Saris Bones Car Rack Review - BikeRadar

I have had this rack for a couple of years and have found it to be excellent.

It is quick and easy to fit to the car and is rock solid. I have used it on a Ford Focus and a Ford galaxy people carrier with no problems. I don't agree that it's fiddly to fit. For me it's fitted in no time and I'm away.

The build qulity is excellent.

I bought this back in 05 in its grey incarnation. It has fitted everything i have put it on from small hatchbacks, people carrier, sports car and currently my saloon. Is really easy to fit to pretty much any vehicle. The ratchet straps alone wont lock the bikes very securely, but with the help of an obligatory bungee or two everything cooshty. I actually paid £45 for mine new from halfords on offer as it was the last one in the shop. Its strong too, my rig weighs close to 40lb and causes virtually no flex at all in the structure. Would recommend very highly but shop around. You can get them for much cheaper than the price quoted here.

It was a bit fiddly to fit the first two times I attached it but you rapidly learn the best way to install and now it takes next to no time to set up. So far I haven't had a need for extra straps or bungees, although I do use a bungee to stop my front wheel from spinning and my handlebar turning but that's just because I don't like to see any movement out of the corner of my eye, making me think the bike is coming off!

It is quite adaptable and holds a small framed mountain bike and a regular road bike securely despite the big difference in frame sizes. It is was about the only removable option that would fit over the spoiler on my car (without having a tow ball fitted).

I too have found this rack to be exellent, sturdy even with 2 DH rigs attached..!!

It also come with a Lifetime gaurantee so i feel very safe with it.

The bikes dont swing into each other and get damaged so thats a winner if you ask me..

And it folds up for easy storage when riding.

I got a Bones 3 for £90 from Winstanleys. Although it's well made and adaptable, the plastic cradles for the top tubes and the plastic stubs for the hold-down straps are moulded into the arms and prevented my full suss Meta 5.5 and my wife's small frame hardtail Trek from from fitting whatever we did with the arm spacing. A reasonable open framed hardtail should fit, as should most road bikes, but this carrier is just not suitable for full suss mtbs.......and it cost me 11 quid to send it back!

I've had this bones 3 bike for 6 months and love it. We regularly drive 3-4 hours with at least 2 full sus bikes on board and it's been fantastic. The straps lose no tension and when tightened up properly, which is a sinch, the bikes don't move at all. We own a new golf and it fits perfectly to it but we've also tried it on friends cars and it fitted perfectly to theirs as well. A brilliant option for those that don't want to buy roof fitted racks.

The rack itself was fitted in about 20 minutes the first time. After that though, it was literally 2 minutes to get on or off - dead simple.

My road bike went on like a dream. Absolute piece of cake. My wife's "ladies" bike was quite tricky but I got it on in the end.

BUT (and its a big but)

it would not take my full sus mountain bike at all, no matter what I did. For this reason I returned it. If you have road bikes then its great. If you have a ladies bike then its fiddly or you can get another accessory that effectively creates a crossbar so its easy to fit. If you have a full sus mountain bike, theres a good chance its not going to fit (although some reviews appear to have managed to fit their bike - must depend on the shape) - so make sure you try first.

Also - be aware that you will probably need a lighting board as on my car it concealed the number plate and lights.

Have used the saris 3 on my Golf for over a year now. First time was carrying 2 adult MTB's & i child MTB through the Highlands (over the Glenshee Road) held the bikes really well.

Once piece of advice the upper straps have marked the paintwork slightly (this will polish out) but I'm going to put on some Bike tape (or helicopter tape) where the straps meet the paintwork for some added protection.

Also the saris website has an installation video guide which is really helpful.

In regards to not being ideal for a full suss...it is a bit of a task, but I can fit on my Lapierre Spicy.

I have to put it on before the other bikes (hardtails) and leave the arms loose until it's on to move them closer together, as the depth of the arms where the straps are is a tight squeeze between the top tube and the rear shock. To get past these i have to angle the bike backwards and forwards and wriggle a little (the bike not me)

When fitted, and with the leftover of the straps tied around the wheels and handlebars, the bikes and rack are very secure on the road.

It looks cool, is easy to fit to the car, and well built with a lifetime warranty.

P.s. my petite girlfriend can fit it no probs even with her spaghetti wrists

Bit tight for 3 bikes but the fit is perfect for 2.

Good attachments to the car mean no damage not like some others on the market. Easy to fit in only a few minutes & fully adjustable to suit most cars.

5/5 - wouldn't swap

very good, fits my full suss bikes with no more issues then any other bike carrier, rather expensive if you pay retail for it.

I think this is a very good rack. It fits in a few minutes to all our cars which is why I bought it.

It also carrys all our bikes very securely.

I bought some carrier foam to protect the carbon but other than that it works straight from the box once you have figured how to adapt it to your vehicle.

I still think that roof racks are better but the bars and rack added up to massive expense when you think this Saris does the same job almost as well and when not in use goes in the back of the car out of sight of our thieving opportunists who cant resist a Thule on my car.

Got mine last year. Cracking bike rack, always had my doubts about purchasing one but checked out the reviews and decided it was time to invest as was getting a bit tired of mud making it's way into the boot and back of the car.

I've trips all over with this on the back of my Honda Civic up to Suffolk and a holiday to Yorkshire stopping in at Dalby. Carried my full sus, hardtail an road bike absolutely no problems. However I do see how it wouldn't suit every bike dependant on the frame shape / size.

Easy to fit once you've done it a couple of times, I'd recommend looking on You Tube as there's a few videos on the Saris there for anyone unsure of how it should be fitted.

I would also recommend purchasing an additional luggage strap just to prevent wheel or bar spin while you're driving which can be picked up from Halfords for less than £10 for a pack of two.

Yep, this is a cracker of a rack, it fits both my vauxhall corsa and civic new shape with no rear bumper and it fits perfectly and solid, keeps bikes on the rack very securely and as time goes and amount of times you put the car rack on it gets easier and easier, not hard in the first place anyways, all you need to make sure is: fit top straps 1st / side / lower, this way it keeps the rack on the car with ease as you install other straps, and retighten, and retighten, but be careful when retightening as the bottom feet support does tend to move position with tightening the straps...