Home » Car Sports Racks

I purchased this rack to haul my bike around. I drive a Cadillac CTS-v. The rack works as Saris markets. I have not hauled three bikes but have done two. No problems what so ever. The rack secures nicely to my trunk lid. The fit is a little awkward as the suction cup brace things don't fit well on the edge of my trunk lid BUT the rack still secures nicely - doesn't move around, doesn't damage the pain, doesn't bend or scratch the trunk lid.

One thing that was not mentioned in the instructions is the fact that the front wheel kind of swings (from the unrestricted turning of the bars and wheel) back and forth in the wind. I used a small bungee cord to tie the front wheel to the rack. This isn't a big deal and the wheel wasn't turning back and forth to much but I simply want everything solidly attached and not moving. Plus if for some reason my skewer decided to vibrate loose and let my $400 front wheel fall from the bike, the bungee will hold on to it. - probably a bit over protective on my part.

Overall this rack is nice. The locking straps work great and the key really does as advertised. They have plenty of torque with the ratchet system so be careful not to over tighten. The bike is very stable once strapped in. The straps themselves are VERY easy to secure and to release. Installing the rack on the car took a little effort the first time. Now it takes all of 30 seconds - 45 seconds if I lock the straps. Taking it off consists of giving the straps some slack and then simply removing the rack from the car. Literally it takes 15-30 seconds to remove it from the car. You can open the trunk with the rack on. You may have to assist it when you hit the "pop trunk button" but opening the trunk is no problem - obviously don't try to open the trunk with a bike on the rack.

Great rack overall. I would highly recommend this rack!

I bought the Bones RS for use on my 2003 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon. I recently completed a 1200 mile trip with two bikes on the back of my car using this rack and the rack was on as tight at the end of the trip as it was when I started out. I would say this rack is as stable and sturdy as any trailer hitch type rack but costs only half as much.

I have previously owned both Thule and Yakima racks and found neither would stay securely mounted to the back of my car. The problems with these racks was that because of the design of the rear of the Subaru, either the ends of the bent metal grips at the ends of the straps weren't sufficiently long enough to securely grip the car (Thule) or the nylon straps and buckles would not maintain tension (Yakima) and in both cases the racks would inevitably loosen up after several miles of driving. I considered installing a receiver and hitch type rack, but it would have cost me $500 and if I sold the car I would have to pay again to install a hitch receiver on whatever I bought. The Bones RS eliminated all these problems.

The rack is very sturdy, goes on quite easily, and stays very tight even after prolonged driving. The use of metal straps and a ratchets for tensioning is a huge improvement over trying to tighten nylon straps with plastic buckles.

As for cons:

1. You have to be careful not to over tighten the metal straps when you mount the rack as it then becomes difficult to release tension on the straps for removal.

2. The plastic straps for securing the bikes to the rack can get in the way when mounting or removing a bike.

Overall I would highly recommend this bike rack. It is as secure as a hitch type rack for a lot less cost and you don't have to worry about straps loosening up.

I've been using this rack for a few weeks now, and I really like it. The initial set-up took a little while, mostly because the fit guide is online, rather than in the instructions, so we had to guess a little bit to set it in the right notch for my Saab 9-3. But after that it's very easy to install and remove from the car. It's also very stable and the bikes are very secure. I love the feature that locks the rack to the car - I don't know of any other bike rack that does that. So if you have a cable lock, you can also lock your bike to the bike rack to deter theft. All in all I'm very pleased with this purchase.

I needed I bike rack for my carbon fiber race bike and ended up settling on this one. It hasn't been 24 hours yet since I've been using it but I must say that so far it has met all my expectations. Here's a little background. I recently purchased a carbon fiber race bike from the LBS and had no way of taking it home (10 miles away). Well, I shouldn't say "no way", I just didn't want to ride it home although I could. Furthermore I wanted a bike rack so I could travel with my bike. My #1 concern was damaging my car. I needed a rack that would attach to a 2008 Infiniti G35 sedan without damaging anything. The #2 concern was damaging my bike. Its a full CF bike afterall; the last thing I wanted to do was cause damage to the frame. So I spent roughly 3 weeks researching bike racks (Saris, Thule, Yakima). My car doesn't have a tow hitch receiver so I counted those out, plus I preferred a rack that I could move to another car if needed.

