It’s been a year of adapting, and for Sea Otter, that means taking the show online with Sea Otter Play. Today it begins, and we are going to bring as much coverage as we can from the brands attending. We are starting off with Küat and their updated Transfer hitch rack.
Küat makes some of the most refined racks out there. Their NV and Sherpa racks wouldn’t look out of place on a high-end car or SUV and the popular Transfer adds versatility to the back of any vehicle. Heading into the fall, the Transfer is getting some upgrades to take it to v2.
The Transfer family of racks use wheel holders instead of the full tray design of the NV and Sherpa racks. It has a U-shaped tube frame that attaches to the hitch base with small trays on either end where the wheels strap into and a hook to lock the bike into place. Not only does it allow better visibility to things like your license plate, but it also helps keep the weight down (26-52 lbs, depending on model). When not in use, it can be rotated up vertically with a foot lever at the rack base. It can also be tilted back 45 degrees when loaded to access the back of your vehicle. The Transfer is available in 1, 2, and 3 bike options, with the ability to expand and additional bike with modular add ons. The 3-bike can even expand to carry 4 bikes.
The new Transfer v2 will add more versatility to it, allowing it to carry longer bikes with wider tires, and even more bikes. First off, it the v2 will now carry bikes with wheelbases up to 50″ long for fat bikes, downhill bikes, or other mountain bikes with slack front ends. Prior versions worked with wheels from 20 to 29″ and up to 4.5″ tires, but the v2 expands to hold 18″ tires and tires up to 5″ wide with an accessory strap. The hook that locks the bike into place has also been redesigned
Beyond that, Küat improved durability, stability, and security on the Transfer v2. One complaint with some racks I’ve used is that they have a tendency to wobble a little bit. To fight this, Küat has increased stability with a more robust hitch design. For durability, they use automotive-grade 750 hour rated salt spray hardware. The frame is also ballistic black powder coated with black anodized accents. For security, the hitch and rack have been upgraded. Tamper-resistant hitch hardware and a semi-integrated bike cable locks have been added.
“We see this rack in use by serious cyclists who want a bike rack that delivers, is lightweight and can still stand up against the most grueling settings,” explains Küat president and co-founder Luke Kuschmeader. “Similarly a more beginner cyclist likes the simplicity of the rack and ability to carry bikes from all sizes and disciplines. We love that we can hit so many types of riders with this product.
For a 1.25″ hitch, you have a 1 or 2 bike option. The 1 bike will accept a 1 bike add-on. Both include a 2″ adaptor. The 1 bike rack retails for $249 with the 2 bike coming in at $349.
For a 2″ hitch, you have options for 1 bike (1.25″ with the adapter), 2 bike (1.25″ with the adaptor or as a 2″) and 3 bike. Each can add one additional bike with the add-on module. The 2 bike 2” is $349 with the 3 bike at $449.
The add-on module is $129.
The Transfer v2 will be available in November.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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Location – Lancaster, PA
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