Description:The newest upright bike mount, the Cobra will save you time, energy and face as you roll it in, lock it down and drive away in a matter of seconds.
Submitted by
NM Highlander
a Cross Country Rider
from Jemez Springs, NM, USA Date Reviewed: November 13, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$140.00
Strengths:
If you drive under an overhang that is too low (ouch!) it will break before your bike does. So now I am looking for a new rack instead of a new bike. I guess that's a strength.
Weaknesses:
1) The aluminum tray sheared off on the bottom where it attaches by wingnuts to the front of the clamping mechanism (I was able to saw of 3 inches from the tray and reattach, but this was a one-time fix as the tray is now too short to do again), 2) I had a slow leak in my front tire that I hadn't noticed upon loading the bike. A few hours later the tire was flat enough that the clamping mechanism had nothing to squeeze against... the bike fell out of the rack while I was driving (the rear strap kept it from being a total loss), 3) The width of the front attachment is too long for the few inches of load bar that stick out from the feet of the rack. It is also designed such that it cannot straddle the foot, so it has to attach inside the rack's feet... This makes it a little more inconvenient to heft a bike onto the rack. It seems a little extra engineering could have solved these problems, but it appears that Thule must have got the better patents.
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mtn Slayer
Bottom Line:
Sufficiently dissatisfied that I am currently reading the reviews for another type of rack... The design is clumsy and utilizes cheap materials. A stark contrast to other well-made product I have purchased from Yakima.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John K
a Weekend Warrior
from Windsor ON, Canada Date Reviewed: August 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
From driver's seat to saddle (or vice versa) in under 5 minutes. Wheels stay on bike. Material quality and workmanship appear to be above par (typical for Yakima)
Weaknesses:
Not a very solid setup, wobbly as described by another reviewer. NOT for agressive off-roading with bikes loaded, it says so in the manual! The tray seems a little flimsy in some respects. Poor straps for rear wheel, Velcro would work as well or better. Locking cables are inadequate. Locking clamp interferance with front wheel fender on bike. Relatively expensive MSRP.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Considered putting these on my Yakima roof rack, but decided to install in the back of my pickup
Bottom Line:
Bought 2 of these used, half price on eBay. Installed them in the bed of my Dakota on 2x4s. Can load or unload both bikes in 5 minutes, without getting bent out of shape or scratching the paint. No problems with red knobs, just pull down on the front wheel a bit while snugging them up. The rear wheel straps are a little stripped, but work well once you get the 'knack' and don't over-tighten them. I don't use the locking cables because I don't have lock cores yet, but I do use a 6 ft '1200' Bike Guard cable which secures both bikes to the bed, quickly and visibly.
I'm very happy with these despite a few shortcomings.
I would be less happy if I paid $MSRP.
If you have a pickup truck, I suggest mounting these in, or preferably, above the box. Mine are about 1 ft off the bed on 2x4s, but I plan to raise them completely above the box so I can still use the tonneau for covered storage. With that setup, I could use the roof rack for a canoe, carry two bikes above the tonneau and loads of gear underneath. And still pull a trailer.
If I could afford gas, I would do this and go camping ;^)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Darby
a Weekend Warrior
from Missoula, Mt, USA Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Montana
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Rack Attack
Strengths:
I was sold on the fact it might be really durable and versatile but of course the guys at Rack Attack lied.
Weaknesses:
Dont get me wrong it probably can hold lots of different bikes But I only have two. I used this thing 3 weekends in a row run and gun type riding. First the straps broke then I pulled the whole lock bar unit off the plastic broke right out. I wasn't even trying too. I had to fight to get it returned to Rack Attack. I later bought a sidearm from Backcountry racks.com I have only good things to say about them and that product.
Similar Products Used:
Sidearm
Bottom Line:
If a product breaks stand by it and don't be a dick when someone trys to return a product you told them was durable and it breaks 3 weeks later.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zack
a Weekend Warrior
from Philly Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Holds my big freeride bike no problem, don't have to take the tire off, with a 20mm thru axle its a huge pain. A little wobbly but hilds the bike pretty well, I feel coinfident.With my suspension system I cannot use any of the hitch mount racks which I prefer.
