I rode with some friends this morning and one asked me what I thought of my rack, a Kuat Sherpa 2.0. I said, “Man, I love this rack,” which is the first time I’ve articulated that, and since I’ve now had it for about a year maybe I’m ready to tell you what’s good about it.
First, it’s easy to put on and take off my car. It’s a hitch mount kind of deal, so I installed the hitch, and within about 3 minutes, I was able to put the Sherpa 2.0 on the mount and secure it. I don’t always need a bike rack, and no matter what rack you get, sometimes it’s in the way of your life, so being able to install it so quickly is really nice. It also stands vertically in my garage, so when I’m not using it, it sits patiently, out of the way in the corner.
I wish it would teach my dog that trick.
Second, it’s rock solid, which given how quickly it goes on is pretty impressive. With bikes on it, i.e. fully loaded, it hardly twitches, and the bikes don’t move either. The ratcheting front wheel mount also loads in seconds. Putting a pair of full-suspension mountain bikes on it is simple. Putting smaller, less unwieldy bikes on there, it practically loads itself. I appreciate this all the more when I get back from a hard ride, and I hardly have the energy to take my helmet off, much less rack a bike.
In my old, roof-rack-having days, I literally rested between racking bikes after a ride like that. Maybe this isn’t really about the rack, but you take my point.
When you’re not using the Sherpa 2.0, it tilts up and locks. No rattling. Again, solid. It’s just the easiest to use, most solid rack I’ve ever owned, and after talking with friends who have other racks, I think it’s the best choice for a caveman like me, who really just wants to throw his bike on the car and go.
The Sherpa 2.0 is $629, and comes in three colors. I got black, because that’s what I do. You can get it at REI, if you like to get stuff there, but Kuat is also in bike shops. You can spend less on a rack. $629 is pricey, but I have not seen one cheaper that does all the things so well as this one does.
This review, and all the fine content on The Cycling Independent, is brought to you by our generous subscribers and equally generous Shimano North America. The beauty of our relationship with the folks at Shimano is that they understand the value of our independence. They just said, “You do what you do, and we’ll do what we do.” They make nice stuff. That’s what they do. Our results are less consistent.