Khyber Racks Is A New Bike Rack Company Based in Whistler
Top of Mount 7 Psychosis course, Golden BC
PRESS RELEASE: INTRODUCING KHYBER RACKS
We are a new bike rack company, dedicated to producing premium heavy duty and corrosion resistant racks.
Our first prototype came to life in 2013. After several prototypes and abusive testing in the years since, we’re stoked to finally offer a rack that can deliver a lifetime of performance.
Taking its name from Khyber Pass in the Whistler backcountry, a special place to frequent in summer and winter, Khyber Racks were designed in Whistler and tested in the mountains of British Columbia.
The Khyber V1 Multi Pivot Six Pack, with Tantalus Range in the background.
(The swing hitch pictured is not a Khyber product)
(The swing hitch pictured is not a Khyber product)
CORROSION RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL AND ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION
The wet coastal environment of the Sea to Sky corridor where we ride is tough on steel. Improving corrosion resistance was one of our top priorities, achieved through material selection and surface finishes.
• The mast and wheel holders are 304 stainless steel
• The hitch spigot is galvanized A500 Grade C structural steel
• The rest of the chassis is anodized 6061-T6 aluminum
• All hardware is A2-70 stainless steel.
Stainless parts are sandblasted after welding, then electropolished to further improve corrosion resistance.
Left: V1 Multi Pivot Four Pack (stand not available)
Right: Custom extruded 8mm thick stainless mast and heavy duty CNC aluminum parts.
Right: Custom extruded 8mm thick stainless mast and heavy duty CNC aluminum parts.
BUILT TOUGH AND BACKED BY A LIFETIME WARRANTY
We personally needed a rack that would stand up to offroad driving. After structural failures, inadequate tie downs and ejected bikes, it evolved into what you see here. It sure didn’t start out this way, but ended up here out of necessity. We now have a rack that we stand behind with a lifetime warranty that is valid for offroad use.
To build the strongest hitch mount rack, with the highest confidence, we custom extrude both the mast and hitch spigot at 8mm thick, rather than using standard ¼” tubing. The side plates are 12mm thick with 145x25mm solid aluminum stiffener blocks. This greatly reduces sideways flex, which in turn reduces momentum induced flicking of the bikes, keeping them much more stable through uneven terrain.
We chose strength, durability and function rather than convenience when taking the rack on and off the vehicle, so our racks are quite heavy. Weights are published on our website under FAQs.
THE KHYBER SPEEDLOCK™ TIE DOWNS - THE END OF ATTACHMENT ISSUES
Our SpeedLock™ tie down system adapts to any tire size instantly, from road tires to plus tires,
even fat bike tires with the optional fat baskets. (US and Int'l patents pending).
Super fast loading and unloading. Nothing but rubber touches the rack.
Both wheels are held with ultimate security. No more rearview mirror anxiety.
even fat bike tires with the optional fat baskets. (US and Int'l patents pending).
Super fast loading and unloading. Nothing but rubber touches the rack.
Both wheels are held with ultimate security. No more rearview mirror anxiety.
Electropolished 304 Stainless Steel baskets sit atop the 6061-T6 Anodized Aluminum top bar
Easily available 6mm Mammut static rope secures the wheels. Adapts instantly to your tire size.
No stretch means no slop, and no eager bikes trying to leave before you arrive.
No stretch means no slop, and no eager bikes trying to leave before you arrive.
KHYBER RACKS COME IN TWO VERSIONS
The V1 - MULTI PIVOT allows for on the fly angular adjustment, allowing you to tilt the rack to access the rear door or trunk of your vehicle.
The V2 - FIXED PIVOT gives a choice of three fixed angle settings, and offers a more affordable and lighter option for riders who don't need on the fly adjustments, such as when using with an open truck bed or an aftermarket swing hitch.
12mm side plates and CNC blocks ensure a super stiff chassis, reducing lateral flex
V1 Left and V2 Right
V1 Left and V2 Right
The V1 pivot system runs on replaceable, hard wearing 28mm diameter IGUS bushings and custom nylon bushing plates which are replaceable and offer continuous slop free performance.
Each version is available in 3, 4, 5 and 6 bike capacities and requires a 2 inch class III hitch. Any bike weighing up to 24kg/53lbs that fits inside the wheel basket properly is good to go.
The standard basket accepts up to 29"x2.8" Plus tires, while the alternative Fat Bike basket will accept up to a 5" tire. The rack is optimized for mountain bikes, but both basket types accept and secure Gravel and Road Bike tires. Be aware that drop bars may interfere when loaded side by side.
We are currently manufacturing tooling for an adapter to suit 20" wheels but in the meantime they can be carried in the rack reasonably well. The fork leg will rest on the basket so we recommend using some protection to prevent damage to the fork. We hope to have the 20" adapter available mid 2021.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
V1 and V2 racks are available now in sizes Three to Six, for Class III 2" receivers. All prices are in $CAD.
