You know what's somehow even less exciting than another Ask PB article where we talk about 1x drivetrains and tire choices? A review of a bike rack. The thing is, not only do many of us require a rack to go mountain biking, but we also task them with carrying thousands and thousands of our dollars at triple-digit speeds. So yeah, racks might not be too exciting but, for some of us, they might also be the most important piece of gear besides the actual bike.
Saris' $154.99 USD Bones 2-Bike is a strap-on rack designed to fit
pretty much every type of car out there. The entire frame is constructed from injection-molded plastic that (obviously) won't rust. Saris says that the Bones rack will haul up to two 35lb bikes - sorry,
@paulaston and other e-riderz. The rack itself weighs just 9 pounds and folds flat-ish, making it easy to stash in the trunk or on a backseat.
Saris Bones 2-Bike Details• Strap-on rack for vehicles w/o hitch
• Carries two bikes (three-bike option)
• Weight limit: 35lb per bike
• Adjustable straps w/ vinyl-coated hooks
• Adjustable arms and legs
• Injection molded plastic frame
• Fits most cars, over most spoilers
• Built with 100% recyclable materials
• Colors: black or grey
• Lifetime warranty
• Weight: 9lb
• MSRP: $154.99 USD
•
www.saris.com 
The Bones should be able to fit onto the back of most cars or SUVs due to its mega-adjustable design.
Design The Bones' curvy, folding design not only sets it apart from the industrial look of the competition, but it's also key in allowing it to fit onto the majority of cars on the road. The arc to the injection molded plastic arms lets them clear most spoilers (unless you have a dinner table bolted to the back of your ricer) and Saris has attached giant, pivoting rubber hooves to the end of the upper and lower arms that should find traction without leaving a trace on your car's paint job. The plastic arms won't leave a trace on your two-wheeled ride, either.
Most of these strap-on racks fold - that's one of their main selling points - but Saris tackled it a bit differently. All five of the Bones' arms pivot around a central plastic barrel, with interlocking ribs and dial-down clamps letting you secure them in place at any angle you require.
To change their position, all you need to do is back off the finger-tight clamp, slide the arm off the ribbed barrel and clock it to where it belongs, then slide the arm back over the ribs and lock it down. Pretty clever. This design allows you to mold the Bones to the back of essentially any car, and it also lets you angle the two bike-holding arms independently of one another.
So, if you have a bike with a swoopy-shaped frame, like a Devinci Wilson or the latest Demo, you can angle one arm way down while raising the other so that your bike hangs level on the rack. That might not sound like a big deal but, having worked in a shop for ages, I can tell you this: You'd be surprised at how many people end up dragging one of their wheels on the pavement for countless miles.

To adjust the position of the arms, you slide them off the ribs and onto the smooth section, then slide them back over the ribs once they're angled correctly.
Three long straps run through the center barrel, and you'll find matching vinyl-coated hooks at the ends of each one. If you traced your way back from the hook at the top of the right-side upper strap, you'd end up finding the hook at the top of the left-side upper strap, and this also applies to both the side and lower straps, too. So many hooks and straps.
There are also locking buckles on each end; they're not ratcheting buckles, as Saris claims on their website. You simply pull the straps tight by hand instead.

Three long straps with vinyl-coated hooks on each end run through the central barrel.
The final detail is the rubberized, plastic straps that clamp down onto your bike. There are two of these on top of each arm for obvious reasons (if you got this far, I'd assume you know), but you might have also spotted one on the bottom of each arm as well. These are there to grab onto your bike's seat tube, or anything, really, to keep it from swaying back and forth while you're doing burnouts. Or when you just pull away from a stoplight. Pinkbike does not condone burnouts, but we don't not condone them.

Rubber-coated plastic straps grab your bike, while large rubber hooves rest against your car.
Performance Strap-on racks have always scared the bejesus out of me. I think my distrust is - or was - rooted in those tiny hooks, the ones keeping my bike from being roadkill, which hold onto my car's rain gutters for dear life like fingertips gripping the edge of a cliff that's traveling at 100kph. And the straps... sure, they make it (sorta) easy to put the rack on or take it off, but they're also subject to human error, much more so than a bigass, 2'' receiver that screams ''I CAN TOW A BOAT'' with its steely girth.
Instead, I depend on fabric straps that, in turn, depend on me to be mounted correctly. My concern is mostly the human error bit, and mostly because I know that if there's something I'm professional at, it's erroring.

