gpburdell

Seems like everyone is doing ramps now. The Kuat NV 2.0 has a ramp accessory available, as does 1UP. Definitely would help some folks in getting their 50-60# ebike up on the rack.

I can see how the tool-less adjustment could be handy for some people, though I wonder how many people really ever move the crossbar after initial setup. I'm sure some do, of course, and tool-less adjustment would be more convenient than carrying a box-end wrench. Still, the capability would be wasted on me since I've never moved the crossbars on my rack & addon, and moved one crossbar one time setting up my wife's rack for her bike.

kahn

I guess if someone rides different style bikes regularly and they have different geometry it could prove handy. I've got the Sherpa and while these other options appear really nice, I think the Sherpa will serve me since when I went to Costco recently, they had a Colgate coupon and I thought to myself, these 5 (or was it 6) tubes could last the rest of my life. As I jokingly added afterward, I think that I will outlive a few more rotisserie chickens!

prj71

I'm not understanding this comment.

The wheel locks are to lock up your bike to prevent theft.

prj71

I get what you are saying. Not everyone needs what I need in a rack. In my household we have 2 road bikes, 2 fat bikes, 2 mountain bikes and 1 fitness bike. So I needed the fat bike spacer kit.

After I installed the fat bike spacer I tried it with the mountain bike and road bike and it works fine. Then I thought to myself..."Why didn't 1up just make it with this spacer as Standard"

The QuickR is also tool-less for the anti-wobble mechanism.

To be honest with 2 trays, that lowering mechanism is my biggest gripe. I find it hard to get it and it doesn't release easily. As a temporary solution I tied some rope to the bar and threaded it through the 2 empty holes on the front of the rack. I'm probably going to fabricate something myself out of aluminum. I also have my own more robust stainless steel locking hitch pin that I use with my trailer and a previous bike rack I owned. I was surprised that it wouldn't work with the 1up rack. They had to make the hitch pin hole smaller to accommodate the anti-wobble mechanism, which forced me to buy their hitch pin lock which is chintzy.

Reflector Guy

Quikr is a new company... Looks a lot like a copy of the 1up rack? Maybe they improved on whatever they didn't like about the 1up.

gpburdell

Yep, particularly with the 2nd bike spot where you might alternate between carrying a spouse's bike and a kid's bike. In some instances I suspect one could find a middle-ground crossbar spot that worked for both, and in other instances perhaps not. Certainly something to consider even though moving a crossbar on the 1UP isn't exactly difficult.

The QuikR stuff is nice - just seems like they've engineered it into serving a variety of niche needs that may not apply to all buyers -- and you pay a pretty penny for that. I hope they do well, as innovation is a good thing.

Your mention of the Sherpa serving you well - good bike racks generally will last until the person's needs change to something the rack won't do. I had a Yakima hanger style rack that was great, but when I bought a carbon bike I decided to err on the side of caution and switched to the 1UP. Sold the rack on FB marketplace to someone who will likely get many more years of use out of it.

Kapusta

Yeah, why they don’t just make the crossbars fat-compatible to start with is a puzzle to me.

I was not crazy about the way the fat tire crossbar held my road bike, so I rigged up something myself a few years ago. It turned out to be very similar to the design QuikrStuff uses. Seemed like a no-brainer to me, and 1Up should have done it this way from day 1.

prj71

I think they did copy it, but improved it.

If QuickR lowered their price about $100 or so for a 2 rack system, I think they would give 1up a run for their money.

Not sure if the price diffrence is because of materials or certain design elements or if it's of where it's made...Wisconsin vs. Colorado.

Reflector Guy

The cynic in me suggests the workforce in Wisconsin is probably a lot more efficient, thanks to a lot less of a certain green herb in their lungs. My brother lives in Boulder, and based on the stories he tells about hiring workers (or trying to hire), I might not be too far off the mark.

Reflector Guy

Were fatbikes even a "thing" when 1up designed their racks? It is probably tough to foresee what will become popular in five or ten years time.

Kapusta

Good point, I don't remember when 1UP started.

But Fat has been a thing for many years, now. They have had plenty of time to address this.

gpburdell

Personally I'm happy with the narrower standard crossbar setup - I'd be concerned with slop with the wider crossbars. Guess that's another personal-preference matter.

BTW -- while you've already solved this for your needs, 1UP added an accessory that may help others -- Wheel Saver - clips onto the crossbar spool. Also works with the regular non-fatbike spools.

Rolla

Um, people in Wisconsin smoke weed, too. The price difference likely has more to do with Quikr being a start-up, with a much smaller production scale and capacity.

Kapusta

And the design being more complex.

Kapusta

Or they could just change the design of the fat tire crossbar and you would not need that extra plastic thing.

BTW, the crossbar I set up (and what Quickrstuff uses) grabs a non-fat tire exactly the same way as the crossbar on the standard (non-fat) 1UP crossbar does. Why would there be more slop? . In fact, the one I set up is made from the standard 1UP crossbar.

Here is the Quikrstuff. Notice how (like mine) the center is more deeply notched to hold smaller tires. Fat tires don't need that as they are so soft they conform to the shape of the crosspiece. Their design is - unsurprisingly - a bit better than my hack.

Kapusta

This may already be common knowledge, but the lead designer for the Quickrstuff rack was one of the designers for the original 1UP. He and the rest of the company apparently split on bad terms. From what I have seen since, I am guessing he was the design genius, but not much of a business guy. He floundered around trying to launch this Mach2 for a long time and then disappeared. I assume Quickrstuff formed when he teamed up with some folks with business and/or production expertise.

I wish this company well. I just hope they can make the business work. Like prj71 points out, it really does address every possible shortcoming of the 1UP, and (assuming it holds up over time) is hands down the best rack on the market.... by a long shot, IMO.

Rolla

Same. It's a good illustration of the challenges of entrepreneurship, but good on 'em for building a better mousetrap.

prj71

I like this idea. I may copy it for the road bikes.

prj71

As a Wisconsin resident my first thought is maybe 1up pays lower wages than QuickR.

dmanders

I have used Rocky Mount, Thule, and 1Up. I had issues with RM and Thule over time. 1Up has been an absolute dream to own. Looks good and works perfectly.

jack pot 

1 UP is a simple high quality rack that shouldn't disappoint

sdmc530

Sorry, my bad, I got this confused with the wheel stabilizer.

jack pot 

I think 1 Up was started or designed by the guy(s) now running QR .................. you might search the GCD threads for 1 Up or QR posts

sdmc530

this thread has been awesome, I learned a ton about racks and all the little things they have. I am grateful for the knowledge base on here.

I am going 1up....I doubt I will regret it.

thanks all!

Polaris OBark

The other weird thing about One-up is that the two engineers behind it split and started two rival companies. (This happened about the time I was looking.) How did that get resolved?