Saris Super Bones Rack - QBP Frostbike 2015
The Saris Super Bones can hold up to three 35 pound bikes, has security features, and folds away nicely.
Saris has been manufacturing bike racks in the USA since the release of their first unique hatch back design almost forty years ago. That was back in 1976 and the tubular steel model wasn’t too pretty, but it worked, and only cost a whopping $26 USD. Over the years they reworked their designs to include new features such as rotating arms, security locks, and in the '90s they teamed up with Italian designer Fabio Pedrini to release the first injection molded ‘Bones’ bike rack on the market. Saris was recently awarded a patent for that design which has sold over a one million units worldwide.
In search of ways to improve their product, Saris reached out to consumers for feedback and discovered a few tweaks that were still needed. At Frostbike 2015 they announced they're ready to release a limited run of the ‘’Super Bones” three bike rear hatch style rack that has a few new cool features. Some of the issues they hoped to address included bike to rack and rack to car security, new car compatibility, strap retention, and how to deal with excess straps.
Circa '76, The Ramones are cool, but I'm not sure I would put my downhill bike on this.
The outer bike position has a key and cable locking system.
Once removed from the car, all the legs and arms can be aligned for easy storage.
The new Super Bones uses a process known as gas-assisted injection molding, which allows the designers to manipulate the various wall thickness for strength and make the the plastic arms hollow. The rack is rated to carry three bikes up to 35 pounds each, while the rack itself only weighs about 20 pounds. It has a simple but clever strap retention system similar to a tape measure that allows the strap to pull out under tension or roll up the excess out of sight. A recessed plastic latch releases and ratchets up the tension to fix it securely on the car.
The strap retention mechanism is a bit like a tape measure that allows the strap to pull out under tension or roll up the excess out of sight.
Push the latch down to release the strap, or flip it up and use it like a ratchet to increase tension. Certain latches can lock to deter theft.
The system also uses a stiffer nylon webbing that has thin stainless steel cables integrated lengthwise in the strap. Saris says the cable is less susceptible to stretch and noticeably more difficult to cut, adding extra security against possible theft. Lower arms are fixed to the splined aluminum main shaft while the bike arms and upper arms can rotate freely or be locked in place with another latch. Bike frames are held with a typical plastic ratchet strap and an adjustable strap underneath keeps bikes from making contact with one another. To ensure a secure, scratch free contact with the vehicle, soft pivoting feet have been redesigned with an extra large surface area to reduce stress. Final pricing hasn't been confirmed, but Saris did say that it would be under $500 USD.
Saris is also know for a variety of other products including rear hitch racks. This model works with super wide fat bike tires.
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Wtf is a geo prism? Sounds like a Rubik's cube's retarded cousin.
Yeah we'd love a truck, but mileage, costs, and everything else makes it just smarter to drive a Geo.
The only downfall of these racks is that your frame will get scratched if the bike or rack is muddy, and eventually (on the older version) the plastic on the lower mounts leave residue on your trunk. Otherwise, they are really good value and a good alternative if you can't afford roof rack/hitch mounted options.
What is clear is that Saris racks are attractive and their cool plastic-y design draws in a lot of folks. What is unclear to most people until they're actually using one of these racks is that;
1. They're only useful for Hard Tail bikes.
2. Even amongst the Hard Tail frames, they only really work well for large bikes with spacious front triangles. Any rack of this style will be trickier the smaller the front triangle gets, but with the fixed plastic straps, getting a bike past the straps is a major pain in the ass. Smaller bikes require a lot of wiggling, pushing and pulling to get on. And any cables routed along the top tube will be a constant headache, especially if non-continuous cable housing is involved.
3. Hard as you try, if you use one long enough it will mark up your car. The window and trunk/hatch will get worn down by the padded feet, the edge of the trunk/hatch will get worn down by the metal strap ends and your pedals will bump the car more often than you want to believe. The best way to avoid your pedals hitting the car is to position the crank so that it rubs up against the rack.
For some, this is a wonderful design. For those of us using a good, solid, all metal, hitch mount rack (cough, cough, 1upUSA), it's hard to imagine every using something like this.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/11808225
Bought a roof mounted rack and it's perfect, no need to dismount it, and fitting the bike is super easy
Unless it picks my bike up and tightens the straps itself, I'm not interested, I'll keep using my normal system (take wheels off and put in car, or use current rack). Nothing to see here, just a marketing piece.