Replacement Wheel Strap Material for Rhino-Rack Mountain Trail Rooftop Bike Carrier # RBC035

Question:

1 What material are the straps made out of? 2 What do you project the durability to be like? 3 Will the rack fall off if one breaks? 4 Are they replaceable if they break?

asked by: Howard

Expert Reply:

The Rhino-Rack Mountain Trail Rooftop Bike Carrier # RBC035 that you referenced uses a flexible high density polymer (in other words, very strong plastic) strap to secure the rear wheel. This strap is not what holds the rack to the vehicle rooftop crossbars; it only secures the bike to the carrier rail. The carrier itself attaches to roof crossbars with a mounting bracket that tightens with hand knobs.

The Mountain Trail Rooftop Bike Carrier is covered under Rhino-Rack's limited lifetime warranty and any problems with wear or damage to this polymer strap from normal use will be addressed as an in-warranty issue. There are two components to the rear wheel attachment, the Bike Wheel Strap and the Bike Wheel Ratchet, and these are available directly from Rhino-Rack if needed.

My contact at Rhino-Rack assured me they have very few issues with this component and that you would only need to give them a call to get a replacement strap.

expert reply by: Adam R