RockyMountsTomahawk upright roof bike rack

I have two of these. They are a breeze to install, very sturdy, and hold the bike really well. I've driven all over the country with my Roam 2 on it with no issues.

This is one nice, heavy-duty car top bike rack! The main mechanism is really beefy and easy to use, as are the hold down straps. I really like that they provided an extra set of these straps for when one wears out - as they certainly will in this desert sun! It was easy to get my big 29er on and off and a nice wide trough for my fat tires. The material that isn't metal feels like a solid composite material. I loaded up my big 38 lb. trail bike and did a test run, hitting lots of bumps and taking corners fast. This rack holds the bike so much more solid than my old SportsRack (which broke after about 6-7 years). This rack is rated for 40 lbs., but it feels it would hold even heavier just fine. I think one could even safely transport bikes on a rough 4x4 road with this rack! Basically I'm very happy with this purchase and everything about the rack is awesome and well thought out!I also recommend getting the two locks that you can but separately for it. One lock protects the bike and the other protects the rack itself.But now to the instructions. A friend and I were talking recently about how we should hire ourselves out to write instruction manuals. I mean come-on . . . this stuff is not rocket surgery! It's wacky that instruction manuals should be such an after thought left to what must be other-than-English-speaking teenagers . . . With that said, I'd give the instructions maybe 3 stars: good luck figuring out how the straps install (but with a little playing around with them I was able to figure it out). There is also nothing about if the hold-down bar is on the wrong side and you need to change it for using on the other side of the vehicle. Other details are missing from the instructions as well, but again, I was able to figure it out.So 5 stars on the rack itself and 3 stars on the instructions (most of the pictures are OK).UPDATE June 2018: Purchased another one as I was so happy with the first (so now there are two on the roof). My wife's bike was cumbersome to get up on the old rack, but it goes up quite easily on this one! Instructions are still poor, but since I'd put the first one on a year or so ago, it was easy enough to do from memory (and the example of the existing one).

Awesome product - I got it last week after my old fork mount no longer fit my new bike due to the through axle. Fit-wise, it works great and fits my 27.5+ bike without having to use the strap extenders - see pictures.My first impression goes with most others on here - this thing is SOLID. Well built, and very sturdy. Quiet and sturdy on the highway. The installation wasn't the easiest thing ever, but nothing you can't figure out if you haven't been to IKEA.I opted to purchase the 2-pack of Rocky Mounts locks (about $12), and I'm glad I did - one locks the rack itself to the crossbars, and one protects the 'hook' from adjusting therefore holding your wheel in place. It's by no means impenetrable, but I feel safer leaving my bike on the roof while at the grocery store/etc.I didn't want to shell out the excess money for a Yakima/Thule/etc. and after reading the reviews prior to purchase, I figured this would be about as good as it gets as far as an alternative brand, and I am not disappointed.EDIT. So between my initial review, I sold my Outback pictured, bought a different car, put a hitch rack (Thule T2) on it, sold that car, bought another car, and got another Tomahawk on my newest car. 5 star rating still holds up. Would only caution on one thing - if you're expecting the locks to be 'foolproof', I would exercise a bit of caution. If you lock the ratchet mechanism on the arm that goes over the front wheel, even if it's tight, someone could theoretically just let the air out of your tire and it would be loose. For extra peace of mind, I'd recommend using a cable lock if you're going to leave the bike unattended for even a few mins. Regardless, any lock is just a deterrent and can be broken with time so I don't think this is really a design flaw. Currently I'm just running the lock to the crossbar and then using a cable lock if necessary.

A lot of people say to stay away from roof mounted bike racks, but I already had roof rails and was not interested in a hitch mount or a trunk mount. I didn't really want to shell out for a 300$ Thule rack, as I had already spent a fair amount of money on my mountain bike. This item is well reviewed, and I'm letting you know that the reviews are real! It fits my 2.8" wide tires perfectly, so anything less will be fine. Fat tires will probably require the extra hardware. I'll admit that the installation instructions were not great, but if you have two halves of a brain you'll get it secured eventually.How does it do while driving? Unreal. They way I drive around Boston, I would have expected my bike to go flying off my car at some point, but this rack has proven me wrong. I've railed massive potholes (ouch), hit welllll above highway speeds, and come to a screeching halt, all with my bike staying secure on top. I drive a sedan and my clearance is around 8' 6" with the bike on top and I have fit under all road obstacles, however do not try any parking garages with a bike loaded!The one minor flaw that I have found is that the clamp mount puts a lot of stress on cantilever or V breaks on the front, so I'd only recommend it for disc brakes.If you spent good money on a bike, this rack should keep it safe. Anything cheaper, you're taking a much bigger risk.

While the build quality is good and the extender straps are welcome, there’s a major issue when it comes to fat bikes.The tray is not wide enough. When strapping the wheels on, there’s hardly any room to pull the strap through. The description said the model will take a 5” wide tire, I battled quite hard and long with my 4.5” tires.And as for my 27.5 tires, the swing arm barely cleared the front tire and it took just as much effort.Rocky makes great stuff but this rack has some glaring flaws.