Bike Carrier that wont reduce a 4WDs departure angle

swaz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thanks guys, I'm liking the idea of a swing out carrier more and more. Have you heard of the RAKATTACH ? http://rakattach.com/ or something similar made in Australia?
Not sure of brand, but I have seen one of those before in the flesh. HEAPS of play in the whole unit.

could have been from Kmart, I just watched from across the street.
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Tilting isn't easy
Bikes lay on the ground
Wheel cradles don't move easily
Massive issues with quality control when the 4 bike rack arrived (but was remedied)
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Yep, nor is accessing stuff when it's tilted
Yep, outside bike take's the brunt of the whole lot through the bar, doesn't feel good
Sort of
Mine is sweet
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Yep, nor is accessing stuff when it's tilted
Yep, outside bike take's the brunt of the whole lot through the bar, doesn't feel good
Sort of
Mine is sweet






We have the 2 bike iSi and rarely tilt the rack. I took these to show the access into the back with a Prado barn door. The iSi rack stands up well to offroad use. So much that I have used most of it to make a rack for my camper.
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yar, I have the same car amigo. Loading prams, eskies, dogs and whatever else is just a bit sh1te, but could be me coming down off a post-ride high.
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
Yep, nor is accessing stuff when it's tilted
Yep, outside bike take's the brunt of the whole lot through the bar, doesn't feel good
Sort of
Mine is sweet
I suppose I can see why resting a MOUNTAIN bike on its bars would be a problem.

IMG_0213.JPG
 

takai

Eats Squid
I saw a guy with a North Shore style bike rack mounted to the spare wheel carrier on the back of his 4x4. It was one of the separate wheel carriers like this one:


So imagine something like this mounted to the spare wheel mount:


Seemed to work pretty well for him, they had the back doors open and beers out of the fridge while loading the bikes onto the rack, then they just closed it all up and buggered off.
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I suppose I can see why resting a MOUNTAIN bike on its bars would be a problem.

View attachment 337981
Zinnnngg. I can kill bars without the rack thanks mate, even without being on the bike. The way the ISI cradles the top tube puts a fair old amount of force on my CF anthem's measly TT regarded as its weakest point. Me no likey.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
The way the ISI cradles the top tube puts a fair old amount of force on my CF anthem's measly TT regarded as its weakest point. Me no likey.
It only "hooks" the top tube to stop the bike falling out of the wheel hoops. Even a feeble Giant could survive the powder puff grip of the rubber support.
 

swaz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
It only "hooks" the top tube to stop the bike falling out of the wheel hoops. Even a feeble Giant could survive the powder puff grip of the rubber support.
It's not the downward pressure the hook gives, it's the point loading pressure when you have 4 bikes + weight of the carrier pushing down through the bar end and then against the side of the frame and hook.

It might not be a big deal to some. But it was to me. Dust and dirt on grips, I'd never ever put someone else's bike as the last bike which often meant much frigging around (4 bike, not so much 2 bike)

I also had a hard time with the sliding of the wheel hoops. I pretty much had to carry a small rubber mallet in the back of the car to move them side to side. No issues if you were going on a really long road trip where the bikes were always the same but a time waster in my case. I've used a Thule 3 bike carrier and even with it's downsides, it loaded bikes faster.

The upsides to the rack:
it isn't plastic
re-sale is pretty good
bikes DO NOT touch each other- I've had a mixture of all of these- 20" 16"(it didn't do so great with this one) 26" HT, 27.5" trail, 29er race, 29er trail, road and they never touched each other. It actually didn't take a heap of friggening around to make them not touch either.
It holds the bikes nicely and the fat fingers don't rub or scratch. I did have some discoloration of my white frame after a 4hr road trip from the black of the finger.

