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Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Burlington, Ontario
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Strengths: | Easy to mount | | Weaknesses: | It's supposed to be designed to carry 3 bikes, but the first time I tried that, the rack crumpled at the 90 degree bend of the frame and slipped off the bumper (while travelling at highway speed!). By some miracle I didn't lose the bikes or cause a major accident while travelling on the highway. I did end up denting and scratching my trunk lid when the bikes fell, and dragged the bikes along the pavement as I tried to stop and veer off the highway as quickly as possible. Only the straps hanging onto the trunk lid saved this from being an even messier situation. | | Bottom Line: | I don't care how good of a value rating this thing may get - it almost cost me $4,000 worth of bikes and who knows what major highway accident could have resulted. A serious design flaw with this rack. STAY AWAY!
PS - is it just a coincidence that the link to the manufacturer's web site does not work (i.e. no longer exists???) I would love to get in touch with them... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a
from Rochester, MN
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | Sportmart | | Strengths: | made of metal, easy to install | | Weaknesses: | DESiGN FLAWS--lack of horizontal anchors doesn't so much allow the bike to sway from side to side, but all the weight of the carrier is on the two top straps. They can actually just pop off from the stress, which they did to me and dumped my bike as I was pulling into the driveway from picking up the bike at the very nearby bike shop. I installed it by following the instructions to the letter. Perhaps if I had a different model of automobile this would be less likely (I have a 94 Bonneville). | | Similar Products Used: | Bell "Deluxe" two bike carrier. This one has horizontal support straps, is made of metal, and actually feels a bit sturdier, but finding a place to clip the horizontal straps is difficult on my Bonneville. | | Bike Setup: | Don't ask...very embarassing | | Bottom Line: | I will never use this carrier again. The bike shop was out of Thule carriers or I probably wouldn't be using the Bell one either. Do not use this carrier with a bike that is not expendible. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D Shipley
a
from WA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | It provides enough heighth that the wheels don't "bottom out" on the asphalt when travelling. It's relatively easy to install, once the straps are adjusted and the rack is fitted. It also has an advantage over most bumper or rear racks because it works with most cars with protruding bumpers (which is almost all of them). | | Weaknesses: | Few. Those who have had the racks fall off are evidently not following the detailed instructions. After numerous trips hauling generally two bikes, I had no failures, issues, problems whatsoever. | | Bottom Line: | Not too shabby. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Johan
a Racer
from Arizona,Phoenix
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Strengths: | bike does not scratch the car and it's vertical | | Weaknesses: | The bike rack has BIG problems, it fals off the bumper and could couse mayor accident. I was going 70mph in freeway and boom rack fell off the bumper and my bike started trailing afer my car. Man was I scared. | | Similar Products Used: | hollywood rack | | Bike Setup: | $2000+ bike I am getting a better rack. | | Bottom Line: | Don'd buy this that simple it's not safe. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Lavarias
a Weekend Warrior
from Milpitas
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Sport Mart | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | Bent my back of my SUV back Door | | Similar Products Used: | Thule Bike racks | | Bike Setup: | easy | | Bottom Line: | It works fine, until I went on a 3 hour trip and it bent the back of my SUV back door | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BOB
a Cross Country Rider
from OCEANSIDE,CA
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | COLORADO CYCLIST | | Strengths: | DOESN'T TOUCH THE CAR. | | Weaknesses: | THE RACK MAY SLIP OF THE BUMPER. THE DESIGN HAS PRO AND CONS. THE ONLY PART OF THE CAR THE FRAME TOUCHES IS THE BUMPER, BUT IF IT SLIPS OFF THE BUMPER YOU END UP DRAGGING THE FRAME AND BIKE BY THE STRAPS. | | Bottom Line: | MAKE SURE YOU PERIODICALLY STOP AND MAKE SURE THE STRAPS ARE TIGHT. CHECK THEM AFTER DIPS, POT HOLES, SPEED BUMPS ECT.I HAVE HAD THE RACK SLIP OFF THE BUMPER ON 2 OCCASIONS. ONCE WITHOUT A BIKE AND THE LAST TIME WITH THE BIKE ON IT. I NOW HAVE ABOUT $500 WORTH OF BODY WORK TO FIX A DENT IN THE TRUNK LID WHERE THE BIKE HANDLES HIT. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 15 MPH AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR QUICKLY. I HATE TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I HAVE USED THE RACK ON 400 MILE TRIPS WITH NO PROBLEM BUT AFTER THIS LAST MISHAP I DOUBT IF I'LL USE AGAIN. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | the dump | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | cheap