Weaknesses:
I have an 05 Pathfinder, getting my 40+ lb freeride bike on top of the car and into this rack is impossible. My car has deep scratches in it from failed attempts. Now I put my bike in the car if i'm alone, cause you need help getting the bike into the rack.
Similar Products Used:
Thule Trunk Mount Rack
Bottom Line:
If you have a little car go for it, but with a large SUV good luck getting your bike on the roof without denting your car or yourself.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Downhiller
from Aspen Date Reviewed: August 1, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Who cares.... well actually, after it breaks the bike still stays on the rack instead of crashing to the road.
Weaknesses:
Broke at the same location previouse reviewer and everyone else described.
Bottom Line:
DO NOT BUY THIS RACK. Wait for the Highroller or buy the Thule Sidearm.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
J
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Date Reviewed: June 7, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Aerosuds - Broomfield, CO
Strengths:
Decent design, easy to use, holds big tired bikes
Weaknesses:
Bad design where tray attaches to front wheel housing base. Typical overpriced Yakima junk
Similar Products Used:
Unisport Rack System - 11 years old still running strong, cheaper but much more well made then Yakima or Thule
Bike Setup:
40lb AM bike
Bottom Line:
Review for King Cobra:
The issue is exactly the same as some of the other readers, the tray has sheared away from the 2 bolts that atttach the front of the tray to the wheel housing base. I've used maybe 5-6 times total. The design problem is that when you tighten down the red knob, it pulls the tray away from the 2 wing nutted bolts. But you have to tighten down the red knob in order for the bike to be held securily. The section of the tray needs to be made out of the same material as the wheel housing base (steel) in order for this not to happen. The aluminum cannot withstand the amount of pull that NEEDs to occur to hold your bike on. I have not dealt with Yakima on this issue yet but I will not replace this with the same $135 piece of junk. 2 Chilis for a good concept
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmonton Date Reviewed: May 6, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$115.00
Strengths:
Fits all bikes, pretty solid, work well after a minor modification that should have been done by Yakima. Quick loading.
Weaknesses:
Does need a lock washer installed on the red knob, take 5 minutes to do tops and your problems are fixed - easy to do before you use it. Rear wheel strap design could be better, takes a bit of practice to get the technique right. Aren't the greatest for vertically challenged people.
Similar Products Used:
Lots of fork mounts, thules similarly designed rack that I can't remember name of.
Bike Setup:
Fat Freeride bike.
Bottom Line:
I have no problems with the racks, I have two - my friends also have a couple, after adding a lock washer. I have driven to Moab twice with these racks, 21 hours each way, North Van (12 hours each way) 5 times, lots of 6 hour weekends with NO loosening of the red knob. I use the lock washer and pull down on the front wheel when tightening to preload it. Simple. The design could use some imrovement, maybe a more fool proof system to replace the red knob, and a smoother rear wheel strap.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Bucks County PA Date Reviewed: May 5, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
Rack Attack
Strengths:
Cool design, if I ever can get all the bugs out of the installation (and find a way to lift the damn bike 6 ft + without twisting my back apart)
Weaknesses:
Manual sucks (don't they all), mighty mounts come loose, rear trim piece hard to get on.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Sette Frame, Older Shimano parts, blah blah
Bottom Line:
Ok first of all the manual kind-of sucked. Wasn't the worse I've seen, but not very clear. Being a writer, and not mechanically inclined, this manual sucking thing is a pet peeve of mine. Most manuals rely almost exclusively on parts pictures and simply tell you the order to do things in but almost never spell how EXACTLY HOW to do them. This is why you can usually put a second gizmo together in a quarter of the time the first one took (once you have figured out the details on your own).
For those of us mounting the Cobra on a factory rack this manual had absolutely nothing-nada-zip about how to mount the rear Yakima mighty mount to the wheel tray. I ended up drilling my own hole, after lining it up on my factory rack.
