The first option, the “Open-Air Carrier”: These carriers come in multiple sizes and can carry anywhere from 4 – 6 pairs of skis or 2 – 4 snowboards. However, in some cases the  number of skis that can be carried is limited because modern downhill (parabolic) skies are much wider than older-style alpine skis. Most of the open-air carriers on the market from Thule or Yakima are  affordable and will fit directly on factory and aftermarket crossbars, for these reasons they are the common choice. (Note that all of these carriers do require a set of crossbars for mounting, with the exception of the Thule Snowcat – which mounts directly to some raised rails).

Thule 91725 - Carries 5 - 6 Pairs of Skis (or 4 Snowboards)

Yakima Powderhound - Carries 3 - 4 pairs of skis (2 Snowboards)

There are also a few open air carriers that are considered premium, these are the Yakima Fat Cat 4  & Fat Cat 6 and Thule 92726 Pull Top. Each of these carriers has its own strengths in the snows-sports market. The Fat Cat is a much lower profile carrier that creates less drag and wind noise but more importantly they are also wider than normal meaning that they can actually carry 4 -6 pairs of modern skis (depending on which carrier you purchase).

Yakima Fat Cat 6 - Carries 6 Pairs of Skis or (4 Snowboards)

The Thule Pull Top is unique in that the entire carrier is on a sliding track that allows the product to be pulled out from over the roof to the side of the vehicle. This makes for much easier loading of your equipment, especially on larger vehicles. Once loaded, the rack is slid back into position over the vehicle and locked in place for transportation. Also, the Pull Top is wide enough to carry 6 pairs of modern downhill skis.

Thule 92726 Pull Top - Carries 6 Pairs of Skis or (4 Snowboards)

The second option, “The Cargo Box”: This has been a popular option for a very long time as many of the original cargo boxes were designed almost entirely with skis and ski equiptment in mind. Today’s cargo boxes are used for much more than snow sports and are often used year-round, but they still offer an unmatched degree of ease when packing for the hills. They are not only able to carry 4 or more skis (depending on the box in question) but they also accommodate boots and gear. This means that you can keep the snow and road grit outside and off your skis and have plenty of room for your passengers for the trip. Most importantly, todays cargo boxes can be both installed and loaded in minutes and are designed for absolute speed and ease of use.

Yakima Lo-Pro - 15 Cubic foot Cargo Box

The third option, “The Hitch Ski”: This option is popular with people who already own a hitch and bike carrier. The idea is that customers who have already installed a trailer hitch on their vehicle and have purchased a Thule (2-5 bike) or Yakima (4-5 bike) carrier can utilize their previous purchases by means of adding a Hitch ski. This add-on basically mounts onto the bike carrier the same way a set of bicycles would, and then gives the owner the ability to carry up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards vertically.

Thule 987XT Hitch Ski on a Thule 964 Revolver - Carries 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Snowboards

No matter which option you choose Rack Attack has you covered this winter season. We can help you, your family, and friends get your gear to the hills. In a box, on the roof, or on the hitch we can outfit you with the best option. If you have any questions you can give us a call at 416-424-1201, or stop by the store at 127 Laird Drive in Leaside Toronto. Or visit our sister store in Mississauga.

Jordan

The "SafeZone" is the spot to stash your fragile valuables!

While Thule currently make four unique backpacks in their Crossover line of luggage, I would like to focus on the two models made specifically for 17″ MacBook Pro® computers: the 32 Litre (model #217) and the 25 Litre (model #117).

The Thule 25 Litre backpack in the Foliose colour option

The 25 Litre model, Part #TCBP-117, is a great all-around day-use pack.

Its laptop compartment will fit up to a 17″ MacBook Pro (maximum laptop dimensions 17.7″ x 11″ x 1.2″), and there will then be plenty of additional room for the accompanying cords, batteries, and stuff. It also has various other compartments for water bottles or whatever else you need to lug around.

The same backpack in the Fathom colour option

Overall, the bag is a great size for school use: books, computer and snacks. Or switch it to weekend mode, pop out the SafeZone, and it becomes an overnight bag.

And if you’re not carrying much, the compression straps will collapse the pack into a more discrete size, a handy feature when carrying it on busy public transit or shoving it between seats in a car.

Another key feature of the 117 model is that there are three colour options: Foliose (a bright reddish-orange colour), Fathom (a teal hue), and Black are available.

Thule’s larger MacBook backpack, the 32 Litre TCBP-217, is a lot like the 25 Litre but with a whole lot more. While it is also designed to accommodate laptops up to a 17″ MacBook Pro, it also makes room for all the other gizmos or the true gadget-head. In addition to a laptop battery compartment in the bag’s bottom, it has a sleeve to fit an iPad and lined pockets to fit an iPod and iPhone. Additionally, its main compartment is a good size, and will fit books, clothes, and all kinds of bulkier items.