I initially ordered the Thule 9003 Platform rack. After analyzing the majority of complaints for trunk mounted racks (scratching or denting bumper), I also bought a bumper protector from zetaproducts.net. My thought were if it scratches the bumper, then protect the bumper. Both products were to be delivered on the day I was to pickup the bike. However, 2 days before picking up the bike, I got an email saying that the order was canceled due to out of stock. So I figured that everything happens for a reason (actually I was pissed), then did some more research. With a last minute decision it came down to the Bones 2 or the Bones RS. After watching utube videos I decided to go with the Bones RS for its simplicity plus it can be locked to the car; although the lock is a minor deterrent for a bike rack thief. It also has only two straps which are rubber coated wires and has a rubber protector at the hooks to prevent scratches to the car's paint job. Attaching this bike rack to the car was basically effortless and I was able to do it in 3-4 minutes the first time (learning what to do) and less than a minute the second time. Tightening the two straps is done by a built in hand crank. This is super simple stuff. Now for the annoying part. Setting the bars that the bike rests on in the correct position. Pulling each bar off the plastic gear thing, rotating it and setting it back was a lot of work. Its more work than it should have been. If you only set it up once for your car then everything will go smoothly, but if you have to readjust them for any reason (I put the rack in my trunk) its quite annoying because its so hard to get them off the plastic gear looking thing even after loosening them up a lot. Saris could improve this part. Other than that, attaching the bike was quick and easy. There are 3 straps for securing the bike. Two for the top bar and one for the seat post to prevent the bike from swinging. The straps are coated to protect the bike, but I'll most likely get some additional sponge or something for added protection. I also used a 24" bungee cord to wrap around the rim of the front tire to prevent the fork from moving while driving.

This rack fits verify firmly on the trunk and I do find that I can open my trunk with the rack attached. I've driven on the highway and down some bumpy roads at 40 mph - 70 mph and didn't observe any problems. For added security I plan to use another bungee to keep the front of the bike attached to the rack (just too paranoid, I paid thousands for the bike); the back is already connected twice due to the design of the rack. So what has become of the bumper protector? Its still sitting on my bumper and looks nice but right now it does nothing since the rack doesn't rest on the bumper at all. If I had the bones 2 or 3 then I'm sure that it would have been very helpful. If you have one of those racks or plan to get one or a similar kind you may want to checkout a bumper protector as it puts a hard surface between the rack and the bumper to help distribute the weight and should be 100% effective against scratches (I did a lot of research). If you have the Bones RS then you should be fine. The metal hooks at the bottom of the rack do not come in contact with the bumper. In my case, the two rubber feet happen to sit on the metal part of the trunk of my car, so surely no scratches there. Once attached, rocking the rack from side to side moves the car instead of the rack so side straps are not needed. So far I'm happy with this rack. However, I'll update this review should I find anything more.

Saris Bones RS 3-Bike Trunk Mount Rack I bought the RS-3 as our new Passat 3.6 4-motion would not allow a hitch mount. I was very concerned about stability of the rack, the attached bikes and the finish/paintwork of the car. In a word (or so) no problems. The 2 mountain bikes we carry are rock steady on the rack, the rack is rock solid on the car and the paint hasn't suffered at all.

I recommend a thorough reading and understanding of the instructions and then a rereading and "dry mounting run". Given you mount the carrier correctly, it's a superior product worth the superior price. Make sure that the rack fasteners and cups are clean as should be the trunk lid of the car. It also works very well on my wife's M3.

I had been looking for a trunk rack for a while, I had a Thule rack that I used last summer for a trip to Nova Scotia that was horrible. I almost lost the bikes (only 2) 4 times, and it was very difficult to get the straps to stay tight. I have only used this rack a couple of times so far, but I love it. It is easy to apply to the trunk, no extra straps to fight with, and best of all it actually held my bike in place without any slipping, or even much bouncing at all even at highway speeds. I can't wait to travel with my bike this summer! I highly recommend this rack.

