| by Hitch Source Management |
Date Added: Monday, April 19, 2004 |
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The Softride Access DX rack is the top of the Softride line. It offers oversized tubing for superior stability and durability. An easy to use, foot operated release mechanism makes it easy to fold the racks down. The Softride racks are the best fold-down racks we've found. Most fold-down racks require the bikes to fold down as well. This creates a stress on the top tubes and creates a potential for damage. The Softride products have a patented, parallelogram folding mechanism that keeps the bikes perpendicular to the ground at all times.
The amount of clearance that is created when folding this rack down is unbelievable. I’ve used Softride racks on my Volkswagen Eurovan, thinking there was no way the Eurovan’s oversized rear door would clear the bikes. Not only did it clear, but I had inches to spare.
The rack can easily carry 4 large bikes. The rubber cradles are very easy on your bike’s finish. If you’re worried about scratching or damaging your bikes, this is the best rack we’ve found for avoiding damage. The bikes are held on with soft rubber straps that protect the bike, yet help keep it from swinging during transit.
The rack comes with a locking hitch pin to secure the rack to the vehicle. The hitch pin also tightens the rack up against your receiver to eliminate rattles and make the rack extra sturdy. The racks also include an integrated locking cable. When not in use, the cable retracts inside of the rack’s tubing to stay out of sight. To use it, you simply pull it out over the top tubes and padlock it to a secure fitting on the front of the rack. The padlock is not included, but this is one of the easiest and most convenient locking systems available.
These racks offer more accessories than any other rack we’ve found. Instead of designing a bike rack with accessories, Softride has developed a fully modular rack system from the ground up. You can easily remove the bike arms completely and replace it with a wide range of other accessories. From the Car-BQ attachment for tailgate parties, to the ski rack attachments, to the wall mount attachment, this is the most versatile rack we’ve seen. Despite the modularity, they haven’t compromised on performance or security.
One of the questions we get frequently is why don't we carry Thule or Yakima. When it comes to the Softride racks, it’s because Yakima and Thule don’t have anything that compares. This idea is patented. These racks are the best value we’ve found.
At Hitch Source we are very careful about the products we choose to carry and endorse. The racks we carry are what we believe to be best in their class. Being an avid mountain biker, I use this rack frequently and can proudly recommend it.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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Trailer Hitches
- Accessories
