Tubus Duo Front Rack on Spec. AWOL

[AKJeff]

Hi Everybody,  I have a 2015 Specialized AWOL Comp.  I want to take advantage of the dual, mid-fork, thru mounts.  Has anyone mounted a Tubus Duo front rack to this bike?  Spec. doesn't know, Tubus thinks it might (but does not know for sure) and if the Duo will not mount to the fork what other manufactures offer a front rack that will take advantage of the thru fork-blade mounts?  (There is a brake cable tie-wrap mounting point just above the inner rack mount on the left fork blade that I am concerned may be in the way.) 
Has anyone actually mounted one of these racks to this bike and if any what modifications did you need to make? 
Thanks in advance for your help.
AKJeff Riding his AWOL

[RonK]

The inner mounting point is just a thin tab, I doubt the brake cable fixing would cause a problem.

It depends on the panniers used, but the lower Ortlieb bag mounting does not fit well on larger 16mm diameter tubing of the Duo (and Tara). Ortliebs fit better on the Ergo, or even better the stainless steel Nova/Cosmo with no paint to chafe off and rust.

[AKJeff]

Ron,
Thanks for the reply.  I agree.  The drawings on the Tubus site show the mounting tab on the inside to be of flat metal construction.  As I compare this tab to the space available on the AWOL fork, it will fit or may require a notch to be machined into the tab to allow for the brake cable tie-wrap mounting pad.  By the way that tie-wrap mount is not used by the cable housing as it passes along the back of the fork blade on its way to the disc caliper so I don’t know why it is even there. 
I would like to use Ortlieb Front Roller panniers that have the QL 2.1 mounting system.  Once again you are correct about the lower clip of this system.  The top bar on the Duo is 10mm and will of course fit using the reduction inserts.  The Instructions for the QL 2.1 mounting system show the lower clip as having 10mm of space (with an option to increase the space by 3mm.)  Since the lower leg of the Duo is made from 16mm tubing this would not fit properly.  I need to contact the manufactures and ask about the compatibility.   
Thanks for the heads up on this potential issue. 
AKJeff Riding his AWOL

[RonK]

Well, if you have your heart set on Duo, you may position the lower hook like this, so it sits on top of the rail instead of straddling it. I tried it and it didn't feel very secure so I replaced the Duo with an Ergo

[AKJeff]

The use of a Duo is not set in concrete.  I did make a mistake in a post on the subject of the diameter of the tubing the lower clip was to attach to.  The Duo tubing is 14mm.  The QL2.1 mounting system lower hook will accommodate up to 13mm.  That should work. 
I had been hoping that someone who had actually mounted a Duo to an AWOL fork would respond to my queries.  I posted this question to several different forums and everyone who has kindly responded, responded with conjecture and well meaning opinion.  Somewhere out there someone has hands on experience. And if I really want the Duo I may just have to buy one and see if it will fit. The nagging problem remains; the tie-wrap mounting tab on the left fork blade that appears to be in the way. 
I have been talking to Wayne of thetouringstore.com and am almost convinced that a Tubus Tara (which has the same weight bearing capacity, 33lbs) will be the front rack to use on my AWOL.   I plan on making a final decision in February so I will have time to get 'it' right before touring season begins here in the great Northwest.  Thank you for keeping up with this. 

[Pat Lamb]

I had been hoping that someone who had actually mounted a Duo to an AWOL fork would respond to my queries.  I posted this question to several different forums and everyone who has kindly responded, responded with conjecture and well meaning opinion.  Somewhere out there someone has hands on experience. And if I really want the Duo I may just have to buy one and see if it will fit.

Maybe, maybe not.  I believe this was the first year of AWOL production.  You have a small population of bike owners to deal with; how many of those installed a front rack?  and of those, how many wanted a Duo?  and of those, how many frequent these online forums?

I'd guess that Wayne at the Touring Store is as likely as anyone to know if a particular Tubus rack works with a particular frame, and even he won't hear from all his customers.  (For instance, a Tara works well with my Randonee, but I expected it to, and didn't call him to tell him it was working well after I installed it.)  Hope you'll post with your experience after you've tried it.

[AKJeff]

Pat,
You are correct the AWOL has only been in production since 2014.  So in 2 years (I have a 2015) of sales the number of owners is likely to be very small.  I have received evidence that a Tubus Tara will fit on my AWOL and this rack has the same weight carrying capability of the Duo.  The Tara is also lighter and has an 18 year track record of production.  I think I am going to end my pain and suffering and order a Tubus Tara for my AWOL.  BTW I will definitely make a final post to all the good folks who have replied and let them know how my build turned out.  The real proof will come from the road on test tours before I set off riding Transamerica. 
Thanks,
AKJeff Riding his AWOL