Death Valley Road Trip: A RockyMounts Guiderail Rack review
Have you ever been to a place where the rocks move?
We pulled off the pavement a little after 3 pm. Based on the National Park's website description and the stories we had been told, we were a bit anxious about heading out to the Racetrack late in the day, but we figured we only had to get there. Getting back would be tomorrow's problem.
I was both anxious and excited to drive this road. Anxious as I had heard horror stories of flats and crazy timeframes to get there and back. The Park Service, as they are accustomed to do, definitely does their best to ensure that anyone leaving pavement in Death Valley is well aware of the possible problems. Venturing off the main roads is allowed, but one could easily say it is discouraged. From their website, this is the warning, "The road to the Racetrack is rough, and good tires, 4x4 and high clearance are usually required. Standard rental vehicles are not recommended, and often get flat tires. Use extreme caution on this road in the summer heat. There is no cell phone coverage in the area. Drive time from Furnace Creek is at least 3.5 hours each way." Changing a flat in 100+ degree weather is never fun.
Excited? Yes, if there is one thing that is a common theme for me, it is that the fun starts once one leaves pavement. Get in the dirt. Whether I'm on my bike, on foot or rolling in the 4Runner, I want to get off pavement as soon as a I can.
I was also excited to see how my new bike rack handled 26 miles of Death Valley level bumpy.
The RAck
The Rocky Mounts Guiderail is a stadium style bike rack that eliminates frame contact. It uses a platform with an arm at each end that clamps onto the wheels by pushing into the tires. The stadium spacing and adjustable clamping arms allow the bikes to be loaded with no handlebar interference. It accommodates tires from 20-29" and up to 3" wide. For smaller tires, an Allen key is needed to move the outer piece of the clamping bar down, but otherwise, this rack is incredibly versatile and easy to use.
Rocky Mounts includes a 10mm square link chain to secure the bikes to the rack. Unlike most other systems, this covered chain can be routed through the main triangle of both bikes and then locks directly to the rack. While given enough time and effort, any lock can be broken, this one is pretty robust and confidence inspiring.
The rack is rated to 60 pounds per bike meaning it can handle most quality eBikes. The design eliminates almost all plastic parts and is backed by Rocky Mounts Lifetime Warranty.
GuideRail vs. AfterParty
The GuideRail and the AfterParty share the same functionality and design. The only difference is the the AfterParty comes with a swingaway hinge. Note that the photos in this review are of the AfterParty.
The Racetrack
Oh yea, rocks that move.
The Racetrack in Death Valley is a dry lake bed known as a playa. The playa itself is pretty rad thing to check out. Almost perfectly flat with an island in the middle that is known as the Grand Stand makes for a pretty interesting esthetic, but this particular playa is best known for its rocks.
If you head to the south end of the Racetrack, you will find large rocks scattered across the flat lake bed. These rocks leave trails. Often, two rocks will have parallel tracks leading up to their current location as if they were dragged by some unknown force in a race to get to where they ended. Some of these rocks are big exceeding 700 pounds.
It was only recently that researchers were able to determine the cause of these trails and how the rocks moved.
Using the Guiderail
The Guiderail is probably the easiest bike rack I've ever used. There's two blue levers per platform. To load a bike, flip those lever open and lift the arms up and out. Place the bike in between the levers and pull one of them up against the wheel. This will hold the bike in place. Flip the lever to close and give it a tug to tighten and then repeat for the other wheel. I like to give them another tug after to make sure they are good and tight, but that's it.
Removing the bikes require only one more step. To release the tension on the arms, push the lever first. This will allow the arm to click a couple of notches toward loose. Once the pressure is released, pull the lever to open and swing the arms out. Repeat for the other side and your bike is ready to ride.
Getting there
As is my habit, I hit the gas as we roll off the pavement. The road is gravel, but to my standards is actually really smooth. We are able to cruise along at 45+ miles per hour and hit the Racetrack in just over an hour. There were certainly a few bumps that snuck up on us, but nothing the 4Runner or the Guiderail couldn't handle. The anxiousness was unwarranted and the warnings were 100% for people in rental cars.
Seeing that this was new rack, I kept checking the mirrors. Every time the bikes were right where they should be and the typical side to side away was kept to a minimum thanks to an ingenious ball bearing that is pushed into the receiver hitch by the pin. The bikes were dusty upon arrival, but arrived unharmed.
conclusion
I was very happy with the Guiderail after this trip. I have racks from the two big companies and they are great, but the RockyMounts Guiderail has become the go to. Especially when locking the bikes to the car is a concern. I love the lock, the ease of use and the fact that the bikes' frames are untouched with the mounting mechanism. If you are in the market for a new rack, I'd give the Guiderail serious look.
