SideWinder

Every time I put this rack on my car I curse the attachment. One end requires fitting an inverted U bolt through 6 holes, each of which can move independently, and are of course a foot over my head. My only other complaint is that the strap that runs between the bars & seat post is a couple of inches short of optimal and is therefore hard to snug down. Other than that everything works fine.

We've had our sidewinder for several years now and love the versatility it gives us. Initially we had it on our Chrysler T&C van. The van height did make it somewhat problematic though even though I'm 6'3" tall. Now it's on a Prius V and on and off is quick and easy. Bike is very secure and so far I haven't driven into the garage with it on;-)

This rack makes it much easier to get a tandem on and off the roof of any vehicle but it really makes a difference with taller vehicles such as SUVs. It is for the most part very durable but it has some vulnerable components. The receptacles for the wheel straps that secure the bottom tube to the cradle can be broken in the process of mounting and dismounting the bike. I would recommend carrying a spare cradle assembly. I carry spare wheel straps also. The front swing arm assembly is also vulnerable to damage (inadvertently hitting a low clearance over hang). I carry a spare one of these too. These vulnerabilities are unavoidable and the Yakima replacement parts are reasonably priced.

The swing arm is brilliant, it makes loading up the tandem a breeze for one person. We have taken the tandem on long car trips with no problems other than a bit of wind noise. Only caution; I am 6'0" and I think it would be hard to load the tandem on a standard sedan if more than a couple of inches shorter.

I'm an avid cyclist and I surprised my wife with a Trek Tandem T900. The Sidewinder allows you to put the tandem on top of an SUV by yourself, I have a Chevy Trailblazer. Once the swing arm is sideways you lock in the front forks then just lift the bike by the back tire and swing around to the back were the bottom part of the bike frame cradles into the holder. Straps go over frame to secure it, very secure!! I would suggest that Yakima make a little video to illustrate proper usage....I would also say I'm 6'3" so swinging it around and placing the frame in the cradle is easy for me.....I suggest you just check it out.... if your like 5'10" and under it may be a little more challenging. This product is awesome and my wife and I love it!!!

As I got older, it became difficult and risky to load our tandem on the top of our SUV. This rack makes the process safer and more manageable. You do need to check to be sure everything is secured including the screw bolt on the swing arm. An advantage to this rack over others we considered is that the swing arm moves the fork block away from the vehicle while attaching the forks. Other racks required the tandem forks to be placed too far inboard on the vehicle when being loaded and the front sprocket on the tandem hit the side of the vehicle. Yakima solved this problem with the swing arm.

Wow I can actually load my tandem by myself! My car is pretty tall too and to be honest, I have more trouble loading my downhill bike on the roof than loading the tandem! I have used most Yakima roof racks and this is quite possibly my favorite. Only downside is it's hefty but i suppose it needs to be to handle a tandem. Anyway, I just feel awesome rolling around with a tandem bike on my roof.