SwagmanSTANDARD Fork Mount Rooftop Bike Carrier, one size

منتاز

I bought these bike carriers only to transport the bikes from point A to point B, over a 1,100 km distance. They won't be used again for several months. I would NOT USE THESE if I was an avid cyclist and out cycling the country frequently. Let's start with cost efficiency, as applies to my use which may or may not be similar to other users. I'm towing an RV, so I'd either need a mod to use a hitch mounted bike carrier. Then I'd need at least a 2 bike hitch mounted carrier, as well. I already have roof mounted Thule rails with a roof cargo carrier in place. So for cost, the roof mounted rails looked like the cost effective solution. The only questions I had here were; was there enough space on the rails to mount these bike carriers on either side of the cargo carrier, would I be able to haul the bikes up that high and place them without trashing my paintwork, and would the carrier be sturdy enough with winds, tight turns through mountain passes, and high winds? In a nutshell? Very pleasantly 'YES" to all three questions! I actually did not assemble the bike carrier perfectly, but it still worked. During assembly, I thought, and still do think that for the same price a slightly stronger gauge metal should have been used on the bike carrier rail. Also, the rail width could/should be 1 cm or so wider, the plastic end caps do not clip/lock into place and only slide on. I have already lost one, so the others have been glued in with an industrial silicone. I was very pleased, though also quite skeptical at the start of my trip that the front wheel fork mount would be sturdy enough, but it certainly was, through a fair amount of uneven and mildly bumpy road surfaces! 1,100 kms of driving through mountain passes in harsh winter conditions and high winds were absolutely not an issue. I was very uncomfortable that the rail on which the rear tire of my mountain bike sat had twisted slightly due to the 26x1.75" tire size not being able to contact the base of the rail. I have 12" straps with eyes on each end I used as straps for the rear wheels. I then attached the 12" straps to a ratchet strap I ran over the cargo carrier, with a very light tension, simply to keep the tire in the rail and also support the bike rail to prevent it from bending downwards due to pressure over rough or bumpy road surfaces. I think this helped a lot! The supplied straps are TOO SHORT and don't suffice but for bikes with thinner tires. Not enough thought put into this by the designer. All said and done, I got great value out of these for someone who would only need them for fairly infrequent use.

Excelente producto a buen precio y cumple perfectamente su función. El montaje es muy sólido y confiable. Las bicicletas de rodada 29 quedan algo justas pero si se puede asegurar su montaje.Actualización 2022. Sigue funcionando a la perfección ya lo probé hasta en carretera con rodadas 29 y 27 y sigue siendo robusto, hasta el momento no se ha corroído y ya estado en condiciones de calor, lluvia y frío

We bought two of these for a recent trip and found them easy-to-assemble, versatile and high-performing. Wind drag, buffeting of bikes and fuel economy were significantly better than with a previous back-of-car rack. The fork mounts were easy to operate and extremely secure; we drove 1100+ miles at speeds of 65-80 mph with no problems and minimal noise.Some hints for installation (and suggestions for the seller):(1) Slip a piece of hard rubber/plastic tube over each of the two U-bolts that go under the roof rack crossrail at the front of the bike rack; this cushions the point of contact against the crossrail and makes for better grip.(2) Pad the underside of the front bracket; we used a small, stiff piece of carpet with rubber backing placed between the bracket and the top of the crossrail. Again, this cushions and improves grip; without it, the edges of the steel bracket and center attachment bolts will notch and possibly even damage an extruded aluminum crossrail when everything is tightened.(3) Add lock washers between the two rear screw knobs and the flat bracket that they secure to the underside of the rear crossrail. This ensures that the knobs won't fall off and get lost (which would happen if they were to become loose).Overall, this is a well-designed, economical and high-performing rack. Bravo!(Background: installed with 2018 VW Sportwagon, using OtheryaCargo 54" crossrails).

So this product is a great value. I'll cut to the chase. I saw several reviews where people put cardboard between it and the crossbars and couldn't figure out why. Here's the issue: the mounting plate is stamped sheet metal and the edges or turned down 90 degrees to allow for clearance of the crossbar. So the cardboard protects the crossbar from marring. The cardboard works but a better solution is car door edge guard. You can buy it at any automotive store for a few bucks and cut it with scissors and it has adhesive in the channel fpr an easy install. I attached a pic of the one I used. Overall the rack is good and will last for years. It isn't as pleasing on the eye as the high cost ones but since that doesn't concern me it's perfect. I can't give it 5 stars because I had to add the door edge so it wouldn't scratch my crossbars and I think the manufacturer should've had the insight to do that for you.

The rack overall is a very simple design and works well. It is a little finicky to get setup up with the Thule Aeroblade roof rack but very solid when completed. I did have to purchase an adapter to fit my road bike with disc brakes. Hard to beat the price.