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Submitted by
Kyle Andersen
a Weekend Warrior
from Sioux Falls, SD
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Union Groove | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Easy to put on and take off. Sharp looking and very usable. I got it for College to take my two bikes, snowboard, and skies back and forth from Sioux Falls, SD to Missoula, MT. I do not regret getting it at all. | | Weaknesses: | Noise past 50mph. | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Sugar 3+, Giant Boulder that I turned into a single speed to screw around on. | | Bottom Line: | Great rack. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Cedar City, UT
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | still searching | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Very strong and secure. Nice design and low profile - found other racks to be bulky looking and sit too high off roof. Incredibly easy to put on/take off. Nice that there is one key for locking the rack to the car and the mount to the rack. The locking skewers are nice in that the inner bold has a notch that must be aligned with the notch in your fork. At first I found this annoying - then I realized that this enables you to close the clamp without breaking a few fingers, then turn it clockwise to tighten it to the perfect snugness without a ton of trial and error. | | Weaknesses: | Whistles like a banshee - can quickly and easily be solved by placing electrical tape over the grooves on the bars. Got the faring for free from my LBS, but I don't like it. It is too short so its difficult to get it up high enough to divert the wind over the bar. I also found it a pain to adjust.
The fork mount kept loosening on me. I'd tighten the adjusting screws, but after a week or so of use they would loosen to the point that I could here them wobbling a bit over the smallest bumps. This is the only reason I give it 4 chili's instead of 5. I applied some lock-tite to the screws and reset them. Hoefully that will do the trick or I will have to contact Saris. | | Similar Products Used: | Thule roof rack | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Epic | | Bottom Line: | I am very happy with the rack. The crossbars are extremely tight and secure. IMO the rack is more attractive than any other I've seen. It is by far the easiest rack to install. You can easily do it yourself in about 2 minutes. I would definately recommend this rack for its security, easy of use, and overall design | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Elmira, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: March 14, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Gear to go tandems | | Strengths: | Strong. Easy to set up. I've used it to carry and boxed up new recliner, an assembled Weber bbq grill, etc. I bought right angle braces at the hardware store, put the nuts and bolts so the bolt (round head) slid in the Saris slot and use them to hold lumber in place. This rack will hold anything. | | Weaknesses: | Noise. But, I haven't purchased a fairing. | | Bike Setup: | Fork mount. THe upright mount consistently strips the finish and decals off your bike and wobbles constantly when driving. | | Bottom Line: | Buy it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerod
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas city
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$225.00 | | Strengths: | Easy and very quick to install!!! | | Weaknesses: | Water leakage!!! If any one has any idea how to get this thing to stop leaking please let me know. I have the right clips but on my 03 accord water is getting in the car. Any pointers please help a drownding biker. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima | | Bottom Line: | Good rack and very easy installation. A little pricey but well work the money in time and frustration. If i can get the thing to stop leaking it would be a blessing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Radio
a Cross Country Rider
from La Crosse, WI
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Human Powered Trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Sport Haven | | Strengths: | This rack can carry anything. I bought it for bikes and canoe, but have carried hundreds of pounds of plywood, drywall, wood, steel (bulk lengths). I even hauled a new double garage door home on it. | | Weaknesses: | The ends whistled til I put tape over them. | | Similar Products Used: | Homemade racks, trunk racks | | Bike Setup: | 2005 GF Sugar 293, 2000 R85 Vision recumbant tandem, 2001 Terratrike, various roadbikes, cruzers and mountian bikes. | | Bottom Line: | After 6-7 years of multipurpose use, it still serves me well. This rack has saved me lots of time and money because it replaced having a truck to haul stuff. It is very strong and looks great. I have had some paint chipping off, but figure it was from the extreme use. I recommend this rack to anyone, especially if you do multiple sports. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Twister
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | twisty narrow roller coaster single track | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS - sorry, forgot $$$ | | Strengths: | -Used hundreds of times & has worked flawlessly
-It's the best looking rack out there
-Most ergonomic design on the market
-I use two wheel mounts and they're incredible
-I can load or unload 2 bikes in less than one minute!!! You can't beat that and it adds up in saved time quickly...
-entire rack goes on / off car in just a few minutes
| | Weaknesses: | -They should give you more than 1 key when you buy it
-Whistles - they should provide shield thing or aerodynamic tape whatever out of the box.
-Time consuming and somewhat frustrating to switch car-specific clips because the bolt is hard to get to (this is not a problem unless you want to put the rack on different model cars often) | | Similar Products Used: | Thule, Yakima | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Giant Rainier, shimano clipless, nothing special but it works well for a <$650 setup! | | Bottom Line: | It's simply the best looking, strongest and easiest to use roof rack out there. I guarantee that you won't regret choosing this rack over any other. I always grin to myself when I pull into a lot and other bikers are taking all this time to load/unload their bikes, and I just pop mine in and drive away!
What's the deal with the fork mounting setups? Is there any advantage to that? To me it seems ridiculous that you would want to remove your front tire all the time. What a pain in the asss! Like most true mountain bikers I drive fast and hard, and I've never had a problem with my bikes coming off. Just get the real deal with the full tray and tire mount!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodridge, IL
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Palos | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Holds the bikes there. Easy on and off. | | Weaknesses: | Fork mounts have been kind of weak. I've got both the old design which can have the angle adjusted as well as the new design which is set. The old design was nice because you had the convenience of rotating the fork down although I'll admit, when the wheel was actually in there it wouldn't stay in one place regardless of how tight you got it. Gave me more than a couple scares on the highway. Also, it doesn't hold paint worth anything and rusts very easily. The new design is far more rigid although it sticks too far up so I can't enter parking garages with it on. I wouldn't say my car is incredibly tall either, just a Subaru Outback. The design also has a problem with paint chipping easily. As far as the actual bike mounts go I'd say they're pretty strong although I have had consistent problems of the rear mount not staying tight and therefore moving around. It's not as rigid as systems like Thule but it does well enough. | | Similar Products Used: | Thule | | Bike Setup: | frame and two wheels | | Bottom Line: | Here's what it comes down to. In April my buddy and I were driving through Wyoming when he hit a patch of ice and slid off the road. Both of our bikes(one of them a 50 pound cruiser) were still there when we came to a stop in a ditch. Also I might add on that same trip we got my car up to 118 on a mountain in Utah and the bikes were perfectly stable. It's a nice rack although there are still some kinks to work out. Not bad but get a Thule instead. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dave hill
a Racer
from madison,wisconsin
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Trek | | Strengths: | Easy to mount on roof of car/mini van - I have two sets. | | Weaknesses: | Unfortunately it is the new locking fork mounts | | Similar Products Used: | Saris/older model w/o lock mounts, Im well versed between the two. | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi, Cannondale | | Bottom Line: | I have struggled with the new locking fork mounts - new for 03. The older mount design works just like putting on your front wheel, snug both sides and close the clamp - done. Not with the new mounts, the right side has to set in the right side of the fork with a notce, to stop rotation. Then the left side is away from the fork - adjustments done only on this side. There is no snuging options to get a feel on tightness. When closing the clamp, it moves in on the fork, leaving it either to tight or to loose. You must back it off and try again, I have struggle with it being to tight or not tight enough, leaving me worried about it falling off. Two mechanics at my lbs shop have had others express the same issues. I have contacted Saris about the issue to see if I could get a return on the new mounts, they are not convienent or safe for my needs. I ride a lot and use the rack at least 4 - 5 times per week | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carlos
a Weekend Warrior
from d
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Looks, strength, locking mechanism. | | Weaknesses: | Wind whistling, but this can be fix with the fairing. | | Similar Products Used: | Trunk racks | | Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel 100 | | Bottom Line: | This is the easiest roof mount rack I have ever seen or used. I take it off after every use and it only takes me a couple of minutes. No one will be able to do that with other brands. make sure you buy the fairing as the rack (like all the others) makes a lot of noise.