See my Isuzu Vehicross SUV came stock with a nice Yakima rack, but not the round kind the standard little Yakima mounts fit on. I think it's one Yakima made just for the Vehicross. Anyway, I needed to buy a set of Yakima mighty mounts (4 although you only need 3 for the Cobra), which are basically half moon shaped clamps that mount on the bottom of the cobra and squeeze the wide flat rails of my factory Yakima rack, holding the Cobra to the truck. Well, not really HOLDING at all, and that is the problem.
I put the bike up and did a test run today, just around the neigborhood, and by the time I went around the block the mighty mount wheel-nuts went from so tight it hurt my fingers to turn em more ... to totally loosey goosey. These things don't come with any lock washers (like the infamous red knob).
Now I should mention, the Vehicross comes stock with a competition suspension that gives it the hardest/bumpiest ride I've ever driven in my life (my wife calls it the Isuzu Kangaroo) but still the knobs shouldn't work all the way loose after a few blocks. I'm going to try lock washers and maybe some locktight and report back. While I'm at it I'll get a lock washer for the red knob as well - just in cases.
I think there are some design problems here (with all these hand-tightened knobs), especially for an expensive rack. Basically if you have to use the might-mounts on a factory rack watch the hand-tightened wheel nuts that hold the clamps together. They work loose real fast, no matter how tight you get them. Also: you will have to drill your own hole to mount the rear clamp to the wheel tray (not mentioned in Cobra or Mighty-Mount manuals).
Oh and the plastic trim piece that goes on the back of the wheel tray was too tight, the plastic parts on either side of the metal wheel tray were just about touching. I had to pry the slot around it out with a big screw driver, so it would fit on the sheet metal, and bump it on with a mallet.
BTW - Does anyone have a trick for lifting the bike onto the roof of an SUV? I'm 5 ft seven, using a two ft step ladder and still having the damndest time lifting and twisting the bike from the ground to the roof, and especially back down again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kyle
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: February 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Noble Canyon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Sport Chalet
Strengths:
Holds bike securely to the rack. Don't have to worry about taking your front wheel off. King cobra is lockable (with a thin metal cord).
Weaknesses:
Rear wheel strap strips too easily. I stripped it the first time I used it. Luckily it still held. Trying to heave your bike on top of the roof without hitting your car is a little difficult, but is expected with this type of rack.
Similar Products Used:
Putting bike in the backseat of 2 door Ford Focus.
Bike Setup:
2005 Specialized Enduro Comp.
Bottom Line:
Great roof rack! Yakima products are a little expensive, but worth it.
The red knob people complain about coming loose was not a problem driving an hour and a half, 75mph most the time. All you have to do is put some muscle into it and push down HARD on the front wheel and turn at the same time!
The rear wheel strap strips too easily. It's the type you see on cheap roller blades using a ratcheting mechanism. Maybe I was trying to tighten it too far. Who knows.
I haven't had any problems with any screws or bolts coming loose, but I take it REALLY easy around corners to prevent pulling too many G's.
Another thing worth mentioning is that you can use the faring with this bike rack without mounting the bike rack backwards, you just have to mount the bike rack in a certain position, and you have to take the faring off when mounting and unmounting your bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marshall
a Downhiller
from Torrance, CA Date Reviewed: February 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
North Star- Lake Tahoe
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Sports Chalet
Strengths:
I can load my 54 lb Downhill rig on this rack, no problem! The red knob is a non-issue, I have no clue what all the complaints are on here?
Weaknesses:
The only weakness is the fact that I have a hard time putting my (heavy) bike up on the roof of my car after riding!
Similar Products Used:
None, this is my first roof mounted rack.
Bike Setup:
'04 Iron Horse SGS Pro, '05 Shivers, Atomlab DHR rims, DT-Swiss hubs, MRP, Race face Diablous cranks, stem and bars. Blah blah blah...
Bottom Line:
All you guys complaining about the red knob are total pansy asses. This rack is freakin' great! So what if you have to tighten the knob down a couple of turns? I have over 4 grand into my bike and I have no problem with this rack at all, I trust it 100%. I think the design is fantastic and I have NO PROBLEM turning the red knob a few times to secure my investment. I wish that I could give it more than 5 chilis!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tin
a Downhiller
from Monterey Park, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 25, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$103.00
Purchased At:
SuperGo, Santa Monica
Strengths:
Very easy to load the bike. DOnt have to remove the front wheel so saves me lots of time and dont have to worry about forgetting the front wheel. Happens to my friends.
