Okay, now I'm Done Fucking Around, because today we settle all family business:
Or at least we start. See, I've got all this sweet stuff I'm supposed to be "reviewing:" the Renovo, the Jones, Stracci...and starting now I'm going to sum up my feelings on all of them before returning them, or else keeping them and saying "You want it back? Then come get it!" to the people who sent them to me as the case may be. To that end, let's start with the Saris SuperClamp EX:
As for actually going places, I got to spend some proper time with the rack last week when we loaded up the Wagon Queen Family Truckster and embarked on our annual upstate family vacation:
Here's how it looked when we stopped at the local chain pharmacy before hitting the Thruway:
Two things:
1) The single-arm design still managed to hold both bikes securely despite the considerable size difference between wheelsets;
2) When I posted this picture previously at least one person expressed concern that the bikes were extending too far past the side of the car. Please note this is mostly just a trick of perspective, and here's how much wheel is actually sticking out:
As you can see, it's barely more than the sideview mirror, if that, and is therefore a non-issue.
That being said, before we go any further, I have a disclosure to make. The Saris SuperClamp EX comes with two locks: one locks the pin to the hitch receiver so nobody can take the rack off the car, and the other is for the integrated cable locks so nobody can take your bikes off the rack. Both of these locks are keyed the same for your convenience. However, Saris accidentally sent me a hitch pin lock that was keyed differently from the cable lock, and because I only had the hitch pin lock key before hitting the road the upshot was that I was not able to use the cable locks during my trip. (They have since sent me a new hitch pin lock so I'm all set now.) So there you go.
Anyway, there's not much to say about the actual drive except that the bikes stayed on, which is what you want from a rack. Also, as a roof rack user I enjoyed being able to see them out the rear view mirror. (When the bikes are up on the roof you basically just hope.) On the way to our final destination we stopped at the fabulous Colonie Center mall in Albany, NY, where we indulged in a lavish meal at the Cheesecake Factory and then bought roughly $50,000 worth of groceries at Whole Foods with which to stock up our vacation cabin. (We all get intense withdrawal symptoms if forced to live without our favorite artisanal food items.) As I mentioned earlier, the bikes don't stick out laterally too much, but as a hitch rack novice I was still a bit worried that someone might manage to clip them in the busy parking lot:
Fortunately, we left unscathed. Also, while I totally forgot to take a picture, we were easily able to load our $50,000 worth of Whole Foods groceries into the trunk without removing the bikes thanks to the rack's handy tilting action:
Then we nipped across Central Avenue to the liquor store where we picked up a fuckton of booze before undertaking the final leg of our journey, and about an hour and 20 minutes later we arrived at our vacation spot:
Backing up that steep driveway is pretty much the only time I ever take advantage of the Outback's AWD capability, and if I had any brains at all I'd have gotten a Toyota Yaris and had lots more money left over to spend on bike stuff. (I'd also have saved even more money by removing the roof rack and increasing my fuel economy, but since the hitch rack was new I figured I'd keep it on there just in case.)
Speaking of waste, since our vacation spot is a great big beautiful lake I'm pretty much the only person in the family dumb enough to squander precious leisure time by riding a bicycle. We bring my older son's bike just in case, but the novelty of being able to run out the front door and right into the water is far more compelling to him, and we stuff my younger son's bike in the trunk because if his brother is bringing a bike then he has to also or else he'll have a fit. My wife doesn't bother, and even I don't ride that much. Basically what I do is wake up early, ride up the nearest hill, and then come right back down again, to wit:
Then I've got the rest of the day free for swimming, grilling, and drinking.
Last year I did take in some token Vermont gravel, and I'm sure as the years go on I'll further afield, but having just returned from Portland a few out-and-backs were more than sufficient.
Anyway, it was a blissful escape, and before I knew it we were heading back to the city:
Once again, the bikes stayed on, and even in my state of road-weariness unloading them and removing the rack at home was a simple affair.
Of course this being my first hitch rack I don't really have any basis for comparison, but I can't think of anything more I'd want from a rack. Loading and unloading is as easy as can be. (I don't even think you need the wheel straps unless you're using a bike with fenders, but I did anyway.) Plus, like my Milwaukee, it's made in Wisconsin, which surely counts for something. So if you too find yourself compelled to carry a pair of bikes on the ass end of your motor vehicle, it's hard to see how you could do much better.
If you have any questions* feel free to ask.
*[I mean questions about the rack, but if something else is eating at you feel free.]
from Bike Snob NYC https://ift.tt/2oG3kmM
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