# The ultimate 6 bike rack.



## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

*The ultimate Vertical bike rack.*

Hey bro's

I'm going to embark on a 6 bike rack build like a Northshore style of rack.

I'm looking for your ideas on what an ultimate 6 bike rack includes.

What features would you have should you be able to build the ultimate rack.

What don't you like? 
What have you wished for but never seen?

The below racks represent something similar to what i want to make.

I want the wheel basket style. Dont want crown or other frame hooking stles.

I don't want the lower pivot mechanism. To me that is just another area for weight increase, weakness and flex.

I'm considering alloy for light weight. 
I would prefer to lift the hole thing on and off by taking out the pin in the hitch its self. No need for swivels etc.

I also would prefer the flatbar style cage to the bent tube/roundbar options.

Thats my starting point. Convince me with your rack knowledge and desires.


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## matrix311 (Dec 29, 2014)

Wow good luck! Wish I had some advice.

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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

What's your goal weight? What do competitors weigh?

The NSR-6 doesn't have a product weight posted on the website. I gotta imagine it's going to be heavy AF no matter what you make it out of.

I think one reason the pivots exist on many racks is because the "stinger" part is pretty much invariably steel, anyway, even if the rest of the rack is alu. Since that interface pretty much has to be bolted together (and reinforced), anyway, a pivot system makes sense without really adding weight.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

I read somewhere the recon rack is around 36-40kg. If i can come in around 30kg that would be good. I want to be able to easily lift the rack on and off with a single pin remotal in the hitch.

I agree the hitch assembly needs to be steel for wear purposes. However the rest of the assembly does not. A swivel assembly can become loose, and floppy. I want tight and not floppy at all.


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## Rocky Mtn (Jan 19, 2014)

My thoughts are:
. Try and make the rack moderately easy to store as flush as possible along a wall
. Try and make the rack flexible enough to accommodate a variety of tire widths from road to fat


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## NORCAL1979 (Jan 18, 2013)

I have the 5 bike recon rack. It weighs in at 80 lbs. You can save weight and money by having recon use fixed plates instead of the locking pin and swivel mechanism. However, without the swivel mechanism, the rack can't be moved out of the way to access the rear of the vehicle.


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## NORCAL1979 (Jan 18, 2013)

The six bike recon rack costs $200 less with the fixed plate option. Estimated weight with this configuration would be around 75 lbs (-10 lbs from stock). Per recon's website, your cost would be $970 plus shipping.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

ok. Now we have recon rack weights and features out of the way bring forth the ideas. 

One of the things that annoys me about the box section on the car is that it rattles. Sure theres a pinch bolt under the bumper. But thats annoying. I'm looking at ways to stop the rattle/flopping of the rack in the box section.


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## Locotiki (Feb 25, 2005)

If you don't like rattles I would suggest the NSR. I have both a 3 year old NSR-4 and a one season old Recon 4 and the Recon rattles like crazy. It's to the point where passengers complain about it. Loaded with bikes it's fine, I'm just talking unloaded. While I certainly like certain aspects about the Recon better than the NSR, the NSR doesn't make a sound and the bikes seem to be more solidly mounted than on the Recon (for better or worse).


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Thanks man. I dont like the crown mounting of the nsr. But the rest of the rack looks solid!


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## Grodyman (Sep 29, 2016)

I have the lolo rack and it is great. Who really cares if the handlebars wear a little? It is a 6 bike rack, but I would prefer 5 bikes spaced out a little more, but they are spaced really well at 6.
Gman


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

My teeth care if a handlebar wears......!


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## Liquidmantis (Jan 5, 2008)

plummet said:


> ok. Now we have recon rack weights and features out of the way bring forth the ideas.
> 
> One of the things that annoys me about the box section on the car is that it rattles. Sure theres a pinch bolt under the bumper. But thats annoying. I'm looking at ways to stop the rattle/flopping of the rack in the box section.


