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    Can I trust this AliExpress bike rack???



    Bike racks for cars using suction cups are nothing new, but they have always been very expensive. So can I trust this cheap one from AliExpress?

    Magicshine Glasses – 20% off code ‘TRACEVELO’
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    I have used a Saris Bones 2 as my go-to bike rack for about 5 years. It’s great, but there are loads of straps and buckles so it takes AGES to set up and get fitted to your car. Plus once fitted you can’t get into the boot or trunk, and it has a tendency to get scratches on both the bike, and the car.

    I have always wanted to try a suction cup bike rack, but they are very expensive. SeaSucker makes a great one, but it is around £350 for their basic model. So when I came across this once from a company called RockBros a few months back, I had to try it! It’s around one third the price, so WAY cheaper, and I’ve used a few things from RockBros in the past with success, so picked it up.

    I’ve used it on several multi-hour trips down the motorway, and it’s worked great! It fits perfectly onto the roof of my car, and holds onto the bike really well, even at very high speeds, and in strong cross-winds.

    I did have one slight issue with it, but it was down to some dirt on one of the suction cups. Essentially i didnt clean it properly before install, so it was entirely my fault.

    But it is surprisingly well built for the money, works incredibly well, and is SO much quicker to install than a regular bike rack!

    Affiliate links below:

    RockBros Bike Rack – AliExpress
    https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DBXu2qB

    RockBros Bike Rack – Amazon
    https://amzn.to/3UuNCcq

    Timestamps:
    00:00 – Start
    00:23 – Overview
    01:18 – Unboxing
    03:07 – Initial suction test
    04:20 – Sponsor spot
    05:32 – Motorway testing
    07:41 – Suction cup issue
    08:18 – Installation & removal guide
    09:05 – Conclusion
    10:43 – Bonus clip

    Intro roll:
    Created by Dev Joshi – http://www.go2dev.co.uk

    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/tracevelo/

    Email:
    tracevelouk@gmail.com

    Please note:
    I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.

    In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!

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    46 Comments

    1. @Patrick_Spillane_ on

      Whilst you have bought it from aliexpress, rockbros is well known in australia and we actually reccomend this rack at our bikestore. We just reccomend buying from rockbros themselves.

    3. @aveedub7403 on

      Hi Luke, good review but frankly I wouldnt trust pure suction to anchor my pride and joy to any part of my car! I'd be terrified of arriving at destination and no bike or worse case scenario looking back on the motorway/road and seeing my bike/bikes being crushed by a car or truck!! How does the law stand if a bike does part company with the car, i suspect you could potenetailly be culpable for damage or, possible loss of life for not having a secured load? I guess that could happen with any bike rack but not having an extra level of safety by way of say nylon straps causes me chest pains!!!! Anyway my thoughts, btw are you still being sponsored by Siroko still?

      Stay safe and nice to see you out and about on time off with the family! I 🙂🙂🙂👍👍👍

    7. @doncrescas on

      A glass roof is ideal for these. Much harder to get a smooth surface on old paint. I would recommend cleaning with a clay bar to remove grit from the clear coat before trying to use these.

    9. @Chriswales on

      So glad I didn't buy one of these last month. They'd never stick to my 21 year old car with its peeling clear coat 😂 Great idea though, the only concern is the lack of a lock. Meaning you can never leave the car unattended. As you shown the pads can be lifted off in seconds.

    10. @michaelcarey1496 on

      I have the 2 bike version of this and have used it for 1000’s of miles and several years transporting mtbs around, never had an issue, would recommend

    13. @travr6 on

      I used this on my car without issue but never felt confident. I finally installed a roof rack with a skewer on the front but still use the suction cup on the rear. I always clean the roof and cup before mounting though.

    17. @helidude3502 on

      Things to consider……..
      This is doing a task that the vehicle components were not designed to do.

      Paint was not designed to carry cargo.
      On a painted surface, you are attaching to the paint, not the structure it’s painted on.
      Many vehicles have defective paint that simply peels off.

