New bike racks – Interbike 2013
Bike racks from Kuat, Softride, Swagman, Whisbar and Yakima
Published:
There were a number of new and updated bike racks on display at Interbike 2013. Kuat added a new color scheme to its NV hitch rack and Yakima gave the Fullswing 4 a makeover.
Some of the more notable standouts from this year’s show are the small but growing number of hitch racks that hold bikes in a vertical orientation, rather than in trays.
The benefit of this arrangement is that the bikes take up less room behind the vehicle, though the rack itself is taller and a better match for SUVs and hatchbacks than sedans.
Softride and Swagman both had vertical hitch racks on display. Softride’s new Hang 5 and Hang 2 racks hold bicycles by the handlebars, rather than by the wheels, as is common with vertical racks such as North Shore Racks’ design.
Swagman’s Jackknife design uses cradles to hold the front wheels. Unlike the Softride Hang series or North Shore Rack’s design, the Jackknife 2 and 4 position the bikes opposite each other, with the tires facing inwards.
It’s an interesting layout. We look forward to testing the Swagman Jackknife 4 in the near future.
Authors
Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
