On the way home from my Midwest road trip this summer, I experienced a major tire blow out coming through Tahoe. In order to get access to the spare in the back of the Subaru, I had to unload both of my bikes (not to mention all my gear) on the side of I-80. I sat there thinking there had to be a better, easier way to open the hatch of the Subaru with my bikes attached.
Both Yakima and Küat have come up with pivot arms that enable you to swing your bike hitch rack out-of-the-way. But Saris is taking it one step further with a hitch rack that via one simple motion gives you full access to the rear of your car, bikes or not.
The Saris Glide operates on a one-step glide action. Simply push the trigger to release the rack, and boom – hatch access. When you’re done, the same amount of (non) effort glides the rack upright and you’re good to go. Plus, it’s the same one-button, one-step, one-motion movement for when the hitch rack is fully loaded and when it’s not.
Several years ago, one of the Saris engineers designed a full suspension bike that featured a four-bar linkage system. This system allowed for smooth movement without reorienting the center of mass. He took the four-bar linkage found in his custom bike frame, turned it on its side and the Glide was born. The four-bar linkage system keeps the center of mass at the same height while allowing the rack to move away from the vehicle — this means you don’t have to work any harder when the rack is loaded with bikes.
The Glide weighs 35 pounds and operates with only one movement — a nice change from some of the swing-away options that require locking and unlocking pins. The rack can accommodate up to fives bikes and fits both 1.25″ and 2″ hitch receivers.
The hitch rack uses low-profile bike hold downs and ratchet straps to secure your bike frame. These hold downs carefully cradle your bike and can be easily adjusted to fit a wide range of bicycles. Integrated locks secure the Glide to your vehicle and your bikes to the Glide.
Saris is running a Kickstarter campaign to take pre-order for the Glide. For $250, you can get your own easy access hitch rack. Expected delivery is around February.