Some of the extra storage in the 217 model comes from the extra Shove-it Pocket™ at the front of the bag. This is ideal for carrying an extra jacket, magazine, or laptop power source.

The Shove-It Pocket on the 32 Litre backpack is a great spot to stash newspapers or jackets.

The 32 Litre 217 model  is only available in Black, but at the end of the day, it’s always a good look.

Thule’s Crossover backpacks reflect the company’s reputation for design and performance. The bags will last as long as you’re willing to use them, and as such carry an impressive 25-year warranty. In addition to their line of backpacks, Thule offers the same level of quality in their rolling luggage, duffel bags and their Amazon Kindle or MacBook protective sleeves.

If you have any questions about Thule’s Crossover line of luggage or any other products that Rack Attack carries, please feel free to give us a call: 1-888-77-RACKS or send us a question or issue here. As always, the Toronto store info can be found on this page.

Russ & Rylan

This year marks the 3rd time Team Rack Attack has saddled up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  This year’s ride started in Toronto from the CNE grounds on a cool cloudy morning but the weather stayed friendly and we saw some sun on the First Day.  By the time the Team had climbed the Hamilton Mountain on Saturday, everyone had ridden over 100 km.

After dinner, epsom salts baths and a well earned sleep, Team Rack Attack was ready for day 2 and the ride to Niagara Falls.  Sunday was a beautiful day with clear skies and comfortable temperatures.  A great day for riding along the Niagara Escarpment and through Ontario’s wine country.   It felt like we were riding in France or Italy instead of the Golden Horseshoe.

This year’s team was made up of returning riders Lida Holland, Pam Holland (her 4th year!),  Anna Wolfe, Bill Wolfe, John Holland, Tyler McDannold, Byron Yankou and Craig Sandy.  New members to Team Rack Attack this year were Frank “the Tank” Mazzucca and Jeff “I never met a hill I didn’t like” Gosselin.  Once again this year we were lucky to have the ride support of Graeme Walker who made sure we stayed hydrated post ride.

"Break's over, let's ride!"

Since 2008, the Ride to Conquer Cancer has raised an amazing $45 million.  This money helps the dedicated scientists and clinical researchers at the Princess Margaret, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world continue their vital work.  This year Team Rack Attack raised  over $30,000.00 for this worthy cause.

Thank you to all our supporters, our friends and our families.    We could not do it without you.  

Next year, Team Rack Attack will be back in the saddle for the 2012 ‘Ride.   Next year’s route will be different, so stay tuned.

For more information or to contribute to Team Rack Attack, you can contact us at craig@rackattack.com

If you want to ride yourself or start your own team or learn more about the Ride, contact the Enbridge Ride to Conquer cancer at http://www.conquercancer.ca/index.html

Thanks for reading.

www.conquercancer.ca

The New Thule AeroBlade

Thule has just released their new AeroBlade crossbars, a revamped version of their premium crossbar system. They are a successor to the previous generation, the Rapid Aero Bar.  These new AeroBlades are fully compatible with all Rapid System feet and kits. Thule has marketed these new generation bars as being stronger and quieter than ever. We at Rack Attack agree, the AeroBlades have a much more aerodynamic design and feel, while at the same time looking and feeling stronger than their predecessors. The outcome is quite impressive, and although the shape has been altered they continue to work flawlessly with most of Thule’s ski, bike, kayak, surf, and cargo accessories.

The real magic behind these new crossbars is the large reduction in wind noise. Thule put the new AeroBlades to the test and since I am no physics major I will let them explain it:

“It showed a result of 13 dB lower noise than the old Thule Rapid Aero Bar. So how little is that? Well decibels are hard to explain. The scale is logarithmic. Every three decibels means double the noise. So, 13 dB would mean half of half of half. It produces only 6% of the original bar’s noise. Basically noiseless.”

If logarithms are not part of your everyday vocabulary, this means  that  (according to the Thule test facilities)  these bars create 90% less sound energy and 55% less drag force than their former bars produced. And as a bonus, no strength was sacrificed.   In a stationary vertical load test these aluminium bars could sustain over 800 lbf (foot pounds) of force.  Thus, the AeroBlades are one of the strongest non-commercial load bars on the market.

It’s also important to note that the AeroBlades are made of aluminum — as were the Rapid Aero Bars, and as such are much more rust resistant than the steel alternatives. Plus, they look great installed on your vehicle:

A 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport with Thule's 480R and AeroBlade bars

The above picture shows a 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport showing the AeroBlades installed on the car. This set-up includes Thule’s 480R Foot Pack, a pair of 60″ AeroBlades, a 4-Pack of locks, and Fit Kit 1456.

