Kuat Bike Rack

For a long time I had a bike rack that went behind the car where the bikes basically hung down from the bars. It’s a great rack when you have standard size bikes but I didn’t. None of our bikes were the right size. Too small, no top bar, a frame shape that doesn’t have a straight top bar. Getting ready for bike outings were frustrating to say the least. The frustration sometimes really got to me and I started dreaming of the Kuat rack. A year later I still love the Kuat. Every time I put a bike up or down I’m amazed at the simplicity, how sturdy it is and how quickly it’s all loaded. For four bikes it’s literally six minutes to load up the bikes, four if I have a second set of hands.

Look at all that gear!

Pro’s:

• It doesn’t scratch the bikes at all

• Extremely stable

• Fast and easy loading and unloading of the bikes

• Fits most shapes and sizes - my son’s 20 inch bike was the smallest we got on there, it also has an adapter for fat tire bicycles

• It looks amazing

Con’s:

• Price - the Kuat can get pricey but it is well worth it! If you need a rack to fit four bikes you’ll need the NV2 or NV2 base with the extra adapter and you’re at about $1,000. I waited for the REI member sale and bought the first NV2 with 20% off and the adapter with the next sale for another 20% off. Worth waiting for the deal. In the end I spent just over $600.

• Trunk access - Kuat has an adapter that allows the rack to swing out which would be nice. The rack allows you to lean it down but with four bikes it gets heavy. The dog can jump past it to get into the kennel so it’s manageable. If I had to get into the trunk often with bikes I would invest in the Pivot. Compared to a bike hitch rack the access is the same but with the Kuat the bike frames are not moving on the rack, so no scratches.

To consider:

• This isn’t a pro or a con but with a longer car and the Kuat rack I become a long vehicle. It hasn’t impacted the feel of the car at all.