Yes, the bike is a few feet wider than the car.
But then I bought a near-useless car and needed a rack to haul bikes. No problem, right? Just get someone with a welding rig, maybe even an actual welder, to slap a hitch on the bottom of my original-style Mini and be done with it. But 'Lil Blue's pop-can undercarriage laughed at that plan more than once, so instead of the proper-yet-impossible way to carry a bike, I picked up Saris' Bones rack as a short-term solution. Let's be honest, too, 'Lil Blue suits a strap-on anyway.
Getting the Bones onto your car isn't difficult, but the straps can tangle easily when it's not mounted, so pulling the Saris out from your trunk can be a bit like pulling the rat's nest that is your headphones out of your pocket. The solution is to wrap the three straps around the rack after you fold it up, of course; that way you're not left undoing knots in the rain when you're already late for a ride. After you've done that and the straps are hanging freely, fold out the single upper arm and angle it so the rack fits closely to the back of your car, and with the two lower rubber hooves taking most of the load by resting on top of your bumper. The ribbed interface between the arms and the center barrel keeps things in position, and don't forget to tighten down the clamps, too.

The Bones' adaptability comes in handy. I had to angle one arm much higher than the other to keep the bike from hitting the ground, and the rubber hooves can conform a bit to whatever they end up resting against.
The straps are pretty self-explanatory: they're labeled (upper, lower, side) so there shouldn't be any confusion as to where they go. Start by attaching the upper hooks into either your rain gutter or the panel gap between the trunk and rear window, then do both ends of the lower strap to the underside of the bumper (if it's not one of those flexy plastic ones that so many new cars are mandated to have) or to a secure point underneath the car. The side strap goes into the panel gap and you're nearly done. Snug the upper strap evenly (there's a buckle on each side), then do the same to the lower strap before checking the hooks to make sure they're secure, and then tighten the side strap as well.
The buckles seem to grasp the straps pretty firmly, but I was still scared of them backing off, so I tied a not in the strap just below the buckle to keep them from slipping. Again, they never once slipped on me without the knots, but the extra insurance made me a bit less nervous. You also need to check to make sure the straps aren't tugging on the hooks at a funny angle; they might be doing exactly that if the gap between the trunk and the rear quarter panels is at a big angle that could let the hooks slide up and release the tension on the strap.

The tight confines of the Zerode frame means that I couldn't hang it from the inboard mounts. This could be trouble if you have more than one bike like the Taniwha.
A lot of bikes won't have any issue with the rubberized attachment straps and cradles that hold the frame, but the size of the cradles won't play nice with all bikes.
My Zerode Taniwha test rig, for example, doesn't have much room between the Cane Creek shock and the top tube, which keeps the bike from being hung from the inside location because the cradle can't squeeze between the top tube and the shock. This will likely be the case with some other bikes, too, and can probably be solved by some clever angling of the frame and arms. I'm not clever, though, so I just always hung the bike on the outboard cradles - good thing there aren't two Taniwha's in my riding crew.
The cradles and straps do a good job of keeping bikes from sliding or swinging around, although they might not be long enough for some strangely-shaped frame tubes. There has also been exactly zero scuffing from them.

