A little over five years ago, Stella spontaneously decided to take up bike-riding, after about 25 years of not riding a bike! She purchased the Giant Sedona DX W. Upon careful research, I decided upon the Yakima RidgeBack bike rack, which has options for 2, 4 or 5 bikes; I purchased the RidgeBack 4. The rack is designed to accommodate bikes up to 40 lbs. Little did I know that this bike rack would soon pair with the Yakima SweetRoll kayak rack.
One of the best features of the Yakima RidgeBack is that it literally comes ready to use out of the box – there are no tools required for assembly. Your vehicle will require a 2″ or a 1 1/4″ hitch receiver, at this point you simply release the UpperHand to allow the rack to be attached to your vehicle. Once installed to your vehicle, you just tighten the SpeedKnob to secure the rack. Additionally, the lock on the SpeedKnob is compatible with the Yakima SKS System.
Now that the RidgeBack is securely attached to your vehicle, you raise the frame to an upright position and carefully arrange the bikes on the rack in it’s own “cradle.” I recommend placing the heaviest bike on first, which is the cradle closest to the back of the vehicle. Once all of the bike(s) are settled into their cradle, secure them to the racking by using the ZipStrips, making certain to use the anti-sway cradles as well.
Additionally, I purchased large velcro strips to secure the front tire to the frame, which prevents the front tires from rotating while driving. For Stella’s bike, we use the TubeTop, due to the unique handlebars of her bike. Furthermore, the HandCuff is available as well to lock the bikes to the rack.
Bottom line: this is a rock solid rack that will last for many years as you tote your bikes to the trailhead for your next adventure!
Overall: Great Purchase
Price paid: $349
Place purchased: InCompetition
Link to Yakima website: Yakima
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