Interbike 2011: New Racks from Kuat, Yakima and Thule

Kuat’s NV Core has many of the key features of the Kuat NV in a stripped down, no nonsense package. The NV Core lacks the Trail Doc rack-mounted repair stand and does away with the integrated cable lock. At $439 The Core NV is $110 less than the full-featured NV model.

The Kuat Vagabond X is a burlier version of the standard Vagabond. It has two 9mm quick release mounts and is built with larger guage tubing for increased load carrying capacity. Price is $399 for flat black and $439 for the grey (shown here).

Yakima recently purchased a New Zealand-based auto rack company that produces crossbars with an airfoil profile. Yakima claims the Whispbar has 40 percent less drag than conventional round bars, which should result in less noise and better fuel efficiency.

Yakima’s Rocketbox Pro line has dual-sided entry and the top comes nested with the bottom, meaning it can be shipped via UPS and Fedex. It can be assembled in as little as five minutes. The Rocketbox 11, shown here, retails for $359.

TheApex Swing is a new hitch-mounted rack from Thule. This craddle style rack has a four bike capacity. The curved arms help to minimize frame interference. The Apex Swing retails for $499. A non-swinging version, also with a four bike capacity, retails for $399.

If nothing else, tailgate pads look cool. Thule’s comes in two widths and retails for $99.

Keep reading

It doesn’t end here, we’ve got a lot more coverage of Interbike 2011, including demo rides.