Are you talking about the loose tolerances with the receiver tubing? If so, you can use an anti-rattle tightener to take up that slop. I use one whenever I use a cargo shelf and it locks it down.


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## GSJ1973 (May 8, 2011)

plummet said:


> Hey bro's
> 
> I'm going to embark on a 6 bike rack build like a Northshore style of rack.
> 
> ...


Are you making this just for you, or are you going into production? I think there is a lot of improvement which can be made to Recon and North Shore style of racks. Alta seems the most versatile. North Shore seems to move around (bounce) the least, but the wheels spin unless you put a cable lock through the front wheels. Some of my buddies bikes and our gravel bikes don't fit on the North Shore. Recon fits the most adult tire sizes, but there is a ton of movement and I've now lost 2 bikes due to bungee failure (luckily no damage, on dirt roads, nobody behind us either time). I'm at the point where I am using ratchet straps because bikes move too much, and I worry if I lose bike #3 I might not be so lucky as to who is behind me, or my/my buddies bike. Also, Recon needs mods to fit my kids 24" wheels (spokes rub on metal wheel frame) and doesn't fit 20" bikes. This is where I think Alta might have a nicer product with a bit more thought put into things with different baskets. Hate to say this but I think the Recon V1 baskets are better and hold more secure than the V2 baskets. Anyway, that's just my ramble and I think you have a great opportunity here to come up with something cool. Heck, if Yakima 
( https://reviews.mtbr.com/yakima-hangover-vertical-hitch-rack-revealed )
is coming out with the Hangover 6, there must be solid room for more people to enter this market! Good Luck!!!


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## isleblue65 (Sep 5, 2009)

GSJ1973 said:


> Recon fits the most adult tire sizes, but there is a ton of movement and I've now lost 2 bikes due to bungee failure (luckily no damage, on dirt roads, nobody behind us either time). I'm at the point where I am using ratchet straps because bikes move too much, and I worry if I lose bike #3 I might not be so lucky as to who is behind me, or my/my buddies bike.


I'm curious if you have the version 1 Recon, which had slots rather than captive 'cups' to hold the bungee balls in place. Barring complete bungee snapping, I don't see any way they could pop out of the cups with the V2 which is what I have. Cody now sells adapter plates with these cups for older racks.

Regarding Alta, I considered them, but was turned off by a story that I heard that came from a Recon customer. The lady was leaving a parking lot in Fruita, and the Alta guy would not let her leave until he snapped a bunch of pictures and with his tape measure, took every conceivable measurement of her early Recon. A year later, he had a copycat design with a few different features, which is more or less what he is selling today.

Cody designed and builds a solid product that he constantly improves. Each year a new iteration (or several) are included in the new rack designs.



















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## Locotiki (Feb 25, 2005)

Deleted Post. It's not here anymore. Gone.


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## isleblue65 (Sep 5, 2009)

Good feedback on Recon. I’ll see how mine holds up, but so far it’s super solid, and takes some effort to pull it down to open my tailgate. 

I saw on the website that Recon is developing an anti-rattle hitch system and an adjustable tension system for the pivot- so perhaps they are addressing some of the issues you mention. 

I’m not too concerned, as I have fabrication equipment and skills at my disposal, and can develop solutions to compensate for wear and tear if needed. Im still going to use nylon straps to secure the front tires on longer road trips just in case. 


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Thanks for the feed back guys. 

To answer your question. Is it just for me or will i go into production?

I will make several for myself and buddies. If a successful design is proven i will do a production run and test the market acceptance. 


I'm really close to hitting go. I'm working on the basket design right now. I dont like tube/round bar method as i think the point loading on a muddy tire could provide tire wear on a long journey. But round bar/tubing is really cost effective for production. So I see why they use it. 


I have heard many stories if bikes falling off so I am working on ways to limit/stop this also. Yeah bungies are prone to snapping. But they are very cheap. Ratchet tie downs are expensive by comparison. Bungie cord for a whole rack is around $10. 12 x good tie downs $120. But i have a cunning idea that might be better than both..... Watch this space. 