The bottom line is the AeroBlades are great looking, strong, and very quiet. They would make a great upgrade for existing Rapid Tower owners, or a superb choice when purchasing an entire rack system. The AeroBlades come in four sizes: 43″, 47″, 53″, and 60″, and if you need help determining what size you need, please feel free to give us a call at the Toronto store — 416-424-1201.

Jordan

Raised Position!

 When in the raised position, the rack can be used by the owner as a contractor style rack for ladders and building supplies.  The Xsporter has a carrying capacity of 450 pounds, giving it the strength and carrying capacity to accommodate multiple ladders, lumber, drywall, or whatever. The raised position is also a great way to transport kayaks and canoes, not to mention surfboards and SUP boards.

Lowered Position!

Within a few minutes the rack can then be lowered to allow for easier carrying of smaller loads such as bicycles. By lowering the rack when carrying shorter items the loading becomes much easier.  Your gear is also better protected from air debris by the front cab when lowered. It is also worth noting that the Xsporter is not limited to these two heights but has a total of 5 usable positions to best serve your needs. 

Ready for a ladder and a kayak!

Rack Attack carries a wide variety of trunk, roof, spare tire, and hitch-mounted bicycle racks, and we can put a bike rack on almost any car or truck. Rack attack has a large variety of racks in stock to meet the individual needs of all cyclists. If you have not decided what type of bike rack you would be interested in, check out our helpful information page here.

There are a few new additions to the Rack Attack bike carrier family this year which includes the very popular Thule  “Raceway” trunk rack, as well as Yakima’s new hitch carrier the ”HighLite”.

The Thule Raceway comes in both a two (model #9001) and three (model #9002) bike version. The Raceway uses more technology than most Trunk Racks on the market. Instead of utilizing six nylon straps to fasten the rack to the trunk of your vehicle — which is typical of most trunk racks on the market —  the Raceway is equipped with four cables that are tightened with the turn of  ratchetting dials. This makes the Raceway much quicker and easier to install onto your car. In addition, cables are far less likely to lose tension while driving and so the Raceway can be seen to be much more user and vehicle friendly. This new rack is also equipped with integrated locks for a measure of theft prevention for your bicycles, as it will lock your bikes to the rack and the rack to the trunk.

A Thule Raceway 9002 3-bike trunk rack

It is also possible to purchase 9003 Raceway Platform which is the first rack of its kind that we have seen. This gives the owner the option to carry up to two bicycles on a platform style rack without needing to install a hitch. This is popular with customers who have less traditional bike frames or rear suspensions.

The Yakima HighLite is a high-end Yakima hitch rack loaded with features. This rack comes in a  silver 2-bike model or 3-bike model as well as a brilliant white 2-bike model or 3-bike model and is made out of a high strength aluminium. This makes it one of the lightest hitch racks on the market. As a bonus the aluminum mast is much more resistant to corrosion than a typical hitch rack, so it should maintain its good looks longer.

This Yakima HighLite 2-bike in white looks great on this white Toyota Prius

These racks also utilize a “tool-free” installation —  the foot of the rack expands into the inside of the hitch receiver with the turn of a knob. This is much more convienent and user-friendly than a hitch rack that one attaches with a wrench. The Highlite is also equipped with locking features that will ensure that both your rack and bike investmenets are secure. Also, these racks are also designed to fit both 1.25″ and 2″ recievers out of the box.

Whether looking to carry bikes on your trunk, hitch or roof Rack Attack has you covered this summer, either visit us online or drop in to the store and take a look at our large selection!

Jordan & Rylan

Some car manufacturers are designing their new vehicles with a large glass roof, often called Panoramic or Vista Roofs. 

Lincoln MKT with Glass Roof (Installed: ProRack Track & Flush WhispBar System)

The above Lincoln MKT is just one of many vehicles with a glass roof. On this particular vehicle, we installed a Pro Rack track and rack system. With a track application there are numerous rack benefits; such as high weight capacity (165 lbs.) and the versatility — provided by an adjustable bar spread — to accommodate a variety of accessories. These could include but are not limited to kayak carriers, ski carriers, cargo containers and bike mounts. The best thing about fitting your new vehicle with a ProRack Whispbar is that the vehicle stays quiet. The WhispBar is marketed to be the quietest crossbar system on the market,  while also giving your car an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) look.  For more on “the quietest rack on the planet” click here.

Installed on the above MKT was a ProRack Q6 Track, and the ProRack S6 Flush Bar system with a Fit Kit 327.

Here’s a look at a few other track applications on popular glass roof vehicles:

 Below is a Ford Flex: With a Thule 54″ Track with an accompanying 430R foot pack, Rapid Aero 60″ Bars, 4-Pack locks and TK1.

