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Home | Product Reviews | Bike Rack | Yakima Super Joe | ||||
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Submitted by
Toly Molitvenik
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Clarita, CA
Date Reviewed: 10/8/2007 11:22:03 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Lower Clamintine Loop |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $99 |
| Purchased At: | Sports Chalet |
| Strengths: | Easy install, strong, good finish. |
| Weaknesses: | Straps get loose. No way to "really" tighten top two straps. Seemed to be pretty full when I put two bikes on it (made for 3). Also, I wish it had some way to lock the bikes. Once you go, you cant stop anywere without being worried. |
| Similar Products Tried: | my trunk |
| Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher HiFi Deluxe, bone stock and lovin it! |
| Bottom Line: | Good product for the money. I wish I could get a hitch mount but I'm not ready to upgrade my car for my bike (yet). I did two six hour trips and several shorter ones, the rack did fine. Beats my trunk by far. |
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Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal, USA
Date Reviewed: 6/21/2007 2:50:29 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $67 |
| Purchased At: | Sport Chalet |
| Strengths: | Easy to install as long you read the directions carefully and look at the photos online. Holds bikes well. I'm a bit of worry wort so I check them at every stop. So far so good. It's inexpensive for what you get. |
| Weaknesses: | Easy to steal the rack, but I don't think you can get around this with this type rack. Instructions could be better with better diagrams of how to attach the straps. If you are worried about theft you have to remove it and throw it the trunk which is a little bit of hassle. Pads will scatch car if ti's not clean which again is a bit of hassle, but unavoidable with this type of rack. Even thought the hooks are plastic coated they make the paint a bit too even when clean. Also if you drop the plastic coated hooks the plastic seems to wear relatively easy. |
| Similar Products Tried: | An OLD rack of similar design from many many years ago. It was total crap compared to this one. |
| Bike Setup: | A breeze. Very easy to put bikes on and off unless they are smaller, my BMX (20 and 24) bikes can be a tight fit and require some fiddling. |
| Bottom Line: | Very good value if you don't want to spend a fortune on a bike rack. I have no idea how poorly the folks who had their bikes fall off their car installed it, but it must have been a site to see. I had a friend who had the same rack and he installed it wrong and it still held the bikes on fine. If it is installed the way it is supposed to be and isn't over loaded I have no idea how it would fall off. User error is the only thing I can think of. |
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Minot, ND
Date Reviewed: 9/20/2006 10:20:20 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Maah Daah Hey |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $100 |
| Purchased At: | Scheels all sport |
| Strengths: | I will carry a bike-hey, beats putting your bike in the trunk. |
| Weaknesses: | There are too many to list, lets just sum it up with "bad design." |
| Similar Products Tried: | Saris Bones 3 |
| Bike Setup: | Standard specialized rockhopper, with shimano PD-M324 ATB pedal |
| Bottom Line: | This is a horrible product. It's made for three bikes, but i was concerned with just two bikes on. As soon as you put a bike on it, all the straps loosen up. Alittle bit of a side wind on the interstate, and you can see the bikes swing. Red side adjustment pulls, wouldnt pull after a couple months. Huge problem, because this rack is in need of constant adjustment. Bottom line.....dont buy this product, it's a terrible waste of money!!! |
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Submitted by
Katie
a Weekend Warrior
from Illinois
Date Reviewed: 9/12/2006 9:29:30 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $85 |
| Purchased At: | M&M Cyclery |
| Strengths: | The Yakima Super Joe 2 protected my car well and secured solidly to my trunk. Others reported damage to finish, but I did not have this problem. |
| Weaknesses: | It was difficult to get my "girls'" bike on it. The pices that normally support the frame did not fit my bike precisely. I had to get creative using the rubber straps. I was driving 4 hours on highways at high speeds and was concerned about the bike, but I used all the rubber straps and it was fine. On the way home I forgot to connec the strap that encircles the post that extends to the seat and that strap is important. Without it, the bike is pushed away from the car by the air current and the frame slipped off the back holder. I could see this in the rearview mirror. After it was fixed there was no problem. |
| Similar Products Tried: | I've used bottom of the line trunk racks before. One must be careful not to mar the paint with the hooks, but the hooks on the Yakima Super Joe 2 are covered with plastic and the rack itself has cushy foam pads that protect your car. |
| Bike Setup: | It can hold two bikes. The frame support pieces are fixed so they don't slide forward and backward, keeping two bikes separate. |
| Bottom Line: | The staff at M&M Cyclery were nice enough to help me set this up the first time and I'm glad they did. It was a little different than I expected. Give yourself time to read the instructions if you're doing it yourself. I couldn't find a trunk rack with reviews that did not report some instances of car scratching or damage. I think if you attach them correctly, you'll avoid damaging your finish. Bottom line, I like the rack and would recommend it. For the price it seems to be a good value. |
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Submitted by
Jennifer
a Weekend Warrior
from Champaign, IL
