Bike rack review and mod for 80 use

[IdahoDoug]

Also, it won't fold out of the way with a 4 bike setup like mine will. One of the more interesting racks I found in my involved search was one that solved another dilemma I have. How can I carry bikes AND tow the boat? Believe it or not, they have such a rack. It has a stinger receptacle on the back for your tow hitch. Didn't mention a weight limit, but no way I'm towing my boat that way. Still, points for an innovative product.

DougM

 

[motherhucker]

Also, it won't fold out of the way with a 4 bike setup like mine will. One of the more interesting racks I found in my involved search was one that solved another dilemma I have. How can I carry bikes AND tow the boat? Believe it or not, they have such a rack. It has a stinger receptacle on the back for your tow hitch. Didn't mention a weight limit, but no way I'm towing my boat that way. Still, points for an innovative product.

DougM

Yea I never thought about the ability to fold out of the way with the 4 bikes, even with a lift and tires do you feel it is not possible? Man Doug now you have me thinking..............

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Ok, I guess I have a space limit on the amount of photos I can post so I will just post this one. I like the sport works rack system it folds down to open the back with the bikes on and it folds up without the bikes to save room. Takes about 30 seconds to load up the bikes and lock them down. The other pics showed that but I am not special enough to have more space on the server.

Radd Cruiser, We have a few things in common I guess huh? If you are ever down this way look me up and I will take you to the goods, as most are not public. Most the trails down here are not exactly legal and although nice riding they pale in comparison to the shore. I hear there is some great stuff on the island but I have never been there to ride.

Like the rack also, but need the shuttle carrier minimium four bikes......

Doug is cringing as I say "shuttle", it use to be about the ride up also.

Wow, you even run the same tires, you de decalized your rig also......

I base cleared my rig last month in the paint booth.

Ever get up to the island give me a call also, I have heard lots of good things about Washington.

Rob

 

[motherhucker]

Like the rack also, but need the shuttle carrier minimium four bikes......

Doug is cringing as I say "shuttle", it use to be about the ride up also.

Wow, you even run the same tires, you de decalized your rig also......

I base cleared my rig last month in the paint booth.

Ever get up to the island give me a call also, I have heard lots of good things about Washington.

Rob

Yea I have been goin over the plans in my head for a safari roof rack, with that on there and the 2 add on carriers I figure I could shuttle 8! EWWW.. makes me shudder!

 

[IdahoDoug]

Gravity is both the bane and the appeal of this sport, eh?

Hucker, I dunno if you'll have trouble with the added length. I have a platform carrier that goes in the hitch and it scraped once, so I guess there's always something to drag things on if you run around enough. Your lift should figure into it, though - I'm stock height. I cut an old butter knife to use as a wedge under the platform hitch's stinger. It took all the slack out of the receptacle and raised the rear edge about an inch.

My personal best is 6 bikes on the roof and 3 on the back, plus a burley folded up in the back.

DougM

 

[motherhucker]

Gravity is both the bane and the appeal of this sport, eh?

Hucker, I dunno if you'll have trouble with the added length. I have a platform carrier that goes in the hitch and it scraped once, so I guess there's always something to drag things on if you run around enough. Your lift should figure into it, though - I'm stock height. I cut an old butter knife to use as a wedge under the platform hitch's stinger. It took all the slack out of the receptacle and raised the rear edge about an inch.

My personal best is 6 bikes on the roof and 3 on the back, plus a burley folded up in the back.

DougM

Oh man that is great news if I can get 6 on top then i dont need the 2 add on sport works. Did you use a "bike" rack on top or tie downs to the gear/safari style rack. If so what kind do you have? I am considering getting ARB gutter mounts and then building my own rack to match the windsheild and sidewindow angles.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Had two full Thule gutter mount systems up there, with 6 total bike attachments.

 

[mooker82]

IF you use yakima 78" bars you can fit 6 bikes using their fork mounts...at this point though it would really stress the rain gutters, especially when you factor in crosswinds and vehicle speed...plus getting the bikes on the middle row of mounts would be a real pain on a lifted 80...this is coming from my experience with using Yakima racks on my Bronco for years to put kayaks and bikes on top.

 

[motherhucker]

yea that is why Im thinking cargo rack with mesh floor and tie downs so I can just climb up there and strap them down. It would only be for shuttle runs so no real concern about highway or ease of everyday use, that is what the sportworks hitch mount is for.

