# 15 qr adaptors for fork mounts?



## DavidNeiles (May 8, 2008)

I have found only Yakima and Hurricane brands around $40 bucks. Anyone know of other options that are cheaper.


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## thebronze (Jan 13, 2004)

Try fork up
http://www.hurricanecomponents.com/product.php?id=8


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## DavidNeiles (May 8, 2008)

Yeah, really had no choice. Got the fork up because i have a thule rack and the fork up is blue and looks good. Works like a charm, Highly recomended.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Cracked Headtube (Apr 16, 2006)

Honestly, I have been using a standard rear skewer through the fork and my Yakima mount. I keep the original Yakima skewer in the tray when not in use. I've been doing this since May. I just crank down the skewer nice and tight. Rarely do I find the fork has shifted during transit.


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## firebike7 (Aug 21, 2008)

You could make yours I did. I didn't want to spend the money and I couldn't find something that would work with the rack I had already. Plus with space being an issue, I needed it to fit tight and I made it work with pieces in my shop for free. This pick I took as it sits in my work van so it isn't the best, but you can get an idea of what it looks like with the bike on it. I used sch80 conduit for the tube between the fork and the fork fits on snuggly. The sch40 piece(white) is just a spacer/lock to hold it onto the brackets and prevent sliding and more strength. The combo is as rock solid as the standard QR on the other side of the rack. I am currently making an all aluminum one that is alittle more streamlined and stronger.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

The original idea behind the Fork Up, which was originally made for the 20mm forks back in 1996 was that it was "transversible" from rack to rack, which makes tranporting your bike securely, not only on your rack, but any fork mounted rack. If you were to make a dedicated mount, as some of the posters have made, they can work, but can it be mounted on any of your riding buddies racks? do you want to drive to the trailhead everytime because your bike does'nt fit onto your friends racks? if your OK with the above unreliable solutions, knock yourself out and make your own, or trust a proven product, such as the Fork Up...its your $4000 bike on the rack!


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Hurricane Jeff said:
 

> The original idea behind the Fork Up, which was originally made for the 20mm forks back in 1996 was that it was "transversible" from rack to rack, which makes tranporting your bike securely, not only on your rack, but any fork mounted rack. If you were to make a dedicated mount, as some of the posters have made, they can work, but can it be mounted on any of your riding buddies racks? do you want to drive to the trailhead everytime because your bike does'nt fit onto your friends racks? if your OK with the above unreliable solutions, knock yourself out and make your own, or trust a proven product, such as the Fork Up...its your $4000 bike on the rack!


Yeah, but it's the $44.95 for a simple piece of metal that makes me nearly balk when reaching for the wallet.

Why so much?

I understand the product's versatility in being able to move from rack to rack which is cool. However, maybe everyone isn't looking for a product to put on our "buddies" rack. Maybe we want to haul our own bikes in/on our own vehicles..:thumbsup: How about a product more in line price wise with the 9mm standard mounts out there?

We didn't do too badly for the 9mm fork mounts...


Saris Traps Fork Mount (9mm) $17.99.

Delta Bike Hitch (9mm) $19.99.

Thule 821 Low Rider Fork Mount (9mm) $26.99.

Yet the two 15mm solutions (at least the two I've found on the web today) are the Hurricane Fork Up at $44.95 and the Yakima 15mm Fork Adapter at $39. Is the metal and powder coating that Hurricane and Yakima uses so much more expensive than other products?

Kudos to the DIY set-up firebike 7 made. I like the ingenuity and may have to dive in to come up with something similar for the back of my Element after a visit to the hardware store.

Would I like a Hurricane or Yakima 15mm solution? Sure, but maybe somebody could come up with a solution that is closer to the $18 - $25 price range.

Wait, I just found the Yakima on sale for $34.95....which is a bit better.

firebike7 - you need to post up instructions on your DIY version to get all of us less gifted DIY's going....

BB


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## firebike7 (Aug 21, 2008)

BruceBrown said:


> Yeah, but it's the $44.95 for a simple piece of metal that makes me nearly balk when reaching for the wallet.
> 
> Why so much?
> 
> ...