Yeah, I hate slop and rattling. So I am designing to limit remove slop/rattles. 

Recon rack massive swivel assembly is super cool looking but way too complex and over engineered. It is probably very good for dudes who need to access the back of their vehicle 100% of the time. But for people who will only want drop down option occasionally it is overkill. My personal use of the tilt back would only be on long road trips to access the back for something mid journey. So a more simpler less rattly, tighter design is what i want.


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## GSJ1973 (May 8, 2011)

isleblue65 said:


> I'm curious if you have the version 1 Recon, which had slots rather than captive 'cups' to hold the bungee balls in place. Barring complete bungee snapping, I don't see any way they could pop out of the cups with the V2 which is what I have. Cody now sells adapter plates with these cups for older racks.
> 
> Regarding Alta, I considered them, but was turned off by a story that I heard that came from a Recon customer. The lady was leaving a parking lot in Fruita, and the Alta guy would not let her leave until he snapped a bunch of pictures and with his tape measure, took every conceivable measurement of her early Recon. A year later, he had a copycat design with a few different features, which is more or less what he is selling today.
> 
> Cody designed and builds a solid product that he constantly improves. Each year a new iteration (or several) are included in the new rack designs.


Cody builds a bomber product, but its not close to a perfect product. Problem is it seems like every 6 months or so Cody is coming out with a new revision, refinement, etc.. I have the "new wheel basket style" but older comb-style bungee retention system. Hate to say it but I think the old basket might hold better. One of my 29ers with 2.6" Nobby Nics seems to "float" in the basket and I have to have three strapping points to make sure it doesn't end up as road debris. I saw he had a cord style proto on his facebook page too. Super cool what he is doing, but I think Alta maybe saw an opportunity just like everyone else does. Look at rooftop tents, 1-up racks (Saris has a copy coming) too. Hell, Yakima basically copied the North Shore rack, so I would assume that design is solid as well. I just know some mountain bikes don't fit the North Shore style fork tongs, gravel bikes, road bikes, etc. of my buddies rack, so we have to use my recon sometimes. Also your crown better be clean (dire and dust free) or else you sandpaper the crap out of crowns with the NS style mount. I've got black dykem paint marker on one FOX fork crown to prove it!


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## isleblue65 (Sep 5, 2009)

GSJ1973 said:


> Cody builds a bomber product, but its not close to a perfect product. Problem is it seems like every 6 months or so Cody is coming out with a new revision, refinement, etc.. I have the "new wheel basket style" but older comb-style bungee retention system. Hate to say it but I think the old basket might hold better. One of my 29ers with 2.6" Nobby Nics seems to "float" in the basket and I have to have three strapping points to make sure it doesn't end up as road debris. I saw he had a cord style proto on his facebook page too. Super cool what he is doing, but I think Alta maybe saw an opportunity just like everyone else does. Look at rooftop tents, 1-up racks (Saris has a copy coming) too. Hell, Yakima basically copied the North Shore rack, so I would assume that design is solid as well. I just know some mountain bikes don't fit the North Shore style fork tongs, gravel bikes, road bikes, etc. of my buddies rack, so we have to use my recon sometimes. Also your crown better be clean (dire and dust free) or else you sandpaper the crap out of crowns with the NS style mount. I've got black dykem paint marker on one FOX fork crown to prove it!


Yeah, I can see how the new baskets could be a bit loose for smaller tires. They work great for my Ripmo with Minion DHF 2.4", but my wife still has 26" tires and I haven't tried her bike in it yet. I still think straps are a good idea for longer trips or bumpy roads. I was sold on Recon's no frame or fork contact from the beginning after my last rack allowed bikes to shift and rub a spot on my chain stay down to the carbon weave.










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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Well, I'm about to hit go to make myself a 6 bike rack after months of fluffing around with design.