Three Pack
Four Pack
Five Pack
Six Pack
V1 - Multi Pivot
$1800
$2000
$2200
$2400
$1800
$2000
$2200
$2400
V2 - Fixed Pivot
$1600
$1800
$2000
$2200
$1600
$1800
$2000
$2200
Flat rate shipping to Canada is $100 and USA mainland is $250. Shipping to other locations at buyer's request, but be aware shipping costs outside North America are rather outrageous and likely unviable. For example, shipping to Australia is $800.
WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE? AND WHY ARE THEY SO HEAVY?
These are fair questions and require justification.
The racks are built entirely from 6061-T6 aluminum and 304 stainless steel, including hardware, which straight away increases the cost of materials.
We also wanted to back it with a lifetime warranty. But the extra cost is not to pay for future failures, it’s to prevent them in the first place. Since we built the rack to withstand offroad use, we use a large amount of that already costly material. It’s a risk to take such an approach, since many users don’t need a rack this strong, and it comes at a cost in dollars and weight. But our tie-down system is so secure you may find you shuttle more enthusiastically than you're used to. So we built the rack we needed to meet our requirements, knowing there will be other riders with similar demands.
There are also many processes, such as custom extruding, sandblasting, laser cutting, CNC milling, anodizing, electropolishing, laser annealing and laser etching. It was difficult to find a factory willing and able to partner with us since there are so many processes involved.
When comparing prices, it’s important to make the right comparisons. Ours is considerably more expensive compared to more simple designs that use basic attachment points, but compared to the best offerings that use wheel baskets, it's easier to see how type and amount of materials, along with surface finishes, accounts for the premium. Wheel baskets are expensive to manufacture, so it’s not possible to compete with racks that don’t use them, regardless of what materials are chosen.
We haven’t made our choices lightly, and feel we've made considerable improvements that justify the increase in cost for any user, but particularly for those who need a more robust and secure solution.
WHERE ARE THEY MADE?
Currently the racks are made in China. It simply wasn't possible with our first small production run to have them made in North America, as the cost to manufacture would have been higher than our retail price. If you are a Canadian supplier and feel you can produce any of these parts competitively and reliably, please send a PM, or contact us via our website.
WHO ARE KHYBER RACKS?
Khyber Racks was founded by Jaan Hurditch and Mark Haimes.
Jaan is a Mechanical Engineer in Whistler who has designed products for companies including Vorsprung Suspension and Cheetah Factory Racing and is also co-founder of STFU Bike.
Mark is a CAD Designer in Squamish, founder of forthcoming LoamLab Components and set a Guinness World Record for Greatest Vertical Descent on MTB in 24 hours - completed on Mt 7 Psychosis course in Golden BC in 2014.
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But anyway cHiNa BaD
The hard stuff to avoid is electronics, helmets, and soft goods such as clothing or shoes. These are primarily made in China.
Asia isn’t necessarily an issue, Taiwan is an independent democracy (f*ck you John Cena) who has been telling China to f*ck off and leave them alone for years. They have higher quality manufactured goods and stricter labor laws than China. They also aren’t committing genocide, mass sterilization, and organ harvesting of a specific religious group. Oh, and they aren’t actively hiding information from the world about where this virus came from to cover their own asses. But yeah, @ream720 probably doesn’t believe any of that, or thinks it’s all “conspiracy theories”.
So politely f*ck China. I’ll continue my attempt to support companies who employ locally instead of outsourcing.
Even if the raw material comes from China, companies like Industry 9 are still seeing more demand to produce locally and are therefore hiring more people locally. They commented on an article here a few months back. If I recall, they’ve hired 15 new employees this year and bought something like 5 new cnc machines.
For the record, zero issues with the people or culture of China, but their government is an authoritarian regime that needs to be stopped.
I do acknowledge that bad things are happening in China, I also am not naive enough to believe that the people of China have much to do with it. Are you responsible for all the bad things the US does?
You just keep on watching the news to gain your worldview.
Any rack article on PB gets loads of reaction. Does anyone remember the Kazimer North Shore Racks long-term review? That was intense.
Recon's design could have certainly been legally patented, but he's never been interested in that side of it. He just wants to weld and make bomber stuff.
And roll his rock crawler over while in Facebook Jail.
And you're 100% right. Copy. Paste. Profit.
If during his presidency, Trump had said the world was round, the Anti Trump left would have become flat earthers and told us to “trust the science,” purely because they can’t stand the idea of him being correct about anything.
The difference with the border? They are willingly going there in a hope to improve their quality of living. They’re not being forced there for “re-education” purposes. They’re not being forced to make Nikes, and then being tortured or killed if they fall out of line. Feel free to google some of the Uyghur horror stories of survival, torture, rape, and sterilization. Slightly different situation there bud...