Weaknesses:
None so far. I think the problem with the screws ripping off the bike mounts is because of the weight of the bike and the drivers pulling G's on the turns.
Similar Products Used:
Yakima Vipers
Bike Setup:
Nicolai TST. All Downhill
Bottom Line:
This is a good and fast simple bike rack to use. Loads bike fast and easy. The only draw back is that with the front wheel still on the bike, the bike will be sitting higher on your roof. I think the reason why the screws ripped off of the mount is because oh the higher center of gravity of the bike, so it will swing from side to side more easily. If you corner fast, the weight of the bike will make it lean and that will cause a lot of stress on the screws and mounts. After a while, pop, screw out. I have gone 100 mph with my 40 pound bike on top, but when it comes to turns and cornering, I slow down and try not to pull G's. So far, everything looks A-OK. Hope yours last too. As for the red hold down screw. I driven for 2 hours and its still tight like how I set it on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Sandwich, IL Date Reviewed: August 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$118.00
Purchased At:
rackattack.com
Strengths:
No more muddy wheels in the back seat.
Weaknesses:
Infamous red knob. Backward mounting if you want to use a fairing.
Similar Products Used:
Trunk mount rack, bed mounted holders in pickup bed.
Bottom Line:
I've used the rack for 4 trips now, all less than 50 miles each. The rack seems to mount the bike fairly solidly, but I generally don't do any off-roading. The red know does seem to loosen a bit, even with the lockwasher modification, but not enough to where the bike seems unstable. I think that the earlier mentioned problem of the tray pulling off of the mounting bolts may be because the rack bars on those particular cars are so close to each other that most of the weight of the bicycle is hanging out over the rear rack bar. This causes the tray to pull up at the front wheel loop assembly. My rack bars are fairly close (22", Scion tC) and when the bike is on the rack the bike's bottom bracket is past the rear rack bar. I drilled the tray for the inside mounting bolt and bent a fender washer to fit the inside of the tray. I then used a longer bolt to go through the tray. I also shimmed with washers the tray slot (where the original carriage bolt went). This may be overkill, but I'm not worried about the bolts pulling out now.
If you want to use a fairing with this rack, the instructions say you should mount the racks backwards. On my car this looks real dorky because the rack then extends about 2 feet over the windshield. I ended up modifying the fairing, but I won't go into that now.
Overall, this rack does seem to be fairly solid, but it is a bit pricey.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Cola, SC Date Reviewed: July 26, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Strengths:
Ease of use
Weaknesses:
The fact that it snapped at the bolts in the exact way RIXTER above reviewed. Driving back from yellowstone I was a bit suprised when someoene pulled up next to me and pointed to my rack. When I stopped it had ripped right from the tray and my very light road bike was hardly holding on.
Similar Products Used:
Yakima Viper
Bottom Line:
This rack is not very stable especially with a mtb. Not to mention its just down right ridiculous to pay this much for something and have it fall apart like a piece of garbage. This would be the final straw for yakima if they were the only freakin' pple who make decent racks. 1 chili is generous for the pain in the ass I've had.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rixter
a Weekend Warrior
from North Vancouver Date Reviewed: July 12, 2005
Favorite Trail:
7th Secret/Upper Oilcan
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
Rack Attack
Strengths:
Compact size (relative to Thule Super-G), color
Weaknesses:
This thing is junk! I went to Whistler and Sun Peaks, had the rack for a total 9 days and the bolts that connected the wheeltray to the wheelhoops assembly tore apart (bolts still connected but ripped from the aluminum tray)! Also the fact that you can't lock the rack to the roof bars, unless you buy the overpriced King Cobra is kinda dumb.
Similar Products Used:
Thule Super-G were rock solid!