Date Reviewed: 9/11/2006 8:05:27 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $125 |
| Purchased At: | REI |
| Strengths: | Easy to put on and take off of car. |
| Weaknesses: | DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT!!! Or if you do, make sure that you bungee/U-lock/whatever your bike to the rack. The rubber straps come loose at highway speeds. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Yakima Q-tower roof rack with Viper fork mounts. LOVE IT!!! |
| Bottom Line: | We bought this rack (King Joe 2) because we were too lazy to get my Yakima roof rack sent out from CA and fit it out with new Q-clips, fork mounts, etc. Big mistake! My bike came off the rack on the highway and luckily didn't cause a crash. Also lucky that it was my old bike and there was only $100 of damage. When my husband bought a new bike, we found taht we couldn't even get the bikes on the rack without my pedal sticking straight into his spokes. Between that and the fact that we both had nice new bikes, it was well worth it to switch to the roof rack and we absolutely love it. Our only regret is that we didn't do it right the first time. Now to test the REI "100% satisfaction guarantee" and see if they will give us our money back. Overall, we really trusted the Yakima name, and ended up being seriously disappointed. |
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Submitted by
Bryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Fenton, MO
Date Reviewed: 8/22/2006 3:15:19 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Chubb Trail |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $53 |
| Purchased At: | Wholesale from manufacturer |
| Strengths: | Easy to use, straps hold secure on any vehicle. Mine holds VERY well at speeds of 70+ mph. Rock solid. Never scratched the bike - EVER - in 2+ years of use. |
| Weaknesses: | Hooks do mark on car, but it is a white car so it is also easier to see. Luckily I dont really care. |
| Bike Setup: | Raliegh M60 with various upgrades |
| Bottom Line: | FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS! Others on this site have trouble. Clean your trunk before use to prevent scratches and read the correct spacing for the bars in the manual. Secure your downtube in the switchblade cradles - its what they are designed to do! Never had a problem with the rubber straps or the bike flying/swaying behind the car. Keep the straps sealed when not in use, and if they are drying out - replace them. Yakima is easy to do business with. Great easy to use rack that is solid at any speed. Use it right and you WONT have a problem! |
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Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Jacksonville FL USA
Date Reviewed: 3/12/2006 3:31:57 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Hanna Park |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | 100 |
| Strengths: | 'adjustable' |
| Weaknesses: | too many to list - the pieces mar your car's paint, have to adjust and readjust and tighten and retighten to get secure, rubber tie downs don't hold, frame puts pressure on your back windshield and license plate, obscures your license plate, doesn't handle girl-style, non-standard bike frames, prevents opening your rear hatch -Oh yeah - EXTREMELY UNSAFE |
| Similar Products Tried: | thule roof rack, yakima roof rack |
| Bike Setup: | Specialized Hard tail, Trek Navigator 200 |
| Bottom Line: | Please please understand this: THIS RACK IS A PIECE OF JUNK. It cost me over 100 dollars and was recommended by the bike shop that sold me the Specialized Hard tail. I spent more time trying to rig it so my bikes would stay on safely (and not drag the ground or slip off) and sweating over every bump in the road than I did trail riding. It is so 'adjustable' it is sloppy. Maybe that is the penalty you pay for the "one size fits all" feature. |
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Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from PA
Date Reviewed: 7/27/2005 3:15:26 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $80 |
| Strengths: | looks nice, name brand |
| Weaknesses: | Rubber straps let go, hard to secure on round shaped trunks, leaves marks on trunk |
| Bike Setup: | Fisher Tass Disc |
| Bottom Line: | Well, I am embarassed to say that I lost my bike off of it. I also nearly caused a three car accident. The rubber straps do not hold the bike. They become unsecured at highway speeds. The bike was miraculously fine except for the Bontrager saddle I was about to replace anyway... I had the newer version but returned it since it wasn't recommended for my car (Accord coupe). Then I got this one. The bottom line is don't trust the rubber straps, use bungees or rope. Also, you have to pull the straps TIGHT. I expected more from a name brand such as Yakima. The vertical stabilizer is a nice touch though. |
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Submitted by
G Drab
a Weekend Warrior
from Lewisburg, Pa, USA
Date Reviewed: 6/28/2005 11:53:54 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Allegheny River Trail |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $90 |
| Purchased At: | Howe's Bike Shop |
| Strengths: | At first glance appears to be a well-made, secure trunk mount rack. |
| Weaknesses: | Brand new cannondale fell off the rack and was destroyed on the highway. Sheer luck that a major accident did not occur when everyone swerved out of the way to avoid my cartwheeling bike flying down the middle of the highway. You absolutely cannot trust the Yakima rubber straps to secure you bike. This rack is DANGEROUS |
| Bike Setup: | Used the Mighty Joe II to carry 2 bikes |
| Bottom Line: | Do not buy this rack if you are planning on highway/long distance transportation of your bikes. I wish that someone would have told me this before I bought it. The Yakima rubber straps do not securely hold your bike. I am very lucky that someone was not killed when my bike fell off on the highway. This is a defective product. Read posts you will find similar stories of bikes falling off on the highway. I will never buy another trunk mount rack...they are NOT SAFE. On a side note, I won't even follow someone who is using one anymore. BE CAREFUL. |