PM me and I will give detailed instructions and a part list if you want. It will cost a total of $3 and take an hour to make. Oh and I DO trust my mount to transport my $3000 bike to and from anywhere I take it. Plus I can take my rack out of my truck in five seconds and place in my buddy's truck and VOILA! we are ready to go. I might post a detailed instructions for what did, I am not looking to threaten business of people who make products for this reason, just show an inexpensive option.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

firebike7 said:


> PM me and I will give detailed instructions and a part list if you want. It will cost a total of $3 and take an hour to make. Oh and I DO trust my mount to transport my $3000 bike to and from anywhere I take it. Plus I can take my rack out of my truck in five seconds and place in my buddy's truck and VOILA! we are ready to go. I might post a detailed instructions for what did, I am not looking to threaten business of people who make products for this reason, just show an inexpensive option.


Heck, post it up here for all to see. DIY is the way to go for certain solutions. Me? I just used a piece of scrap deck wood that I cut to fit snugly in the back of my Element and screwed two 9mm form mounts into the deck wood to haul 2 bikes in the back. Honda wanted $100 per fork mount that goes into the floor. I DIY'd my 2 bike solution for $25 (I paid $12 for each 9mm fork mount new). I just need to modify one of them or remove one and mount up something like you DIY'd in there to take my new RIP 9 with Fox 15mm fork.



I don't need a patented powder coated solution. I guess I could pick up a piece of scrap piping with the proper inner diameter, hacksaw off the 9mm (or leave it there) and head over to the welding shop and weld the pipe scrap (cut to appropriate length) onto the existing 9mm fork mount. A little elbow grease and I could even get fancy with a can of black spray paint if need be.

I can figure out the conduit in your picture, but are the brackets that hold the sch 40 conduit readily available?

BB


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Why are some bikes $100 and some are $9000? so you think its just a few pieces of metal welded togther?. We had to make precise welding jigs to fit the pieces togther just like they do in frame building, we have the legs precisely stamped into shape, we have to have skilled welders weld them, we have to machine and assemble the parts, all here in the USA, we have to carry liability insurance and somewhere in there we have to turn a profit. 
Like I said in an early post, go ahead, make your own. Look at it this way, you need $3 in parts, and of course your time and fuel to find and buy the parts needed and an hour of your time to build it. So how much is a hour of your time worth? ifs its less then what a time proven Fork Up from either Hurricane or Yakima cost, then your ahead of the game, but when it fails....oh well...

Im not trying to be harsh with you in regards to you making your own part, thats the American way to try and do better. Im just giving you a small, quick lesson in how manufacturing works. Anyway, good luck with your endeavor.

BTW, Im not really affliated with Hurricane Components anymore. I was the original person behind Hurricane and I was the patent holder for the Fork Up until I sold the company and its patents back in 2003. I still do some consulting for them and still have a "love" for the parts that I have designed. Also, The Fork Up is the same exact product as the part from Yakima, Yakima licensed it from Hurricane.


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## DavidNeiles (May 8, 2008)

I have been using mine several times a week and it is really quick n easy to use. I just leave it locked on my tray and it is a hell of a lot easier. I am all for "Jank Tech" stuff, but I love the quality and look of the Hurricane Fork up. I would give it 5 chilis'


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Hurricane Jeff said:


> Why are some bikes $100 and some are $9000? so you think its just a few pieces of metal welded togther?. We had to make precise welding jigs to fit the pieces togther just like they do in frame building, we have the legs precisely stamped into shape, we have to have skilled welders weld them, we have to machine and assemble the parts, all here in the USA, we have to carry liability insurance and somewhere in there we have to turn a profit.
> Like I said in an early post, go ahead, make your own. Look at it this way, you need $3 in parts, and of course your time and fuel to find and buy the parts needed and an hour of your time to build it. So how much is a hour of your time worth? ifs its less then what a time proven Fork Up from either Hurricane or Yakima cost, then your ahead of the game, but when it fails....oh well...
> 
> Im not trying to be harsh with you in regards to you making your own part, thats the American way to try and do better. Im just giving you a small, quick lesson in how manufacturing works. Anyway, good luck with your endeavor.
> ...


I absolutely understand your manufacturing and profit margin argument.