I have never had a problem with securing my bikes, and I take the car to 80mph and everything stays there. The locks I only use to make sure the rack does not become loose. I use some other way to lock my bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from North Texas, USA
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Cedar Hill State Park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | aardvark cycles | | Strengths: | Easy on and easy off, looks cool. | | Weaknesses: | I have the older version fork mounts which do not have the locking skewers. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8900 | | Bottom Line: | This product great! It takes a total of 10 minutes to mount/dismount from the car, it holds my bike securely and and it looks cool. To top it off Saris (Graber) support is fantastic! They mailed me a replacement keys, no charge, when I lost the originals. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam W.
a Weekend Warrior
from Central Maryland
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Schaeffer Farms | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Easy to install/detach, new locking QRs have super long-throw cams that require no unscrewing to clear fork tabs, better looking than either Yakima or Thule | | Weaknesses: | I want to move the fork mounts around, but they're pretty well stuck in place... my own dumb fault for tightening them down too much, I guess. I'll try a rubber mallet. | | Similar Products Used: | Slight experience w/ Yakima | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi veloce, Bianchi griz, Specialized FSR all atop a '95 Hyundai Sonata | | Bottom Line: | I'm blown away by the new locking skewers that Saris has to offer... and everyone else is right, wind whistling can be controlled by liberal application of electrical tape. The rack is a cinch to pull off; it only adds a couple of minutes to the time it takes me to wash my car. I admit to reversing the fairing - I'm all for advertising Saris, but huge block letters covering the fairing doesn't do it for me, I'd rather cover it with stickers. Besides, the rack is distinctive enough as it is. I'll happily spread the good word. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
anthony
a Weekend Warrior
from easton, pa
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Chimney Rock (NJ) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | MTBR Classifieds | | Strengths: | Self aligning bars allow one person to install rack in minutes...no adjustment neccessary | | Weaknesses: | I bought the bike used and own a pontiac vibe..Saris said the bars were the proper length and reccomended clips to mount the front bar on the roof of my pontiac vibe and the back bar on the rack....well the front clips weren't even close to fitting...after much discussion with saris telling me their engineers measure the toyota version (matrix) and that the clips will fit the car...Well they didn't reach across or even follow the contour of my roof!!! so I had them send me a pair of factory rack mounts and both bars are mounted on the factory roof rack...The rack hangs off the back of my car about 6 inches, and interfers with the rear window...but not much.Saris told me this mounting would not give me the required spacing of 18"? betwwen load bars...well i actually have over24"!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Saris Bones (friends) what a great rack!!
others are too expensive and a pain to install | | Bike Setup: | GF pre genesis HKOK....soon to be Kona owner | | Bottom Line: | I ended up paying 200 for two fork mounts and one bike mount, and 40 for clips.. This is an excellent, sturdy, easy to set up roof rack...other than Saris clip problems, it is a great product. I sure hope the engineers that measured my car realize that their front clips absolutely do not fit the front of the car...5 chili's for the rack itself and the mtbr classifieds...but 4 chilis for the clip problem | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T C
a Weekend Warrior
from Playa del Rey, CA
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | mtbreview classified | | Strengths: | great design. Entire rack on and off the car in less than 10 mins. We carry our tandem on this thing all over the state and it has never given us any problems. Integrated locks (we have the optional locks on the tandem mount as well) make sure the rack and bike stays put. Great not having to remove the front tire to mount the tandem. | | Weaknesses: | after a few years the paint job isn't looking so hot. Also noise when not "tapped up". Noise problem is easily solved by a $2 roll of black duct tape. Just cover the grove on top of the rack, and the slits underneath by the towers. | | Similar Products Used: | none, first roof rack. Much perfer to use trunk racks and hitch mounts, but the tandem is just too long | | Bike Setup: | Santana Rio tandem, Look KG, Cannondale R400 | | Bottom Line: | Best rack out there. Look on ebay and mtbreview, you can usually get a good deal on a used one. Check the saris website for proper racks. Get the upright mounts which are lockable. Take the wheel straps off when not using them. Get a roll of black duct tape.
Best thing is that the rack comes off in 10 mins when not in use. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim T
a Downhiller
from New Orleans LA
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Saturn car dealership | | Strengths: | Looks good stronger than others /aluminum extrusions vs. bars.Bike lock. | | Weaknesses: | The clips are a poor fit on a Saturn.The dealership knew NOTHING to help me get the rack on. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima | | Bike Setup: | BMX XC Road Track tandem and a tandem trail-a-bike | | Bottom Line: | I bought the rack from my local Saturn dealer. I own a SW-2 wagon.The first set of clips that were sold to me fit a sedan had to go back to the dealer got the right clips(??)Those clips had a VERY poor fit the instructions were poorly written.The best that I could figure was that it clipped on to the plastic rain gutter when I went back to the dealer for some help they did not have a clue the lead tech tightened the bars down and cracked the rain gutter.(!!!!!)So I complained, got a blank look and deaf ear.Took the rack off the car and went to my LBS. Looked at the Saris catolog and web site still no help.Now my LBS sells Yakima racks got to looking at the Yakima clips with a couple of finder washers and Yakiam part number Q71 I was able to bolt the rack on to the metal part of the roof under the plastic rain gutter. Talked to the head guy at the dealership they fixxed the rain gutter.(Took a week)But I'm stuck with the clips.The rack works well and holds the Tandem and trail-a-bike nicely.Which is why I bought it. So if you have a Saturn get the Yakima clips and some fender washers and have at it.Just cause the clips were so poor I'm giving it 2 chilis I would not have the rack on the car right now if I didn't figure out those clips would work. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Ease of installation, Looks Great!!! Very Simple Design, Effective Mounts | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima | | Bike Setup: | Giant Rainier, Schwinng Messa | | Bottom Line: | The Bottom line on this rack is that it is the best rack available on the market. It is the best looking that i have seen on any vehicle and i am comparing it to Yakima and Thule. They have round bars that you have to attach all the accessories to whereas the Saris,....when everything is attached it is all one unit, because the mounts slide into grooves on the load bars.
I have used this in travels around the Usa since we move every three months and it is very sturdy and dependable. I have a 98 VW jetta and when we travel I have a piggypack (which is THE BEST CARGO BAG on the market) in between the bikes to carry other items and have loaded the load bars with ALOT of weight and they are still going STRONG.. I would recommend this unit to everyone I talk to simply because IT IS THE BEST. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything outdoors | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike show | | Strengths: | Strong, great design, easy install/removal, all-in-one design should be standard! | | Similar Products Used: | Thule | | Bike Setup: | disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | This is an update.
After more than three years, this rack has held up incredibly well. I spent almost four hours installing a friend's Thule rack once. Never again. The Saris is ridiculously easy to install once you attach the proper clips. It comes almost completely ready to install. No need to order towers, locks, feet, bars, etc. Imagine the frustration if you ordered the wrong type of any item?
The Saris rack is incredibly strong. The ovalized load bars can carry just about anything. The rack has a literal vice-grip on your vehicle and is automatically self-centering. No other rack I've read about can match it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Jesey
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | D&R canal | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Very strong. I carry canoes kayaks bikes all at once if needed. | | Weaknesses: | I fixed the noise without the fairing. I used something called backer rod. it is foam insulation I think I used 1/4 inch. You just push it in and it keeps air from going in and creating noise. I think any 1/4 inch round rubber or foam would do the trick. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima | | Bike Setup: | specialized hard rock and custom built | | Bottom Line: | great rack easy to mount has the fits I needed yakima and thule did not. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave P
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA USA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Noble Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$320.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike shop in Encinitas | | Strengths: | Quick installation, easy to remove, low-profile/sleek looking, and good (so far) customer service. | | Weaknesses: | Whistling tunes while driving, bad clip design. | | Similar Products Used: | none. | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Fisher Sugar 2+ | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line...Saris needs to expand on their clip design. Most, if not all, of their clips are the same thickness. This causes problems to the weather striping of some cars, including mine! The clips tore my weather striping straight through where the clip met the door, and left 3 out of 4 of my doors bulging out with rubber looking like I didn't know how to install a roof rack.
