This innovative, unique mount carries any bicycle frame style or size on Yakima roof racks by attaching to the crank arm. Padded jaws grasp crank arm (strongest part of the bike), never touching bike's paint or cables; 2 ratcheting straps hold wheels in full-length tray. Fits Y-frames, bikes with oversize tube frames, full-suspension, dual-suspension or disc brakes, BMX bikes and children's bikes. Eye-level adjustment and reversible locking lever make it the easiest upright bike mount to load and unload from either side of your car. To deter theft, bike locks to mount and mount locks to rack with 2 Yakima SKS Lock Cores and 1 Accessory Lock Housing, each sold separately. Compatible with Yakima RoundBars, WingRiders, many factory roof racks and Thule racks with the use of Yakima Mighty Mounts, sold separately
Submitted by
eRideHard
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus, Ohio
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2009
Strengths: Secure. Fits any, and I mean any bike. Locks securely.
Weaknesses: Heavy when mounting to rack.
Bottom Line:
I have used these since the mid 1990, no problem whatsoever. If properly adjusted, which takes less than 60 seconds, they have securely held my road bike, touring bike, mountain bike, wife's cruiser - I've even had a childrens bike up there - never any problem.
I've used these racks on multiple road trips over 1000 miles - no issues. There is some flex up there in high wind, but no issues. Just be careful at the Starbucks drive thru.
I notice some people complained they had issues with thier bottom brackets. I can assure you its not the rack. I'm a Clydesdale (6'1", 235lbs) rider who loves to get out of his seat, and all my bikes still have their original bottom bracket bearings.
Consider this: the force applied by the sway of a 25lb bike is but a fraction of the force I apply with every stroke when I get out of the saddle to climb a hill. I'd look elsewhere if started developing bottom bracket problems.
For overall ease of use (leave your front wheel on, mount and lock down in less than 1 minute), flexibility and my expereince of reiliability, I can't imagine a better set up.
To call this thing a peice of crap would be isnulting to pieces of crap throughout the mountain biking world. If I could give less than one flaming dog poo, I would.
Similar Products Used: Thule fork mount rack; Rocky Mounts
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Submitted by
Jake Snake
a Weekend Warrior
from yakima WA usa
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2006
Strengths: Heavy duty construction, built to last.
Weaknesses: Does not fir all cranksets, and is pretty heavy for what it does. These are probably why it is no longer made.
Bottom Line:
The ankelbiter is heavy duty, (and heavy), but does not fit all crank arms! As mentioned elsewhere in this review page, Race Face cranks (and other wide arm styles) will not fit without cutting plastic back. THis would then compromise the fit on regular cranks... Over time, the plastic pieces where the clamp/crank rests will get beat up and start to slip. If you are handy with tools and mechanically inclined, you can solve this but yakima could have done better with this product!!
Similar Products Used: Fork mount and upright Thule racks
Bike Setup: single speed
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Evanston, IL
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2006
Strengths: Unique fitting system holds my roadie with big diameter down tube
Weaknesses: Bike sways on car so badly I'm afraid to use it any longer. Arms are difficult to line up with crank arms, and while one man can do it, I've nearly dropped the bike on myself many times. Locks are prone to freezing up, though Yakima has replaced a couple without any trouble.
Bottom Line:
I definitely would not recommend this rack. Yakima has discontinued it, so that says it all for me (BAD DESIGN). I'm certain my bikes have sustained internal damage from the constant and forceful swaying on top of the car. And if you have a sunroof and can observe this, especially in the draft of a tractor-trailer on the highway, you'll cringe! Am switching to a rear hitch rack for ease of loading and better stability and less noise. Needless to say it's not the same brand.
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Louisville, Ky
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2005
Strengths: Do not have to remove front wheel, bike locks securely to rack
Weaknesses: Rack does not lock to car, a lot of flex when a bike is attached, a tremendous amount of force is applied to the crank arm which destroys bottom brackets and cranks.
Bottom Line:
I originally bought this rack because I wanted one that could mount directly to the factory rack on my car and one that I did not have to taked the front wheel off. After a short time the forces caused to factory rack to delevop a lot of flex, so I had to replace the factory rack with Yakima bars and towers. This helped but did not solve the flex problem. The bikes would still rock back and forth while driving down the road. Hit a bump and it would sound like the entire rack could snap off. Since buying this rack I have been through two BB and a crankset on the bike I had when I purchased the rack. Then in 03 I bought the Fuel and have been though two BB, a crankset, have to get the left arm on the new crankset replaced because it is the intergrated crank and spinnal type and where the spinnal is pressed in the crank has come loose. In all these BB's the left side bearings were toast while the right side were perfectly fine. Guess which side the rack clamped onto, you guessed it, the left.
This is a good rack for occasional use, but when used 3-5 times a week like I do it is too hard on the bike.
I have since replaced it with the Yakima Copperhead which seems much easier on the bike. If I had put 2 and 2 togather and figured out was was causing my BB problems I would have replaced the Anklebiter much sooner.
