Racor Pro PLB-2R Two-Bike Gravity Freestanding Bike Stand
by Racor
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List Price: Our Price: $44.34 You Save: $53.61 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $42.48 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Racor Pro PLB-2R Two-Bike Gravity Freestanding Bike Stand
Customer Review: Great Product
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading many of the reviews posted for this product, I decided to go for it. What I cannot believe is the SUPER-FAST shipping I received! I placed my order around 3:00 on Monday and by the time I returned from lunch the next day, it had already arrived at my office! We're talking less than 24 hours! I opted for the standard free shipping which I thought would take several days but it arrived overnight. The item did not come wrapped but the box arrived in good shape.
Assembling this product was a snap. The parts fit together nicely, although one piece could've been just a bit more snug which caused the main unit to be wobbly when I moved it back & forth. Aside from that, once I attached the arms and hung both of my road bikes, I was pleased with the overall construction, stability and appearance of this product. Both of my bikes are fairly light and the top tubes are straight across so I didn't have to do anything special to hang them in the cradles. I have not determined if I will attach it to the wall. So far, it seems to be stable enough on it's own and it's out of the way where no one will accidently brush against it. Without anchoring, it juts out about 3-5" from the wall rather than laying flush up against it but I don't see it as presenting a problem.
Customer Review: Three stars on the basis of price
Summary: 3 Stars
It is called "Gravity" not only because it leans against the wall or because the bikes hang freely, but because all of its pieces just slide into one another. There are no screws holding the different sections making up the column together, nor for the "arms" which suspend the bikes. If your floor is not true then you realize the column will go up the wall crooked to one side or not be flush against the wall. Even on a relatively true floor the topmost segment of the column leans out forward from the wall leaving a good three inch gap between column and wall at the very top in my situation. The one, supplied screw for the wall is to address this and also to make sure the column can't be tipped over, but you should know there will be a goodly amount of force on that screw by the uppermost bike's weighing the top segment out from the wall as described. And depending on the angle of your bike's frame, this rack might also be awkward to hang a bike or bikes on, I have found. Some bikes also have little metal, strain relief protrusions around the frame to protect bike cables; these may come to rest on the rack with a lot of pressure on them. Nevertheless, the rack's individual pieces are sturdy, and it's inexpensive and fulfills its function with the caveats noted.Customer Review: Great Value
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this rack about a month and a half ago for two bikes. For the price this thing is wonderful. Arms are adjustable to different heights and the hooks to hold the bike rotate. This accommodates both my road bike and full-suspension mtb frame with "weird" frame geometry.
The two best things about this rack: Great price. Saves floorspace and keeps both bikes accessible without leaning them against each other on the wall. Serves as a display if you live in a small apartment.
Most important thing you should consider: Yes it's technically a gravity stand meaning it leans on the wall and floor for support without any bolts. But if you intend to pull either/both bikes off and on with any frequency you will NEED to bolt this to the wall. There is one hole at the top of the rack for this purpose. The bolt provided IS TOO SHORT. You can buy an identical but longer bolt at any hardware store for under 50 cents. Get one between 3.5-5 inches long. Make sure you get it into a stud. Bolt this thing into the wall and it is very sturdy. Leave it leaning with no bolt and it will wobble a lot.
All said I'm very happy with the frame after bolting it to the wall. There's nothing else I would change.
Customer Review: Racor Pro Rack: Almost Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
Pros: The Racor Pro PLB-2R Two-Bike Gravity Freestanding Bike Stand has a nice compact footprint and holds two bikes nicely. The rack is made of sturdy square and round metal tubes and comes with an anchor bolt to secure the unit to a wall at the top of the rack (if so desired), and fits well in an apartment or garage.
Cons: The rack is a bit loose at the connecting points as the pieces simply slide over and into one another with no fasteners.
The Looseness of the joints can be easily remedied by using 2 2" Fernco P3000-22 Shielded Transition Couplings over the joints (without the rubber inserts)and tighten them down: They can be purchased from your local hardware store or from Amazon for between $4.00 and $7.00 each, here is the link to the couplings on Amazon: ( http://www.amazon.com/Fernco-P3000-22-Shielded-Transition-Coupling/dp/B000BQ7XGC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1263485186&sr=1-3 ). The vertical bar can be attached to the arc base by drilling a hole with a 1/4" drill bit through the riser and the base and securing the two pieces with a Hex bolt, washers and nut. With these simple and quick modifications the rack is rock solid.
Customer Review: Kinda Crooked but Works
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished putting my rack together. The pieces slid on very easily and there were no problems with pieces not fitting as in other reviews.
My particular rack did not mention attaching it to the wall, and there was no bolt for this purpose included. When it was together, it leaned against the wall as suggested, but when I put my two bikes on, it leans forward a bit, but the semi-circular base remained firmly on the floor so I think (I hope) it will be okay. I tried some "test tipping", and was unable to pull the rack forward or sideways with moderate tugging. The acid test was raising and lowering the garage door while watching how the rack with two bikes behaved. Didn't budge or vibrate. I had no trouble hanging two bikes, although my road bike is a carbon frame and only weights about 8 pounds, so this one was hung up first on the top rack. It's a large Trek (58 cm.) and the other bike was a mountain bike with 18" frame. This one fit below the Trek with the tires about 5" off the floor. (Excellent for your tires). So far, this rack appears to be very functional.