I notified Saris of the problem and they had me take photos then send them in so their engineers could investigate the problem further. I drive a 2001 Lexus IS 300 and don't like having a roof rack that damages my baby!
After a few weeks of speaking with most of the team at Saris, they sent me a check for the cost to replace my weatherstriping on all four doors. And, they sent me 2 new sets of clips that, supposedly, fit my door frame better, plus, they updated their website with the new recommendation and admitted it was a bad fit (well, admitted it to me anyway via letter). Yay, redemption!
But now, I'm reluctant to use the "new" clips (#21) because they're the same thickness (only shorter) as the others (#22), and that, I think, was the problem in the first place, but what do I know, I'm not a rack engineer! Anyway, I'd like to have Saris reimburse me for the entire roof rack (including the fork mount) so I can get some Yaks (their clips are much thinner for my car and less likely to cause a problem). If Saris won't let me return the racks, it might be time to sell them on Ebay because I can't keep calling them up to replace the weather striping every 2 months!
Other than that, the design is good except for the whistling. To solve this, I put electrical tape underneath, instead of their "airodynamic kit" that consisted of rubber strips. It blends well with the black and there's no rubber hanging out (maybe I'll patent that!?).
The rack is easy to install and remove, and it looks pretty sleek. I suggest calling Saris first to see if they've had any problems with the clip fit on your car, and if you've got the same car as me, just go with another vendor. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn
a Weekend Warrior
from Simi Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | My own | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Aardvark.com | | Strengths: | Great customer service, works with disc brake bikes, easy to set up and use. You can take it off and put it on in less than 5 minutes, can fit most cars. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | All | | Bike Setup: | 2 Mountain Cycle San Andreases, Mountain Cycle Moho STS, Infusion MXC Pro. | | Bottom Line: | Saris is the most simple, strongest, and easy to use roof rack system. Its the best! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a
from Anna, Ohio
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Hueston Woods | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Carty's Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Easy to switch between cars
Reasonably priced
Good aesthetics | | Weaknesses: | Hard to use fork mounts with some forks
Fork mounts not tight enough in track
Not enough accessories | | Similar Products Used: | old generic rooftop carrier converted to use in the back of a pickup | | Bike Setup: | I've used this on 3 vehicles now, an 89 Olds Cutlass Supreme, 2001 Chevy Tahoe, and 1998 Chevy Tahoe | | Bottom Line: | I've used this rack now for almost 3 years and have had very good luck with it. Saris has a great customer service department and if I lose a small part (such as the daisy wheels) they don't hesitate to send me new ones free of charge. One thing I'm not crazy about is the actual security of the bike when it's on the rack. I have the security cable but it doesn't instill much confidence in me. The cable is pretty thin and could easily be cut with a wire cutter. I really like the idea of Thule's fork mount where the mount actually locks the fork to the mount. I might buy it again, but when looking for new vehicles, it has caused some problems. Seems that the Saris rack isn't compatible with a lot of factory roof racks. Would like to see them find a way to rectify that. But overall, I have been happy with the system. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Hampstead
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Avalon Valley View Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$370.00 | | Purchased At: | www.aardvarkcycles.com/ | | Strengths: | Very sturdy, just about dead quiet with the fairing. Very easy to install. | | Weaknesses: | Deafening noise w/o the fairing. | | Similar Products Used: | Rhode Gear rear rack...no comparison. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 S Works FSR XC | | Bottom Line: | Holy moly! Without the fairing you will be driven (ha ha) f*cking crazy. Get the fairing if you value your sanity. Over all this is a great roof rack. It is very easy to install. It only took me 10 mins to install it on my Civic. Very strong, and stable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from MS
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Couch Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$330.00 | | Purchased At: | The Wheel House | | Strengths: | Holds bikes without banging them up.
Doesn't mess up my car either. Doors still raintight.
Good warantee service. | | Weaknesses: | The QRs are clunky with a Judy fork.
Rear wheel straps break in cold weather, and are easily lost.
QRs get rusty if not maintained.
A defective fork mount >crushed in< after 6 months. | | Similar Products Used: | Graber rear rack. | | Bike Setup: | Trek STP 200 atop a Saturn wagon. | | Bottom Line: | This is a solid product that gets the job done. Yes, I have had some problems (see above), but Saris quickly shipped replacement parts, no cost, no hassle. It's not a perfect rack (are you listenin', Saris?!?) but it is a darned good one.
Other:
- try flipping the QRs so that the handle's away from Judy's damper knob. Works better that way.
- put a little chain lube on the QRs when it's new, and screw them back and forth. Leave'em screwed in to loosten up for a couple of days and they'll be a lot easier to use.
- and keep a little chain lube or wax on the QRs to keep down the rust.
- black electrical tape covers the grooves in the load bars; it's just the right width, keeps the wind noise down, and blends in with the rack's black paint. Easy to peel off when the rack needs work too. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Eagle Mountain
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bennie Creek | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$469.00 | | Purchased At: | www.aardvarkcycles.com | | Strengths: | Easy to setup and install. All your attachments are locked to the load bars. Rotaiting (sp?) jaws on uprights allow you to attach just about any bike. | | Weaknesses: | Whistling, poorly designed clips. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Moab1 (Cromo), Gary Fischer Paragon, Bridgestone MB-3 | | Bottom Line: | Over the past 4+ years, I have had a Love/Hate relationship with this roof rack system. I love the ease at which I could switch this roof rack between cars, the well designed load-bars, the security of having all your attachments locked to the load bars without having to buy additional lock-cores (i.e. Yakima Thule). I did experience almost losing the rear clips (when the bike was off), which was solved by closing them. After nearly 5 years, all the attachments are in pretty good shape. I did snap the bolt on one of my load bars (I believe this was caused by overtightening), this was fixed for free (I did have to pay for shipping).
I hate (hate may be to strong) the clips. They fit well on my old 91 Integra, but very poorly on my wifes 96 Kia Sephia (they are to thick, and rub against the doors - making it hard to open/close them and causing them to leak). When I purchased a 98 Integra GS-R - I just could not bet it to fit. I would tighten the rack and when I would roll the windows up, they would hit the clips - actually pushing the entire rack up, off of the car. Because of this, I was forced to buy another Yakima roof rack (my previous one was stolen). The well designed Yakima clips, had no problems fitting.
To highlight the major difference between setting up my Yakima and Saris roof rack systems. It takes me 10 min. to completly setup the Saris roof rack on my wifes car. It takes my nearly an hour to set up the Yakima roof rack on my car. And the whistling on my Yakima roof rack was so bad, that I had to purchase the fairing.
I'm giving the Saris 5 stars for value - because it is hard to beat the price.
I'm giving it 4 stars overal, because I think that Saris needs to spend more time engineering their clips/pads for fit. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrea
a
from Raleigh, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | The Spin Cycle, Cary, NC | | Strengths: | went on in 10 minutes! looks great and holds the bike well. | | Weaknesses: | whistling! somebody help before i shoot it! | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | trek 4900 wsd on 2001 infiniti g20t | | Bottom Line: | somebody help me! i read about the duct tape trick to get rid of the whistling- where exactly on the load bar do you put it? about the aerodynamic kit- they didn't have them where i got mine, anyone know where there are around raleigh or atlanta? i'll be travelling a lot this summer and that whistling just might drive me off a cliff! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dan
a Cross Country Rider
from MA/NH
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | - Easy to install and uninstall
- Dynamic look
- Sturdy | | Weaknesses: | - Limited number of accessories
- Not to many stores carry Saris.
