When you pay $90 for a rack made by a company that ONLY makes racks, you expect to get quality. The dropout attachment points on this rack are far too wide. As I tightened the supplied dropout eyelet bolts to take up a bit of the slack, the bolt head snapped off, leaving the bolt stuck in my frame. I did not apply excessive force. I was already irritable at this point and I lost my temper and banged my fist downward on top of the rack (still attached to the bike). The whole top surface of the rack buckled considerably. (Yes, I realize that I have some anger management problems to work out. :)) When I realized I had ruined it anyway, I decided to see how tough it was. I was able to rip the rack in half with my bare hands (I am not exceptionally strong). I would not trust this rack to carry my gear on a loaded bike tour. Aluminum is not well-suited for this--it is weak, fatigues easily, and, unlike steel, is not easily repaired if it breaks.
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Submitted by
Katherine Wallace
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 13, 2003
Favorite Trail:
backroad near Zhongdian, China
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
LBS in santa barbara
Strengths:
Rock solid
Weaknesses:
finish, price
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Mountain bike, with semi slicks and touring gear
Bottom Line:
Used this rack for a 10,000 km tour through Asia and SE Asia. We went over some of the crappiest road construction, muddiest mud and ruttiest roads, and this rack just did not budge. With all the gear on it, no matter how it was slung on, this rack carried the load, never moved, creaked, cracked or groaned. It was THE most trouble-free piece of equipment we had on the whole trip. Check the mounting bolts every few months, and that was the extent of it. Some of the finish has come off, but I take the blame for treating it like crap, along with a few train, bus and aircraft handlers! The price was up there, but consider how much its going to cost you to get a replacement shipped overnight to you in the middle of nowhere! Highly recommended.
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