I purchased this rack based on the reviews and it works as promised. The install went well and the rack fits secure to the back of my car. There is plenty of adjustment.

The guy from NC should use his head before writing a negative review about this rack. The rack comes locked from the factory and if you unlock each side, the straps release and work perfectly.

Great rack!

After watching the video and reading the instructions, I had to spend a few minutes playing with it to see exactly how to release the straps and raise the support bars.
Now I can put it on the vehicle or remove it in 2 minutes tops.
I like the fact that the rubber feet rest on the metal part of my Forester's rear hatch and not on the glass like so may other trunk-mounting racks.
It holds the bike frames rock solid, but you will need a bungy cord or something to keep the bikes front tire from swaying.
I was hesitant to pay so much for a rack, but the convenience is worth it. I can drive to the bike trail, take off the bike, then unhook the Bones RS and just stick it in the trunk.
Another nice thing is the ratcheting/locking rubber coated steel straps do not require you to pull over and re-tighten every hour on a long trip.

Never had to even look at the instructions for this bike rack; I had watched the demo a couple of times, and the rack installed exactly as the video had shown. This is a rock-solid bike rack, and installation/removal couldn't be more of a breeze -- 30 seconds to one minute. For me, this rack is well worth the money. I have carried two bikes on it with no problems at all, but as another person stated in their review, the bikes do need their front wheel/handlebars secured so they don't move around ("yes/no" movement). I think this is a normal situation when a bike is suspended and moving on anything; I just use a small nylon harness to loop through the bike wheel and the bike itself to correct this "problem". The bikes are extremely secure, and for the first time, I don't worry at all about them falling off. Hands down, this is the ultimate in bike transport if you are going to use a trunk mount rack.

I searched many optional Trunk type universal Racks. This was about $100 more expensive that the rest, but I purchase because the design features seemed really nice.

I liked the ratcheting ties and the four point hold as opposed to the others six point.
The Round boots seemed ok, but appeared too hard and would damage the paint as opposed to the others using a very soft foam.

My big issues were the straps. Too long, difficult to use and always in the way during loading / unloading.

Other issue was my new rack had a defective frame support mount. Thy added a feature where you could move them out of the way during loading/ unloaded and one of the three did not work.

I emailed them on Monday and gave them the whole story, figuring they would send me a small part to fix it. I never heard back from them so I returned the rack.

I own a 2011 Jetta TDi Sportswagen. The Bones RS was not recomended acording to someone I spoke to at Saris customer service. They felt that the upper hook was too thick. I purchsed the Bones RS3 anyway and I can tell you that it is rock solid with the foot pads at the limit of the metal hatchback. The upper hooks need to be slid into place from the left and right of the slightly open hatchback. Once in place, the upper hooks do not interfere with the operation of the hatchback. Brilliant design.

Like most of us, when I found myself considering a trunk mount bike rack, I was worried about possible damage to the paint job on my new Toyota Camry Hybrid. No worries! Right out of the box, the Saris Bones RS 3-Bike rack mounted onto the trunk in minutes, held the bike firmly in place while the car hustled to make my riding start time, held the bike firmly for the next four days as I tested it in all types of driving situations, DID NOT damage the car OR the bike, was a breeze to remove, and compact to store. Thanks Saris, for such a well thought out product! More expensive than some other models, but constructed with an eye for holding its resale value.

If you need a trunk mounted back rack this is the one to get by far. Very will thought out and constructed. Holds the bikes with no sway when strapped in properly. Easy to mount and use. Simply the best.

I bought this rack a few months ago and have used it many times using two different vehicles. After following the manufacturer's mounting recommendations, I found that this thing works GREAT. VERY stable....I'll never go back to adjusting nylon straps again. The big test for me was using it on a 9 hour trip with 3 bikes mounted on it but after some quick checks along the way just to be sure everything was good, I found it never needed adjusting....The mounting straps remained just as tight as when I first mounted it. Anyone thinking about buying this rack can do it with full confidence because it just may be the last rack you will need to buy! It's pricey but so worth the money!