- Proprietary accessory chanel/slot (Not a big deal, see below)
| | Similar Products Used: | - Thule roof, No brand trunk mount | | Bike Setup: | - Cdale CAAD 4/Fatty Ultra 8sp XTR | | Bottom Line: | - I have tried various bike racks. By far, Saris is my favorite and is the one I currently own. I switched to Saris from Thule for one main reason: MOBILIZATION. I need the rack that is easy to put on and take off for switching between 2 cars. Saris is the best fit for this. It take me about 8 minutes to swap the clips and mount the rack from one car to the other.
- At first I was concerned about the noise and sturdiness. About noise; compare to Thule, it is a bit noisier but isn't bad as other reviewers' reports. If you have sunroof, installing the fairing will eleminate the noise problem. For sturdiness, Saris rack holds on the car roof is ten times better than Thule. But the bike trays are not very tight on the rack (again, compare to Thule) due to slot design.
- Accesories. YES, Thule accessories will fit Saris bars with a little trick and adjustment. You can get the bolts and fasteners @ Home Depot, modified Thule accessory a little and it will fit into the Saris accessory chanel. Or you can get the bike tray insert attachement from Saris (call Saris 800-783-7257) for more secure. Slide this Saris attachement into Thule under tray slot, it will fit perfectly. Then again, slide it into Saris bars...and WAAHH..LLAAAHHH.
- Bottom line. Saris roof rack is an exellent rack. Dynamic look, easy to install with the railing design make it stands out from other racks. And if you like to mess around, you can fit Thule accessories on the Saris bars. However, accessories mouting on the bars are not very secured (but it is not bad). Did I mention the price above? It is cheaper than Thule and Yakima. You can even get a better deal for used. (I got mine used for $100 with 2 long tray fork mounts which I believe it's a steal. (-: ) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vien
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Sturdy, easy to mount, quiet. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima | | Bike Setup: | Zaskar LE w/ Marzocchi Z2 and other goodies | | Bottom Line: | Great product. I have tried the Yakima rack and found the Saris to be much more sturdier and quieter. This is even without the wind fairing. It is a good deal in comparison with the Thule and Yakima, even better if you can find a used rack like I did. They haven't change the style in years, the rack is still functioning like new. Mucho chilis. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodridge, IL USA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | tsali trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop | | Strengths: | these racks hold up really well. even after 3 years and running it into the garage when the bike was still on top it's running great. their installation times are no lie. it only takes about 10 minutes each time to install it and 5 minutes to take off. id make a slight mark on your car of where the bars are supposed to be though(makes things much quicker). pretty simplistic. | | Weaknesses: | it's very expensive. now the time has come that im buying a new car and i need the 59" load bars instead of the 50" ones. That's another $175. Way too pricey. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | built up GT. sweet bike. bomber fork, race face components, xtr. sweet sweet. | | Bottom Line: | Good rack but very expensive. 5 chili things for performance, 2 for price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dan
a Weekend Warrior
from st. louis
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Bottom Line: | If you keep having trouble losing the "dasiy wheel" things just turn them up-side down | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Donovan
a Cross Country Rider
from Greenville, SC
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt. Pisgah | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Looks, Easy to install | | Weaknesses: | fork mounts | | Similar Products Used: | Friends Thule | | Bike Setup: | Er.. Car Setup '97 Maxima | | Bottom Line: | It was an expensive day, buying the racks, two fork mounts, and having it all installed. I made it about ten miles from the bike shop before turning around and going back to buy the fairing. The noise and wind drag were acceptable on maybe a CJ, but not on the maxima. It's held up well for the first season, looks pretty nice, and seems sturdy enough not to hold on to the bike through the sunroof (ok that was just the first trip).
Two beefs;
1) The fork mounts are okay, but could be so much better. Saris do you read these reviews? The thule mount has that neat adjustment wheel that makes sure you have a snug fit, and it's easy to do it one handed. The Saris fork mounts have regular ol' quick release skewers, and depending on your fork it's tough to clamp down and be confident nothing's coming loose.
2) I don't mind a Saris logo that's say 4" high, but one foot?! I'm flipping mine over until Saris starts sending me checks each month for advertising.
The ideal combo would be Saris racks with Thule trays. But I'm overall happy with the product, enough for four chilis anyway..
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from tn
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Easy to mount on car, looks nice, queit except in crosswind. | | Weaknesses: | &*$@% fork mount bodies are to bulky for use with suspension forks, slot that fork mount slides in is not sufficiently snug | | Similar Products Used: | yakima | | Bike Setup: | gt3.0 - Stumpjumper - Scwhinn roadie | | Bottom Line: | A couple of reviews below hit the nail on the head with the problems of this rack and mounting suspenion forks, especially rockshox products. Works better with Manitou and no problem with road bike forks. The darn fork mount body just needs to be less bulky. The fork mount is also a bit wobbly in the slot, not so much that I feel that the bike will fall off, just needs to be tighter. Oh yea, as one poster below suggested I am going to reverse the skewer and see if this helps. In some defense of the rack it was reasonably priced compared to a Yak or Thule but I don't think it is as well built as my friends Yak. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tina
a
from Del Mar, CA
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | EZ to use | | Bike Setup: | Bianchi Eros | | Bottom Line: | Very easy to take on and off when u want to wash the car. Simple to use. Easy to put the bikes on. Looks nice on my Maxima!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lou
a Cross Country Rider
from Staten Island, NY
Date Reviewed: November 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere technical | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$580.00 | | Strengths: | By far the simplest roof system to install and remove. It takes less than a minute. I can go through a car wash again! | | Weaknesses: | There's nothing to stop the wheel straps from flying off when there are no bikes on top; so make sure they're tight or better yet, take them off when not in use. | | Similar Products Used: | Thule, but it got stolen and a friends Yakima | | Bike Setup: | Fat Chance Yo Eddy, Santa Cruz Heckler, Seven Cycles Ti Axiom road | | Bottom Line: | I purchased the Saris rack on a friends recommendation, after my Thule was stolen. It looks nicer and the locking mechanism is more substantial (alot of Thule racks are stolen in NYC).
I am extremely pleased with my purchase. This is the best roof system I've ever used. It is easy on, easy off, with just a turn of a dial. It even self-centers itself, so it always looks clean on the car (no more rulers). This is a great feature for me because I have 2 cars ('93 Taurus and '99 Camry), and can switch the Saris in minutes.
The Saris fits on my roof perfectly. I say this because the Thule rack would cause the Taurus to leak.
Something my wife discovered (who has a hard time getting her Specialized onto the roof) is to simply remove the fork mount from the roof rack (it just slides off),attatch the bike onto the mount (on the ground) and slide the mount back on the rack. She no longer needs my help!
Also, since all the mounts slide into the rack channels and then get locked into place, nobody can steal the mounts! I had to leave my Thule mounts inside the car. Another advantage to the channel system is there is more load bar space, so you can carry bikes AND a cargo box (or whatever).
Just make sure you get a fairing with any of these roof systems, as they can get very noisy.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
LARRY W
a Cross Country Rider
from PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA, U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | JUST AS LOND AS I AM RIDING I AM HAPPY | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | ACTION WHEEL SPORT | | Strengths: | GOOD LOOKS, EASE OF ASSEMBLY, QUIET, CAN BE TAKEN APART QUICKLY AND STORED IN A SMALL SPACE. GOOD FOR MOUNTAIN AND ROAD BIKES. | | Weaknesses: | NOTHING TO KEEP THE WHEEL STRAPS FROM COMING OFF. I RECOMEND PUTTING A SCREW IN THE END OF THE TRACK LIKE I DID.
