojects]

That is a good idea ! I think steel brace would work well ! Cheers 🙏🙏

[@goergeerwoll]

I just build a similar rack, i was aiming for a quick prototype but it took pretty long so i ended up keeping it how it is. Definitely building it again. Making pretty front and back pairs.

[@garysprojects]

Hell ya dude ! Ya sometimes it takes a bit to work it out

[@campbellpaul]

Awesome!! You are a natural at fabrication, Gary.. You should see about getting a used Workmate, which acts as a pair of sawhorses and a vice all in one compact unit. Cheers!!

[@garysprojects]

Cheers Paul! Yes I def need something like that haha , sawing on that bucket ain’t the best lol

[@campbellpaul]

@@garysprojects It's even sturdy enough to put your 60lb drill press on.. Used, they are 15 or 20 USD. I highly recommend 👍

[@garysprojects]

@@campbellpaul wow that’s cool I’ll take a look thx

[@fotografamos4083]

Creativity and inventiveness at work. Great stuff, @garys.projects!

[@garysprojects]

Thank you my dude I appreciate that !

[@tinycmo]

I saved this one. Amazing video. Thank-you

[@garysprojects]

Thank you ! Much appreciated 🙏😊

[@ezraimazagi7094]

Great design and easy to replicate. Thank you!

[@garysprojects]

Thank you I appreciate that ! Hopefully people find it useful ! Cheers !

[@allAboutRon]

Ill try this one❗️✌️ thanks for the great idea

[@garysprojects]

Great! Would love to see it if you make one cheers!

[@reeceholmes8546]

I'm inspired, thanks man, your D.I.Y. racks are giving me so many ideas, keep up the good work

[@garysprojects]

Hell ya thank you Reece ! I’m glad , cheers !

[@MickB235]

Great job, anything that you can build yourself is fantastic as you can tailor it to your specs and makes it unique in lots of ways and also doing stuff like this is wonderful for the mind , i will also agree with what was previously said that rivets would be a cleaner build but if you stick to nuts and bolts, I'd go the socket headed cap screws with nyloc nuts so that they don't shake loose. I'm building a recumbent trike from scrap bikes , steel tube and it's almost finished , I'm really eager to get that first test ride in ...I'm even helping my boss build his own aircraft ! .... there's something about taking a bunch of materials and turning it into something useful that just doesn't compare 😊

[@garysprojects]

Awesome ! Always great building your own stuff that’s for sure , can customize it to how you like it. The bike sounds exciting ! Will be fun to ride it haha. I agree with the nyloc nuts , I have already swapped the two on the bottom brace for extra safely ! Cheers !

[@AlexdaCunha]

Great project! Thanks for sharing

[@garysprojects]

No worries glad you liked it !

[@rayrobinson4038]

I built one very similar, so easy to do. Plus cheaper than a manufacturer price.

[@garysprojects]

Yesss definitely! Stoked on mine

[@layspeed]

Well done Gary! Simple and effective for small stuff.

[@garysprojects]

Thanks mate ! I appreciate that. Worked out well!

[@glennpettersson9002]

The aluminium flat bar is great stuff I used some to make mudguards and they work really well, I just bent them over my knee. Tubes may be stiffer for the stays but I'm not sure what that does to your budget. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@garysprojects]

Yes it’s very easy to work with ! I wanted to use tubes for the stays but couldn’t work out how to attached them easily , wondering if I could hammer the ends and drill 🤔

[@glennpettersson9002]

There's some formulas on line but I just crimped it in a vice.

[@StereoDiscoShit]

Yeah! I love the design! Bolts have some brutal diy charm, but need to be replaced, agreed =) May be use some rivets for a sleeker look and couple allen screws where they’re really need to be? I gotta make it! Thanks for inspiration! Peace!

[@garysprojects]

Thank you Evan i appreciate that !! Yea I think socket or Allen key screws would look a bit better!! I’ll try to find a pack next time at the store , can’t be more than a couple of dollars. Cheers man enjoy !

[@paulullmann6359]

just made it today. solid design, thanks foir sharing this idea! hope it will hold my stuff when i ride to demnark in august :)

[@garysprojects]

Hell ya ! Glad you made one ! Hope it goes well cheers!

[@suburbiaworkshop]

Holy crap Gary, your channel is so underrated. I had no idea this exited before but I love your content. I never thought about using aluminum strips like this before and it's also so simple that just about anyone could make this. In the future you might wanna invest in a bench vise too btw, that would make the bending a lot easier.

[@garysprojects]

Thank you my dude that means a lot ! Hahah it’s true a vice would definitely of made this way easier!! Cheers!!

[@furleyforever]

Hats off! Love tinkering as well. Good job 👌

[@garysprojects]

cheers mate i appreciate that ! happy with the result😊

[@bressanjuanagustin8718]

Definitely gonna try this one! I got a steel front rack that's so heavy I never ended up using it. I would love seeing that rack mimic the frame art job!

