Bike rack's tubular aluminum construction is super-strong and adaptable

by Tom Woods, PCI #010T
Denton (TX) Police Department

We've been using the Saris "Bones" racks for about five years or more. I'd put them up against any we've had since 1991 - and we've tried many. Saris is actually a subsidiary of Graber Products, which has been making great bike racks for many years.

We like the Bones because of the tubular aluminum construction used for the main body. It is super-strong and affords a indexed adjustment feature for the arms and lower stanchions, so you can adapt it to any vehicle. The bike mounts consist of a plastic straps-and-buckles system fixed to the upper arms. They hold the bikes firmly and prevent them from banging into each other.

And, probably the best feature is the top-notch customer service you get from Graber. If it sounds like I'm a Saris sales rep I apologize, but in my thirteen years of procuring equipment for my bike unit and for personal use, I have found very few products that endure the abuse we put them through like the Bones does. Likewise, I have experienced very few bike product customer service departments as cordial and prompt as these folks are.

Their website address is http://www.graberproducts.com/.

Tom's vast knowledge of administrative issues is shared freely with his fellow bike officers and medics each year at the annual IPMBA conference. Register for the 2005 Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a chance to attend Tom's Administrative Issues workshop and many more. Tom can be reached at tom.woods@cityofdenton.com.

© 2004 IPMBA. This review appeared in the Fall 2004 issue of IPMBA News.