This works really well. I've had it for well over a year (probably about a year and a half) and it works really well). I am a commuter cyclist (and military dude). The rack is extremely rugged (I've just left it on the back of my car since I bought it) and it protects my bicycle whether I am driving a few miles to and from work or moving between stations. (I used this rack to transport my commuter cycle from Maryland to Vermont to Louisiana when I was changing station and it worked great--I was glad I did not have the movers take my bike, but that is a totally different story!) Would recommend this to anyone!

Summary: If it would be hard for you to spend this much on a bike rack, you can certainly get serviceable ones for less (I recommend Super Joe 3). But if you do have the money, so far I'd say this is worth the cost.

My old bike rack was stolen off my car, and a bunch of awesome friends chipped in money as a graduation present for me to get a new one. Thus, I was in a position that I would never have been in otherwise: having a crap ton of money dedicated to buying a bike rack. My last one was a much cheaper Super Joe 3, which was quite serviceable for YEARS, and which I HIGHLY recommend to someone who doesn't have this much money to spend. But I'm glad I was in a position to get this one.

I was incredibly nervous about spending $250+ on a bike rack, particularly because it didn't have side stabilizing straps, which in my past experiences with trunk-mounted racks were essential for stability. But, there were enough good reviews that drowned out the bad ones that I got it, and I'm glad I did.

I was quite relieved when I opened the box and saw that Saris' pics do not do the stability & sturdiness justice. This thing is rock solid. The ratcheting mechanism enables me to tighten it to my car securely without gouging my hands on cruddy straps, so it's very secure on the car. My old rack was also a 3-bike rack, but I would NOT put three bikes on it--probably would've been OK, but dicey. Earlier today I had three bikes up on this one, and it was completely fine.

My old rack was stolen off the back of my car overnight, so one thing I liked about this one is the locking mechanism on the ratchet release, which means you can't release the straps to take it off. The locks aren't quite sturdy enough to make me feel confident in leaving this expensive rack on my car all the time. Of course, after the sting of losing the other one (and it cost less than half as much) I'm not sure WHAT would make me feel confident, and given how much this one costs I'm not sure that anything would! But I do feel better than I would otherwise when I have to leave it on.

Since I don't leave it on, I take it on & off somewhat often. The first few times were a little clumsy, but I've gotten quite good at doing it quickly. I understand how others think it's a pain to slide the bike-supports out and back to position them. You have to kind of finesse them--I've definitely found that the more I rush & force, the more difficult it is. But if I ease them over, they move right into position. Practice makes perfect.

The straps that hold the bikes on aren't quite as nifty as the ones on the Super Joe (I loved those!) but they are still really good--and probably a little bit more secure than the rubber loops which you had to make sure were over the pegs securely on the Joe. Someone mentioned them scratching the bike paint - not sure what the heck they're talking about, I don't see anything that would do that. Again, after using a few times & getting the hang of them, they are quick & easy to use.

The only con I have so far is that it's HEAVY, and just having it inside my trunk has dinged my gas mileage. But, I suppose that comes with the sturdiness. I may consider finding a place to stash it at my apartment if it looks like I won't need it for a stretch, to save on gas.