I'll get to and write a review!
 

gcouyant

Farkin Advertiser
It's not the downward pressure the hook gives, it's the point loading pressure when you have 4 bikes + weight of the carrier pushing down through the bar end and then against the side of the frame and hook.
Just to correct the above. When the 4 bike carrier is lowered, the wheel support cradles act as supports.



and



Hope that helps clear up any confusion.
 

gcouyant

Farkin Advertiser
Just on the OPs question of departure clearance, it's clearance right from the tow bar attachment point. Often, people confuse clearance and bikes positioned well above the ground yet ignore what sticks out from the tow bar - which is the first thing that smashes into the ground.

As an example, of the bicycle carriers mentioned in this thread I'm not confident that any other will do this - from last Wednesday's drive up Corn Hill Track - and that's a tame track with deep wheel tracks.

[video=youtube_share;YX9hrOeEk4k]https://youtu.be/YX9hrOeEk4k[/video]

Hope that helps bring a bit of real world perspective.
 

swaz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Just to correct the above. When the 4 bike carrier is lowered, the wheel support cradles act as supports.



and



Hope that helps clear up any confusion.
Not in my case on my SUV. I can see how with a higher tow bar height but with mine that wasn't the case. Even when the kids bikes were on the outside and not an 800mm enduro style handlebar.
 

gcouyant

Farkin Advertiser
Not in my case on my SUV. I can see how with a higher tow bar height but with mine that wasn't the case. Even when the kids bikes were on the outside and not an 800mm enduro style handlebar.
I had a quick look through the tow bar height data for the tallest tow bar. That prize goes the Ultimate Nautilus which has a tow bar above ball height - well above shin height.



Well they say that the customer is always right Andrew so I can't argue that and I do wish that we could have kept the love - but all I can do is present facts and at the very least assist those who have genuine interest in this forum topic.
 

swaz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I don't have fancy graphics to support my argument. I will possibly have a photo somewhere. My intention is to provide a balanced view on this topic because you have a tendency to flood any topic/thread on this with a lot of 'fact' when in real life I have personally found the opposite yet somehow I am wrong?

They are very very well engineered racks and along with Gripsport should be considered before any of the overseas versions.
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
Radius of the arc determines if wheel holders touch ground first or handlebar ends. I'm pretty sure with the 4 x on grand Cherokee , it's wheel cradles first but with the shorter bar on the 2x it's handlebar first - on the 2 x the wheel holders will never strike the ground because it swings under the car.

It's going to vary by rack and by car variant
 

Ky1e

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I don't have fancy graphics to support my argument. I will possibly have a photo somewhere. My intention is to provide a balanced view on this topic because you have a tendency to flood any topic/thread on this with a lot of 'fact' when in real life I have personally found the opposite yet somehow I am wrong?

They are very very well engineered racks and along with Gripsport should be considered before any of the overseas versions.
Not sure your idea of a review is balanced, as you suggest. Welcome to bring your bus up here and try your old rack on your car for a photo if you wish.




On the subject of racks, has anyone here tried the Shingleback rack with 5 or 6 bikes?
 

spikenet

Likes Dirt
On the subject of racks, has anyone here tried the Shingleback rack with 5 or 6 bikes?
I've been eyeing them off, just the normal ease of use questions for touring with the family are holding me back.. looks really solid tho bit overpriced considering its such a simple design. Unlike the racks they ripped the design off from like northshore etc that have hinges etc.

A swingaway version would be perfect, cimbine with something like a rakattach .

Here's an interesting rack coming to the market, I rekon this will become way more common.
 

Ky1e

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I've been eyeing them off, just the normal ease of use questions for touring with the family are holding me back.. looks really solid tho bit overpriced considering its such a simple design. Unlike the racks they ripped the design off from like northshore etc that have hinges etc.

A swingaway version would be perfect, cimbine with something like a rakattach .

Here's an interesting rack coming to the market, I rekon this will become way more common.
Holdup 2 with a swing away arm by the looks! Intmeresting
 

swaz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Not sure your idea of a review is balanced, as you suggest. Welcome to bring your bus up here and try your old rack on your car for a photo if you wish.




On the subject of racks, has anyone here tried the Shingleback rack with 5 or 6 bikes?
Not even worth it.
 
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