Yakima SideWinder Tandem Fork Mount Rooftop Bicycle Carrier

Product Description

, Yakima Sidewinder Tandem Bike Mount ">, Yakima Flipside 4 Bike Rack ">, Yakima SpareJoe Spare Tire Mount Bike Rack ">, Yakima Quick Back 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack ">, The Yakima Sidewinder Tandem Bike Mount is a convenient one person tandem loading system with an easy swing out skewer arm. The Sidewinder firmly holds all tandem frame shapes more securely than a wheel-tray design, and easily holds any 9mm tandem fork using a stainless steel locking long-throw shewer with single side adjustability. Protects bottom mounted cables with unique padded boom cradle and quick release ratcheting straps, and is designed to clear hatches and flip up rear doors on most vehicles. Mounts equally well to round or square crossbars, includes handlebar strap. Full system security with SKS cores-sold seperately.Product Features

• Country of origin: United States

This review is from: Yakima Sidewinder Tandem Bike Mount (Sports)
This rack works well. Essentially:

1.) the fork holder swings out to the side of the vehicle (can be set up to go either way: right or left).

2.) You lift the front of the tandem up and place the fork in the skewer and then clamp the skewer down.

3.) You then lift the rest of the tandem up and place the boom tube in the cradle. At the same time, the arm swings back in line with the rack.

4.) You tighten the arm locking bolt down and attach the straps that go over the boom tube and lock down in the holder.

I routinely load and unload the tandem by myself using this rack - but I prefer to have help. I am not particularly strong, but I am tall. The user has to lift the bicycle up and on to the boom tube holder while simultaneously pulling the front arm straight. If the sidewinder is mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle - you will also have to lift the tandem high enough so that the chain clears the boom tube cradle as well. I'm 6'1" and stand in the rear door sill.

Some people think that the Tandem looks ungainly perched up so high - but the sidewinder's design is very versatile and still lets you open the hatch (if you have one) a little bit when the bicycle is in place. It doesn't stick out to the back at all with no bicycle in place.

The only problem we've had with it is one of the boom tube "buckles" for the strap fell off somewhere - but Yakima shipped us a replacement immediately for free. I have seen other Sidewinders with the same missing buckle - so I wouldn't suggest that you always leave the sidewinder on the car, unless you somehow tie the buckles on to the cradle with a bungee cord or some such.

We use our Sidewinder on top of our '06 Prius and it sure makes transporting the tandem a lot easier. The rack is pretty expensive - but for us it was well worth it.