[EastCoaster]

3rd photo down in this story about Tippie over on PB. Sure that someone will easily name it. I just haven't seen it before and was curioius. I already run a Dakine pad but the hitch rack looks interesting. Simple.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Race-Face-Signs-brett-tippie-2011.html

 

[Routier07]

That rack is made by a company called Tufrack. They look pretty effin strong.

http://www.tufrack.com/

 

[Huck Banzai]

It could be the best rack ever, but it also corners the kludgy, ugly market!

 

[- seb]

Certainly strong, and I like the modularness, but it's pretty wobbly and certainly won't be quiet? They just need a little something extra to take the slack out of each of the fittings - a couple of wing-nutted grub screws or similar?

 

[bizutch]

Price it. This thread will die quickly.

 

[nowlan]

Price it. This thread will die quickly.

Was just going to say something along those lines.

 

[samnation]

That's a local company actually the main sponsor of the local race circuit drives two ex military trucks to every race. there seems to be a bit of a lifestyle to go along with the TUF RACK.

Personally i don't like my NEW rack needing and relying on a tiestrap i kind of feel like those are something to use when your rack starts to die.

 

[tacubaya]

Came in expecting tities.







Left disappointed.

 

[time-bomb]

Came in expecting tities.







Left disappointed.

(+rep)

 

[IH8Rice]

Price it. This thread will die quickly.

is $1150 for a 4-bike carrier expensive?

Personally i don't like my NEW rack needing and relying on a tiestrap i kind of feel like those are something to use when your rack starts to die.

for a rack that expensive, using a ratchet strap to hold the bikes in is a bit of a joke.

 

[JustMtnB44]

Certainly strong, and I like the modularness, but it's pretty wobbly and certainly won't be quiet? They just need a little something extra to take the slack out of each of the fittings - a couple of wing-nutted grub screws or similar?

is $1150 for a 4-bike carrier expensive?

for a rack that expensive, using a ratchet strap to hold the bikes in is a bit of a joke.

I like the simplicity and strength but it is about 3x too expensive and the wobbliness is definitely a deal breaker, although it could be fixed easily. I'm not sure how to replace the ratchet strap and keep it simple without copying something like the Thule Sidearm or what you see on city buses.

 

[Scrub]

The Erector Set Co. called, they want their metal and screws back. I don't think they had the kit in mind for a bike rack.


I agree with using a tie/ratchet strap...wtf?

 

[Kntr]

$1440 for the 5 bike

$1160 for the 4 bike

Ratchet straps to hold the bikes down?

Am I missing something here?

 

[IH8Rice]

$1440 for the 5 bike

$1160 for the 4 bike

Ratchet straps to hold the bikes down?

Am I missing something here?

the 10% discount for buying more than two carriers

 

[chillindrdude]

them rack's wobbling out the back. they need some sort of cam mechanism. already pretty wobbly with the 2 BMX bikes....imagine with 4 downhill bikes.

overkill in terms of material and construction, under engineered in terms of functionality.

 

[- seb]

I'd have no issue with the ratchet strap, it's the right tool for the job, and used correctly (maybe add a short innertube "sleeve" where it goes over the toptube) won't damage your paint.

Much better than some proprietary clamping system that won't work for certain bikes and that won't hold the bikes nearly as solidly.

 

[IH8Rice]

I'd have no issue with the ratchet strap, it's the right tool for the job, and used correctly (maybe add a short innertube "sleeve" where it goes over the toptube) won't damage your paint.

Much better than some proprietary clamping system that won't work for certain bikes and that won't hold the bikes nearly as solidly.

for that kind of coin, expect some fancy mechanism that will probably break in a short period of time.

 

[Huck Banzai]

I'd have no issue with the ratchet strap, it's the right tool for the job, and used correctly (maybe add a short innertube "sleeve" where it goes over the toptube) won't damage your paint.

Much better than some proprietary clamping system that won't work for certain bikes and that won't hold the bikes nearly as solidly.

My Thule T2 was 300$, holds any bike solidly, doesn't wobble, and hasn't exploded some some numskulls have tried to claim.

The fork arms will potentiallyu eat a hole in your fork legs, but a bit of clear tape or a lil rag and you're set. No ratchet straps needed.

2 more bikes for ~2 more hunnert.

And theres plenty of other easy, solid options that aren't expensive OR kludgy.

And some come with extra bacon.

 

[Salami]

Came in expecting tities.







Left disappointed.

Same here. Nothing but effin ugly racks.

 

[EastCoaster]

Question answered. Initially intrigued per it looking like it'd be lighter and not a beast to move around for a 4 bike. I don't want wobbly. And, eff that kind of money!
I'd move on to a NorthShore Rack NSR-4 for less than half the dough to gain that much capacity out back.
Again, just raised interest early this AM while sippin the coffee before heading into work.
Thread over and next time that I title a thread as such... I'll be sure to include some boobies.

 

[Routier07]

NSFW

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

NSFW

Now THAT'S an over engineered rack...

 

[descente]

thank you for saving this thread

 

[bizutch]

I'm starting to like NSFW tags....

 

[time-bomb]

Mmmm, dems some tig ole bitties.

 

[Big J]

The fork arms will potentiallyu eat a hole in your fork legs, but a bit of clear tape or a lil rag and you're set.