THAT WILL KEEP IT IN PLACE IF YOU FORGET TO TIGHTEN IT DOWN. | | Similar Products Used: | THULE - SQUARE AND UGLY. TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO TAKE IT OFF AND IT FALLS APART WHEN YOU DO. CHEAP PLASTIC COATING SEPERATES FROM FRAME. SCEWERS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK | | Bike Setup: | SCHWINN S-40 CHRIS KING HEADSET, TITEC BARS AND STEM, XTR BRAKES AND SHIFTERS, MAVIC 517 RIMS W/ XTR HUBS, ROCK SHOX JUDY C HYDRACOILS, FOX ALPS 4 AIR IN REAR, RACE FACE CRANKS AND GEARS, XTR FRONT AND REAR DERALEURS, THOMPSON SEAT POST. | | Bottom Line: | I DRIVE FAST!! AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH MY BIKES SHAKING OR COMING LOOSE. ONCE YOU HAVE THE SCEWERS AND THE GUIDE FOR THE RAIL IN PLACE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOSEN THE TWO THUMB WHEELS SLIDE THE TRACKS OUT, TURN THE HANDLES AT THE END OF THE LOAD BARS ( WICH IS DONE FROM ONE SIDE ) AND THE RACK IS OFF. YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF IN ONE PIECE IF YOU HAVE ROOM. IF NOT NOW YOU HAVE 4 PIECES WICH YOU CAN STAND IN THE CORNER SOMEWHERE LIKE I DO. IF YOU HAVE BIG FORKS LIKE I DO YOU WILL FIND THE SCEWER DIFFICULT TO WORK. SIMPLY REVERSE THE SCEWER. JUST UNSCREW THE ACTUAL SCEWER NOT THE WHOLE MOUNT AND REVERSE IT THE LEVER SHOULD BE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE BIKE AND IT WILL NOW CLEAR YOUR BIGGER FORKS. AND DON'T FORGET TO PUT A SCREW AT THE END OF THE TRACK IN THE CENTER TO KEEP YOUR WHEEL STRAPS FROM FLYING OFF. DON'T WORRY I NEVER LOST ONE UNTILL I FORGOT TO TIGHTEN IT DOWN AFTER I TOOK MY BIKE OFF. I HAVE ALSO USED THIS RACK TO TRANSPORT ROAD BIKES NO PROBLEM. RACK HAS BUILT IN LOCKS ON THE LOAD BARS,AND AN OPTIONAL CABLE LOCK THAT SLIDES INTO THE RAIL OF THE LOAD BAR, VERY NICE. AND IT COST A LOT LESS THEN A YAKIMA OR THULE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from southeast us
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | anything in sedona, az | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | easy to put on/take off the car, easily adjustible, fairly easy to add/remove components. good website. good use instructions. | | Weaknesses: | 2 of the plastic washer/star-nuts (that tighten the faring to the rack) broke, the rear load bar will no longer self-center, and the part of the rack that fits in the door jamb has scratched the paint off my car. called saris about the rear load bar, they said they would be happy to help me if i'd send them a check for $100 for a new load bar. overall, as i bought the rack second-hand, it's not been too bad. would i buy a new saris? probably not. if the next vehicle i have is not a truck or something that takes a hitch mount, i'll probably check out thule or yakima for a new rack. | | Similar Products Used: | only trunk racks. | | Bottom Line: | good for a used purchase, but would not likely buy a new one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BK BK
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Kanata Lakes | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Easy to intall, price, quiet, strong. | | Weaknesses: | non so far | | Similar Products Used: | looked at Thule, tried my friends Yakima | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Sunire GT with ORYX 750 and Kona Explosif. | | Bottom Line: | This rack is a great design, it is easy to install and it is really quiet. My friend with the Yakima couldn't get over how quiet it was. I would recommend this rack to anyone. The price is very good compared to the Thule. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from OH
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | I shopped around for a rack for about 6 months, and decided on the Saris for a couple reasons. 1st off, look at the bars on a Saris compared to Thule or Yak. Ever see a bent Saris? I have seen many bent Yaks, and the Thule doesn't look too strong. Secondly ease of set-up. This thing is cake to throw on your car. The ski rack and bike rack have gotten my stuff to co, pa, and in between without any problems. | | Weaknesses: | Granted the fork mount is hard using a Judy. My buddy solved that problem by throwing a bolt in as a spacer, eliminating any space problems.
MPG goes down with any rack. Sure its noisy, even with the ferring (sp?). I heard about wheels bouncing out of the wheel holders, so I through on the cable lock for my trips. Problem solved.
The sway thing hasn't been a big problem for me yet. | | Similar Products Used: | girlfriends yak. | | Bike Setup: | old Klein Fervor and AMP Research B-3 | | Bottom Line: | Great rack. Good looking, strong, easy to use, and not too pricey. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Nguyen
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Any dirt... | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Ease of use and installation, adjustability, strength. | | Weaknesses: | Weight | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima, Thule | | Bike Setup: | Full suspension w/ standard hubs (not 20mm) | | Bottom Line: | First I setup the Thule, then the Saris, then a Yakima. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!! The Saris was by far the easiest to install and adjust. The load bars are about as strong as you can make em. The bike tray was a little difficult to tighten but I managed without having to curse. You can install and tighten the rack without ever having to run to the other side of the car- EVER! You don't have to buy the towers and locks and bars- it all comes pre-assembled. Just get the clips for your vehicle and you're set.
The Thule and Yakima were extremely difficult to install. There are alot of parts to keep track of and adjusting the racks for a tight fit was an excercise in creative adjectives. It was a very unpleasant experience. I wonder why they can't make racks as easy to handle as Saris. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from South Lyon, MI
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | * Cheaper than Yakima and Thule.
* Easy to get the rack off the car.
* Aero-looks are nice. | | Weaknesses: | ** Fork mount area is extremely cramped. Very big issue with suspension fork. Bigger issue with a disc brake caliper!
** Very short throw of the fork attachment makes getting it tight extremely difficult.
** The attachment of the front end of the bike tray is extremely unstable.
** The attachment of the rear of the tray to the rack is very difficult to get tight and becomes loose. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima, Thule. | | Bike Setup: | Escort wagon! Sweet! I lie - just want more $ for bikes. Oh ya, my bike is a Tomac "78 Special" full suspension with all RaceFace stuff (next LP's), Hayes disc, and Mavic x-max disk. | | Bottom Line: | I bought this rack from my local shop because they recommended it (and did'nt carry Yakima). I am very, very, very sorry I did. Don't buy it. If you have your heart set on it, I'll send you mine - just pay the shipping.
The rack works great for my roadbike fork but, for a mountain bike fork it sucks. For a mountain bike suspension fork and with a disk caliper it's even worse. It's nearly impossible to get the quick release tight. It's cramped, the throw of the lever interferes with the cross-bar and or the fork, it causes the fork and caliper to get all nicked up, and you have fits getting your fingers all dinged up. Once you've accomplished getting the bike on, the whole thing wobbles horribly and you don't have confidence it will stay put.
Though the rack to car design is nice, the rack to bike design is unacceptable. These guys need to go back to the drawing board and this time - HAVE someone with NORMAL size hands and a mountain bike design it!
I hate this rack. In fact, I just ordered a new Yakima to replace it (Boa attachments) and I am going to pitch the Saris in the trash. So much for the great initial value!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Alarcon
a Weekend Warrior
from Raleigh, North Carolina
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Value for money
Quality
Looks
Aerodynamics | | Weaknesses: | A little play between bike tray and crossbars | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima roof racks | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Kaitai | | Bottom Line: | For value you can't beat the saris setup. I had previously owned a yakima and to get a another yakima for my new car would have cost $500+ !!! Instead, I went to www.aardvarkcycles.com and bought a COMPLETE saris roof rack system with trays for two bikes INCLUDING lock cores for $300!!
