Anyone use a Saris Bones rack with a Lapierre Zesty?

Dazza993

Hi all,

I've at last got myself a Zesty 514 ( http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71 ... 3_0008.jpg ) and its blooming fabulous. I now would like a bike rack for the car to get to trail centers etc.

Bike rack wise I'm favouring the Saris Bones 3, which looks like it will happily fit on my '07 BMW 5 series.

Now the Zesty has a slightly sloping top tube and my LBS suggested that I might need the Saris bike beam ( http://www.saris.com/p-170-bike-beam.aspx ) which creates an artifical top tube from which to hang the bike on the carrier.

Having had a good like at said bike beam it looks like the stem & saddle will bear the weight of the bike so if possible I'd like to avoid using it.

I don't suppose anyone knows for certain whether a Zesty will naturally sit in the Saris bones rack without the need for the bike beam?

Alternatively if there are other bike racks that you know that work with a Zesty or any bike with a fattish sloping top tube that also fits a Beemer 5 series then advice would be appreciated.

Cheers in advance

Chaz.Harding

Can I ask why you are averse to using the Saris 'Beam'?

If your stem and seatpost are wayyyyy more than capable of holding your weight on the trail (which I hope they would be!!! :shock: ), it's easily going to support the weight of the bike.

EASILY

M6TTF

If you do need to use the beam I wouldn't worry too much about the stem and post, they take a he'll of a lot of stress and weight just through riding, far more than suspending the weight of the bike. That's the only trouble with full sussers, tailgate racks are hard work!

ichabod crane

You will most likely need the bike beam, I have the same problem with my Heckler and use the bike beam. Which works a treat for ease of fitting i do normally take the wheels off though.

Prowlus

Saris bones and full susses don't mix unless you get a false crossbar . The arms will be a bastard to try and squeeze it between the shock and the top tube

Dazza993

bigchazrocks wrote:

Can I ask why you are averse to using the Saris 'Beam'?

The main reason being that having looked at the beam it isn't a particularly close fit - which maybe is fair enough given that it needs to be a 'one size fits all' setup.

I'd worried that the bike may not necessarily be securely fastened to the rack using the beam and hence may damage bike & car.

From the responses posted so far, it would appear that my concerns around the beam are unfounded (which is good to know) that the weight of the bike will be suspended by the stem+saddle as opposed to the top tube.

Cheers for the input.

M6TTF

My mate has the saris 3 bike rack and I can get my trek fuel ex 7 and his orange 5 on it without the need for a beam. It is a tight squeeze getting it on the arms though

ratty2k

I used to have the Saris bones rack and false crossbar thingy. No worries with it, use a couple of extra straps to stop the bike flapping around. The crossbar is quite sturdy, the locking pins for the clamps are spring loaded, and basically foolproof. Dont sweat it, its a good system.

nferrar

Had a 314 (medium) on a Saris bones and it was fine without the cross-bar thing, the weight was pretty much all on the arm by the back wheel though with the arm by the head tube about an inch below the top tube but the straps held it on OK.

99thmonkey

I use a Saris with my MTB's and all good. Infact Im about to put a spare BNIB one up for sale on the forum as soon as Ive taken a picture (of a brand new box!!)

£85 if anyway is intrested! Its the 3 Bike Version

ads4

I can just squeeze the arm between the shock and top tube on my Hifi so it sits fine....just!

popstar

I use -Pendle- rack, those arms* adjust to any different hights and I can fit any given design Full Susser on a rack, and 3 of them if pushed hard. Don't understand hysteria around Saris*.