I did look at lots of reviews for a variety of bike racks. I was not desiring to have lots of straps to have to secure to different points on my car. I wanted simplicity and a bike rack that when attached to the trunk did not have the weight on the straps unevenly distributed so that it would pull up on the edges of the trunk. I did not want to compromise the seals on the trunk of my car when it rained by having slight gaps where the trunk straps had been located. I also reviewed a variety of hitch mount racks, and contemplated having a hitch installed on my 2004 Camry. In the end I opted to find a used Saris RS. Wow, it was exactly what I was looking for! It attaches exactly as per the instruction manual, and yes, the arms are a little stiff when initially positioning them, but I leave it in that position pretty much all the time. I found the bikes to be secure, but you do need to get extra bungy cords or tie-downs for the wheels. Also, if you have a women's bike you might need to purchase a bike bar to attach from the seat to the handlebars to give you a way to hang the bike on the rack. I have several bike bars and use them on kids tag-a-long bikes to allow me to hang one on the rack. It takes only a few minutes to install on my trunk and a few minutes to uninstall it and ratchet the two rubberized steel cables back into the unit. No cords to get all tangled up. I have been very impressed with the quality, except for the round SARIS labels on either side of the unit eventually come unglued. The bikes feel secure and I don't worry about my car being damaged due to the intelligent engineering of this unit. Always be sure that your car is clean and dry where the rubber feet fit onto the trunk so that it doesn't wear on your paints finish. I would buy this product again and highly recommend it to anyone.

Great product. Very sturdy. Does not scratch the car as other cheaper bike racks did. The bikes mount with ease and do not move around. Highly recommended! :)

Our old bike rack was given to us as a present and worked well enough but it had some serious drawbacks: hand-tightened straps and clips that would scratch up the trunk. It also hard to get it snug and tight as there were 6 straps to connect in addition to the padded bars that rest on the trunk. All in all it was a hassle to install, a hassle to remove, and a hassle to deal with. Several times on road trips we'd have to stop on the side of the highway, re-tighten the myriad straps hoping it would be enough.

Well, fast forward to a new car! With an up-and-coming biking trip on the way, there was no way in hell we were going to risk getting the shiny trunk of our new car all scratched up.

Enter the Saris Bones RS. We actually had our eye on this rack for quite some time and finally decided it was time to splurge. Was it worth it? Hell yes!

We just came back from a fairly long road trip with our two bikes and it worked like a charm! Within minutes I had the bike rack unpacked, mounted, and ready to go. It uses only two straps that are heavy-duty and rubber-coated. They use a ratcheting system to tighten as well, making a snug fit easy. I can see where you might get scratches at the contact points but as long as you clean those areas of debris (like dirt or sand) then you won't have to worry. During the trip we had to take off and re-mount the bike rack and there isn't a scratch on the car.

The bikes stay on there very solidly though you might want to use a towel or rag around the body where they strap in. The straps are plastic and rubber and I can bet they might rub the paint on your bike. Also, my bike uses a rounder tube for the main frame that works well with the strap but my wife's bike is more oblong. It was an odd fit (still snug and still secure) - if I had wrapped that part of an old sock or something it would've been perfect. That being said, the bikes and rack never loosened during our drive. We got out to test it after 30 minutes of travel (as recommended by the instructions) and it would not move. When we arrived at our destination about 2 hours away it was the same situation - the Saris Bones RS didn't budge at all.

My only problem with it is you have to align the bottom "hooks" right as you close the trunk. It can take a few tries to get it aligned properly and then close the trunk with enough force to get it to latch, but that's about it.

The rack itself is solidly built and I can see it lasting for years (even with heavy usage). I'll be sure to update my review as we use it more during the summer. But right now it's everything we had hoped it would be!

I used to own a canterlever designed bike-rack that looked similar to this product but it slipped off my bumber and ruined my privious bike and gouged my trunk lid.

THIS product has the ingenous engineering design benefit of ensuring that the bike rack is securely gripped to the bottom trunk lip ensuring that misshap will never occur again. CAUTION!: This rack is well thought-out work of engineering and is rather complicated to behold. The great news is that once you set it, you can forget it and it off and on in 33 seconds flat.

Lastly, the bike rack "LOCKS" itself to the car so you can lock your bike to the rack and it's secure.

PLUS, although Saris does not recommend it, I can open my trunk with the bike-rack securely attached to the trunk lid (very convenient)

I'm very impressed.

I love this thing! It can go on several different cars, though I've only actually tested it out on mine. I have a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback and it took me forever to find something that would work for it. I've loaded it up with 3 bikes and it worked great. The only problem I've experienced is that "ladies" bikes with the slanted bars can be very difficult to put on if the slanted bars are too close together. I think it's more a failing of the bikes than the rack personally, but you might want to watch out for that if that's the kind of bike you have.