Bike Setup:
Various DH bikes
Bottom Line:
Before I bought it I read a number of folks warning of the red knob coming undone. I checked with Yakima and the local retailer and heard there was no problem. Yakima did say I needed to pre-load the front wheel to ensure a good fit. Regardless of preloading the knob came loose. About ever hour of driving I'd have to tighten it up again. When I got home from my trip the entire wheel tray had become separated. I'm just fortunate something didn't go flying off the roof. Interestingly, the fact that Yakima doesn't use a lock washer with the red-knob but does with the butterfly bolts that connect the wheeltray is strange. Why no lock washers everywhere!?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim Greene
a Cross Country Rider
from Overland Park, KS, USA Date Reviewed: December 7, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Kill Creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
EBAY
Strengths:
Secure without having to remove the front wheel. It handles different wheels sizes easily.
Weaknesses:
Rack is tall, compared to my viper. Clears my garage door by less than a 1/2 inch.
Similar Products Used:
Rhode Gear
Bike Setup:
Turner XCE
Bottom Line:
Good rack. I have not had any cases where the red knob has loosened and that is taking into account several long 4 to 5 hours trips. Holds the bike securly. Nice to have when the bike gets muddy and don't want to remove the front tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Downhiller
from Whistler/Toronto Date Reviewed: November 9, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Schleyer
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Rack Attack
Strengths:
-Holds bike VERY well -Fairly easy to mount and dismount bike for a roof rack
Weaknesses:
-Bike sways ALOT over any small bumps -Red knob to hold the front tire part down is pretty annoying especially if its cold out -Red knob will come loose after a while
Similar Products Used:
Other trailer hitch racks
Bike Setup:
2003 Subaru WRX hatchback, 2004 Kona Stinky w/2004 Super T
Bottom Line:
For a roof rack it is ideal. The trailer hitch racks i have found are much better but if you dont have a hitch and dont want one then this is a great rack to have. I just came back from a long trip of about 30 hours of driving with my bike on and it went through some pretty good conditions... heavy rain, snow, and some fairly rough dirt roads. When you are using it you deffinately want to make sure that the red knob is secured very well. After about 4 hours it does start to come loose. Over small bumps the rack with a bike on it will flex and sway alot. I thought that my bike was done for after a couple of hours into my trip but luckly for the first 11 hours it stayed on. When the bike is not and the rack is folded down it is a little bulky and un-aerodynamic but not that much. Over all its a great rack but it could use some improving. For doing what its supposed to do and doing it well i'm giving it a 5. BUT there is room for improvement. If you dont mind a few little flaws then its great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Anthony
a Cross Country Rider
from GTA , Canada Date Reviewed: October 13, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Concept Relatively quick bike mount / dismount
Weaknesses:
Does not hold the bike as stable as I had hoped. Very non-aero dynamic bulky shape when folded down and not in use. Time consuming and finikie red adjuster knob. Rattler straps are inferior in design.
Similar Products Used:
Thule
Bottom Line:
Great rack. Great concept. Looks fairly nice. My complaints are directed to the red adjuster knob. The bike mounts in about 2 seconds litterally. Then you have to turn the red knob until your hand falls off; and that takes about 1 minute vs 2 seconds to through the bike up and into the system. Instead yakima really should design a high ratio quick release flip in place of the red knob to secure the load. This would be much faster and only require one initial adjustment for a particular bike. My second complaint is the rattler strap. Nothing but poorly designed and malfunctioning crapola. It strips, it seases, it locks up etc... Thules wheel straps are far superior (also simpler). Again yakima has a great idea with the ratchet system, but it simply doesn't work to satisfaction. The boys at yakima need to go back to the drawing board with this one. Sometimes I wonder if they actually use their products... I personally liked the anklebiter better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Speedub Nate
a Cross Country Rider
from SF Bay Area, CA Date Reviewed: September 21, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Cyclepath Hayward
Strengths:
Works pretty well: fast & easy is the name of the game! Seems fairly well constructed and should last a long time. _
Weaknesses:
A couple:
* Red Knob has proved to be a pain in the kiester! Yakima should address this.
* "Offset" mount over towers - read more below.
* It's kind of big and ugly, but that's minor. _
Similar Products Used:
First roof rack. Demo'd Sportworks Bob Ratchet & Thule Super-G. Owned Hollywood & Rhode Gear hitch racks previously. _
Bike Setup:
Various 26" full suspension, 29" hardtail, 700c road.