Similar Products Used: Allen trunk mounted rack and Yakima Copperhead
Bike Setup: 2003 Trek Fuel
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Submitted by
Frank
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2005
Strengths: It's about as solid as they come. The swing arm is solid steel!
Weaknesses: None that I have found
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this is a solid bike mount. The swing arm is solid and gets the job done. Now it's true that getting your bike loaded is little more work, but once it's on, IT'S ON. I DO recommend having locks for the swing arm. Once it's on your bike it's reassuring to know that that arm is locked in place. Other than that I have no complaints. I like not having to remove the front wheet, that is a nice feature!
Submitted by
Dennis
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus, Ohio
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2004
Strengths: Once figured out, the installation is easy, no front wheel removal, stable.
Weaknesses: not easy to work with if room between car and rack is limited. Watch the height!! Look out tree limbs!!
Bottom Line:
Good for the price. Super quick on and off - get to the trail and start riding!!! If you have a tall vehicle, you better be a strong person. I roll in an Xterra and use the rear tire as a step. I am not sure that Yakim astill sells this product.
Bike Setup: Circa '95 Specialized Hard Rock, all parts still hanging on are original
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Submitted by
Douglas Taylor
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz, California, USA
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2004
Strengths: Eye-level w/locking mechanism. Quick & EZ loading & unloading. (ie >1-minute) Ankle-biting arm is super stiff, w/firm hold on light and heavy bikes alike. Bike rides high for all to see. Ratcheted rim/wheel straps. (Like snowboard bindings :)
Weaknesses: Bike rides high hitting bugs, low tree limbs, and other things, like parking garages :0 Holding bike in place while raising ankle-biting arm can be difficult and if bike falls over . . . :(
Bottom Line:
I love checking out nice bikes on the highway and mounting the bike on top of a vehicle gives others the best view.
Roof racks on a raised truck can be a recipe for disaster. Low hanging limbs hit my bike's handlebars making nicks & scratches, if I forget how high the bike is (10'-11'!) I could easily cream it going into a parking garage, and if the bike slips while I am trying to mount it way above my head, its fall will damage itself, the truck, and possibly me. If you forget things easily while driving and don't trust yourself when lifting 40-lbs way above your head, holding it in place w/one hand while messing with a crank + ankle biting arm with the other, stick with trailer-hitch mounted racks.
If your car has a regular height roof BUY THIS PRODUCT, IT WORKS GREAT! The fact that my truck is raised is the only thing that cuases difficulties for me. If you have THULE bars buy the Yakima round or square adapters for $10 and mount this rack, these adapters work great too.
If you are worried about bottom bracket damage, don't worry. While mounted to the ankle biter, the BB has, at the most, a force equivalent to the bikes weight X 1.3' pushing it around. This is less than a third of force you put on the BB riding. Since your usual trails are probably about an hour away from you at the most, then effectively, in terms of bottom bracket wear, it adds 30 minutes of riding equivalent wear to your BB, round-trip. Bottom brackets are the strongest part of a bike, they can take being slammed against logs, cranked on by pro-riders, and landed on after big-drops. Don't let an overblown fear of wear stop you from purchasing this excellent roof-rack.
Submitted by
Chicken Warrior
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2003
Strengths: Easy to install, load and adjust to fit any bike I've loaded.
Weaknesses: Bolts are not Stainless. But that is typical.
Bottom Line:
Got 2 of them for my roof racks. Then in less than 2 weeks they went from Maryland to Key West, FL and back. No problems.
Have loaded about 15 different bikes, ranging from high end road bikes to K-Mart Dual Suspension Specials. No problems with any cranks not fitting.
Problems / Modifications -Swaying, but that was the factory roof racks warping. -Replaced bolts with stainless steel bolts. -Not vertical, but that was again the factory roof racks being arched.
Bike Setup: 13 year old Rockhopper, 95% original parts. Gotta love the classics. Car- Ford Focus wagon.
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Submitted by
Russ
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2003
Strengths: solid, quick-loading, looks cool
Weaknesses: Installation - THE SCREWS ARE STILL TOO SHORT, YAKIMA!! Not insurmountable, if you use tips below. Will not securely clasp crank w/o LockCore, sold separately
Bottom Line:
AnkleBiter Deuce is a great rack, once you get past installation. The rack closes around the anklebiter 'arm' with a clam-like assembly. The screws are supposed to go through the 'lips' of the clam, if you will, securing it to the MightyMount, and closing the clamshell in the process. Of course, the screw is too friggin short to do this, and all the squeezing, pushing, and turning in the world will only increase your blood pressure and the artistry of your cursing. (Yakima, really, is it that difficult to make the screw 1 cm longer so its compatible with the mount you recommend for this product???) Anyway, use a C-clamp to tighten the clam mouth, then insert screws and tighten. You have no idea the anguish I just saved you. Please send $19.95. In a review below, the dude says his bike flew off the rack. This would not have happened if he'd used the included wheel clamps. Also, the Biter must be adjusted around the crank with nanometric precision for it to hold. Similar to a seatpost, turn the clamp until you can just barely close the red part. From that point, there is nothing to hold it shut except inertia and the mountain bike gods. You have to use a Yakima LockCore. You only need one, but of course, they only come in packs of 2 or more. I am using a velcro strap to cinch it shut until my LockCore gets here. Everyone says this is good for full suspension bikes, but as with any roof rack, I would not enjoy heaving a 45 lb monster on the roof. I'm able to get my hardtail up there w/ no prob by stepping up on the back seat of the Jeep. But then, I have to pedal myself up hills since I don't have a personal valet following me around. Hardtails rule!