[@garysprojects]

cheers !! ya this rack is superlight i should weigh it actually!! probably under 1kg for sure

[@user-ov6uj8gq2r]

Thank you

[@garysprojects]

No worries 👍

[@37rg]

Really great video I'm gonna try 👍

[@garysprojects]

Thank you very much !! Good luck with the project 👍

[@benvg]

Turned out so nice man! I think I need to do this now. I love working with al to make brackets and whatnot too, so cool. Cheers.

[@garysprojects]

cheers Ben i appreciate that! yes its such a nice material to work with i think , pretty soft but rigid too!

[@chisingchung9110]

Compact and solid. Great job.

[@garysprojects]

Thank you Chising i appreciate that !!

[@FillyDing]

That's awesome! If you add a second set of pillars in a V shape it'd double+ the weight capabilities

[@garysprojects]

Oh wow really!! I might end up doing that cheers!

[@furleyforever]

That would probably work well. I was thinking of having the main support extend all the way to the front of the rack and bent up to meet and attached to the rim there.

[@garysprojects]

That would work too!

[@oreocarlton3343]

Outstanding solution, front racks are ridiculously expensive and rare these days. Also, proper punches for metal are pretty cheap and youll save drill bits

[@garysprojects]

Cheers ! I appreciate that. Oh nice , I will oool for a proper punch next time I’m at the hardware store thx

[@oreocarlton3343]

@@garysprojects its easier to punch with them as well as the metal is way more harder, makes a significant difference, they are way cheaper than drill bits

[@garysprojects]

Ahh I see thank you !

[@tamk9088]

Another great video Gary. Thanks!

[@garysprojects]

Thank you Tam i appreciate that 🙏

[@reneegudjon3204]

Looks better than factory ones. I'm planning on making one😊

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate! Hell ya have fun !

[@728lulac]

Looks good and really handy

[@garysprojects]

Cheers Pete ! Super useful!

[@jawjuk]

Solid and BADASS. Nice build.

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate I appreciate that!!

[@pablovelimirovich9622]

Nice job! You could have use some rivets for some parts

[@garysprojects]

Thank you mate ! Yep I could have

[@Toograced]

Dang Bro, that looks awesome. Great Job.

[@garysprojects]

Thank you my dude I appreciate that !

[@djkenny1202]

Are racks super expensive there? I think Planet Bike is $29 often. Good Racks.

[@garysprojects]

Yeah they are super expensive here , probably at least $50

[@andy7163]

Love your work Gary. Cheers

[@garysprojects]

Thank you Andy i appreciate that ! Cheers!

[@mikelacross]

Looks very nice, but the flexibility of the struts may be its downfall, flexibility means weakness over time

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate , ya that could be a concern

[@burtonserg]

Very nice

[@garysprojects]

Thank you Serg!

[@Steven-qm1xo]

Amazing abilities..❤👍

[@garysprojects]

Cheers Steven! I appreciate that 😊😊😊

[@JonnyImpreza]

Nice video and project as always! I don’t even want a front rack but I watched the whole thing 😂 Cheers from Canada

[@garysprojects]

hahah cheers!! i watch a lot of vids like that too 😂 Cheers from Melbs , Australia!

[@vincentdsnt]

Good Job !

[@garysprojects]

Thx mate !

[@matthewfarrar4485]

Great job!

[@garysprojects]

Thank you!!

[@emmanuelmartin9568]

nice shot !!!

[@garysprojects]

Thank you my dude

[@boredmechanic2019]

love this ... very creative. amazing work! 🇨🇦🤙

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate I appreciate that!

[@cezrok5405]

Gary s Racks & ribs 😂.......seriously gary you are awesome mate !

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate ! Damn I gotta get ribs some day soon, haven’t had them for ages 😋

[@peterharrer3261]

Inspired, Gary!

[@garysprojects]

🙏😊

[@hewhoiswillbe879]

We need more DIY mod builds. If you need ideas I have a few. 1. Handle bar / front wheel lock. So when you park with your bike the rack it won't turn on you and make the bike fall over. (So the wheel stays strait) 2. 😂 that's all I really would like to see

[@garysprojects]

Hahaha cheers man that’s a interesting idea !! I actually had a pram/stroller that had a similar design, you could lock the front wheel when running to make it more stable, it was pretty cool, cheers!

[@russellwilliams7589]

GARY!

[@garysprojects]

Ayyyyyy

[@daisukiyamamoto3904]

Good idea, but your connection by drilling the holes weaken the rack. Think a heavy chain with a weak link. The max chain can hold is drpend on the weakest link

[@garysprojects]

Thank you ! It’s holding up pretty well ! 🙏😊

[@NameLess-lk2qu]

seems with this I can make a saddle rack support, I just need something where I can bend it 😅

[@garysprojects]

Yeasss I think so too!