Most of my rant, which I will even call it, has more to do with the two current products for 15mm TA - the Hurricane and the Yakima current adapters - not really being the solution that some of us need. Yet, they are the only game in town at the moment. I'm looking at the number of consumers that only use the dedicated fork mounts in the rear of pick-ups and SUV's - not a transferable adapter such as the products you developed. Yes, I'm sure the Hurricane and Yakima would work fine either as a stop gap or as a permanent solution. However, I feel the market really needs a dedicated 15mm and 20mm mount that screws/bolts into place.

With the increasing market share of 20mm and 15mm TA forks/hubs, I am curious if one of the manufacturers (Delta, Saris, etc...) will come up with a dedicated fork mount for the pick-up/SUV crowd who want to haul their bikes the way we always have our 9mm QR's. Supply and demand along with competition may eventually create a solution available that is comparable in price with the current 9mm dedicated fork mounts. That doesn't help me right now at this moment in my search for a low cost option for my own particular SUV and Fox 15mm TA fork needs.

Any chance you could personally convince the company that you sold to tool up a dedicated bolt in fork mount for the 15mm/20mm SUV and pick-up/mini-van driving mountain biking crowd?

Looking at the current dedicated fork mount products....

Delta's four 9mm models certainly meet the criteria of tooling, manufacturing, insurance and profit - yet sell for less: http://www.deltacycle.com/Bike_Transport

Ditto for Saris: http://www.saris.com/p-221-traps-fork-mount.aspx

Pyramid as well. (Pyramids are the ones I own and use in the back of my Element.)

Would the swap from the 9mm QR tubing to tubing that fits a 15mm TA or a 20mm TA really cost that much more than the 9mm? And without a need for the QR axle (replacement prices for those are $7), the price could/should be even less - or so one would think.

I guess I want a company to step up and provide a dedicated fork mount solution for the 15mm and 20mm TA crowd.

In the meantime, either the DIY will work for me or I need to purchase the Hurricane or Yakima in spite of my rant that they seem to be overkill for my needs since I don't have a fork mount rack on top of my car(s). I guess it is chalked up to the old technology adoption life cycle where the change in technology forces users to adapt and pay the price of change. Tapered heat tube requires a new fork. New fork comes as a 15mm TA. King hub requires the 15mm TA conversion kit. All this requires a new fork mount to haul said bike. At least the fork mount is the least expensive part of the change equation....

BB


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

> Wait, I just found the Yakima on sale for $34.95....which is a bit better.


Update: I just found it on sale for $31.20 here. 20mm is on sale for that price as well.

Come on baby, keep dropping and get down in the $20's.....:thumbsup:


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

I appreciate your time to follow up on your post. At Hurricane, we at first did develop a permanent 20mm mount that atatched to the crossbars of a roof rack. The problem we incountered was positioning the bike while you slid the axle back into the dropouts. At that time(1996) about the only bikes that used a 20mm axle where 50 lb.DH bikes, so it really was'nt practical. The current Fork Up design was a much design. The problems that were solved were,1) you could mount the Fork Up and then put the bike into the rack, just like if it had standard 9mm droputs. 2) you did not have to dedicate space on your rack to a specific bike. 3) you can rotate the Fork Up over 180 degrees to provide handlebar clearences when you have a few bikes on a rack. 4) you can take it with you to use on anyones rack, therefor, your not stuck driving because your bike does not fit on anyone else's rack.
I realize the Fork Up isnt the end all solution for everyone, but if you look at the reason I gave, I think that you'll realize the thought process behind the design of the Fork Up's

Thanks,
Jeff


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## pdumas (Apr 11, 2010)

Had to buy a Fork Up today. Least exciting bike related purchase ever. $40 for a piece of metal. They should have a rack dedicated to larger thru-axles and be done with this stupid adapter. The worst part about it? NO MORE LOCKING YOUR BIKE TO THE CAR, so goodbye security. Unless you want to take the extra time (money) to secure it to the rack with a cable or u lock. Come on already and make us a freakin' rack made for thru axles, Yakima. I can't imagine it's that difficult to design.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