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Submitted by
Mike
from Mountain View, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: 10/21/2004 3:42:28 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Strengths: | Still in use after 2+ years |
| Weaknesses: | Signs of rust Hard to use Not enough rubber bands |
| Bottom Line: | Been using this to primarily transport my girlfriend's bike for over 2 years now. Although it gets the job done, overall its not very good. There aren't enough rubber straps to secure transport for more then one bike. After over 2 years of use some parts show signs of rust. If you aren't careful the bike will easily scratch the car. There are black spots were the black rubber pads rest on the trunk. And its hard for one person to put the bike on the rack, it really takes two people to do it right. |
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Submitted by
Pissed
a Weekend Warrior
from USA
Date Reviewed: 10/18/2003 2:19:19 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $85 |
| Purchased At: | Galyan's |
| Strengths: | None! |
| Weaknesses: | Cradles slip and allow bike to contact car, resulting in large amounts of damage to the paint on your precious car. |
| Similar Products Tried: | None |
| Bottom Line: | This is the worst product I have ever used. This being the second day of use and now I have a couple hundred dollars worth of damage to my car. I was carrying just one bike and with the wind the cradles slipped and allowed my shocks to contacts my rear spoiler and the rest is history!!! I will never buy another Yakima product again and I will discourage others from ever purchasing a Yakima product as well! I Don't know what I am going to buy next. I have to go return this pile ASAP. |
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Submitted by
Larry R
from Flagstaff
Date Reviewed: 6/18/2003 3:46:30 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Little Bear |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $100 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | Easy and quick fit to most vehicles...use on my 96 Saturn primarily...side straps are Great! and work with my rear spoiler on trunk... Have even used on mini-van w/o problems.... Once carried heavy double stroller to Disneyland...no problem... Very Strong.... |
| Weaknesses: | Bungees and extra-tie downs are almost required...straps seem to be rotting...probably will need replaced soon... Kinda pricey...but I've been happy overall.... |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | Trek X01 and 8000 Mongoose IBOC |
| Bottom Line: | Good Rack, very strong and dependable |
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Submitted by
Len
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington
Date Reviewed: 1/1/2003 11:27:57 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $85 |
| Strengths: | Rack frame is table on the trunk when straps are securely tightened, fairly inexpensive |
| Weaknesses: | rubber straps won't guarantee bike stability; especially at highway speeds |
| Bike Setup: | Hardtail |
| Bottom Line: | This is a good rack. Lightweight. Easy to fold up and put in your trunk. BUT the rubber straps/downtube device won't necessarily hold the bike down. I found this out when I was on the highway going about 65 mph. The wheels of my bike were going horizontally from the wind (like a kite tail if you can picture that). I'm sure my bike would have fallen off if I didn't have bungee cords to secure it back down (while parked on the side of the highway, no less). This is a good rack but bungee cords are absolutely necessary. I haven't had a problem since. |
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Submitted by
Rob
a Weekend Warrior
from North Shore, BC
Date Reviewed: 9/5/2002 3:58:44 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Upper Oil Can |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $85 |
| Strengths: | Easy to use and doesn't damage your car. |
| Weaknesses: | It's not a roof rack. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Rhode Gear Super Shuttle |
| Bike Setup: | Devinci Taos |
| Bottom Line: | Sounds like the fellow below has some issues. It's the old "I was just riding along and all of a sudden my frame broke". This rack work great, it straps on in about 1 minute, the bikes attack easily and are solid. I took this thing up Mt Seymour with 2 40+ pound full suspensions and my hardtale on it. It moved a bit on the car, but there was over 100lbs of bikes on it. It's a strap rack, what do you expect. If you are worried about your bikes and your car, spend the money and put them on the roof, where they are safe. |
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Submitted by
Leo
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: 5/26/2002 6:53:13 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $68 |
| Purchased At: | Supergo |
| Strengths: | Fairly easy to set up |
| Weaknesses: | Dropped off a bike onto the freeway. Tough to fit three bikes in. |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | unknown after the bike took a tumble onto the freeway. |
| Bottom Line: | Not sure who's the blame here. I guess it goes both ways. Bad design and not idiotproof. I thought I had the bike really secure. I strapped the bike down with those rubber bands. But apparently the rubber band got themselves loose and let go of the bike. So, what gives? When I pulled down those rubber bands, the bike was secure. Then fell off... So, bottom line? If you have this rack or are thinking about getting it, tie the bikes with a rope to the rack itself and don't just count on those flimsy rubber bands. |
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