Straight out of the box, all you have to do is fit the clamp arm post to the main body with 4 bolts – instructions and tools supplied again, then it’s ready to use and put on the back of your vehicle. Once you’ve had a play with it, it just gets easier and slicker to set up or take off and store.
The rack is heavy duty so may be a little weighty for some users, but don’t let that put you off. Heavy is good, as it will last the test of time, with all parts available as spares if damaged or lost. As with everything, there are some bits that a heavy hand could lose or knock lose, so spares may be useful – and cheap. The tow ball attachment takes a bit of getting used to (unscrew fully before dropping onto tow ball) but once again, when you’ve done it a couple of times you’ll be all over it. The screw lock for the tow ball is supplemented with a locking bolt for that extra security and comes with a spanner to tighten it more securely onto the tow ball. I used my own adjustable for extra purchase to ensure it was ‘on’.
The carrier is ideally suited for big bikes, including electric models, but we’ve used it for MTB – 29er, 27.5 and 26, as well as road bikes. We’ve carried carbon, aluminium and steel frames and it hosted and carried them all admirably. The wheel supports, which are easily adjusted by screwing the locking bolts via plastic handles, easily accommodated all the bikes carried.
The rack will also take the kids bikes if required, with easy to use ratchet straps and locking clamps on the securing arms which again – are easy locked with the keys provided. Once clamped and ratcheted in, which is very simple to do indeed – there were no worries whilst transporting the bikes.