RidgeBack

Great bike rack. Solidly built, easy to use. Only problem I've had is the decal started peeling off almost immediately.

Seems like this rack will be perfect for my family of 5, I can't wait to use it, however the 12 zip strips are missing. Finally have a rack capable or transporting all or our bikes but no way to tie them down. I did open a ticket. Left the 5 stars as the rack seems awesome, and the box was torn in transit. Hoping this gets my ticket some traction in hopes we can use the rack without me figuring out another way to secure them...

I use this product for six years, not perfect but the best for what I need. 1. The tilting function is basically useless if you care for your bikes finish. It does help me from having to access the boot from inside.
2. Be prepared for frame adapter, especially if you have carbon frame.

Other than that, you cannot find anything better to install behind your MPV. It doesn't scratch my car and easy to put in and take off (my wife will beg the differ due to its weight)

Solid rack but does not fit two hybrid bikes well (Specialized Vita and Globe).Arms are too short and the 4 1/2" spacing is inadequate. I have a number of Yakima products and have come to expect better. The design engineers should have gone out to the parking lot with the prototype and tested loading a variety of bikes. Now I get to go to a tool and die shop to have new holes drilled in the underside of the arms to increase the spacing and adapt some other end caps. C'mon Yakima...

This rack is fantastic for families with different size bikes. Not good for bikes that are similar in size. If you plan is to ride with friends with the same size bikes, keep looking. If you want a bike rack for your family with different size bikes, this is a great affordable option.

I bought a Ridgeback 5 with the plan to transport 5 mountain bikes. It´s difficult to get them mounted correct without damaging each other
Also the locking mechanism inside the wedge is not very strong, so it broke when we were tightening it and now I have been waiting 1 month from the local supplier in Colombia to get me a spare part under warranty. It costs $22 and it has taken more than a month now to get a reply. Please could you make sure Yakima that your national importers are required to carry spare parts, so we dont have to wait this long to get it fixed.
Apart from above two issues am very happy with the product

Great bike rack. Easy to put on the hitch, easy to put bikes on, and easy to secure. Bikes always feel secure, even at highway speeds. I will say that its difficult to get 5 bikes on the rack. I don't see this as much of draw back, as it is doable and I wouldn't want the rack to extend much further. Unfortunately, my rack was destroyed when my truck was rear ended. But I intend to buy another one.

Like many others commenting on here, I like the rack but two of my bikes will not fit on this due to the Zip Straps being too short. Please make longer straps available, and I'll change my value rating. As is having to buy two more bikes to keep the same brand after car got hit is a pretty low value.

Bought this product in the last year or two. Have used it less than 20 times. The lever that lowers the device is made of cheap plastic and it broke off making the entire device unusable. Very disappointing. A better design would have made such a critical component out of metal or some other design that would prevent such a catastrophic failure. Yakima can do better. If you are a serious biker, I would advise you to avoid this product.

Needed a hitch mounted bike rack for my Honda Pilot because the roof is a little too high. Read a lot of reviews on the Ridgeback and liked what I was seeing so I took the plunge and bought the 5 bike version. Very easy to setup and load bikes if you have a 2" hitch. It has a lot of useful features including the ability to tilt (no bikes), add a lock for added security and a built in bottle opener. The rack itself feels solid but not too heavy when compared to other hitch mounted bike racks. I did a test drive in my neighborhood observing the bike rack through my rear mirror and there is little movement and sway. Need to test it with a full load of 5 bikes but I'm optimistic. For the price I think you get a really solid product that is backed by a lifetime warranty from Yakima. Only complaint is the Yakima logo is stickers and not painted on so I know it will come off eventually. Also wish they had a version just for 2" hitches but it feels solid so can't really knock that.