Top of Mount 7 Psychosis course, Golden BC
PRESS RELEASE: INTRODUCING KHYBER RACKS
We are a new bike rack company, dedicated to producing premium heavy duty and corrosion resistant racks.
Our first prototype came to life in 2013. After several prototypes and abusive testing in the years since, we’re stoked to finally offer a rack that can deliver a lifetime of performance.
Taking its name from Khyber Pass in the Whistler backcountry, a special place to frequent in summer and winter, Khyber Racks were designed in Whistler and tested in the mountains of British Columbia.
The Khyber V1 Multi Pivot Six Pack, with Tantalus Range in the background.
(The swing hitch pictured is not a Khyber product)
CORROSION RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL AND ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION
The wet coastal environment of the Sea to Sky corridor where we ride is tough on steel. Improving corrosion resistance was one of our top priorities, achieved through material selection and surface finishes.
• The mast and wheel holders are 304 stainless steel
• The hitch spigot is galvanized A500 Grade C structural steel
• The rest of the chassis is anodized 6061-T6 aluminum
• All hardware is A2-70 stainless steel.
Stainless parts are sandblasted after welding, then electropolished to further improve corrosion resistance.
Left: V1 Multi Pivot Four Pack (stand not available)
Right: Custom extruded 8mm thick stainless mast and heavy duty CNC aluminum parts.
BUILT TOUGH AND BACKED BY A LIFETIME WARRANTY
We personally needed a rack that would stand up to offroad driving. After structural failures, inadequate tie downs and ejected bikes, it evolved into what you see here. It sure didn’t start out this way, but ended up here out of necessity. We now have a rack that we stand behind with a lifetime warranty that is valid for offroad use.
To build the strongest hitch mount rack, with the highest confidence, we custom extrude both the mast and hitch spigot at 8mm thick, rather than using standard ¼” tubing. The side plates are 12mm thick with 145x25mm solid aluminum stiffener blocks. This greatly reduces sideways flex, which in turn reduces momentum induced flicking of the bikes, keeping them much more stable through uneven terrain.
We chose strength, durability and function rather than convenience when taking the rack on and off the vehicle, so our racks are quite heavy. Weights are published on our website under FAQs.
THE KHYBER SPEEDLOCK™ TIE DOWNS – THE END OF ATTACHMENT ISSUES
even fat bike tires with the optional fat baskets. (US and Int’l patents pending).
Super fast loading and unloading. Nothing but rubber touches the rack.
Both wheels are held with ultimate security. No more rearview mirror anxiety.
Electropolished 304 Stainless Steel baskets sit atop the 6061-T6 Anodized Aluminum top bar
Easily available 6mm Mammut static rope secures the wheels. Adapts instantly to your tire size.
No stretch means no slop, and no eager bikes trying to leave before you arrive.
KHYBER RACKS COME IN TWO VERSIONS
The V1 – MULTI PIVOT allows for on the fly angular adjustment, allowing you to tilt the rack to access the rear door or trunk of your vehicle.
The V2 – FIXED PIVOT gives a choice of three fixed angle settings, and offers a more affordable and lighter option for riders who don’t need on the fly adjustments, such as when using with an open truck bed or an aftermarket swing hitch.
12mm side plates and CNC blocks ensure a super stiff chassis, reducing lateral flex
V1 Left and V2 Right
The V1 pivot system runs on replaceable, hard wearing 28mm diameter IGUS bushings and custom nylon bushing plates which are replaceable and offer continuous slop free performance.
Each version is available in 3, 4, 5 and 6 bike capacities and requires a 2 inch class III hitch. Any bike weighing up to 24kg/53lbs that fits inside the wheel basket properly is good to go.
The standard basket accepts up to 29″x2.8″ Plus tires, while the alternative Fat Bike basket will accept up to a 5″ tire. The rack is optimized for mountain bikes, but both basket types accept and secure Gravel and Road Bike tires. Be aware that drop bars may interfere when loaded side by side.
20″ Wheel Adapter
We are currently manufacturing tooling for an adapter to suit 20″ wheels but in the meantime they can be carried in the rack reasonably well. The fork leg will rest on the basket so we recommend using some protection to prevent damage to the fork. We hope to have the 20″ adapter ava
ilable mid 2021.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
V1 and V2 racks are available now in sizes Three to Six, for Class III 2″ receivers. All prices are in $CAD.
Three Pack
Four Pack
Five Pack
Six Pack
V1 – Multi Pivot
$1800
$2000
$2200
$2400
V2 – Fixed Pivot
$1600
$1800
$2000
$2200
Flat rate shipping to Canada is $100 and USA mainland is $250. Shipping to other locations at buyer’s request, but be aware shipping costs outside North America are rather outrageous and likely unviable. For example, shipping to Australia is $800.
WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE? AND WHY ARE THEY SO HEAVY?
These are fair questions and require justification.
The racks are built entirely from 6061-T6 aluminum and 304 stainless steel, including hardware, which straight away increases the cost of materials.
We also wanted to back it with a lifetime warranty. But the extra cost is not to pay for future failures, it’s to prevent them in the first place. Since we built the rack to withstand offroad use, we use a large amount of that already costly material. It’s a risk to take such an approach, since many users don’t need a rack this strong, and it comes at a cost in dollars and weight. But our tie-down system is so secure you may find you shuttle more enthusiastically than you’re used to. So we built the rack we needed to meet our requirements, knowing there will be other riders with similar demands.
There are also many processes, such as custom extruding, sandblasting, laser cutting, CNC milling, anodizing, electropolishing, laser annealing and laser etching. It was difficult to find a factory willing and able to partner with us since there are so many processes involved.
When comparing prices, it’s important to make the right comparisons. Ours is considerably more expensive compared to more simple designs that use basic attachment points, but compared to the best offerings that use wheel baskets, it’s easier to see how type and amount of materials, along with surface finishes, accounts for the premium. Wheel baskets are expensive to manufacture, so it’s not possible to compete with racks that don’t use them, regardless of what materials are chosen.
We haven’t made our choices lightly, and feel we’ve made considerable improvements that justify the increase in cost for any user, but particularly for those who need a more robust and secure solution.
WHERE ARE THEY MADE?
Currently the racks are made in China. It simply wasn’t possible with our first small production run to have them made in North America, as the cost to manufacture would have been higher than our retail price. If you are a Canadian supplier and feel you can produce any of these parts competitively and reliably, please send a PM, or contact us via our website.
WHO ARE KHYBER RACKS?
Khyber Racks was founded by Jaan Hurditch and Mark Haimes.
Jaan is a Mechanical Engineer in Whistler who has designed products for companies including Vorsprung Suspension and Cheetah Factory Racing and is also co-founder of STFU Bike.
Mark is a CAD Designer in Squamish, founder of forthcoming LoamLab Components and set a Guinness World Record for Greatest Vertical Descent on MTB in 24 hours – completed on Mt 7 Psychosis course in Golden BC in 2014.