I’d say to google pictures of the border here as well for comparison sake. But our media is no longer allowed to take photos of the sub par living conditions that children are packed into. Even AOC finally pulled her head out of the sand, and is criticizing the “inhuman and barbaric” conditions of the border under Biden.
Anyhow, peace out, and enjoy the beautiful country you’re fortunate to live in. And best of luck to @Khyber-racks with their business venture....
We have tried to keep shipping reasonable within Canada and US by offering subsidized flat rate shipping.
But this company is based in Canada and likely does not have Aus distribution or distribution from China.
You're all acting like stainless steel is just regular steel with extra marketing, haha! They may look similar, but they're not the same. Corrosion is a legit concern for some people, and this a design to specifically address that.
So not everyone is copying Recon.
It was initially built just for personal use. It wasn't until about 3 years ago, after the 3rd iteration was built, that we decided it would be a good idea to put the effort into making something we could offer to others, and also have the resources to do so.
I’ve had 4 baskets break on me so far all on the same weld spot for each one. The first one he was cool on and then he got progressively frustrated. Also my rack has so much slop in it, it’s crazy. Wish I could get it to be sturdy again
I wonder if @cyclesdevinci could lend a hand, or make a good partnership, with all their Alcan experience up in Chicoutimi?
My family has spend $2k on racks over the last 6 years because of rust/failures. Spending $2k on something that won't rust and has a lifetime warranty sounds like a not bad idea. How many of you people buy Arc'teryx? Because you can get a jacket that does the same job for much less. But the manufacturer isn't going to repair/replace it for free 5 years down the road like Arc'teryx will.
My old Thule T2 was 96lbs with four trays. Heavy and was starting to corrode and look it's age when I sold it. Granted, it was about half as expensive as Khyber but If these are as corrosion resistant as claimed, the price is palatable for me.
Looks sturdy as hell and likely something that will last longer than five years and I won't worry about bikes being damaged or coming off. Could be a good purchase.
Don't like the price? Don't buy it. Supply and demand. If these guys have priced it too high, the prices will come down or they will go out of business. That is how a free market works.
I bought a NSR 4 in 2009 and it's still going strong.
Has some paint chipped off? Yes. Does it matter? Not really. If I cared enough I'd grab some tremclad and touch it up.
What I am saying is we beat the hell out of our racks and to have one that is built up to withstand the weather and abuse that we subject our racks to is appealing. And while the North Shore Racks have proven to be reliable, I would never get one because of where they contact the bike and the crown wear I have seen on friends bikes who own NSR's
Sure, the rope tie-downs seem cheap, but they just plain work, and are extremely easy to replace should they for some reason, need to be replaced. The worst part of the NSR is how it can rub the paint off your crown and headtube area. But at the end of the day, it's paint on your mountain bike in a small area. Hardly worth getting up in arms over.
The weight is definitely a factor. I went with a 4 NSR because it was one of the lightest 4 bike racks on the market. It went on my hatchback, which has a max 200 lb tongue weight. 4 bikes + the rack basically puts it at around 190-195 lbs depending on the bikes. Adding that extra 35 pounds of the Khyber rack would put me over that max.
And then there is the price. An NSR is almost a third of the price, manufactured AND assembled (if needed) locally, does the same job basically just as well, and weighs a huge chunk less. I can't see why anyone would want or need to spend $2k+ for a bike rack when there are others that get the job done just as well for much less. Even Recon racks (which... is basically what this is) are considerably less. It's cool to see more options become available, and I was genuinely stoked about this until I saw the price and weight.
If this Khyber can get through winters without much abuse and me not having to remove it and reinstall as much as the other, that is a win.
I gotta move to Phoenix. Too old for winters anymore.
How are NSR with carbon frames? I am a little hesitant to get one since I am into the plastic.
Our first prototype was in 2011 (under the name Double D Racks, before someone else took that name long before we were ready to come to market). You can see photos of our prototypes here...
www.pinkbike.com/photo/20718511
www.pinkbike.com/photo/20718512
But their tie down system looks very smart, materials look great, and happy to see a new Canadian company out there. Now just make this your dentist version, and introduce a 4-bike version that folds down and costs $750 Cdn (with more steel or whatever is needed), and you've got a winner.
The copy comments on here are pretty funny as look at how the bike industry is converging on pretty much ever new awesome thing. Khyber racks is just taking something good and adding to it.
Rope tie downs, with this statement: "No stretch means no slop". This is incorrect. With a tie-down system, you want some stretch in the system. If there is no stretch, then a small shift in the tied-down load will release all of the tension in the tie-down. If that happens with this rope system your bike is loose. Imagine you get a leak you don't notice, and your tire goes flat while you are driving. Now this rope can just fall out of that zig-zag keeper system.