The setup was pretty easy too, saris have an ingenious self-adjusting tower system, just turn the dial to tighten/loosen. The only concern i have is with the attachment of the bike trays to the cross bars. It doesn't feel too secure and no matter how tightly you turn the securing nuts there is still a little play there. so far though i haven't had any problems with my bikes ontop, they haven't moved around on my trip out to the trails yet, so far so good. The rubber strips that came with the rack cut out all the whistling noise I first experienced and the resulting wind noise is much quieter than my previous yakima rack.
For looks, VALUE and quality i don't think you can go past saris. I'll give it 5 flamming chilis but i'm keeping an eye on the concern outlined above, hopefully i won't have to come back and change the rating | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john hurley
a Cross Country Rider
from raleigh, nc, usa
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | rocky road | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | self centering load bars, looks, price(depends on where you buy) | | Weaknesses: | up right bike mount rattles after only a month of use | | Similar Products Used: | yakima | | Bike Setup: | m2 pro xt/xtr monkeylite riser, | | Bottom Line: | nice looking rack but upright bike mount is pos. point where clamp attaches to support arm starts to get loose after only a month of use. at 6 months have apporimately .060 of play. makes it sound like bikes are going to fall off. SARIS answer " if you pay to ship it to us we might send you a new one". bad design, needs a bushing in there that is replaceable. also wind noise is bad (i have the fairing). as an added bonus gas milage stinks with rack on car. i wrote saris a letter, hoping to here back from them, shame to have a 50 cent bolt ruin a $300 rack! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon Jones
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Ease of mounting and removing. | | Weaknesses: | Quality & design. Fork mounts are difficult to keep tight and eventually rock back and forth damaging the rack. Noise is an issue, there is a fix but it blew out so didnt last. Lastly the front wheel holders are a disaster. The origional ones were too weak and just broke. The news ones are fixed, i.e. you cannot lower them. Alas hovever the last time is used the wheel mount I lost a new front wheel from it. The loss including tire is about $200. The wheel mount sways when id use thus even the tightest wheel will work its wav out.
Since I never remove the rack the ease of install & remove is mute. | | Bottom Line: | Will not buy again. My new car Volvo V70 XC comes with attachments for Thule so I'm scrapping the Saris. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian C.
a Weekend Warrior
from NE
Date Reviewed: December 10, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Platte River | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Easy to install and take off. | | Weaknesses: |
The fork mounts on the trays loosen up and makes the bike unstable. | | Bike Setup: |
1997 IF Deluxe | | Bottom Line: | Got a good price on the racks. The design is great for people who don't like to leave them on all year round. Invest in better trays. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder, Colorado
Date Reviewed: September 20, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Easy to move bike mounts around, and fairly easy to install and remove. Fairly unique in that you don't see many around. | | Weaknesses: |
My Saris roof rack has not held up well over the 4 years I've had it. The slot in the load bar where the fork mounts go has spread resulting in bikes rocking back and forth while on the rack. I have swapped the front and rear load bars as well as moved the fork mounts to alleviate this but the mounting slot eventually ends up spreading anyway. The screw that holds the fork mounts on broke after a couple years of use (it rusted through). There was not risk of the bike coming off but it definitely had to be fixed before the rack could be used again. There is a hell of a lot of stress on this screw especially while cornering and when the car rocks back and forth. Bad design! The rear tire straps don't stay on when a bike is not attached. I lost one of mine on the freeway when I forgot to take it off the bike tray. Woops! Saris wants big $$$ for replacement ones so I just use a big zip strip now.
The ski mounts are not very secure. One of mine pops open on its own even when locked. It would be really easy for a thief to force them open.
The load bar tensioning mechanism has become much harder to turn in the last year or so. I wonder if it is rusted inside? | | Similar Products Used: |
My friends' Yaks&Thules. | | Bike Setup: |
'96 Trek 8500. | | Bottom Line: | A pretty mediocre rack; not very well engineered for long term/frequent use. My Saris has seen pretty heavy use over the years but I think a Yak or Thule would have held up better. 'm just about to get a new rack and I'll be going with a Yak or Thule. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross-Country Rider
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: September 13, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Tsali, NC | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Easy set-up(self centering) and attachemment to car/truck. Looks great. Lightweight aluminum-no rust problems. Quiet wing shape design. One key locks all. | | Weaknesses: |
Wheel latches on trays will slide off unless in use. Thats all. | | Bike Setup: |
Volkswagen Jetta '95 and Chrylser minivan '97 | | Bottom Line: | Definitly the best bike rack out there. Easy to use/set-up. Great design that dosen't look like a bunch of plubling straped to you roof. Holds everything secure and stable. 5 stars all the way. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross-Country Rider
from Greensboro, NC
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Bottom Line: | Easy to set-up. Looks exceed any other on the market. Extremely durable. Considered Thule and Yakima but for the cost you can't beat the Saris, Period. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kman
a Weekend Warrior
from Texas
Date Reviewed: July 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Cedar Hill S.P. | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
fast and easy setup, very durable, looks good | | Weaknesses: |
The quick release design doesn't leave much room for my Judy. | | Similar Products Used: |
None | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zaskar, Judy XC | | Bottom Line: | I've had my rack for almost 4 years and have had no problems. I use it on a 95' Camaro. I can put it on in less than 5 minutes. The only gripe I have is that it is a little tricky to push down on the lever of the quick releases because of the limited space and my fat Judy legs. Other than that it is great. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yasushi Katsumi
a Racer
from Charlottesville VA
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Very Easy to mount, very easy to adjust, inexpensive compared to the other brands. Very Attractive, smooth, sexy. | | Weaknesses: |
None | | Similar Products Used: |
NONE | | Bike Setup: |
Saturn Sl | | Bottom Line: | Saris has an incredibly friendly customer service and their products are very well made and designed. I am extremely happy with the cost and ease of set up with the Saris. More people should check this brand out because it is a very good item. Highly recommend this rack. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Fingerlakes Trail - Mt. Morris | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Inexepensive (by comparison)
Designed to fit anything | | Weaknesses: |
Fits everything but my car
Wind Noise and Wet Seats | | Similar Products Used: |
None - trunk mounted racks only | | Bike Setup: |
GT Avalanche w/ Z2 | | Bottom Line: | I strongly believe that this is the best roof rack system out there, hands down! Can't be beat for ease of use and price. Unfortunatley, the door seals on my Chevrolet Cavalier are too tight to accomodate the clips. Has anyone else experienced this problem? I tried two different sets of clips that were designed to fit my car. I think the problem lies with the door seal material. It's steel encased in rubber, and will not mold to the clip. I don't want to return it, but I'm not going to buy a new car to fit my rack. Maybe if there is a remedy for this problem, I'll consider it in the future. For now, however, it's back to my two bike Bones rack. By the way, customer service has been excellent. Four stars, even though it doesn't fit my car. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SLR
a Cross-Country Rider
from Chapel Hill, N.C.