Bike Setup: Trek 6700, MightyMounts, Jeep Grand Cherokee
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Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2003
Strengths: solid design, bombproof hardware
Weaknesses: core get's a little stuck after not using it all winter.
Bottom Line:
Been using this thing for 2, almost 3 years now.. and have never had a fall or break out of the rack. Rock solid, i leave it on there all year round. Having a carbon fiber bike makes it a pinch to lift up on to the roof. I'd say the only thing that i never thought about was the stress on the crank arm causing premature wearing on the BB.. I'll have to investigate this further.. but in the mean time.. i enjoy not having to take a tire off the front.. which is the first reason i bought this rack.. rock on!
Submitted by
Chewy
a Weekend Warrior
from North Vancouver, BC
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2002
Strengths: You don't have to remove the front wheel. It is easy to load, once you have done it a couple of times. Grabs the crank arm instead of the frame or fork, a real benefit if you have a dually or QR20 fork.
Weaknesses: It doesn't grab all of the new super wide crank arms, but there is a solution with a few alterations.
Bottom Line:
I read a lot of complaints in previous reviews, lots of crying about problems, but no offers of solutions. This rack is made for people who have QR20 hubs, that can't use a fork mount, and monocoque frames that can't attach anything to the downtube. What else is out there, Thule offers no solution. My bike weighs 45lbs, it's hard to lift it to the roof, but once it is up there the clamp is easy to use. If you have a SUV (stupid useless vehicle), it is going to be hard to load a bike on to your roof no matter what rack you have, stop chirping and buy a car, what do you need that monster truck for anyway, to drive to the grocery store? As for the wide crank issue, the guys at Rack Attack solved that problem for me, a little shaving of some plastic and a slightly longer bolt fixed it for me. A little inovation goes a long way. If your bike is crooked on the roof, adjust the rack properly and get it straight. If you can't put the rack together, go back to night school and get you high school equivelancy, then read the instructions. Nobody said life was suposed to be easy. If you can't lock the Anklebiter to your rack, buy a Yakima Accesory Lock Housing, that's what they make them for. MUST I ALWAYS BABYSIT THE SIMPLE MINDED!
Bike Setup: Giant AC2, MRP, North Shore DH cranks, Hayes, Azonic A Frames
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Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2002
Strengths: -- No taking the front wheel off. -- Beefy arm that holds the bike.
Weaknesses: -- Wheel tie downs are flimsy. The old ones work better. -- Does not lock to the roof (on a factory rack)
Bottom Line:
At first, I was not impressed at all. The bike wobbled horribly and I was seriously concerned about the relaibility of this rack. I bought the 29H mightymounts to work with the factory rack on my 2002 SE Pathfinder. After tinkering with the rack for a few days, I finally trimmed the little 1/4" tab off the mightymounts where the screw clamps onto the factory rack. WOW...that made a huge difference in the stability of the bike. My bike no longer wobbles like it did before. It seems that the weak point in the system is now the factory rack on the Pathfinder...which is actually pretty strong for a factory rack! I'm now impressed with the stability.
When you use Mightymounts, the ability to lock the rack onto your roof goes away. I use cable locks anyway, so it's not a huge deal for me.
I had no problem fitting a Truvativ Stylo or Shimano Deore crank in the jaw. The only complaint that I have are the wheel tie downs. They are a newer ratchet type tie down that seem to strip themselves if you try to really crank them down. With this rack you don't really need to crank the wheels down much, but I like to have peace of mind that everything is tight. I used some of the older clamps from Yakima and they work just fine.
I recommend this product to anyone. Before you buy it, make sure your crank will fit...it's a pretty universal clamp, but I'm sure there are some cranks the clamp will not work with.
Similar Products Used: None. This is my first rack after using a home made rack for many years!
Bike Setup: Cannondale Jekyll 900SL 2001 Model. Disc Brakes
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Submitted by
john su
a Cross Country Rider
from brookline, ma
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2002
Strengths: solid construction, only solution for beefy framed full susp bikes, works well with my spec fsr xc pro w/truvativ crank
Weaknesses: just like the upright type, slightly more difficult to load/unload bikes compared to fork mount
Bottom Line:
this is for the anklebiter duece. crank interface seems bullet proof with 2 points of engagement to ensure a good hold.
this also was a great way for me to mount my bikes and still get free access to my hatch (using on subaru factory racks). the standard yakima lockjaws can barely get its "jaws" around my frame and actually toppled over once while driving on a twisty road... hopefully this anklebiter duece will hold up better.
