Saris  Bones 3-Bike Trunk Rack

The Saris Bones 3 attaches easily, is very lightweight and strong. Loading two bikes is no problem, adding the third bike pulled the top pads away from the rear window slightly and upper straps needed to be tighten a little more to get nice stable contact. Fits great on 2015 Subaru Outback with no additional accessories. Fit guide on Saris website mentioned "Part #3035 Hatch Hugger required to replace Side Hooks" for the Outback but I'm not sure why. I didn't need them and all strap hooks (upper, mid & lower) attach fine. Good bike rack for the money!

I've used this rack for a while now. It's a solid rack. Here are my main complaints. 1) It is very difficult to fit multiple bikes on the rack without one disturbing the other. For example, the cassette/quick release bar on one may knock into the spokes of the adjacent bike. Similar difficulties with the handlebars. 2) Loading the bikes on is pretty rough on the cables, especially along the top tube. This isn't a problem for internal cables or cyclocross bikes. Overall, I think it's average for carrying multiple bikes. I'd probably give the single bones 4 stars (or 3.5 if that were possible). I'll probably try a different trunk mount system soon, or just go to a roof rack.

I agree with the previous reviewer about cleaning the feet and trunk/bumper before install. Saris claims the rack has "non marring" feet. Not true. I will have to have some paint work done on my car before selling or trading in. HOWEVER, I like the fact that it comes apart in 7 pieces. Pretty much packs into a duffel bag. We took ours to Hawaii that way, and made a cycling trip there pretty easy. When I replace it, I'll have to compare ease of dismantling and packing. If you don't plan to travel with it, I think I would select a different rack.

We purchased this product because it held three bikes and we liked how the arms were adjustable. My husband specifically liked that the arms did not sit on the rear window glass of our van. The best/worst is that we were rear ended and this rack did not push through the rear window which could have caused great damage but it crumbled and broke apart upon impact. Absorbing the force and minimizing the damage to the vehicle and my children did not have the rack or window glass come in the back window. The bikes did not fair so well but they can be repaired.

I am really surprised with how much I like this bike rack. I don't know why there are so many negative reviews for this product. Everything that the negative reviews mention (i.e. scratched car, broken arms of the bike rack, etc) can be avoided if the directions were read. Nevertheless, I like this bike rack and think it works just as good as any other trunk mounted bike rack.

This bike rack works well for all kinds of bikes and for long distance trips. The.only addition I make is a Velcro strap to secure the front wheel to the frame to keep it from flopping. Great construction and durability. Once you get it positioned the first time and tighten it down...you are good to go! We enjoy ours and trust our bikes to the "Bones"!

I've waited some months before writing this review because I wanted to make sure I was happy with the Saris and no unpleasant surprises crept up after regular use. I originally purchased a Yakima rack and was very happy with for the first six months - until the plastic and rubber parts began to break and Yakima was unresponsive. A friend (who is an avid/competitive rider) recommended the Saris Bones. REI let me exchange the Yakima for the Saris (excellent customer service as always). I was a little wary at first, because of my previous experience and because the Saris was different from the Yakima in several ways, but after using the Saris regularly I no longer have any hesitation in recommending it. It's lightweight yet very sturdy, easily clears a trunk spoiler, and holds the bikes far enough away from the trunk so the peddles can not scrape up the paint (which happened with my first rack.) The straps, with their metal adjusters, hold tight, do not come loose or need regular tightening. The plastic straps that hold the bike frame to the rack are a bit rigid and slightly hard to deal with at first but I got used to them quickly and I think they have become a little more flexible with regular use. Once I learned the trick of how to slide them in and out of the latches everything went much smoother. With the straps pulled tight the bike does not move around at all, and has no chance to rub the finish off the bike frame. The rubber feet work very well to hold the rack in place on my trunk lid, but one word of warning: be sure you brush any dirt off the bottom of the feet before you put the rack on your car. Any dirt stuck to the feet will scratch up your paint. This happened to me once because I was careless and in a hurry. Wipe off the trunk lid and the rubber feet with a wet cloth or detailing spray to make sure it's clean before you put the rack on the car. I've done that ever since and have had no new scratches at all. The Bones did not come with any way to hold the front wheel or handlebars in place so they wouldn't flop around while driving. I simply use the excess length of the lower strap. Loop it through the wheel and tie it to the rack with a simple knot. Hasn't failed me yet. I regularly carry my bike on this rack on the trunk of my car while driving 20 miles on the highway at 70-80mph and have had zero problems with anything coming loose, moving around, scratching or causing any damage to the car or bike. It's very simple to use, quick and easy to mount on the car, and holds everything securely in place without any damage or adverse effects. I am supremely confident in the Saris Bones and extremely satisfied with the purchase. I should have bought this one in the first place, but at least REI made it easy to correct my mistake.

My boyfriend got this rack as a gift. It was great the first couple of times we used it. We watched lots of videos online on how to install the rack on a standard sedan so we were pretty sure that we had it on correctly. Anyway, about after the 5th or 6th time we used it I could not get my trunk to close (with or without the rack on). I think the weight of the bikes and the torque caused the latch to get messed up. In addition the trunk doesn't seem to be aligned anymore because when it rains, water leaks into the trunk. I've had the trunk readjusted at least 2 times. In the summer months it is not so bad because we end up using a bungee and are still able to use the rack. I have a 2001 Honda Civic and at first the rack fit great but after using it with three bikes a few times it messed up the trunk. Buyer beware!!!!!

I do recommend that you take care to protect the car contact points. Otherwise, it's easy-on, easy-off, fits a wide range of cars, easily adjustable and very stable.

I own a Yakima bike rack that I use with my jeep but needed a trunk mount for my new car. I initially intended to buy another Yakima but was drawn to this because of the simple design and it folds down well to a small size. However when I came to use it wasn't impressed. 1: From folded down it's kind of a handful to try and rotate all those arms to the correct angles. Took me too long to fit it. 2: Even strapped down tightly there's a lot of movement in it and unlike the Yakima it doesn't have the anti-swing clamps and so the bike can move around a lot. 3: The ratchet straps are fiddly and don't pull completely tight so your frame can just bounce around in them. They also have sharp edges. 4: The mount points for the bike are too close together - not good for carbon frames because the weight is on the middle of the top-tube. Took it back and swapped it for the Yakima KingJoe Pro - a much better solution. Sets up and folds down much quicker - rock solid with cushioned rubber straps.