Date Reviewed: June 23, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Laurel Mt, in Pisgah | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Real simple to use | | Weaknesses: |
Rear clips are weirding out on me | | Bike Setup: |
Stumpy pro | | Bottom Line: | I loved this rack until recently. After my trip across the great state of NC I've found that the rear clips are spacing out fom the car and I can't re-adjust them back on to the door frame. I'm gonna tinker with it some more, but it still holds solid as a rock. I'd give it a five, but this spacing thing is weirding me out. Still a fine product. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from CT
Date Reviewed: June 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Bullet proof...Could lift your car up by this rack.. | | Weaknesses: |
A bit noisy, cured with
a aero enhancing kit. | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn Moab 2,Judy C | | Bottom Line: | this rack was a bit hard to find so I bought it
sight unseen except for the Saris web page. Let me tell you, I was looking at thule and Yak's that would've cost me a 100-150$ more and they only fit one of our two cars. I got the complete Saris setup to carry two bikes, everything included from Aardvark Cycles for $300!!! For a mere 20$ more I was able to buy clips so this rack could fit both of our cars. It goes on in about 5-10 minutes, has locking capability, Centers on the roof automatically,etc. The load bars make the Thule and Yak's look like tinker toys. The bars also accept all the other saris attachments for skis, canoes, etc. I'm soooo glad I dodn't waste my money on the two most popular brands. If your looking into racks, find the Saris, its going to blow all these racks away in years to come. Anything else is a Joke!!!
check out saris.com and Aardvarkcycles.com for
all the info you need. - chris
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Madtowner
a Cross-Country Rider
from Madison, WI
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Dead Man's, Crested Butte | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Bottom Line: | The review below is what scares me about mtbr.com. It wouldn't take long for the owner of the Huffy company to place 100 bogus 5 star reviews under 100 different made-up names. The Saris racks that I've used are all fine, but I deducted a star since that lady posted her biased review. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
angelo
a Cross-Country Rider
from hawthorne, NJ
Date Reviewed: April 1, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Hartshorne Park, | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
sturdy, sleek design, easy set-up | | Weaknesses: |
whistles like a bitch, quick release skewers are badly thought out | | Similar Products Used: |
thule roof rack | | Bike Setup: |
homegrown factory with judy | | Bottom Line: | bottom line is, once you tape up all the wind channels it quiets down. the quick release's are in an awkward position and the rear wheel strap has no way of staying on the sled. all in all it should have been a better thought out product, but when you get it at cost at the shop it ain't so bad!! overall i would stick with thule however | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Catherine
a weekend warrior
from Madison, WI (Home of Saris!)
Date Reviewed: February 11, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I just wanted to let everyone out there know that the Saris System is not, I repeat, not being discontinued!! We are getting bigger, better, and stronger than ever. We are currently working on increasing the product line and we will be here to help for years to come. If anyone out there needs assistance or wants to know where to go to obtain saris products take a look at our website. It is www.saris-products.com. We have a ton of information and you can also contact us via email at custsrv@itis.com. Also available through us is the aerodynamic enhancement kit, which are rubber strips you place underneath the load bars, and that generally takes care of most, if not all, of the whistling noise. Hope this helps clear up the situation. Thanks again and of course I give the saris rack FIVE GREAT BIG CHILES!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tycho
a weekend warrior
from sunny southern california
Date Reviewed: February 5, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
My wife bought one of these for her car about four years ago. Basic design of the rack is sound, but the quality of the steel parts is pretty crappy. The skewers, skewer nuts, and the nuts that hold the wheel trays in place were rusty in less that a year; makes adjusting the skewers and the placement of the trays pretty difficult. My Yakimas of an older vintage are nicely plated and haven't rusted. Also, the straps used to tie down the rear wheel in the tray didn't come with adapters for road bike wheels. But, our Saris is about four years old, so maybe they've fixed the problems. However, if I were to do it again, I'd buy another Yakima. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JERRY VANSTEE
a cross-country rider
from MCHENRY , ILL
Date Reviewed: February 3, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
THE SARIS ROOFTOP SYSTEM IS GREAT AND I HEAR IT IS NOW GOING TO BE DISCONTINUED. TOO BAD, IT IS SO EASY TO TAKE OFF AND ON. RIDE ON MY BROTHERS. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kenneth Kwan
a weekend warrior
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: February 2, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I BOUGHT A SARIS ROOF RACK TO REPLACE MY REAR MOUNTED RHODE GEAR BIKE RACK ON MY NISSAN 240SX. GREATEST INVESTMENT EVER, BAG THE REAR BIKE RACKS; THE SARIS ROOF RACK IS VERY VERY EASY TO INSTALL AND EASY TO SECURE YOUR BIKE. HOWEVER, IS THERE A WAY TO MINIMIZE THE WHISTLING AND WIND NOISE? ALSO, I'VE HAD TO CONSISTENTLY RETIGHTENED THE DAISY DIAL THAT IS CONNECTED TO MY LONG TRACK FORK MOUNT. I'VE ALREADY LOST TWO DAISY DIALS WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, HOW CAN I SECURE THE DAISY DIAL AND WHERE CAN I GET ANOTHER ONE? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joseph
a weekend warrior
from Peekskill, NY
Date Reviewed: December 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Hey Justin, the long fork tray ounts are available at Aardvark Cycles for $58. Their website is www.aardvarkcycles.com. Hope this helps. I've had the rack since Spring '98 and they've been great except for the lack of info. Great to see that they now have a website. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a weekend warrior
from so cal
Date Reviewed: December 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
saris racks are by far the easiest to set up. they have a self centering system so you don't have to fuss with trying to make sure the bars are centered when you mount the rack. they also have the best customer service i have ever come across. i had some older wheel forks that weren't thick enough for my skewer to grip. i emailed saris when i found catherine's email address on this page and she made sure this was corrected for me. just as the other posts mention, you need to get a fairing or else the rack will howl like you won't believe. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Cecil
a cross-country rider
from New Orleans, LA
Date Reviewed: December 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The good: 1) VERY stable rack bars. Indestructible extruded aluminum.
2) Extremely easy to lock down. Takes me 5 minutes by myself, and
less than 2 minutes with a partner. On or off.
3) Costs about 2/3 of what the Thule's and Yakimas cost. More dough
to wrap up in my bike, instead :)The bad: 1) The upright bike mounts tend to be a little rattly, and they
are *designed* to grip the downtube. This causes the bike to
wobble a bit more than I like. I corrected the problem by
mounting the gripper arm backwards, so it gripped higher on
the bike, on the seat tube. If I had to buy over again, I'd
probably buy the fork mounts. MUCH more stable. 2) I have seen the footpads of this rack scratch roof paint. My
'94 Accord paint has survived well, however. I attribute this
to the fact that I ALWAYS wipe the pads and the roofline down
before I attach the rack. Hey y'all: A little care goes a
long way. 3) The screw-adjuster mechanism requires slits be present in the
bottom of the bars to facilitate movement. These slits produce
a noticeable whistling at speed. Essentially, I fixed this by
fitting the rack to the car, and applying black duct tape over
the slits further in than the feet would ever travel. The same
tape is there now that I applied 2.5 years ago. This eliminated
90% of wind howl.It's not as hip as a set of Yak's or Thule's, but it does the job well, and it
does it cheap. The minor complaints I have are neither important to me, nor do
they impede functioning of the rack. I give it 4 chile's. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a cross-country rider
from arizona
Date Reviewed: December 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Saris web address is www.Saris-products.com. How much are most of you paying for a long fork mount tray (I bought mine for around $80)??? Could you please let me know. 30 words 30 words 30 words | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bob
a cross-country rider
from ny
Date Reviewed: December 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just wanted to update my review below, I must retract my statement about Saris's obscurity as they now have a website, also I would like to thank Aaron Lowe from Saris who after reading my note about the whistling sent me a aero enhancement kit free of charge. Kudos to Saris. Now go buy one. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a cross-country rider
from Phoenix
Date Reviewed: November 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Performance: The performance is great. (of course, except the wistle w/out a fairing or the equivalent) I bunch of us headed north to Flagstaff with 4 bikes on the top of a minivan. The driver was hitting 90 mph at times, and then we drove on ROUGH gravel roads, I was worried and could not believe we hadn't lost a bike, but after that trip I was sold on Saris and bought a Saris rack for my car.