doesn't touch the trunk and still have trunk access
bikes hang vertically | | Weaknesses: | straps break
too much torque on lower straps can bend the rack frame | | Similar Products Used: | crappy tire roof rack
pickup truck bed | | Bike Setup: | who cares, its a rack review | | Bottom Line: | A nice rack but after a year and a half of use the straps were getting worn by being crimped in the same spot every time. I had two bikes on the rack last month and had the upper strap break!!! Catastrophe is what I thought and the end of the two bikes. I was VERY Lucky. The other remaining straps held, so I ended up dragging the rack and two bikes still attached about 200 yards down the road before I got the car stopped. Fortunately the portruding bumper portion of the rack was the part that was dragged down the asphalt and the two bikes remained bungeed to the rack nicely and never contacted the pavement. I have since replaced all the straps and put the rack back in service. I should have noticed the fraying straps but I won't make that mistake twice. The only other complaint, if you can call it that, is that when tightening the lower straps you don't need to apply that much pressure to cause some damage. As you tighten the upper straps the lower ones get even tighter and this caused my rack to bend at the lower trunk bumper section. I have bent it back and put in an old piece of aluminum shower pole as a cross member to strengthen the center of the rack. This is working well however the rack doesn't collapse down for storage as nicely as it used to. I leave it on my car anyway so who cares. I like the design and it is great that it doesn't touch the car paint and you can still get into the trunk with the rack on. I have never had three bikes on it but the two have been fine. No bouncing or moving arms etc yet I do use extra bungee chords to attach the lower portion of the bikes to the rack. JUST WATCH THOSE STRAPS! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a Racer
from Edmond, OK
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Aspen, Colorado | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Rack is simple and very easy and quick to use. | | Weaknesses: | Support bar rubbed some paint off my Trek but I could have prevented the rubbing so no problem. | | Similar Products Used: | "Bike Tights" | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8900, Rock Shox S.I.D., Shimano XTR, Rolf Dolmites, Vetta C-500 Computer, ICON Parts | | Bottom Line: | This rack is simple and effective. Great buy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross-Country Rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Resolution Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Easy to set up.
Holds bikes vertical so less scratching.
Comes with fasteners.
Very easy to store. | | Weaknesses: |
Not quite strong enough for three bikes.
Arms not permanently attached to body of rack. | | Similar Products Used: |
Various roof and trunk racks | | Bottom Line: | A good rack, and cheap. I bought it because it hold bikes vertical, so they're not resting on each other. In general, it's great. However, it's not quite strong enough to take three bikes, as that much weight causes the bikes to bounce around a lot and the straps holding the rack up slip a bit. Two bikes is no problem at all, though. The other bad thing is that the arms aren't permanently mounted to the body of the rack (so they can fold up for storage) which means that if only one bike is on the rack at freeway speeds, sometimes the arms lift up a bit and swivel, putting the bike in a somewhat different position than when you left it. Not a bad feature, but a little annoying. But I guess it's the price you pay for easy storage. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jaws
a Weekend Warrior
from Devils Lake, ND
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Maah Daah Hey | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Easily installs to any vehicle in less than a minute.It only rests on bumper and does not touch trunk. Very Stable. | | Weaknesses: |
Allows bikes to touch which may cause scratching. | | Similar Products Used: |
Various roof racks and rear mount racks. | | Bike Setup: |
n/a | | Bottom Line: | This is by far the best rear mount rack I've ever seen (excluding hitch mounts). Its design seems so simple, but it works better than any of the other rear racks out there. | | Overall Rating: |
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