Bottom Line:
Ok, the red knob is genuinely messed up. As suggested below, I've since installed the lock washer sandwiched between two flat washers, pull the wheel tight and crank down on the knobbie good and secure, but it still manages to loosen up on longer trips. BTW, my bikes both face backwards.
A permanent solution would be a very simple safety wire or latch of some sort that would prevent the knob from turning. I've got a couple of ideas but haven't messed with them yet because I'm so far content to tighten the knobs at various pit stops on my infrequent long trips.
For drives under an hour, even at highway speed, it doesn't loosen up that much that I need to be concerned.
I did end one 3 to 4 hour drive where we ended the trip with one knob completely loose, but with the rear wheel securely strapped, the bike was held in place. and relatively secure at both ends.
Second problem developing: the threaded "bolt" that the red knob screws on to has a "T" at the end where it hangs from the wheel holder. I notice that this "T" begins to turn out of position when tightening the red knob. If it turns a full 90°, it'll fall out (THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED YET - so far it's turned a max of 45°). Solution? Like when tensioning a spoke nipple, after tightening I loosen it a quarter turn: just like unwinding a spoke, this puts the "T" back into its proper alignment perpendicular to the slot.
Thoughtfully, the entire wheel hoop assembly can be set up to straddle the loadbar tower, so as to sit as far outboard on the load bars as possible. Unfortunately, the wheel tray itself cannot be mounted over a tower, meaning the tray has to angle in or out if you go this route (that is to say, the wheel trays don't run parallel to the car if you position your hoop assembly over a tower). On cars with short crossbar separation (such as my Subaru Legacy) the wheel tray angle is a bit exaggerated. When I fold the front wheel hoop assembly down, it does not sit flush on the wheel tray. I plan to gin up some steel offset mounting plates to straighten this out (I inquired with Yakima and they said, "nice idea" but didn't have anything like that to sell me).
Sounds like a lot of gripes, but actually I'm pretty satisfied with the rack. Other than the poorly engineered red knob, I like the Yakima build quality and its smaller, more inconspicuous appearance when compared to the recent Thule Super G. The Bob Ratchet didn't work for my needs, and wasn't truly "hands off" when mounting the bike.
"Hands off?" you ask? What's that mean? With the Cobra, I raise the front wheel hoop (making sure the stop is set correctly for a 26", 700c, or 29" wheel), "roll" the bike into the hoop, and I can completely let go with the bike stable. I don't need to hold on to anything while I secure this or that, for fear of the bike tipping or rolling out.
Deduct one chili for value. I think the $110 I paid per rack was a pretty good price (both King Cobras), but the lock cores were extra, and I had to buy load bars as well (Thule bars off of eBay).
Deduct two chilis for Overall: The Red Knob is a sore spot with me, as is the offset mounting which I have to solve myself.
Despite the 50 or 60 percent of reviews here who have had no problem with the red knob loosening, there are numerous online reviews and posts that I've found that specifically mention this problem, my bike shop was aware of it when I purchased the rack, and they claim their Yakima sales rep acknowledges the problem, yet Yakima in emails back and forth is in total denial. The problem exists, and I wish the company would officially address it.
But as frustrating as the Red Knob issue is, I still recommend the rack for ease of use, stability and quality, as long as you know the Red Knob issue exists and check it for tightness on longer trips.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kim
a
from Edmonton Date Reviewed: August 4, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Racks for Cars
Strengths:
easy to use, well made
Weaknesses:
expensive!
Similar Products Used:
old Yakima fork mount roof rack
Bike Setup:
road bikes and hard tail MTB's (including a Cannondale with a Lefty fork)
Bottom Line:
Happy with this system so far (around town and one long road trip). Pretty much a toss up between this upright vs the fork mount style of roof rack. Did not feel the tiny cable on the King Cobra was worth the extra $50CAN - you can buy a better cable lock from your LBS for that price.
The main benefit to the upright rack style is that you dont have to take the front wheel off (the Cannondale Lefty pretty much forces you to use this or a trunk mounted rack). This also frees up space inside the car (unless you get wheel mounts).
