OMM Elkhorn Rack: Getting Rolling – by Guitar Ted
Earlier this month we shared with you in a Gravel Grinder News post that Old Man Mountain had released the Elkhorn Rack. Well, we put in a request for a sample to be tested and reviewed here. The rack has arrived and the testing has begun, but first, let’s review just what the Elkhorn Rack is and what our expectations are for the rack.
What It Is: The Elkhorn Rack is a great addition to a pack system, or a stand-alone, light touring rack. It can be mounted either on the front or rear of most bicycles using a frame or fork eyelet system, or by using any of OMM’s several fit kits designed to attach this rack to almost any bicycle, even full suspension MTB’s.
There is a bullet-point feature set list which can be accessed by clicking the link in the first paragraph, but here are a few salient points on the Elkhorn Rack:
- The rack is made from 1/2″ (13mm) diameter tubing.
- Made from 6061 aluminum the racks are lightweight, stiff, and strong.
- The Elkhorn has a load capacity of 25lbs/11.34kg.
- The height from the mounting point to the deck is 390mm on the Short and 430mm on the tall. Be sure to leave room for debris and mud clearance. Made in Taiwan. Backed by a Lifetime Warranty
The rack we received was the “Short” version. The rack, hardware, and full stay kit ran 860 gm. After I cut the upper stays to length and determined what hardware wasn’t necessary for my application, the total weight was reduced to 782 gm. The Elkhorn Rack runs $148.00 USD.
First Impressions & Mounting: We received the Elkhorn Rack in a box which contained all the hardware and the rack which needs to be assembled. Old Man Mountain does have a great page to help you navigate the assembly procedure (found here) I found that the assembly process was a pretty straightforward process. Of course, I used the standard eyelet mounting on the Black Mountain Cycles MCD model bicycle I own. I chose to go with a rear mounted configuration. The deck, by the way, can be offset rearward or forward depending upon your situation and desires. I chose a rearward offset in this case.
The feature that appealed to me perhaps most of the features found in the rack are the “Three Pack” style bosses on the rack stays. I was able to employ those to mount my Anything Cage HD racks. I intended to use the Anything Cage HD’s to mount my dry bags and to put supplies in for a planned sub-24 outing I had in mind. The deck would hold my two-man tent.
Ride Performance: Overall the assembly and installation process was really quite easy. I loaded up the bike with my bags and did a loaded test ride to see how stiff the Elkhorn Rack really is. Having a rack wagging around out behind me wasn’t going to be very pleasant, or safe. I found that my load was not only stable, but more importantly, the Elkhorn Rack was stiff, as advertised. The beefy flat aluminum upper attachment stays really help in this regard.
Next up will be some gravel road test riding and the actual sub-24 trip. Stay tuned to find out how the Elkhorn Rack worked out for me there.
So Far… The Elkhorn Rack promises a very versatile, very capable rack to mount on most any bicycle. The features of the rack are designed to allow for several ways to attach up to 25lbs of cargo. The rack comes disassembled, but the assembly process was painless and clearly laid out by the OMM website. The rack does mount front or rear to allow for several loading configurations which can include other racks and bag systems.
I liked how the rack sits on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD and the ability to use the bosses on the rack stays allowed me to use the Anything Cage HD’s to mount dry bags which streamlined my set up. Now for the big test on my planned trip. I’ll be back with how the rack helped me out – or maybe how I struggled with it- and I’ll give a final verdict on the rack later on in a final post to come. Stay tuned…..
For more details on the Elkhorn Rack by Old Man Mountain see their webpage here: https://oldmanmountain.com/product/elkhorn-bike-rack/
Note: Old Man Mountain sent over the Elkhorn Rack for test and review to Riding Gravel for test and review at no charge. We were not paid, nor bribed, for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout.
