Overbuilt Bikes Deserve Overbuilt Baskets: OMM Elkhorn and Hemlock Review
Who doesn’t love a good basket?! Personally, I’m a big fan of the look a basket brings to any bike, especially when it’s on an overbuilt frame like this one. That was exactly the vibe behind an article I wrote over two years ago: “A Grocery Getter is a Stupidly Good Idea, and Here’s Why.”
Mounting a classic basket is usually straightforward on most bikes… Until you encounter a thru-axle setup. Some people say fork mounts work fine, but I’ll be honest: I don’t always worry about how much weight I load into racks and baskets. I much prefer knowing that most of the weight rests on a solid metal thru-axle, rather than just a couple of threaded inserts bonded into carbon.
So when Old Man Mountain reached out asking if I wanted to try a few products from their lineup, my brain immediately went, “Oh, they’re the thru-axle basket people! And I’ve been meaning to try one of those!” A few days later, the postman showed up with a box full of parts, and today, we’ll take a closer look at three of them: the Elkhorn rack, the OMM basket, and the Hemlock bags with FLiP cages.
I’m kicking off today’s build with the base of this cargo rig: the OMM Elkhorn rack. This seriously versatile piece of gear, is rated to carry up to 11kg (25 lbs) and fully compatible with both front or rear mounting. I’ve been testing the Short version, which accommodates tires up to 700c × 50mm or 27.5″ × 2.8”″, but note that there’s also a tall version, built for more clearance and compatible with tires up to 29″ × 3.25”″. The Elkhorn, can be mounted on pretty much anything, QR axle, Tru-axle, if you have fork eyelets, and even if you don’t, and plan to install it on a suspension fork for example. If you’re running a tru-axle fork like me, you’ll need a fit kit that is super easy to find thanks to their very well-designed “fit kit finder”. Once you’ve swapped your fork’s thru-axle for one with mounting points on each side, installing the Elkhorn takes no more than 30 minutes. Just follow along with Old Man Mountain’s installation video while working on your bike, and you should be sone in no time! All the necessary hardware comes in the box, and you’ll only need basic tools to get it mounted securely.
Next up is the OMM basket, which attaches to the Elkhorn with just four bolts, followed by the Hemlock cages and bags that mount neatly on each leg of the rack. I have to say, the level of overengineering here is wild. Achieving this kind of compatibility with virtually any bike is no small feat. With the right Fit Kit and installation, you’re guaranteed a perfectly horizontal front rack weighing just over 600g. Add the aluminum basket, and you’ve got a one-kilo front setup that looks great and feels incredibly solid. Sure, it could look a bit cleaner with fewer mounting options and black hardware, but that’s the trade-off for such impressive versatility.
The basket alone has been a real conversation starter everywhere I rode this bike, and a solid everyday companion. People love its slightly overbuilt, utilitarian look, and I have to agree, it brings that “overkill commuter” vibe in the best possible way, with a clean, and modern design that fits just right with the rest of this build.
After a few weeks of riding with the Elkhorn and basket combo, I finally decided to add the Hemlock bags with FLiP cages on both sides. While installing the rack took about 30 minutes, mounting the cages and bags took less than 30 seconds, and honestly, I regret not doing it sooner. The sheer ease of use of the FLiP system, needs to be studied and applied to every other bike accessory possible. You can attach or remove the bags with one hand in under three seconds, with absolutely zero vibration or rattling while riding. It’s pure genius.
Even more impressive, Old Man Mountain made the FLiP system available as OEM with no minimums, meaning other bag makers can use it too, as long as they are a legal business and have liability insurance. And to me, that’s extra meaningfull for the cycling community and culture. While some brands keep their systems proprietary, OMM chose to create a practical, easy-to-use standard that almost anyone can build on.
So, what’s my overall experience with this setup? For now, it’s staying on the bike! Sure, it adds a bit of weight to the steering, but not enough to affect how the bike handles through corners. A big win for my OCD was the complete lack of rattling. Even after gravel rides that really shook the rack and basket, nothing needed tightening, and you know the lazy mechanic in me loves that. Finally, the Hemlock bags lived up to their promise of staying 100% waterproof, which has been perfect for carrying extra layers on rides.
What I liked:
The installation process video explaining everything step by step
The versatility of the Elkhorn
The overall build quality of everything that I tested
Having a basket on my gravel bike
The brilliant FLiP system!
What I didn’t like:
The many mounting points on the Elkhorn are what give it such excellent compatibility, but they do create a somewhat ‘busy’ look. There’s a lot happening visually, though that’s purely my personal take.
Can’t go wrong with a basket!
⛰️: Old Man Mountain
💾: ???
📍: Dunkirk