I've always had a difficult time with bike racks - I don't like roof racks because of the extra drag on the car, and I hate the way my sporty car looks with a roof rack. I also don't like the installation work required for a roof rack. I thought a trailer hitch mounted rack would be nice, but that ends up costing a lot of money when you include the trailer hitch itself (not a big fan of a trailer hitch either). Many trunk mounted racks are a pain to work with - they can take some time to set up and it's easy to scratch your car's finish with them. If a mount isn't easy to use, it can discourage you from using it at all. This rack is fantastic - I can throw it on the back in just about 1 minute, and it comes off even quicker. It's extremely stable, which is important since I tend to drive my car hard. Even when accelerating fast or taking a turn quickly the bike rack stays absolutely immovable. I also like how easy it is to attach a bike to it. I use this every week and have had no issues whatsoever.

I ordered this rack because it locks on car, and because the arms fold down.

Rack is too heavy for me to use hatchback of Subaru legacy when rack on car, use a piece of rebar to hold hatch up when loading groceries; want to leave rack on car.

The biggest problem is the arms: they are very hard to slide over so can fold them down; seems to be an engineering problem:it's not a strength problem as my husband has a hard time as well. Anyone out there having a hard time with this as well? Any suggestions? Am moments away from returning it.

The Bones RS may appear to be pricey but its well worth the money. Goes on quickly and secure as all get out. Love the locking mechanism. You can open your trunk with it installed!!!!! Obviously, its best not to open the trunk with bike(s) in the rack. I went from a very very inexpensive one and that scared me would fly off when driving. Bike(s) are secure in this great bike rack. When installing, don't crank down to much because I could see someone easily denting your trunk. I love this bike rack.

I really took my time looking at all the bike racks available and this one is the best! My bikes fit extremely secure on the rack and the racks'stucture is sound, unlike the other Saris rack that has straps going in four directions. This rack also locks so you can leave it on your car. Quick Tip: when putting the rack on my car by myself, I loosely strap on the top and hook the bottom and then I left the weight of the rack help close my hatch - works like a charm. Then I tighten up the straps.

I was shocked by the sturdiness (and weight!) of this thing. I read reviews complaining of the complexity of setting it up -- but found it easy enough, and super easy to take off/put on once it's set. I also read about concerns about the rubber bumpers harming the finish on the car, and am still wary of this. But it is an incredible relief to know your bikes are not going anywhere as you're speeding down the highway. (My Thule bent over time and damaged all three of the bikes it was carrying.) The peace of mind is well worth the money.

This is such a slick bike rack. I love it. My sister has one and now I do too. Easy, fast, and safe. What more could I ask for? Okay more time to use it.

The plastic binding straps (for mounting the bikes) on this rack scratch and damage the paint job and furthermore, do not offer sufficiently tight way to secure the bikes. This makes the bikes wobble and bounce on the road and increases the potential to damage. Very, very bad design by some person who obviously does not bike or use this product. Save your money and get the Thule -- any of the Thule's have rubberized straps that won't kill the paint job and at the same time offer a tighter grip on the bikes.

Ok, so I got this for my BMW. Paid $[...] bucks, expecting a near flawless experience. Not happening. Firstly, the instructions look like they were run off of a copy machine in the basement office. Secondly, they are NOT nearly detailed enough. I have seen better instructions included with Chinese disposable furniture.

SO I go online and watch the installation video. Seems simple enough. I get it positioned on my car and I can't get the the ratcheting straps to release. I double check the instructions and make sure the ratchet handle is DOWN (Yep, it is). I then begin to tug hard enough that I am now worried that I will lose my grip on this thing and send it careening of my car. SO I say to myself "enough of this" and it is now awaiting its return pick up back to Amazon for a refund.

Did I get a defective rack? Maybe. But for a supposedly top-o-the-line trunk mount rack, Saris should at least do some QC before letting these things ship.

SARIS = FAIL.