I wrapped the anti-swing strap around the Cane Creek shock's air can - it looks messy but it works well. Knots tied up against the buckles gave me peace of mind.
So it turns out that I was nervous for no reason; the Bones never once loosened its grip on any bike, and while the straps going everywhere looks a bit ghetto compared to a nice tray-style rack, the Saris setup proved to be reliable and I eventually went from looking in my rearview mirror every 17 seconds to just once every minute or so. I joke, but let's remember that I'm using a $154.99 USD rack to carry a $9,500 USD test bike. Not only did the straps refuse to back off, but the rack is also very solid-feeling once everything is tightened down - I can actually shake my little car pretty good by wrenching back and forth on the Bones, but the rack itself refuses to budge. I probably wouldn't pretend to be a WRC racer while my bike is perched on the Bones, but it turns out that my concerns were all for naught and this particular strap-on rack is up to snuff.
What don't I like? Strap-on racks are relatively inexpensive compared to tray-style setups, and they make a lot of sense for a casual rider who can't or won't go with a tray rack, but their design also means that you won't be getting into your trunk while it's on your car. And it's not exactly theft-proof, either, so you probably shouldn't be leaving it attached to your vehicle 24/7 unless you live in a town with Whoville-like crime statistics. Lock your bike? Lock your rack? Walk or hike if you not, and you deserve a smack! Lastly, both bike support arms rock on the central barrel, no matter how snug the fingers dials are done up. They won't slide or shift, but the tolerances between the ribs and the arms allows them to wiggle a bit.
Pinkbike's Take:  | Okay, as good as the Bones rack turned out to be, I'll always choose an (admittedly much pricier) tray-style setup if one will mount on my vehicle. But when that's not possible (in my case, because I bought a stupid, useless car), I'd say that the Bones rack is a darn good solution to getting your bikes to the mountain and back. Plus, it's not prohibitively expensive.— Mike Levy |
236 Comments
Two things that stand out that's wrong with that one though:
Side exit exhaust? Why!! It's not a Corvette, it's a teeny city car. Best exhaust option I've seen was a twin setup that came out the back but each pipe went to the edges of the rear bumper and came out behind the rear tyres.
Those rims are too wide, you've got to be compromising the suspension to stop them hitting the arches.
Apart from that a sweet little ride. Oh and those straps are going to destroy the spot welds in the seams so watch out for rust bubbling through! You can get a towbar for a Mini!! Guess how I know each of those...
The tires actually don't hit the arches but it is too close. I have some extensive bodywork planned for the near future and part of it will sort this out. Noted on the strap attached to the seams - I'll keep an eye on it. I'd like to de-seam it but they have to stay because it'll be a bare steel body soon and it'll look like ass if they're gone. The rear seam will be going away for sure, though.
I've searched and searched for a towbar but had no luck
no affiliation, 5 minutes with google
Just do a few simple mods, starting with this easy how to
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGSOZAHg1yQHU1tc_3Y5MTQg1qjtxA_nq
Just my two cents.
P.S.
A note @mikelevy - we ended up doing a similar thing and put one strap around our Cane Creek. About half way into the trip the shock developed a leak. We are not sure if that was just a failure that would have happened on its own, but we had a suspicion that strapping the bike by the shock and the consequential vibration travelling from the car via the rack to the shock might've had something to do with it.
If you have the option of a hitch rack, don't even hesitate to bypass purchasing this rack. Odds are, you'll save more than enough in resale value for your steed not looking like a rape victim to make it worth purchasing the hitch rack.
Agreed, you have to be a bit creative with FS frames, my DH bike straps in one direction and my AM bike goes the other direction using the same straps. And I really dont' think I could carry them both at the same time.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/15115461
One plus I guess is that if you're flying somewhere with your bike, this rack could fit in your luggage and you wouldn't have to rent a big vehicle.
A few notes - on the vast majority of cars, the bottom hooks should go on the bottom edge of the trunk lid / hatch, not the bumper.
The biggest issue with trunk racks is, as pointed out here, that full suspension mountain bikes just don't fit that well on them. You've adjusted the arms to suit the angle of your frame, but that means that it is pretty much impossible to mount a second bike in the other position.
Having said that, I have my parents' Graber trunk rack from the 80s, a couple years before I was born, that still works great for road bikes, cross bikes, and hardtails.
My dad's got a right hand drive 2cv... in France. People look at it like they just got a baguette rammed up them.
Hey, honest question, the bolt on roof racks that mount to the gutters are stronger than you think. Have you considered buying a bolt on fork mount, mount it to a 2"x6" board (or for extra steeze, an old downhill ski) with carriage bolts, and mount the board to your roof rack with u bolts? Use an old toe strap to secure the rear wheel to the board.
