Forum menu
Anyone know of an alternative to these?
https://www.scorpionracks.com/products/rack
The wheelbase is now so long on my bikes i’m getting to the point I’d prefer to hang them vertically off the car boot as the wheels stick out so far from the sides of the car. The above also looks superquick to mount compared to the current strap and hope. Looking at some of the “grab the frame style racks instead of the strap the frame mounts but for the money I’d prefer the scorpion.
Last time i spoke to the guy that makes the above he said he’d had a major accident i think it was so stopped making them. But that was a year or two at least. Website is still live so hoping he may come back to them.
But anyone know of an alternative?
The wheelbase is now so long on my bikes i’m getting to the point I’d prefer to hang them vertically off the car boot as the wheels stick out so far from the sides of the car.
I live on the road out of peebles, Honestly I think it will be a LLS bike that will take me out as i try and get in my car!
Yakima do some but they run on the american style hitch so not much use unless you happen to be willing to drill holes in your chassis... Probably.
Vertical is so sensible I can't imagine why anyone ever thought of putting them sideways.
singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/vertical-mounting-bike-rack/#post-12438442
I would indeed! Looks hard to get hold of those Yakima racks in the uk though 🙁
if my towbar can be adapted that’d be a start anyway. Local fitter on monday me thinks.
Thanks for the heads up on these. Might be able to get one through a UK yakima dealer so something to look into.
That Scorpion four prong mounting system is a direct copy of North Shore Rack, which I had a four bike rack version.
Super quick to load for shuttling but you need to be careful as shifters and brake levers on one bike can interfere with the adjacent bike.
BTW: that mounting type only works on bikes with suspension forks so look elsewhere if you have some rigid/road bikes...
Actually, another point about hanging bikes vertically...
I have a XXL Hightower so super long wheelbase and I had to be careful the back wheel doesn't scrap along the road when going up ramps (eg in car parks). I banged my rear wheel a couple of times exiting my garage until I raised the rack (which made vertical clearance marginal).
I also know a couple of instances where the rear wheel has dragged and banged sufficiently hard to bounce the bike out of the prongs, and the bikes fell off the rack.
FWIW, I got rid of my NSR rack and replaced it with a Thule tray rack and, yes, my wheels extend wider than my car but I live in Canada where the roads are somewhat wider than the UK 😉
this is no help, but…
i have a north shore rack that the scorpion rack is a copy of. they are really easy to load bikes on. that is no help as the rack uses the american style hitch.
if you can find a vertical rack with a ball mount, i’d highly recommend one.
Shingleback racks are the standard here in Australia. Not sure if they export though.
They carry your bike by the front wheel, so only the tyres touch the rack at all.
They only use a hitch though, but they also sell a stand to use the rack as storage in the garage. They also make inserts for road bikes & BMX's.
I banged my rear wheel a couple of times exiting my garage until I raised the rack (which made vertical clearance marginal).
this is a good point! not a problem for medium me.