Saris Bones RS 3 Bike Rack Review

Review of the Saris Bones RS 3 Bike Rack

Today we're going to be taking a look at the Saris Bones RS Trunk Mounted 3-Bike Rack, part number SA851B. Before we begin our installation, we'll first need to make sure that our fit settings are correct. You can see these notches here on the rail of the bike rack which is going to determine where this ratcheting mechanism needs to be placed. To determine what fit setting our bike rack should be at, we'll go ahead and refer to the fit guide. The notches are not labelled, but notch #1 starts at the bottom, so we'll count up 12 notches. You can see this black handle. We'll pull it down, which is going to free it up and allow us to maneuver it up and down this arm.

Again, we'll count to notch #12, get it in place, and then clamp down this black lever. Then give it a good shake just to make sure that the locking mechanism has engaged correctly. We'll then just repeat the same process for the other side. With our fit settings in place, according to the website, we'll go ahead and place the bike rack up onto the upper tier of the rear bumper. The clips are going to be a little difficult to get in place, so we're going to open up the rear hatch and get the bottom clips underneath the lip. With the bottom clips in position, we'll go ahead and rotate the top two pads to fit the curvature of the rear hatch.

With that in position, we'll go ahead and keep pressure on the bike rack, because you want to make sure that the lip of the rear hatch is in the center of the bottom clip. With the bike rack in place, now we'll go ahead and pull back our yellow ratcheting mechanism and pull the strap up. We'll then take the top clip and hook it to the top part of our rear hatch. We'll then go ahead and use this grey handle to ratchet it down, not too tight, as you don't want to offset the bike rack. We'll move to the other side of the vehicle and repeat the same process. Before fully tightening them down, we'll just double check to make sure everything is centered, our straps are hooked in correctly, and the rear hatch is in the center of the clips, just making sure everything is good, Then we can fully tighten them down. With the bike rack in the stored position, we'll go ahead and swing out our cradle arms.

We'll do this by lifting up on the yellow levers, sliding the arm over to the center of the bike rack. As you can see, the grooves here and then the flat part here, which will allow us to move the arms freely. We'll swing the arm up and slide it into the grooves. You'll want to make sure that the cradle arm is level or slightly angled up. We'll then just go ahead and clamp down the yellow lever to secure the arms in place.

Then, just repeat the same process for the other side. The Saris Bones RS has a unique fitting system. By using these notches here, it's going to allow you to raise or lower these pads here and accommodate a wide range of vehicles. It also has this unique strapping system which conveniently keeps the strap in this mechanism here. The ratcheting system allows you to ratchet the strap tight so you get an nice and strong hold on your vehicle. The unique ratcheting system also has a lock core that when locked will prevent anyone from loosening up the ratcheting system and removing the bike rack. Every part of the bike rack that comes in contact with your vehicle, from the clips to the straps all the way down to the feet of the bike rack, are all coated in a soft rubber for maximum vehicle protection. At every point of contact between the rack and the vehicle, such as the clips, the straps, and also the two sets of feet on the bike rack, are all coated with a soft rubber for maximum vehicle. The ratcheting cable straps are going to provide a safe and secure hold for your bike while you're traveling down the road. They have a soft plastic interior so that they don't damage your bike's finish. Also equipped on this rack are ratcheting anti-sway cradles. These ratcheting anti-sway straps is going to go around the vertical bar of your bike and is going to prevent your bike from swaying back and forth, and coming in contact with your other bikes and also the rack. The Saris Bones RS has a carrying capacity of three bicycles, with a weight capacity of 35 pounds per bike. It's made in the USA, and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. We'll begin our bike loading process by first undoing the cradle straps. We'll push in the top part of the buckle with the Saris logo and simply pull the strap out from the buckle. We'll then repeat the process for the other two straps. Then, we'll take the bike and simply place the frame of the back into the frame cradles. We'll then go ahead and start with the anti-sway cradle. We'll stick the end of the strap into the buckle and pull it tight. Then we'll finish off by bringing the top two straps around the frame and securing them. With our bike all loaded up, we'll go ahead and take it out for a test drive to show you how it looks in action. Now, to complete today's review of the Saris Bones RS Trunk-Mounted 3-Bike Rack, part number SA851B. MusicScreen reads: etrailer.com expert service fastest shipping lowest prices. .