Hatchback bike racks usually intimidate the hell out of me. More straps than a 1998 internal pack and rickety bars that look sketch. And how do you secure your $3,000 carbon girlfriends with this failed eagle project? Well I think Yakima is on to something with the hatchback rack genre, ladies and gentleman; The Quick Back 3 Bike Rack is beckoning.
If you are wondering if a 2 or 3 capacity carrier would be best I personally like the 3 just because you never know what biking hitchhiker you’ll pick up. Unless you are 100% certain for the next lifetime no more than 2 bikes will be toted by your vehicle. The other thing I like about the 3 model is if there are only 2 bikes it really spaces them out and it’s not a struggle fitting them on.
Installing the Quick Back
Like the name, strapping on this puppy is quick. The half-circle arm is easy to adjust for a Subaru, Honda, ‘79 Pacer, or whatever you are pumping gas into. The Quick Back even welcomes VW bus style flat surfaces. Yakima really made this an all around rack which makes it worth the money, ahem…$199. The hatchback style is cool too, especially when Subaru is keeping you up at night with their FAILING 2010 rack.
The security straps are plain jane. Slip them through a couple cracks in the rear opening and hope to high heaven some teenager doesn’t try out his new butterfly knife on them. Hopefully in future years Yakima can figure out a way to really beef these up. Micro cable with electric shock? There are clips on each strap so when you wrench down to make the rack snug, you can tuck in the slack. It use to be cool to buzz down the highway with bike straps free flowing rasta-style but after a couple trips to Moab the ends get frayed. Good luck switching out frayed straps on a rack system like this.
Holding the bikes
I’d be very interested to hear any stories about bikes falling off your car. No need to name brands, but here at gear.com you can find a shoulder to cry on…after we have a good laugh. I actually drove into underground parking with my Gary Fisher loyally attached to the top. I was going around 10mph and it popped clean off. My reflector got a little scuffed but luckily nothing else perished, other than my pride.
The Quick Back is solid. The two straps that hold the bike to the bars beefed up from other rear access racks Yakima has come out with. A warning with the rubbery straps is that if you aren’t using your rack store it indoors. Those straps can get hot and easily crack in the sun. The Quick Back straps are going to last longer but its still the same material being used. After all, you don’t have to have the rack on 24/7 to look tough, those dolphin stickers your lady put on the bumper says it all.
Telling the future of the Quick Back
*holding my Macbook Pro to my forehead Johnny Carson style*
“Carting bikes on my Subaru. Official bottle opener. Ramming weapon for demolition derby.”
*opens Macbook*
“Three roles of the Quick Back.”
Don’t be afraid of hatchback bike racks any longer. Pack the brews and drop the old bike rack off at the thrift store on the way to the trail.