Style: I will have to say I am sold on Saris. If you are putting racks on cars and still want to have it look nice, then go with a Saris. The lower profile and oval shaped rack look great. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Catherine
a
from Madison,Wi
Date Reviewed: November 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Hey you guys. This is a great site. I am writing from the manufacturing site of Saris Products. I wanted to get a little more info on the site and maybe get a hot link going so people can find out information about the product a lot simplier. If you get time to respond in the next few days that would be awesome. I work in inside sales and we are really excited about the growth of our product! Hope to hear from you soon. Catherine
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carlos
a weekend warrior
from oklahoma
Date Reviewed: September 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Saris roof rack is easy to install and looks good. I would give it 5 for performance because it does a good job holding the bikes and it is simple to use but it scratched the crap out of my doors so it only gets a 3. I have a 93 Grand Am and When I close and open my doors it keeps scraping the tops of my doors. Since it is an older car it's not so bad but if I were to get a new car I would sell the Saris and buy something else. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bob
a cross-country rider
from ny
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
SARIS: great product, but too obscure of a company to get any reliable info out of. i.e.(catalogs, product updates, website). Have rack with bike, wheeel, and kayak attachements, they all perform flawlessly with the exeption of WHISTLING of cross bars. Cover the tracks on the underside with duct tape to counter this. Or fork over the extra cash for a fairing and leave your rack open to theft by hip-hop urbanites who think roof racks are cool. -1 chile for not offering a stackable kayak mount a'la thule. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon Jones
a cross-country rider
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: August 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Have had a saris roof rack for my Volvo 740 about a year. The rack fits and looks well. I do have the problem with the whistle but I can fix that. I bought the fork mount model and two front wheel holder's. The fork mount is great but the wheel holders are really terrible. They cannot support the weight of a wheel. The first one gave way about a week after I got the rack, my front wheel fell back onto the roof of the car. I brought the holder back to the deeler and he replaced it with a new holder. Since there were no locks on the rack for the bike I always use a steel cable to lock the bikes and wheels in place. This has had the effect of supporting the front wheel in the wheel holder so the holder did not break. Alas this weekend I drove 100 miles to New Hampshire without the cable in placeand when I got there I discovered both wheel holders gave way so the fron wheels of both bikes I was carrying were leaning back onto the roof of my car. My point, the wheel holders for saris racks are totally inaduate, I have to put the front wheels in the trunk of my car, this kinda defeats the purpose of having the rack. When I go back to the dealer this time it will be the fourth time I've replaced the wheel holders. Overall, I like my rack but as it stands unless Saris can fix this problem I going to buy a rack from another vendor. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike
a weekend warrior
from darien, ct
Date Reviewed: August 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
SARIS Bat rack on my '98 explorer it looks great, but funtionaly for my Specialized FSR I don't think it was the right purchase. The bike swings back and forth. In addition, it is a pain in the arss because I have a dog and if I were to carry him & the bike(s) I don't think getting them in(on) the truck is going to be a pleasurable experience. As well, I can not open the window in the back either while the bat rack is on. So needless to say I will be in search for a Roof mounted version of a rack. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Viviana1
a weekend warrior
from New Jersey
Date Reviewed: July 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a Saris roof rack last month. It was very easy to install and I've used it every weekend since. It looks great on my car and loading the bikes is a breeze. The whistling noise is a loud, but this is better than using my trunk rack, which keeps me looking into my rear view mirror. I use the roof rack for long trips, the trunk rack (Thule 977) for shorter destinations. I got the entire roof rack system, including installation, for $310. Not a bad deal. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicholas Berinti
a weekend warrior
from Frankfort, Il 60423 (u.s.a.)
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Great rack, easy to put on and take off by your self. Very stable and adapts well to vehicles of similar size. One problem, The WHISTLE sound it squeals from the wind. Solution : place duct tape over the grooves that the towers slide through on the underside of the rack. That will stop the noise completely or go the more expensive route of purchasing the Saris farring | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TrIZae
a weekend warrior
from Marietta, Ohio
Date Reviewed: July 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I give the roof rack a ten for ease of installing. Saris really designed a great roof rack for cars. I own an '84 Toyota Supra and the rack fits great and works just as good. The same rack fits perfectly on a '98 Cavalier Z-24
as well which makes it very versitile. Much better than any hatch/trunk racks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frank Castro
a
from Highland, CA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Gentlemen,
I am planning a six month road trip around the USA. Recently I found out about your roof rack system. I have a 97 Saturn, 4 door and if my information is correct,I need a pair of #901 Loadbars, and 2 sets of attachment clamps to install it. I want to use your Whale #941 Cargo Carrier. Please send me the price of these items including shipping,and any information concerning these items. I would like to know if these three items are all that is necessary to mount your unit and be road ready. I plan on leaving in about two weeks. Thank you.
Frank | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian J
a weekend warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: July 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After a lot of discussion and examination with the guy in the Bike shop, I bought a 901 roof rack and 910 bike upright mount. Looks prety and stylish, but I ended up abondoning puting in on my VW Passat because the feet are poorly designed and only sat partway over the roof rails. I estimated that only 30% of the foot was in contact with the roof and did not want to damage my roof, with too much pressure. Not only was the feet placement wrong but also the position of the foot on the roof - the design assumes that the front and rear parts of your roof do not have any taper. Bottom line is if you care about your car then its best to get a rack which has been designed for your specific car, from the dealer not a general purpose one where one size fits all (they never do -its a compromise).
The Thule racks I found are a better fit and are less likely to cause you a problem. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joseph
a weekend warrior
from NY
Date Reviewed: June 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought a display model with the upright bicycle mounts. It's been easy to install and remove the rack each weekend that I use it. Initially, there was a whistling sound from the rack which started at about 15mph and continued from there. Called Graber, and they sent me the aerodynamic strips to install beneath the rack. Whistling has diminished greatly. Giving them 4 stars because it was very difficult in finding a dealer for the Saris rack in my area. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin R. Fisher
a racer
from Tampa, Florida, USA
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Roof rack is good, however, I am going to be purchasing a new car and I need to know if you make a model for the Honda Accord, 4door sedan. I have a 89' civic si that has a Saris roof rack right now. Could you please send me some info regarding replacement parts or if could use some of the parts I have now. Thank you for your time. kev. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a racer
from Arl Hts
Date Reviewed: May 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I agree that this rack is easy to install. I have both a Saris rack and a Yakima rack. I originally had the Saris and only got the Yakima because I got a new Jeep Cherokee and I wanted to have the rack attach to my factory rack rails and get off my new paint. The Saris accually made wear marks in the finish of my old car which didn't bother me at the time but with my new car this was unaccepable. In saris' defence I think any rack that rests on the paint would do the same over time. Other than that the rack worked great although I like the locking skewer of the Yakima much better than running a cable through the frames. 5 chilis for the rack. -1 for not having factory rack rail attachments and making me go out and buy a Yakima. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a weekend warrior
from Milwaukee, WI
Date Reviewed: April 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Saris roofrack system is easy to install and very durable. Regardless of how many times you slide the fork mount and rear wheel track in and out of the load bars, it never wears out. The bikes never wobble. The load bars can be used on different kinds of cars with a simple change of the clips. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a racer
from MADISON,WI
Date Reviewed: April 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
THE SARIS ROOF RACK SYSTEM IS FAR SUPERIOR TO ANY THULE OR YAKIMA RACK
SYSTEM OUT THERE. IT IS BY FAR THE EASIEST RACK TO MOUNT ON YOUR VEHICLE.
THE SELF CENTERING DESIGN IS FAST AND SECURE. IT IS AN EASY TO USE AND
RELIABLE RACK SYSTEM AND I NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY BIKE WHEN IT IS
ON THE ROOF OF MY CAR. | | Overall Rating: |
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