While I understand buying a Fork Up is not the most exciting bike part purchase, but the reason that I dont believe you'll see a rack manufacturer dedicating a mount to just a different axle size (20mm, 25mm, QR15, Lefty) is because these will never be the standard of what the current 9mm is today. The original reason for the Fork Up is that you can use the Fork Upr on your bike with the , in your case, the QR15, but still be able to use the fork mount for a bike that does not have a thru-axle fork, also an adapter allows your bike to fit into other racks that your bike might not otherwise fit into, because that rack does'nt have accomadations for a thru-axle fork. about locking your bike in the rack, we can't do anything about that, we dont design fork axles.
Buying or using a Fork Up is really not that big of a deal, we have been making and selling them since 1996, and have been praised by every fork manufacturer who have a thru-axle fork in their lineup.


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## dstruct (Sep 6, 2009)

Mines more of a permanent solution, but works great for me. If I get a chance to play with the iron worker next week I want make a few different 15mm qr fork mounts. Anybody in norcal interested? pm me.


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## pdumas (Apr 11, 2010)

Hurricane Jeff said:


> I dont believe you'll see a rack manufacturer dedicating a mount to just a different axle size (20mm, 25mm, QR15, Lefty) is because these will never be the standard of what the current 9mm is today.


If I were Yakima, I would do just that. Make four locking racks dedicated to thru-axles... 20mm, 25mm, QR15, and Lefty. (We already know that they don't have a problem manufacturing several different styles of racks.) Sell those racks for $40 more than the price of a Steelhead rack, which is $120. So, for $160 you get a locking bike rack without the extra steps and hassle of an adapter. (I still think they could make one rack that could accommodate various thruaxle sizes.)

That is better than buying a $120 bike rack and paying another $40 for a Fork Up so your bike fits on the rack. Because by then you've paid $160 and your bike isn't secure (without extra steps and hassle of a locking cable).

The Fork Up would still be useful as an adapter for other people's cars when you aren't driving. But it should not be a requirement for getting your bike on the car, much less locked on the car. A rack for a thru-axle bike is not a rare request (as evidenced by the success of Fork Up), and a rack manufacture will always follow a profit. You would think.


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## sentinel prime (Jul 15, 2011)

*DIY fork mount*



firebike7 said:


> You could make yours I did. I didn't want to spend the money and I couldn't find something that would work with the rack I had already. Plus with space being an issue, I needed it to fit tight and I made it work with pieces in my shop for free. This pick I took as it sits in my work van so it isn't the best, but you can get an idea of what it looks like with the bike on it. I used sch80 conduit for the tube between the fork and the fork fits on snuggly. The sch40 piece(white) is just a spacer/lock to hold it onto the brackets and prevent sliding and more strength. The combo is as rock solid as the standard QR on the other side of
> 
> Hi firebike7,
> 
> ...


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## kanai (Aug 26, 2008)

should add rockymounts driveshaft to this list. fits 15 and 20mm thru-axles and comes with a 9mm dummy axle. it ain't cheap, though.

RockyMounts DriveShaft


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## wisbike (May 16, 2008)

^only the driveshaft SD comes with the dummy 9mm axle. I just picked up two of these the other day. pricey but easily the best fork mounts you can buy, period. no plastic like yakima/thule....


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Yakima and Thule are the same mounts as the Hurricane mounts and none of these mounts use plastic, we use American made DOM tubing and black anodized 6061 aluminum for the inserts


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## Troutinco (Jan 29, 2012)

kanai said:


> should add rockymounts driveshaft to this list. fits 15 and 20mm thru-axles and comes with a 9mm dummy axle. it ain't cheap, though.


Bought the version that I can use with my nissan bed rails. I like that it locks my 15qr so someone can't just unscrew it and get my bike. I also make sure I have a couple cable locks as well. I use a Yakima locking block head for my 9qr bikes, again mounted to my bed rails.


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## kanai (Aug 26, 2008)

Troutinco said:


> Bought the version that I can use with my nissan bed rails. I like that it locks my 15qr so someone can't just unscrew it and get my bike. I also make sure I have a couple cable locks as well. I use a Yakima locking block head for my 9qr bikes, again mounted to my bed rails.


yup, the driveshaft SD. i have a clutch SD for my 9mm QR bikes. works like a charm!


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