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The Yakima LittleJoe is a compact and affordable way to haul three bicycles.
LittleJoe sticks to your car's backside with a six strap system for a rock solid fit. Soft rubber pads protect new paint and keep your car looking good. The bike holding arms are vinyl coated for years of ding free use.
Bottom Line: Buy a better bike with the money that you saved.
Is there a way to lock the rack to the car ? I have the rack and I'm always afraid to leave the bikes on since someone could take the bikes and the rack.
Marie the best way that I have found to lock your bike to your vehicle using a trunk rack is to purchase a seperate cable lock and use the tow loops that are typically on the bottom of your vehicles bumper. run the cable through the loops on the vehicle and then through the frame and wheels if possible. Typically the persin is trying to steal the bike. If you just want to leave the rack on the vehicle, there is no good solution, but the rack folds down in seconds and can be put into the back seat or in the trunk. Yakima does offer a new rack called a Quickback that does come with a security cable that i attached to the rack and when you put the other end of it into the trunk or hatchback, secures the rack to the vehicle. This is a brand new rack and is also the most simple rack to put on and take off a vehicle. This may be something for you to look into.
This is a great rack at a good price, stable and I can open my trunk even with the bike on the rack! (requires some lifting and getting out of the way when the trunk closes, very carefully) It's holding up much better than the previous rack I had, I just would like to be able to keep the bike a little further away from the car, and the front wheel of the bike is wearing away the paint off of my bumper. Definitely a good buy.
Write your question here..It says this is a 3 bike capacity. Since it doesn't have bumpers, what are the odds that we can get four bikes on it, if two of them are fairly small children's bikes?
I would say your odds are pretty good, that definitely sounds like a good possibility. If it does not work, Backcountry.com has great return policy and will take things back and give you a full refund no questions asked.
I wrote a review back in 2007 and since then my little joe was stolen (out of my garage along with some beloved bicycles) but I thought i would come back to say I bought another one because I still loved it so much and found it so useful for maximizing the capacity of bikes on my car (a subaru impreza outback sport wagon). When you can carry five bikes (3 with the little joe and 2 on the roof) you can save gas money on the way to the trail!
It should. It says it made to fit most cars with factory spoilers. Your best bet is to get it and try it out. If not, Backcountry.com has a great return policy and will take anything back, no questions asked, for a full refund.
I needed a bike rack and since this was the cheapest one with a good brand name, I figured it would work. I was a bit skeptical when I opened the package and there were no secure holds for the bike, you just slide it on the arms and the bike rests against the car. I thought this would cause problems, but I actually liked it better than the other bike racks I have had with the cradles.
I already have two king cobras on my roof but wanted to be able to shuttle more bikes when needed. I bought this before a weekend trip that was nothing but shuttle rides and i am SO STOKED on this little guy. I would dare to say i like it better than the super joe my friend has. Since there are no "bumpers" to set your bike in, you have a lot more options of how to rack newer frame styles that often have small triangles between the top tube and the down tube. For my bike, this means i don't have to hang my bike where it will be sitting on any of my cables because i can fit the rack through that triangle. I also think that being able to nest the bikes closer together makes the whole thing really stable. I have actually been REALLY impressed with how stable it is.I generally take the extra strap lengths (from where the rack attaches to the car) and tie those to the frame of the bike to keep them on the rack nice and tight, but buying some cheap bungee cords is not a bad idea either. As long as you have the bikes tied on tight though, they don't sway an inch while driving.
Bottom line, it's not about girth. Best little bike rack (especially for the money) and actually preferred over the beefier looking racks.
I've never had that problem. I would say if you are worried maybe duct tape a small towel on the car where it is touching to prevent anything from happening.
Simple, stable, and able to open the trunk with the rack on (without bikes). This little guy rocked the house. However, I wish it came with some bike loops to attatch the bikes to the bars. You have to use the extra straps to keep the bikes on.
I'm pretty happy with this rack, but would like to get some clamps to keep the bike a little further away from the car to keep the front wheel away from the bumper since it's wearing away the paint. Are there any yakima or other clamps that will fit on the tubes of the Little Joe?
I don't think Yakima makes anything you are looking for, as far as a stop or clamp. You could try plastic hose clamps with a thin piece of rubber (e.g. a small section of tire tube) between the rack tube and the clamp to prevent slippage. Here's an example of the plastic hose clamp:
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