A new design of universal bike rack promises to save you time, space and fuel.
The Upside Rack fits to bog standard roof bars and can accommodate almost every type of bike. It can be fitted and removed in seconds, which means it is easily shared and doesn’t need to be left in place on the car between rides.
Weighing in at 1.8 kg and boasting a folded length of only 61 cm, it’s so portable you can ride to work with it in a ruck sack – or strapped to your bike frame – and use it at the end of the day to catch a lift home.
The makers claim it’s the only rack that fits a road bike, MTB, fat bike, kids’ bikes or commuter without adapters, wheel removal or contact with the frame.
Sean Stoney, co-founder of Upside Racks, told us: “It solved a problem that most avid bike riders have faced at one point or another, quickly installing a second or third bike on your roof. I also see non-riders owning one, be it parents or even grandparents, without having a permanent installation.”
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Jim Clark
Just a word of warning, beware car parks with height restricting bars across the entrance. I was in one such car park sitting having my lunch when I saw a car with a roof cycle rack and several cycles approaching the entrance down a quiet lane, a bit faster than he should have. I realised he was not going to stop at the bar and ran towards him trying to indicate by waving my arms for him to stop. There was a mighty crash the rack was ripped from the car roof and somehow the cycles back flipped and smashed the rear window. What did I get for trying to stop this, shouted at and blamed.
Dick Willis
I’ve done the same… I had 4 bikes on my roof and followed a similar sized car, also with bikes on the roof, through a tunnel. He got through with space to spare so I didn’t give it a 2nd though. Crash – bikes ripped off the roof in a nasty mess. Had I been going faster the damage would have been much worse, as it was, it wasn’t too bad, surprisingly. I had forgotten that I had raised the height of my seat to avoid it clashing with the bars of the bike that was alongside. Duh!
Joyce Edmond-Smith
Wondering whether this would be suitable for electric bikes which of course are heavy – our 2 for example would weigh 40 Kg even with batteries removed – there is also the problem of raising heavy bikes and turning them upside down – which is likely to be beyond the ability of seniors like us , who would love to find a good system for carrying our bikes other than tow-bar, don’t think it’s this one though ..