Here's a teaser. Basket FEA.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Way to go plummet!
Ive started two companies by using and seeing what was out there and critiquing those ideas or designs.
My first company, Hurricane Components, we had a product called the Fork Up, which is a product that is used so you could mount a thru-axle fork into any fork mounted rack. The Fork up is still sold today( invented in 1996) and Yakima and Thule both use the design for their product. I sold Hurricane in 2003 and worked as a design engineer/ consultant until 2013.
My current company, Exodux, produces a truck rack which carries bikes( or lumber, ladders, kayaks, surfboards,etc) over the tailgate as to where the gear you are carrying does now contact the tailgate. The bike mounts fit into the steerer tube and use an expanding collet which locks( actually has a lock mechanism) to secure your bike.
I've used the popular tailgate pad and the deficiencies of those are many like, damage to both bike and truck, blocks your back up camera, no security of your bike and they just look stupid.

Anyway, good luck with your venture.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Hurricane Jeff said:


> Way to go plummet!
> Ive started two companies by using and seeing what was out there and critiquing those ideas or designs.
> My first company, Hurricane Components, we had a product called the Fork Up, which is a product that is used so you could mount a thru-axle fork into any fork mounted rack. The Fork up is still sold today( invented in 1996) and Yakima and Thule both use the design for their product. I sold Hurricane in 2003 and worked as a design engineer/ consultant until 2013.
> My current company, Exodux, produces a truck rack which carries bikes( or lumber, ladders, kayaks, surfboards,etc) over the tailgate as to where the gear you are carrying does now contact the tailgate. The bike mounts fit into the steerer tube and use an expanding collet which locks( actually has a lock mechanism) to secure your bike.
> ...


Thanks for the props man.

Is this you? 
https://exodux.com/shop?olsPage=products
If so, I like it!

Your steerer tube bike holder design is a cunning stunt!


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

yup, that's me.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Hey team,

Check out my bike rack.

Currently in 5 bike mode. I've been using it for a month or so and it is freaken awesome!. Load and unload speed is fast AF!

In the design, I wanted to address a couple of issues I didnt like with the vertical racks on the market now.

1) I designed the basket so I could install a rubber tube to protect the tyre and rim. This means dirty tyres wont wear vibrating against a steel basket bar. Also if the tyre goes flat (common for tubless tyres) on a steel basketbar there is a chance the rim be damaged. Thats deal breaker particularly if you have carbon rims!

2) I heard stories if bungies breaking and bikes bouncing out of these styles i racks. I added some slots to run a 1" wide strop if you want additional security for a long journery. You can run bungy and strop at the same time if you want

3) I wanted a rear-wheel cradle that was going to locate the rear wheel but not point load the tyres. So i have gone for a v groove style cradle that holds the read wheel securly while not point loading.

4) Quick removal. I want to be able to take this rack on and off several times a week. So I have developed a system where the trunk and branch assembly detaches from the tongue assembly for quick removal.

5) Garage storage. Once the trunk/branch assy is removed it can then be dropped into a garage mount and the rack can then be used for bike storage..... Oh yeah.

6) Corrosion resistance. Since i live by the sea stuff corrodes quickly. I wanted a duplex protection. All parts are galvanised/zinc plated prior to powdercoating. If the powder coating gets damaged then the zinc plating will protect the steel.

What do you think?

Oh if you have any funky idea's on where to install a numberplate/ lights i'm all ears.


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## eh steve (May 28, 2012)

How close is that RM's rear tire to the ground? Looks like first logging road I hit I'll smash my 29ers rear tire.

Anything below receiver height is risky for me once I'm off paved surfaces (hit a hitch basket once). The mast would have to be taller for me.

I'm assuming you're making it modular so you can easily do 2-6 racks.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

The photo is a bit misleading height wise. RM rear tire is 400 off the ground. So ground clearance is good. I do have a trunk that's 130 higher. Yep. It's all modular. So easy to adapt. 