 

[IdahoDoug]

I've got 68" Thule bars and there's over a foot of bar outside the gutter mounts. I'm pretty sure I've put two overlapping bikes in this spot (facing opposite directions) once before so I could also put my full width roof box in the center. If I remember correctly, I did this so I could carry 4 new tires up there on the other side's foot since the middle was taken by the roof box. That was a memorable 5000 mile trip...nice to have a workhorse to handle pretty much anything you can think of hanging off it, stuffing in it, or towing behind it.

DougM

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Do you guys ever catch the tv show Drop In?

If so you may of seen the 4 wheel drive diesel van that hauled the boys up island for one unreal episode.

We had the luxury of meeting up with this dude and he shuttle us MT Pervo, the guy actually got something like 10 bikes and 10 dudes in the van.

Talk about one stinky grungy ride up the moutain, but well worth it in the end.


My dream truck is a diesel80 series with racks to hold 7 bikes and we all know it can hold seven guys and gals.........

 

[IdahoDoug]

Hands down best Moab bike hauler is a Uhaul box van. We reserved about a 15 footer one year, and got 20 guys and their bikes and gear inside it. We used it every day to get to trail heads, and go to dinner. As a bonus, we had coolers and chairs in it so the fast crew could relax in style waiting for the stragglers (usually a bummer). By the third day we had a system of ropes inside it to hold onto for the rough dirt roads. Even did a fair job of getting it out one of the easy trails to pick up one of our number who'd broken his collarbone. Made it about 2 miles down the trail. despite the duallies.

Radd - my 93 holds 8, and by this time next week so will my 97 (got a box today....).

DougM

 

[motherhucker]

I have the Dropin DVD's as no episodes are aired here in the states, cant wait for the 3rd year to come out!
The van thing reminds me of Timmy with the Huckwagon on Seymour 15 passengers and a trailer to haul the bikes. He is a good kid and for $7..$5 or so U.S. he can have my money for a lift or two to the top.
When you find that sweet diesel80 make sure it has a twin sister ready for import to the U.S..

 

[cary]

I know that a lot of people may feel otherwise, but I tried the sportworks rack and hated it. It stuck out way to far and the construction was crap. I found a $350 rack that was tilted 5degrees because of bad welding to be unacceptable. I went with a hollywood rack instead and love it. BTW, Yuba Expaditions in Downiville uses hollywood racks and loves them. You can fit 5 bikes on the large rack at a time.

Since we are all sharing, here are some picts of my wife's and my rides.

 

[cary]

And the others that the first post wouldn't allow.


Cary


P.S. Yes, I do have a bike problem.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Man Cary, you've got most of the bases covered there. All that's missing is a single speed and cyclocross bike!

That Scattante intrigues me as one of the guys in my road group bought their carbon version and frankly it's WAY more bike than even Supergo advertises. What's your take?

DougM

 

[LX_TREME]

Hmmm.. what is this now... bike show???

 

[cary]

The Scattante is a steal for the money. I paid $250 for the frame, carbon fork, and headset brand new. Weld quality looks good and the paint is actually a really nice metalic black. Same goes for the Access frame which was $120. I bought the Scattante because I got a Lemond with 10 miles from my brother in law (with full ultegra and rolfs) that was to small for me and to large for my wife. I sold the lemond frame and picked this up for the same price so it was a free deal.

The access frame came about because my wife's fisher was to long in the toptube. I had a bunch of stuff laying around (sid fork, lx cranks, the wheels from the Titus (it now has DT Swiss Wheels and Avid Mechanicals) so given all I needed were bars, I decided she would have a nicer bike if I just built up the Access frame. It was $120 on sale and I bought the Supergo CF riser bars for $29.99. Killer part is I sold her 1999 Tassejara for $300 and I only paid $330 for it on new closeout.

The bottom line is the Access and Scattante frames come off the same assembly lines as many other popular bikes do that are built in taiwan. Contrary to what many people would like to say, the Taiwanese frames are every bit as good of quality as any other frames. If you look around on Roadbikereview.com you will find there are other companies selling the same Carbon frame as the Scattante CFR with a different name. That allows you to get the frame and then build it up as you want.

Cary