TESTED: Yakima Dr.Tray Bike Rack
Yakima, purveyors of fine bike racks since 73' are back with another model to get your bike safely to the trails.
The new Dr. Tray towbar rack from Yakima is a very neat bit of bike carrying kit indeed! Providing loads of adjustment, the Dr. Tray make sure there is no inter-bike mating between yours and your mates’ bikes on the way out to the trails. In order to do this the Dr. Tray allows up to 45cm movement between the two bikes, including a few cm’s from left to right – just to make sure nothing rubs or touches even when carrying Fat, Plus or E-bikes. With the introduction of this adjustment Yakima have been able to allow for a 3rd rack to be installed onto the Dr. Tray if desired. The EZ+1 simply bolts on, ensuring you can take more friends along when you go riding. Since you have the ability to adjust the location of the first two racks the EZ+1 only marginally increases the length of the Dr. Tray when installed.
Some great and handy features of the Dr. Tray include the ability to lower the rack past 90 degrees to allow access to the boot when someone’s wallet is still in their bag, full length cable locks hidden in each bike rack with SKS locks all included, along with a very clean and easy to use tool-free system for tightening the Dr. Tray to your towbar mount eliminating any slop or bounce. Additionally, the tool-free system also comes with its own SKS lock to keep it all safe when left unattended.
The mounts for your bikes push your bike onto the tray, so it’s a compressive force that is damped by your tyres and suspension as opposed to a harsh mechanical grip that secures your bike. This means it’s a little gentler on your bike, and also more secure and less likely to rattle free.
One of the first things you notice when installing the Dr. Tray is how solid it is. If you are carrying road or lightweight XC bikes this might seem like a bit of overkill, however, once you load up the Dr. Tray with 2-3 Fat bikes, Downhill bikes or even E-bikes you can see why Yakima have put so much time and engineering into the Dr. Tray.
| HITS | MISSES |
| – Almost endless adjustability to make bikes fit | – No included light board |
| – Security with locks | – Check your state's laws for if you need one. |
| – Super- stable on your car, and for the bikes | |
| RRP: $799 | |
| FROM: yakima.com.au |
In testing the Dr. Tray we did loads of on and off-road driving and have to say that during this time we experienced no damage from bikes rubbing up against each other – even during rough off-road shuttles. With well thought out construction, a cheeky hidden bottle opener and clearly a priority for the safe travel of your bikes, the Dr. Tray is a standout in its category, for which there are many options. These features have made us fall in love with the Dr. Tray over the last few months and when it comes to carrying our treasured load, the Dr. Tray has certainly set the bar pretty bloody high!
Words: Ben Morrison Photos: Matt Staggs
