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Gear of the Year 2004

Bauer Vehicle Gear Back Road II Pro

Gear Category: Car Racks

$349

Bauer Vehicle Gear Back Road II Pro - Sport Racks: Reveiws

Kim Kurian

Why It Rules: Being on top isn't always best. Here's a rugged, functional, and—dare we say it?—elegant rack that totes gear behind your vehicle. » Finally, a hitch-mounted rack that doesn't ask you to correctly sequence a half-dozen knobs when you want to get inside your car. Forget a water bottle in back? Spin a single lock—I did it with my foot—and watch the slightly angled, gas-assisted bar politely swing out of your way. » The two bike arms have soft rubber cradles and locking tabs on either side, making it easy to secure any top tube. They also accommodate funky frame shapes. » Once it's loaded, an anti-wobble arm keeps up to four bikes from clanging around on rough roads. » The Back Road packs in loads of features—like an integrated cable-lock system—and the simple design works incredibly well.

Hmmm . . . The bike cradles are a bit narrow; be tender when loading steeds with dangling cables.