Here's a link to the bolt on fork mount. for $30 you have a discrete and usable way to transport a bike. There's more expensive mounts with adapters to match different axles.
www.mec.ca/en/product/5048-205/Fork-Truck-Mount
And to think, Issigonnis designed the Mini as family car for 4. My have times changed, people now need a half ton truck to drop off their kid at kindergarten.
my $0.02 is to find an old yakima king joe 3 or thule equivalent off craigslist from when they made racks with wider than 16” spacing for the arms. i just picked one up for $60 and it will probably last me another 10 years to replace the one i had been running for many years (car is 2005 model scion xA so a little more practical than an old but cool mini).
i bought a new trunk rack a few years ago from REI and with those narrow arms, my FS bike only fit at a ridiculous angle/fit and that was a huge pain so it got returned. those top tube adapters cost $$ and it’s just another thing to forget/lose. with the older wide arm racks, i can fit 3 FS bikes on my rack... just keep an eye on those straps for wear!
Pros: kinda cheap, easy to store, holds 1 to 2 bikes no problem
Cons: kind of annoying to set up, not a good option if you value the paint on your car. Kinda scary with more than one bike.
Could someone please show Kazimer the proper knot to keep the straps from slipping?
- Some curvy or busy top tubes will not fit. Feel free to use the down tube to attach your bike, and put up with some additional vehicle drag, as your bike rides up a bit higher.
- After cinching the straps, tie them off so they can't slip. They can work themselves loose over time.
- Over the first year of use, the plastic notches that interface with the extruded alum center tube tend to wear out of shape. You can use large cable straps to tie the upper/lower arms together, and that makes the whole unit more rigid for another year or so.
- If you care about your paint job, use a rag between the tube on your bike and the cradle/straps. Any dirt in there, and it scratches the sh*t out of the paint.
- Go easy on the plastic screws that secure the arms to the alum center tube. They strip easily. See my cable strap tip above, for additional securing.
Otherwise, a good purchase. It did last pretty well for the price, with some simple fixes.
- If you have two bikes on there, strap the wheel of the inside bike to the lower arm of the rack. That way they don't swing around with braking/accelerating.
I had one of these racks and used it my Mini. It was a pain. If time is money, I should have coughed up the cash (company called Mini-Do-More makes hitches for Minis) and just bought a hitch and a Thule X2 (and skipped the cheap Yakima I initially bought.)
Yah, didn’t know that; I had a 2010. Roof racks are terrible for MPG and in your case, the Saris is a star!
Have run it for more than 5.000km with most of them being on the highway with speeds up to 130km/h.
Very easy to install, very stable, very easy to store - overall excellent bike rack.
Also excellent customer service and support from Saris. When the rack came in, there was a minor flaw at the plastic strap of one arm. I sent photos to Saris and within a few days they sent me a whole replacement arm along with the strap fitted - no questions asked.
One major issue is the bike frame compatibility though.
My Nomad is a pain in the ass to fit on the rack and I remember we almost cancelled a ride with a friend since we were so frustrated trying to fit the Nomad and a Banshee rune on the rack.
For the above reason, alone, I just switched to Thule a few days ago.
If Saris came out with a new model with the exact same features but with straight and thinner arms I would definitely go for it.
Not sure about the cars it is going to fit. Is it going to fit a sedan type of car? A pick up truck? My previous car was actually a hatchback (Peugeot 107, similar to a Toyota Aygo or Citroen C1) and you can't attach a rack like that as the rear hatch is glass plate without frame which is not certified to be pulled out of plane.
Personally I still prefer to have my bike on the roof. My car is not particularly high so I'm not concerned about hitting anything. I'd be more concerned about hitting something with one of these when my bike is longer than the width of my car.
Either way, I'm not too concerned about the how well it holds the bike. In the picture it still seems to hold the bike just fine despite the skid mark you just drew.
Saris is an excellent company though. I have had much experience with them as an industry guy- always impressed.
Other remarks: It's being mostly made of plastic, so it doesn't suffer rain, snow, mud... it's foldable and can be easily stored in the trunk or in your garage without taking space.
Now I have also a bigger Thule because I needed a 3-bikes rack (my family did grow up in the meanwhile) but I didn't sell it, because when I'm alone on short-range travelling I am still using it.
Enforced? Nope.
You can pretty much get away with any traffic violation here in BC (apart from speeding in places where it shouldn't matter-Duffy lakes rd, etc.)
I got busted in Vancouver on New Year's Eve for having my rack cover the plate. Guess he needed to pad his year end.
Jet
got it! 5 year ago thing!
I tend to use saris solo for a short trip more, very light and packs very easily but I don't feel it for long milage trips...
Pass.
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