Zip tie a piece of foam pipe wrap to the arms, smooth side out. Works great and you don't have to worry about it blowing off or getting misplaced.

J

 

[TWeerts]

this is relevant to my interests...

 

[EastCoaster]

So I already have a steel HitchHaul that is a beast to carry, line up, and insert/remove from my Taco's receiver. Ballparking guesstimate of 40lbs and awkward.

In looking at the weights of the "trays" and Receiver portions of the Tuff Rack, If one wanted a 4 (DH) bike rack with a 6" rise receiver.......

One would be looking at 64lbs of "trays" and 14 lbs of receiver.... 78 lbs to try to move around without disassembling it. Because you KNOW that you're going to want to pull it off as one piece and stand it up against the garage wall and not take it apart each time....

Gotta be honest... I initially thought that the tray portion was some sort of rigid plastic molded around some sort of metal "spine" when I first saw the photo in the Tippie story. Probably due to the yellow color but just what first came to mind.
Actually, they probably could do that to the trays, lighten the whole deal up, and have just as good of a product....

 

[Err]

NSR-6 FTW. Cheaper, no wobble, no bike damage, better capacity, more compact.

 

[armada]

does anybody know if the Tufracks are legal in the EU?

 

[syadasti]

does anybody know if the Tufracks are legal in the EU?

I doubt it, I think they require a license plate holder and working lights on the back.

 

[Kntr]

NSR-6 FTW. Cheaper, no wobble, no bike damage, better capacity, more compact.

Cant see your tail lights though.

 

[EastCoaster]

NSR-6 FTW. Cheaper, no wobble, no bike damage, better capacity, more compact.

That looks awesome.....
And, I like the fact that they can be folded down and out of view when not in use....

Guess that you could be pulled over by the Po though for the brake light and plate thing though.... so...... NSR-4... FTW!

 

[syadasti]

That looks awesome.....
And, I like the fact that they can be folded down and out of view when not in use....

Guess that you could be pulled over by the Po though for the brake light and plate thing though.... so...... NSR-4... FTW!

Doesn't work with all bikes - you need a suspension fork. 1upUSA Quick racks have gone up $50 for the base unit, but they are super light, only touch the tires, strong enough to hold tandems or cruisers, and you can fold them up and put them in a small car trunk:

 

[tufrack]

Hey guys, glad to see the interest in the racks. I just came in here to clarify a few things that I've seen come up. I guess the first thing to mention is the weight, which in most cases is significantly less than than a similar setup from other companies. Take for example the Thule t2 which clocks in at around 56 pounds for a two bike setup, while ours would weigh in at 40 pounds. As far as having a ratchet strap to hold everything down, please keep in mind that the ratchet strap we are using is a custom setup that is strength rated well beyond what any user would be able to put it through. It is also the simplest most adaptable way to keep a bike in the tray since it doesn't rely on specific bike setups to function. We've also chosen a material/weave that is very fine so as to minimize any cosmetic damage to bikes, which would be close to non-existant anyways. The next big thing I see coming up is the wobble. Believe it or not, the wobble is there intentionally. What the wobble does is give the bike/rack some room to move around so that the force from bumps in the road/potholes etc. is not transferred directly into the bike, as well as it makes it so the strap rubs less on the frame. When driving with a loaded rack it is actually quite silent. And now for the number one concern that we've had about the racks, the price. These racks cost a bit more than other racks because they cost more to produce. We don't use any plastic parts, we don't cut any corners, and that translates into a slightly higher price point. The idea behind these racks was never to be the cheapest option, but the strongest and longest lasting one. If you have any question as to the strength of the racks I would like for you to check out our facebook page where you can find pictures of one of our racks that was rear ended at a stop light by a honda doing 60 km/h. Both bikes were fine, the rack that took the impact was bent, the car that hit the rack was totalled. I realize the racks aren't for everyone, but if you have any questions just hit us up on fb or info@tufrack.com. Thanks guys!

 

[EastCoaster]

Plus, Tippie's rockin one....

 

[tufrack]

Plus, Tippie's rockin one....

haha, hell yea man, and Tippie's the man! Also, i forgot to mention, everyone who works at Tuf Rack rides, and up to this point every cent of profit has gone back into the scene through event sponsorships, building places to ride or just pumping up riding in general. We're not here to make a quick buck, we're trying to give as much back to the community as we possibly can.

 

[IH8Rice]

lol, custom ratchet strap.

and $1150 for a 4bike setup is just a tad bit more than a 4 bike T2 @ $760 or $680 for a Holdup or $545 for a NSR.

 

[Err]

Cant see your tail lights though.

The angle that the pic is taken from makes it look worse than it is. Tail lights still have pretty good visibility.

Here's a 3/4 view to give a better idea -

Also keep in mind that this is not even a consideration unless you're actually carrying 6 bikes. With 4 bikes or less, there's tons of space behind the tail lights.

Another nice thing is tires are not part of the holding mechanism. Seen plenty of bikes let-go when tires unexpectedly go flat. But then some of our shuttles are pretty rough.

Disclaimer - not associated in any way with NSR, paid full retail.

 

[Err]

While I'm posting pics, 6 bikes in a smaller footprint than a T2 carries 4.