Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Rating: 
5 reviews
Code: SR26248
Retail:$229.99
Price:$206.99
Shipping Weight: 35 pounds
Shipping Special
Features:
Specs:
The Softride Element features a tilting parallelogram design that keeps the rack arms and bikes level at all times. Most racks tilt down and dip bikes close to the ground when they allow rear vehicle access. The Element, however, maintains a straight angle when it moves away from the vehicle, always carrying bikes in an upright position.
When not carrying bikes, the rack arms fold down for convenient storage in places like garages or parking lots.
Rugged tie-down straps safely secure bikes to the soft, rubberized cradles. The arms adjust in width to accommodate children's and adults' bikes. A spring-loaded, quick-release pull pin handle is located near the top of the upright bar. Simply pull it out to allow the rack to tilt away from the vehicle, providing trunk or cargo access. Safety reflectors at the end of each arm provide nighttime visibility.
The Element has two parallel upright bars that move together to provide the unique tilting parallelogram design.
Replaces SR26045 and SR26044
Video of Softride Element Parallelogram Tilting 4 Bike Rack for 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today we are going to review the Element bicycle rack from Softride, part number SR26248. A few quick facts about this bicycle rack are it is designed for a 2 inch receiver hitch and also for a 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch with the included adapter. And for a 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch, you can only use it on a class II receiver. The Element bicycle rack does come with two anti-rattle devices, one for the 2 inch version and one for the 1-1/4 inch adapter bar. The best part about the Softride Element is that it features a tilting parallelogram design. That basically helps keep the arms, that hold the bikes, level at all time. It also makes things a lot easier to load up when it is at a lower point towards the ground. The arms that hold the bicycles do fold down for easy storage and also are adjustable from a narrow stance to a little bit wider stance. That way, you can accommodate kid bikes as well as adult bikes. The cradles that actually hold the bikes are made of a rubber material that gently support the frames and also have groves built in them to accommodate the cables that are on a lot of bikes. And also the cradles come with rugged tie-down straps that hold the bikes in place while you are going down the road. 0:58
For this demonstration, we are going to use the bicycle rack in a 2 inch configuration but, for the 1-1/4 inch application, we will go ahead and show you how to change it out. It is actually really simple. This is the original bolt that will hold the bicycle rack to the hitch, which we will not need anymore. And this insert right here, you can just pull that from the inside out. And we are just going to use a plain screw-driver. And we are just going to barely catch the end of the plastic and part of the nut and just pull it on out. And then, this plate goes on the inside. Then you take the 1-1/4 inch adapter bar that goes on the bottom here and then your bolts run through. And then we are going to tighten these bolts down with a 5/8 socket. And with that, your bicycle rack is ready for service in a 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch, class II. 1:46
We will go ahead and install it on a typical 2 inch receiver here. The first thing you notice when we install the bicycle rack is that you have two hitch pin openings here and they are both threaded to use the anti-rattle device. The pin threads into place and basically bolts the bicycle rack to the hitch. Depending on how much clearance you have between the bumper and the bicycle rack, you can either use one of these two holes. That way, you can keep the bicycle rack as close to the vehicle as possible. We will install our anti-rattle bolt and then you can tighten it down with a 7/8 inch wrench. Alright, we are just going to snug it down and it is pretty secure. Alright, let us go ahead and load up a bike and show you how it works. Now, we are going to take advantage of the tilt on this bicycle rack to make it a little bit easier to load them up. 2:27
Disconnect the straps here and we are just going to put a bike on the end. It is always a good practice to load your bikes up with the heaviest ones closer to the vehicle. But, to keep things easy to see, we will just go ahead and put this one on the end for now. You can also see how the cable fits nicely into the groves of the cradle. Now we will take our straps and just put them into place. Then once you have all of your bikes loaded, you can simply push everything back together. The bicycle rack also comes equipped with four blue little straps. What those are designed for is to keep the bikes from swaying while they are on the bicycle rack. And your next bike will actually get tied off to your first bike. With that, our bicycle rack is loaded up and ready to go. And there you have it for part number SR26248.
All right, at this point we will actually go ahead and install a bicycle on the bike rack and give you a little better idea how it looks and how it gets tied down to it. We are actually going to install it on the end here for a little more clarity and visibility so you can see what is going on. But generally, when you want to load the bikes up on the bicycle rack - and this applies to all racks - you want to keep your weight as far forward as possible. All right, next we will demonstrate the best feature about this rack that makes it different from everybody else that is out there. It is how it tilts away from the vehicle. This whole arm will stay level as you pull it away from the vehicle. And you can see how the bike still stays level? And you have access to the back of the vehicle. Lastly, the Softride bicycle rack comes with a set of four straps. What you want to do is, you just wrap it around the bike rack and the bike itself, and this helps keep the bike from swaying around a little bit. It helps keep the bikes from swaying around. What you want to do is after you do your first bike, when you put your second bike on, and that chain links to the next one. All right, and with that, that covers it for part number SR26248 from Softride, the Element Bike Rack.
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Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (5 Customer Reviews)
by: capt harold12/15/2010
Is this review helpful?
Labor Saver Easy to assemble. Easy to load. Clears the tail gate when down. The anti-sway cradle works great!! It works just like the vidio shows.4159
by: Kelly T.09/11/2011
Is this review helpful?
Love the Softride Element! Exactly what I had in mind when I started researching bike racks. Bulletproof design and heavy duty construction. Trial run was 275 miles over Tioga pass to the White Mountain trailhead near Bishop CA at 12500 feet. The last 16 was on a tight twisty mountain road at high elevation, not for the faint of heart! Hauling bikes to the park is now a breeze! Thanks Softride!23731
by: Bill S.07/10/2011
Is this review helpful?
Exactly what I wanted and arrived at my door 2 days after I ordered.19056
by: brian06/16/2011
Is this review helpful?
looks good,very solid. best tracking info ever!! and i buy many things online, fast shipping. 17152
by: CJM04/20/2010
Is this review helpful?
Great Rack for Rear Access I did a lot of review reading before I ordered this one. I’m going to use it primarily on a mini van and wanted a rack that I could leave mounted and still use the rear door. I narrowed my selection down between this rack and the Swing Daddy full extension. I was a bit apprehensive it was going to work as described, but was more uncertain of the ease of the full extension types such as the Swing Daddy. I just received this rack today and couldn’t wait to try it out. I’m very happy with my choice. Easy to assemble, install and use. There is plenty of clearance when tilted back to open the back door of my van. I love the fact the arms fold down on this unit when not in use. This is a feature not found similar models. You do have to pull the clevis pins on each arm to fold down. Some sort of quick release would have been much better, but not a big deal. Tilting the rack is as simple as pulling a spring loaded pin – although when the arms are folded down, they block the pin from being pulled. Anti-sway cradles do not come standard and must be ordered separate, as well as hitch and bike locks. So by the time you total up the accessories, the price is around the same as some of the other top end racks, but none have a slick tilt design like this one! 2948
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