VELOCIRAX 412 ALL ABOUT VELOCIRAX

Weight: 37.2kg | RRP: $1210 Warranty: 2 year original owner From: velocirax-aus.com

Velocirax is a US brand that ships out of Melbourne for Australian riders. Their racks use a dampener for lowering down, and they make racks that carry from 3 to 7 bikes! They also make a few storage options for your garage, and their racks even come with a mount so it can be stored in your garage and used for hanging your bikes when at home. Velocirax are powder coated with outdoor paint for a long product life, and the red stands out from the crowd.

HOW DO I GET A VELOCIRAX RACK?

Purchasing a Velocirax rack is via their Australian website, which is full of details about the rack and their accessories. You can get a quote for shipping online – it was $155 to AMB HQ in Brisbane’s outer metro area. Coming shipped in three boxes, this rack built up quite quickly, and the video made it simple. We assembled the base, fitted the base bar, the top bar, and then attached the wheel hooks and straps. It took about 35 minutes total.

FITTING UP THE VELOCIRAX 412

The Velocirax uses a hitch wedge for stability in the receiver, plus the locking hitch pin, making it fast and fuss free to fit and remove. The wheel hooks have set positions with 30.5cm spacing, which is their widest save for the 3X model at 38.1cm spacing. The hoops fit 20-29” wheels, although you can get fat bike hoops in a twin pack to bolt on.

A number plate holder is not included, so you’ll need to account for this, and probably a light board depending on the size rack and how it sits on your vehicle. The rack has a weight limit of 105kg for the 4-bike 412 model, with a per bike weight of 25kg on the wheel hooks. Velocirax recommends removing eMTB batteries.

LOADING AND UNLOADING

With the dampener this is a breeze, as you remove the stop pin on the base and set it at one of two positions you want the rack to stop at – although it does stop well before laying flat. Tug the lever on the vertical bar to lower the rack. It lowers faster with bikes on so you may need to help it down when unloaded – it has a handle for this. Left to right loading is a cinch, the spacing was good for any bikes we put in.

The thick rubberised bands secure both the front and rear wheel, pulling them tight to squeeze a mushroom head into the slot. It is far better to get these really tight, and smaller riders may struggle with that. These straps are available as replacement parts and are UV rated for durability. Velocirax supply wide elastic bands for the brake levers to reduce movement, they recommend using them and it does keep things pretty tight, although it adds time.

Unloading is easy, toggle the assist system and the bikes lower to the ground. We’d recommend undoing the rear attachment straps first, as it’s easier to get to them while the rack is upright. Of note, the dampener does not lift the bikes up – but it does mean it won’t fall backwards easily as you push it to position. The rack stays vertical, and cannot move inwards to reduce overhang, it cannot lay flat and there is no swing arm option for more access to the back of your vehicle.

ON THE ROAD

With the hitch wedge and pin locking the whole unit into place, this is a solid rack on the road. The four bike rack meant our lights were clearly visible, but you do need to factor in a way to attach your number plate. Velocirax sell a lock that builds into the top bar, which is a nice additional option for security when travelling, or parking up after a ride. The bands on the brake levers did mean bikes moved less, but it would on any rack. We opted to not use them after the first few runs.

OUR TAKE

Even if this rack wasn’t one of the cheapest on test, the features were well received – primarily the lowering dampener. It just makes lowering the rack down for loading, unloading, or accessing your boot a lot easier. Some riders may prefer a few more accessory options, like light boards designed to work with the rack, or a mount to allow the rack to swing out. With lots of capacity options this is a really functional rack for families or groups that’s easy to fit, load and unload. Find a light board, load it up and hit the road.