One other thing I forgot to mention. I hate slop and rattling. This is designed so nothing rattles or flops around. This includes bolting up to a flogged out reciever. Its slop free.


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## eh steve (May 28, 2012)

plummet said:


> The photo is a bit misleading height wise. RM rear tire is 400 off the ground. So ground clearance is good.


But what's your hitch receiver height? Surely the Isuzu has a hitch higher than 400mm.

If you look at NSR even with long slack 29ers the rear wheel is above receiver height. Anything lower is going to really affect departure angle on the vehicle. Heck, receiver height affects departure angle since it sticks out the back of the vehicle.

Anyhow, if I'm going to hit anything I want to hit the rack first.

E.g. one of our vehicle was hit by some idiot, I was taken to the hospital while my vehicle was towed without removing the bikes. The rack ended up scrapping the ground when they lifted the vehicle but the bikes were fine.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Isuzu's hitch is exactly 400 high. Its interesting how everyone has different requirements. 

One of my testers wanted the rack lower so it would fit into his garage. He doesn't do any offloading so supreme ground clearance is not an issue for him. But parking in the garage after a ride is. 

So I guess you can't please everyone with one product. 
But it's real easy to smash out a customs part.


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## eh steve (May 28, 2012)

plummet said:


> Isuzu's hitch is exactly 400 high. Its interesting how everyone has different requirements.
> 
> One of my testers wanted the rack lower so it would fit into his garage. He doesn't do any offloading so supreme ground clearance is not an issue for him. But parking in the garage after a ride is.
> 
> ...


Wow, then the pictures truly are misleading. A profile pic could be useful. Once you are actually producing a product that would definitely be advisable for the marketing.

Yep, can't please everyone.

By the pics it looks like the baskets are angled so that the bar and tire are approximately the same height, so that's good. You are minimizing height there.

Adjustable mast height would allow people to prioritize ground height vs garage clearance / ease of loading.

If you really want to please everyone a version that works with a 1.25" hitch would be good. The NSR 2 seems to be popular around here for people with sedans, wagons and smaller crossovers. Personally I don't think I'd buy a vehicle that can't have a 2" receiver, but not everyone is in that position. NSR only produces that model in a 2 bike due to weight. 125-150lb tongue weight is pretty common for vehicles with class 1 hitches (despite class 1 being up to 200lbs.. the vehicle's suspension isn't rated for it).

The NSR 2 is stated to weigh 42lb and have a capacity of 120lbs, but on a small vehicle with 125lb tongue weight you can only legally carry 83lbs. Plenty for two enduro or even modern downhill bikes but cutting it close. Anyhow, point being weight becomes quite important if you consider doing a 1.25" hitch version (and it may rule itself out quickly with back of the napkin calculations).

E.g. on my wife's vehicle I could carry 3 bikes with an NSR 4 and only 2-2.5 with an NSR 6, my truck I can carry the full amount on either.

Sorry, NSR as an example since that's the common one around here. NSR definitely has some downsides (mainly issues due to carrying by the fork crown).


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Hey, that's great info cheers. I've never seen a 1.25" receiver. But am working on a tongue option for smaller cars which typically have a 75kg max download rating.

There's no profile pick yet as there's some IP I dont want to release onto the internet yet. So for now its angled photos hiding detail. ....


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

I've been busy making vertical racks for mates.

There's a 3 bike, 4 bike, 5 bike, 6 bike and garage stand.

I've settled on a 5 bike rack personally. It suits my family of 5 plus the spacing is more generous than a 6 bike where the bikes have to be closer together.







































What do you think?


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## Grodyman (Sep 29, 2016)

Can you post a photo of just the rack?
Gman


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## Doub1e_R (May 22, 2020)

i need that 5 bike rack, lol. Currently in market for one.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Grodyman said:


> Can you post a photo of just the rack?
> Gman


Not yet.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Doub1e_R said:


> i need that 5 bike rack, lol. Currently in market for one.


Yeah, the 5 bike is my favourite.


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