A friend stopped by the office recently with an interesting new product by Portland-based company TCB Racks. It’s a product only racers are probably going to love and/or understand — a front rack that allows you to carry your precious race wheels on the way to a workout or competition.
TCB was started by former bicycle delivery professional, cyclocross racer, and mechanical engineering student Tad Bamford. TCB’s specialty are stainless steel, porteur-style front racks that are held together not by welds, but by bolts (check out his randonneuring rack).
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Tad debuted his racks at the Oregon Manifest show back in 2008, and he’s been steadily growing his business ever since (last week, we shared how TCB has collaborated with another local company, Ruckus Components).
But his new product (which has yet to be named), is something totally new for TCB.
Team Beer founder and frequent cyclocross and track racer John Howe needed a way to carry his race wheels to the track and to local ‘cross races (racers prefer to use their high-end, expensive wheels solely for competition). Howe had heard about a similar rack made by TCB for another racer at Alpenrose, so he asked Tad to build one for him.
spare wheel attaches to the rack.
The result is a new product that solves the problem in a simple way. The stainless steel rack mounts to the wheel axle (via a crimped tube) and the race wheels are attached via a skewer. (Tad says he’s working on another feature that will string a little mesh hammock over your front wheel for dirty laundry.)
Loosen a few bolts, swap out the wheels, and in a few minutes you’re ready to race (or ready to ride home).
Tad says the price is $35 and an extra $5 for the dirty laundry sling (which could come in handy after a muddy cross race).
Stay tuned to the TCB Racks blog for more details and ordering information.