Learn about the new Arbutus rack:
Arbutus Racks takes a novel approach to holding your pride and joy on the back of your vehicle, combining common sense and know-how to come up with a solid rack that looks to remedy many of our complaints with existing designs. What does it do differently? The four bike rack has a complete lack of frame or fork contact. There are no plastic ratcheting arms that get clamped down on your front tire, often leaving a nasty open wound on the side of your fork where it rubs during a long road trip or shuttle up a rough logging road. And you won't find any funky hook arrangement that suspends the bike from its head tube or fork crown, a design that is not only not compatible with all frames and forks, but can also easily scar your expensive ride. Instead, the Arbutus rack holds the bike vertically from its front tire, with only the tire itself making contact with the metal basket.
Arbutus Rack details:• Holds four bikes vertically (
extends out far less than a 4 bike tray style rack)
• Only the bike's tires make contact with the rack (
no fork or frame contact)
• Rear tire held in place via Velcro straps
• Tilts down to allow rear hatch access
• Tapered front wheel holder fits 26" and 29" wheels
• Compatible with wide tires
• Includes anti-rattle hitch tightener
• Steel construction
• Fits 2" receivers
• MSRP $699 USD and CDN
Your fork, rotor and frame are well clear of any metal that could cause damage. The front wheel basket is also deep enough that no straps are required to hold the wheel in place - it simply can't come out. Bike installation and removal takes seconds, with the only strapping down taking place with the straps that go over the rear wheel. We've come home with our own test unit and will be doing our best to abuse it, hanging all of our different test bikes from it when we hit the road for trips and shuttle runs. Stay tuned!
www.arbutusracks.com
I'm looking forward to pinkbike's review!
You are right about the weight. I have air bags in my rear shocks, to compensate for the weight on the rear of the vehicle.
The only small thing that I would be leery about is the velcro rear tire fastener. With constant wet and mud during re mounting methinks it would be prone failure after time. Would hate to see a rear tire break loose and pound the rear of your vehicle or *gasp* the bike pop off on a FSR. However, having only the demo video to go by maybe this is not an issue or has been considered? I personally don't find velcro to be a stable or reliable fastening system on anything other than kids shoes.
Maybe a snowboard binding ratchet style clamp or "bungee" system would add peace of mind, or are these potential patent conflicts?
Other than that, looks to be a new leader in vertical hitch mount design. Nice work Arbutus Racks.
arbutusracks.com/images/rack2.jpg
northshoreracks.com
I'll take the Arbutus thanks.
I have seen about a dozen different companies in Interbike coverage who are redesigning direct mount triple clamp fork stems or thin profile pedals... is each one getting ragged on for coming out with a refined design on the same idea?
It's a tray mounted vertical bike rack... is it a 100% unique and totally new idea? No. But there is lots about it that is innovative and well designed.
Is anything in the bike industry totally 100% new and unique? Probably not...
Does Rat Racks make a tray rack? Yep they do. Does that mean they should have a monopoly on that type of design? Nope. That's like saying that only one company is allowed to make a drop in flat tray rack.
This is a small CANADIAN company who have designed a rack based on their experiences as riders and developed what they want to see in a rack.
The big features are the lack of frame contact, sturdiness, ease of loading, and the great visibility it gives out the rear of your vehicle. The bikes facing different directions isn't a gimmick, it's so you can see out your back window and rear view mirror.
I always wonder about our capitalist society when people complain about something new that comes to market that delivers an improved product to the consumer. Competition spurs new ideas and also stimulates existing companies to keep improving their products.
Disclaimer: Yup, I know the guy who designed the rack. I've also loaded my bike onto it, shook it, and felt how sturdy the rack is. I've driven behind him down a bumpy road and observed how stable the rack is loaded. I've also watched a car with another 4 tray rack drive down the same road and observed the rack wobbling like crazy.
I don't own one, but if I had a 2" receiver hitch and needed this type of rack... I'm sold it.
These racks look great and it seems many of the features are well thought out and integrated with top grade parts which is what the high price is for! silly people would buy a walmart rack with lo grade parts, do you ride a walmart bike?
I would highly recommend one to anyone looking for a new rack.
Also, we use Pugsleys in the winter and I really doubt the 4" wide tires would fit the Arbutus Rack.
Is it just me or are racks even more overpriced than bikes...?
To me it looks like about $150 worth of material and an hour or two of welding at the very most... another $50 or so for PC. Maybe a $400 rack... $700 just doesn't seem reasonable at all to me for what this is. Not suggesting it doesn't work great, just that for what you're getting it seems well overpriced.
150 materials
80 dollars for welding since ur paying someone to weld per hour
along with powder coating these are around 350 at cost, most companies mark up and extra 200% ontop of cost for retail
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I think everyone above me have already summed up just how ridiculous the price of this thing is.
Props to Arbutus for building these in BC from start to finish.
north shore racks gouge your fork crowns, and rust like cheap pieces of shit