Yakima RaptorAero Bike Mount
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Inspired by Yakima's popular upright bike mount, the LockJaw, this Yakima RaptorAero rooftop bike mount transports your bike without the hassle of removing a wheel, and folds down when not in use.
Shop similar products- Fits a wide variety of bicycle down tube shapes and sizes 1-3 in. in diameter; disc brake and thru axle compatible
- Soft, padded Raptor Aero claws cradle bike tubes without harming paint finish
- Includes universal mounting bracket that allows Raptor Aero to fit round, square and most factory crossbar rack systems
- Raptor Aero tray is 52 in. long
- Theft deterrence is provided by the addition of SKS lock cores (sold separately)
Imported.
| Best Use | Cycling |
|---|---|
| Number of Bikes | 1-bike |
| Max Weight Per Bike (lbs) | 30 pounds |
| Weight | 10 lbs. 8 oz. |
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My Raptor Aero is two years old and still kicking.
I purchased my Raptor Aero along with Q Towers and 48" bars for a roof rack setup. Always determine which bike rack you need based on location and riding frequency. The Aero has large plastic wing nuts for easy removal. You may remove and stash it inside your vehicle. If you frequently ride, and wish to avoid the on and off switch hassle, you could replace the wingnuts with Raxxess Pin Torx Security Screws. The Raptor Aero is good sturdy well made product. CAUTION: always wrap a micro cloth or leather chamois around your bike frame before tightening the jaw (see picture) TIP: If you like your rim decals, avoid covering them with the wheel straps. Yakima sells Same Key Systems (SKS) Key cores in sets of; 2,4,6,8,10, and 12. EXAMPLE: I needed one core for each tower and one for the Aero's red knob, so I had to buy a set of 6. Now you know what I know.
Secure Holder, Mediocre Loading and Transporting
I've had my Raptor fro quite a while, so I have no complaints about the workmanship. It certainly is versatile having hauled kid sized bikes, a vintage road bike and my 29er. While the "beak" holds everything securely, I found I do not like the way it loads adult sized big bikes. I also do not like the way the bike, especially heavier off-road-bike, sways during transport. It never got to the point where it felt like anything was liable to fall off the roof, but the creaking was unnerving. The tray is also a problem for the long wheelbase of a 29er: it is about an inch too short, in my opinion. Reasonably priced and easily adaptable, it makes a nice carrier if you don't mind the quirks.
It gets the job done
I've been using the rack now for the past 6+ months for my Santa Cruz Heckler (27.5 x 3.5") and I am 100% satisfied. I secured the Raptor to my car rack using the Yakima Lock Housing to prevent it from being stolen. Since using the rack, I have been on several trip around Az with zero issues. The width of 3.5" on my tires is pushing the limit of rack. If you plan on running a fat tire bike or a 27.5+ tire, I don't think this will be the rack for you. Loading and unloading of the bike is easy given the height and size of my car (Chevy Spark). I received the rack new and assembling and installing it on my car along with the Yakima crossbars was a breeze. I plan on buying a second Raptor in the near future.
Good bike frame
Works as advertised and the Lockjaw really helps to stabilize the bike. I put the rack on top of my Subaru Legacy with factory mounts and the parts that came with the mount went on with no hitch. The difficulty I ran into is the instructions about spacing and when to slide on the straps must be for average to short people bikes, I am 6'5", bikes so I had to keep taking it off and adjusting to get it to where the lockjaw would connect and straps would be in the right place for the wheels (This is why I marked instal as a Con). Once I got that all figured out it works well. My driveway is on an incline and I find it easy to get my bike on and off parked in my driveway, but may not be that easy for shorter people.
NIce Rack
This is a good rack overall. The only complaint I have is that my bike wobbles a little. It's also very tall on my WRX, but I should have guessed that by the type of rack this is. Good product though.
Raptor vs. FrontLoader clamps
This rack might work well for you depending on your needs. I however returned it unused after not liking the way it attached to my car rack. I purchased both this and the Yakima FrontLoader. Both are sturdy, well made racks. Having used the FrontLoader for a month, I assembled this one in anticipation of using it for my daughters bike. It is not nearly as user friendly in my opinion. The Raptor Aero fit nicely to my factory crossbars, however there is no way to lock the Raptor to my crossbars. This wouldn't be too much of a problem if the clamps were easy to remove, but they are rather cumbersome to screw on and off. In comparison, the FrontLoader is both easy to attach and remove, and has the option to add lock cores. The FrontLoader appears designed to accommodate people who remove their bike rack from their car frequently, the Raptor is designed to be left on the car. I'm hoping the clamps are redesigned in the future as this is one of the only roof top racks that accommodate childrens bikes. Since I didn't actually use this for my bike, I can't speak to how well it held the bike during transport.
Would definitely recommend!
This is a great product. Simple to assemble with a quick look-over on the manual about the frame clamp. Easy to use. Once the bike was off I use a bungee to hold the arm tight to the rack to leave it on the Jeep for the week. Travelled 550 miles on NYS Thruway and mountain hwy - no problem.
It Will Carry 1 Bike
I received the rack after winter weather shipping delays in less than perfect condition. There are a number of chips in the powdercoat on the wheel tray however that will not effect the useful lifespan of the rack. Yakima makes a poor assumption as to the size of round bars and I'm pretty sure mine are larger than most car top bars. I have a Smittybilt SRC roof rack on my 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The cross bars are about 1.25" in diameter. This is only an issue because the Yakima supplied hardware will not work as per directions with this size of bar. This is only a slight inconvenience in that I was able to substitute the flange locking nuts from the package for what I think is a better finished product. It now requires tools (a socket and ratchet or combination wrench) to remove the rack. The use of a wingnut seems a poor choice for mounting the wheel tray to the baseplate. A Nyloc nut would be better. 2 star rating because: 1) carriage bolts too short 2) rack doesn't lock to roof rack 3) user friendly hardware is the least secure
Yakima love
I love the versatility of the mounting options for this. It does its job exactly how it is supposed to.
It works
It's works! It said what it was supposed to do, and the price was right