The rack is easy to use and have not had any problems with the infamous red knob. I just pull down on the front tire and really tighten it. I do sense some bike sway at highway speeds but I think that is inevitable and nothing to worry about - this setup wont be as stable as a fork mount.
Negatives might be that it is a bit of a stretch to get the bikes on the roof (I am 5'11", we have a Subaru Outback wagon). It appears to be a quality product but the price is ridiculous (~750CAN for the rack to hold two bikes). Even worse is that there is little retail competition (one store in Edmonton) so "sales" or "deals" are pretty much nonexistent.
The product works and will be able to expand to carry a box and additional bikes as needed and it saves me from a minivan so overall pretty happy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, BC Date Reviewed: August 3, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Rack Attack
Strengths:
Easy loading, very stable, included lock cable.
Weaknesses:
Tray could be a bit longer for easy loading of longer wheelbase bikes
Similar Products Used:
Yakima Anklebiter
Bike Setup:
Norco Team Race, Santa Cruz Heckler
Bottom Line:
This rack is very good. It's much easier loading and much more stable than the Anklebiter. I haven't had a problem with the red knob, I pull down on the tire and give it a shake to make sure it's completely settled in while tightening. We just completed a couple of 7 hour road trips at highway speeds and through twisty mountain roads and it stays tight.
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Submitted by
Ray Go
a Weekend Warrior
from Southern, CA Date Reviewed: April 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:
too many to mension
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Supergo
Strengths:
Easy to use.
Weaknesses:
PRICY... Some side to side sway? Nah, nothing to worry about. Gotta have a little movement or it might cause undue damage to your factory rack or roof.
Similar Products Used:
Yakima Lockjaw.
Bottom Line:
***Awesome product*** So easy and convenient to use for in and around town. Quick to load and unload. Put your bike on the tray and roll it forward. Now you have two hands to secure the bike down. Trust me, I know, I had a Lockjaw. Plus, it does not touch your frame. I will follow the advice below, strapping down the handlebars on long trips. Oh yeah, never had any problem with the red knob. And I use the cable that comes with the KC to lock it to my factory rack when the bike isn't on it.
Who designed this??? Give the person a pay raise... SIMPLY AWESOME.
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Submitted by
L.G. Fuentes III
a Weekend Warrior
from Redondo Beach, CA, USofA Date Reviewed: August 5, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Costco Trail Mix
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$106.00
Purchased At:
Sports Chalet Torrance
Strengths:
Easy one person loading/unloading on my raised truck. No need to take front tire off, especially with my disc brakes, and also with my beach cruiser. Overall value considering no other company offers this "slide-in" type setup.
Weaknesses:
Littl red knob is clumsy and may get loose, but another review on here has easy lock-washer fix. Swaying, but easily fixed using light-weight tie-downs from hardware store (4 for $10). Just attach to handlebars, or frame and tug lightly- all of a sudden even my 50lb Dyno Moto Glide Cruiser was solid as a rock on the King Cobra. Locks are extra and expensive (eBay might be way to go for these)
Bottom Line:
Buy if you are looking for a "slide-in no removing the front tire fiasco" solution. For a quick trip around town just slide your bike in and go, but if you are going on the highway I highly highly, did I mention highly, reccomend using some tie downs on both sides of bike to stabilize. It only takes an extra minute max to do this and you will feel more confortable about the stability. I was also impressed with the minimal additional road noise I encountered on the streets, however on highway over 65mph, can hear it. Dont Buy if your front tire comes of easily and you want the best stability at higher speeds and rougher roads. I had the fork mount version on my previous car with old mountain bike and this was solid.
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Submitted by
Tim Stokkes
a Downhiller
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: July 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Bike Shop
Strengths:
Very quick and easy to use, fits large tires.
Weaknesses:
Side to side movement possible
Similar Products Used:
Swagman, RhodeGear, Thule racks
Bike Setup:
Freeride
Bottom Line:
I have had no problems with the "red knob" as others have mentioned. My rack is setup with the bikes facing backward on the vehicle and after a long 1500km trip across the prairies of Canada through 70km/hour winds, the bikes remained tight and snug throughout. There wa
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