Ford Flex with Glass Roof

Below is a Ford Edge: With a Thule 42″ Track with an accompanying 430 foot pack, 50″ Crossbars, 4-Pack locks and TK1.

Ford Edge with Glass Roof

 

Thule, Yakima and ProRack have a number of tracks and racks available to choose from. All will provide a multi-purpose and strong roof rack for your vehicle. Call us for more information, as one of our rack experts will be happy to help you choose the best fit for you. If you would like to see more pictures of our work, give us a call at 416-424-1201 or come into our store!

Jordan

The Boxter is an 18 cubic foot premium cargo carrier from Thule. First off, the Thule Boxter has a two-tone automotive finish that immediately captures the attention of all passers-by. The Boxter is among the most magnificent and beautiful cargo carriers ever designed. Yet, this cargo box has much more at its disposal than just its looks as it is fully loaded with features.

The Thule Boxter on a 2010 Subaru Outback

The Thule Boxter opens from both sides for easy access to your stored cargo. The Boxter also contains Thule’s “Power Grip” hardware that allows for a fast and easy installation or removal, fitting directly on most factory and aftermarket crossbar systems. The Boxter also has metal reinforcements in the base and nose of the cargo box. This helps reinforce the cargo carrier’s overall structure, while cutting down on vibrations and noise. The Boxter is not only aesthetically pleasing but durable and quiet too.

These metal reinforcements do more than just increase the rigidity of the box. The Power Grip hardware is seated directly within two of the three reinforcements. This means that the mounting points are stronger than if they were just mounted into the cargo carrier’s plastic base. As a bonus, it also allows the box to be mounted further forward; and so you can place this large 18 cubic foot box comfortably on cars that otherwise would have problems with boxes interfering with the rear hatch. 

Close Fit! 2007 Jeep Patriot.

Another close fit! 2009 Santa Fe.

Here are a few other vehicles that we have installed on Thule Boxter on recently:

Toyota Highlander

Audi Q7

Subaru Impreza

As you can see the Thule Boxter fits many vehicles and looks great on each and every one. To reiterate, the real power of the Boxter is in its construction and design which will safely and quietly allow you to carry a variety of cargo loads on many different vehicles. For more information give us a call at 416-424-1201, or visit us in store at 127 Laird Drive, Toronto.

Jordan

Rack Attack carries a wide variety of sizes of rooftop boxes. The average size is 16 cubic feet (like the Thule Atlantis 1600XT or Yakima Skybox 16S), and this is probably the most popular size with our customers. But some people cannot make an average-sized, 16 cubic foot box work, as their carrying needs exceed even this handsome size. There are numerous reasons for needing an extra-large box; for example, if you are bringing your children’s friends to the ski hill or camping, or you may have a larger family and need to fit at least five pairs of skis plus poles plus helmets. Or maybe you just need to carry really big things — like baby strollers.

Simply put, some clients need the largest box out there. And one of the best of the biggest is Yakima’s Skybox Pro 21 cubic foot cargo box, available in either Titanium or Silver glossy automotive finishes. It is the box with the most internal height available through Rack Attack, giving you the best chance at carrying really bulky items. Additionally, it is long enough to carry almost any type of ski out there — up to 210 cm!

The "scoop" at the back of this Titanium Skybox Pro 21 allows the hatch of the 2010 Acura MDX to open with no interference.

While the Skybox Pro 21 is a very large cargo box, its angled back-end allows the rear hatch on many SUVs and minivans to open to their fullest (see the picture above). And the Skybox 21 fits the majority of vehicle factory racks (as well as Yakima, Thule, and Prorack crossbars), like the Land Rover LR4 in the picture below:

The Yakima Skybox Pro 21 in Silver

In addition to its large cargo capacity the Pro 21 has lid “stiffeners” that ease opening and also reduce vibration. Further, like many other boxes today it also includes dual side opening — which is a big help when trying to load such a wide box on top of your car. Inside the box you will find an array of important features such as a protective cargo mat, a stretchy cargo net, and a reinforcement bar mounted in the nose of the box.  This bar, like the “stiffeners” in the lid, helps make the box more rigid resulting in less vibration, which in turn equals a quieter ride. And we all can appreciate a little less noise on the road.

So if you need the ultimate box, give us a call and we can tell  you if it is going to work on your car. 416-424-1201

Rylan & Matt

Mini Cooper Convertible with hitch mounted bike rack

The finished product looks amazing! The hitch has been designed to use the light fixture at the rear of the vehicle as an access port. This means that the hitch is well hidden and the car still looks great after the install is finished. There is a  hitch that works with the standard roof models as well, so if this is your preferred option, we can make it happen.