Thick-walled, but small cross-section stainless steel upright? The top bar is aluminum, why not the upright? And if you really want a SS upright, and you are going to the trouble of a custom extrusion, then at least make the walls thinner and the box section bigger.
The upright is stainless, but not the short steel piece that goes into the receiver? Which is more prone to rusting?
If you happen to be in the Sea to Sky area, I would be happy to show you how it works. It's the feature of the rack that is the most praised by our users.
The upright is not aluminum because I broke an aluminum one during testing.
The box section is the width it is to match the opening of a 2" receiver hitch.
The reason the hitch spigot is not stainless steel is because there's a high risk of it seizing in the hitch due to galvanic corrosion.
I have a friend that recently got this rack, he’s beaming about it. It is well built, STOUT, and looks to be everything you could want in an upright, basket type rack. It really is a thing of beauty when seen in person, and I’d have to say well done @Khyber-Racks for building/designing/marketing this unit.
Build a better mouse trap, there’s room in the market for everyone. I’ve emailed about getting a Recon rack 3 times, no answer, I’m considering other options, and I’m glad there are some out there.
Be good to one another out there!
Thanks for responding, but unfortunately I have to stand by 2 out of 3 of my statements.
A tie-down system should not go slack with small shifts of the load. The fact that your tire went flat once and it didn't come loose that time is insufficient evidence that it will be reliable. If you can push the rope into the keeper system, bumps in the road can work a slack rope out of the keeper system. This is especially true as the rope degrades, and there is no good way of knowing how degraded is too degraded.
The fact that you broke an aluminum one (of what wall thickness?) is not itself sufficient to warrant a switch to 8 mm thick stainless steel with a small cross-section. A solid 2-inch square aluminum bar would weigh and cost a lot less than that stainless upright. Beyond that, there is no reason the upright should have the same outer dimensions as the 2" receiver hitch. It makes machining the pieces for the joint at the bottom easier, but you are claiming an ultra-premium rack and asking an ultra-premium price. It could be stiffer, stronger, and lighter with a larger cross section, whatever material you choose.
You may be correct about the grade of stainless you are using and the typical steel in receivers.
"Currently the racks are made in China. It simply wasn't possible with our first small production run to have them made in North America, as the cost to manufacture would have been higher than our retail price."
The costs would likely be 2x as much. SS304 / A2-70 also adds to expensive.
It's a difficult item to build strong, based on a single point (receiver hitch) of support.
Everyone on the hate train for products made in china I hope you don't have a TV or dishwasher or phone made there as that would be highly hypocritical. Khyber have explained that they have and are still looking into sourcing locally but for their first small run it was too expensive to do so which makes sense given the high cost materials and finishes they have used.
Come back once you've sold all the chinese made stuff you currently own and have started a company making a high end product at a price point that won't instantly put you out of business. So many keyboard warriors and armchair analysts on here it's sad af. The mtb scene is relatively small and we should be supporting small new companies not throwing hate. Go ride your fking bike if you haven't got anything productive to add.
Yes = Ad
No = Press release
Yes it's complicated and yes it is heavy, but its strong and LIFETIME WARRANTY should quell some haters (haha sure).
Good luck guys and hope to see them out in the carparks and ripping up access roads for shuttle runs!
Please come back with some innovative for the rear wheel....Replaceable rubber straps !
I bought a NSR, its noticeably rusty, but it works really well, is simple and very solid, and has been reliable for a lot of years. I could see someone wanting something that looks sharper and stainless and aluminum would. I agree it would be very hard to buy nothing manufactured in China, but I certainly try to buy stuff made in Canada (or North America) when I reasonably can.
@bishopsmike for someone who has never been to Whistler (and a bit of a history buff) it is funny as hell. I may be weird.
It could be yours for a premium $2400 plus another 250 to US
Oh yah made in China.
haha nice try.
Tired of a new MTB company coming out every other week trying to take advantage of the boom and get their slice of the pie.
I'll just take a VelociRAX for 7 bikes and 900 bucks thank you much
shuttlerack.ca/product/shuttlerack-4
It's all about the lifestyle image, brah.
That custom 8mm extrusion is 1.65mm thicker wall.
And what needs laser annealing???
Laser annealing is for laser marking on stainless steel.
North shore rack/kuat flat racks still the best. Plebs
www.allsurplus.com/events/23012?utm_source=ground_handling_international&utm_medium=rental_email&utm_campaign=23012_20210528
www.single-trail.com
We've been turned down for quote requests by 3 fab shops in Canada this week alone. At least they replied; most do not.
Please PM if you have any qualified leads for fabrication in Canada.
I have gen 2 and it is awesome. And way more karma buying directly from the guy making stuff.