[@bryanflo4500]

Yooooo Gary(ota), whats your board setup look like? I know your vids mainly involve vintage MTB, but I'm curious what kinda relationship you have with skateboarding and if you'd ever include anything skating related on your channel. Those Indys(?) look like they've been around the block! Currently running a 8.7 Polar surf Jr. deck with wheel wells; Spitfire F4 Conicals that were 54mm at one distant point in time; old Ace 44s; Quantum ceramic bearings. Have a nice weekend, brotha 💪🏽👽✨

[@garysprojects]

ay Bryan! i skate every now and then and post the clips to my insta story, but very rare these days. i spend more time building bikes haha. i probably wont do anything related to skating on this channel other than the odd rack because there is so many ppl doing skating stuff (& better too) out there. maybe if i ever end up cutting my own shape or something 🤔 my setup is 8.0 passport indy hollows 137 indy hardware 4 wheel co, 54s however i dont like them want to go back to spits swiss bones bearings shields popped but need replacement bearings soon have a good weekend!!!

[@jehscee]

I don't suppose you could do one for a skateboard holder? I once saw one mounted to the rear of a bike where you slotted the truck in. I've always wanted to get around to making one myself

[@garysprojects]

Oh yeah I saw that one, seems like it works pretty well. I’ll have a think about it 🤔 at the moment this one works pretty well !

[@ListinTheGuitar]

This truely is awesome. I've been looking for a simple rear rack to mount some bottle cages and 1L water bottles for my bike packing adventures. The only options I've found are from Tumbleweed or Old Man Mountain both costing about 150€. Do you think a similar rack like you built will be sturdy enough to hold the cages and bottles (around 3kg maybe?)

[@garysprojects]

Cheers man! Ya I think so I do a little weigh test at the end of the video maxing out at about 7-8kg so I think would be no problem for 3kg !

[@bivibikebaggins]

needs thread loc or nylon lock nuts... but great work

[@garysprojects]

Cheers mate I ended up switch come with nylock 👍👍

[@cccpkingu]

I keep reaching for the thumbs up having already pressed it.

[@garysprojects]

Hahah cheers dude i appreciate that !

[@pierrot69latrik]

Hi Gary, i've a question, the hole in the crown of the fork is threaded or not ? I've an old mtb rigid fork on my commuter and i would love to add a front rack but this hole is non threaded, im afraid the screw will turn endlessly. Anyway you craftsmanship is a great form of inspiration, cheers !

[@garysprojects]

Hi ! The crown hole of the fork is not threaded on mine either , i just used a m6 bolt with a secure nut (has a little bit of plastic inside) on the other end. Cheers man i appreciate that !

[@fandydiadline]

Industrial vibes

[@garysprojects]

Thx mate

[@distortohio]

Yo what bars are those?! Awesome build btw

[@garysprojects]

cheers Jim! these bars a nitto albatross 😊

[@oreocarlton3343]

Also, what is up with those maxxis mud tires, you commute on those😊

[@garysprojects]

I do hahah ! I like them & off-road sometimes that’s why

[@ondrejmanych5688]

man, those bolts are expensive in your area. Here in Czech, it is much much cheaper

[@kellymorris10342]

Probably paying for the convenience of having them together with washers and nuts all in one pack. There are places that will sell them individually and are far cheaper in cost. Depends on what stores you have locally and what's available.

[@ondrejmanych5688]

@@kellymorris10342 well, yeah, but if I put 3 dollars in my shop here, I would have like 30 bolts with nuts no problem. Maybe these are higher quality, I am not gonna play a smartass here, Gary knows what hes doing

[@garysprojects]

Haha yeah this is a big chain store where they stock a lot of stuff so having the bolts come pre packaged in sets cost more. I think if I bought the bolts bulk from a bolt supplier would be a lot less for sure ! I think $20 for 50 socket heads but probably still more expensive than in Czech!

[@ondrejmanych5688]

@@garysprojects Bolts aside, the cheapest thing to buy in Czech is beer hahaha. Some brands of packaged water cost more than beer here.

[@garysprojects]

@@ondrejmanych5688 yes I noticed that when I went to Europe! I couldn’t believe my eyes !!

[@greenS14]

Are you going to polish the aluminum?

[@garysprojects]

Nah it’s done haha

[@greenS14]

@@garysprojects very well then haha! Looks good nonetheless! Can you make a bigger tray next?

[@garysprojects]

@@greenS14 haha cheers! Ya if I do another one i will make it bigger & stronger !

[@TerryRamsey-jg8fm]

In reality if you learn little bit about bike mechanics you can build your own bike for cheap!

[@garysprojects]

@@TerryRamsey-jg8fm I think the welder etc would make it more expensive no ?

[@505Lucky7]

Actually, you should NOT wear gloves while operating a drill press. 💀

[@garysprojects]

yes this is correct !