      Windows were not designed to carry cargo, yet you are now applying a 4foot, 40 pound lever to it.
      Most are designed to shatter into gravel sized pieces when broken.

      Other bike racks have multiple methods of attachment.
      So if a bolt, strap, weld, or clamp fails, there will likely be another capable of keeping the bike attached to the vehicle even if cosmetic damage occurs.

      If one of these fails, whether it’s the device or the paint/window, the bicycle will depart.

      Someone riding a motorcycle may not appreciate or survive a bicycle to the face at highway speeds.

      These types of racks have logged countless miles as attested by how many I’ve seen different places.

      There are definitely other hazards on the roadway more concerning than these.

      I like that someone has come up with something simple that isn’t vehicle specific and easy to use.

      But it’s not for me.

    18. @oheso on

      I have a few Rockbros items that I bought via Amazon. Overall impression is: they do the job, but fit and finish may not always be spot on. Winter gloves: do the job, but the fingers are a bit stubby. UV sleeves: no complaints, use them whenever it's warm and sunny. Shoe covers: a bit bulky, but again, they do the job.

    24. @Kim_Miller on

      Hi Luke, I've just watched China Cycling's Shanghai bike show vid 4 and half way through there you are up on the screen in the background of one of the exhibitors. It's about the five minute mark. You must be getting famous in the industry in China.

    27. @echtogammut on

      I think I'll order the two bike version. Rockbros has a good reputation for quality stuff, so I'm not as hesitant to put my bike on these as I would be from another brand. It's a royal pain to mount the Thule rack on the Audi, which I will still do for the kayaks and heavier stuff, but since the rack takes so long to mount, I tend to squeeze both bikes in the back, rather than mount the rack. Now I can get that 'super car' suction cup bike mount shot on the RS5 for the forums. 🙂

    29. @figjamuk on

      I have the double one and it's been an absolute joy to use. Using it on a pained (not glass) roof. Had a couple of times where the white has appeared but as Luke said it's due to not cleaning the cups and roof before installing.

    30. @afewspokesloose2699 on

      I used one of these and I trust them, however they're made to be installed when needed. I wanted to leave mine on and it required constant attention to the suction cups. I ended up losing one.

    34. @chris1275cc on

      Had one of these for a while, never had any issues, couple of tips to improve/makes things easier:

      1, Install the bike on the front rack while on the ground (with the protective covers on the cups), raise the front, flick the covers off and lift the whole thing on the roof in one go, so much easier than faffing with the axle on the car*.

      2, Get a second rear cup, some pipe lagging and a few straps. Fit the second cup about 4 inches away from the NDS of the bike, put the front wheel in it and strap it to the rear wheel with the pipe lagging on the seat-stay (if you feel you need it).

      3, Put a spray bottle of mild soapy water, a MF cloth, and a 6 mm Allen Key in your car and leave them there (like me, you will probably want a 2.5 mm Allen for those silly end caps the Trifox frames have on the axles too).

      4, Get one of those disc pad insert things that keep the pads apart and attach it to the front rack with a shoelace or something.

      *Not an issue for you, but for the vertically challenged (Short Arses) like me, one of those steps that hooks onto the door lock of your car is a real game changer for dealing with roof racks.

    39. @DigitalDimi on

      I saw these several times on Ali. But I'm not going to trust my ORBEA Aero being handled by these things. Actually I'm not going to put my ORBEA to any suction roof thingy

    42. @EMTBonsai on

      I got magicshine lights after seeing your video a while back and bought the new Seemee 300 rear light! I'm looking at their rear HD camera and rear light conbo just now to see if any good! They were showing the Evo 1700 at Eurobike 24 this week

    43. @EMTBonsai on

      Hambini was talking to the guy from elite in his eurobike 24 video I just watched he mentioned you trace velo then your videos popped back up in my feeds lol

    44. @daniell6317 on

      I baught a set from Amazon to drive from the Oregon Coast to Vegas for an electric car I had. 200 miles into the drive one of the buttons on the suction started failing. It came with a button spare, so I changed it. It held until a few miles before I got to my destination, thankfully it was the rear suction. I sent it back.

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