In my column, Fine Tuned, in the latest issue of Adventure Cyclist, I mentioned the difficulties of getting a rack on a fat bike that has 170mm rear dropouts. Here's a testament to how quickly fat bike technology is moving forward: Not long after I submitted my article, Salsa Cycles went ahead and released the new Alternator Rack Wide for their Mukluk fat bike.
If you've used Salsa racks in the past, this one should look pretty familiar. It uses oversized aluminum tubing, and includes a solid tab on the bottom to which you can secure your panniers. The long adjustable arms that attach the frame to your seatstays may need to be cut down a bit for smaller frames, but all of the mounting hardware feels sturdy and rock solid when installed properly. Once installed, you've got plenty of tire clearance, both on the sides and on top, and the rack does a good job of giving you some room around the disc brakes.
For anyone who has been contemplating cold bending their current racks to fit a Mukluk or other 170mm-spaced fat bike, this is an awesome solution that will provide some great durability in the long run. The claimed carrying capacity is 33lbs and the rack itself comes in around 765 grams. You should be able to pick one up for about $120.
Photo compliments of Salsa Cycles
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TOURING GEAR & TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead. Look for Josh's Fine Tuned column in Adventure Cyclist magazine as well.Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/12/salsa-alternator-racks.html
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