Finally going to upgrade my old Thule classic 2.
Anyone have any experience with the Shuttle rack vs. the NSR? Is it worth the extra $$ for the shuttle rack?
Last edited by: vantanclub on March 18, 2022, 2:19 p.m., edited 2 times in total.
Rack Options - Shuttle or NSR
Last edited by: vantanclub on March 18, 2022, 2:19 p.m., edited 2 times in total.
Buy the one that won't rust if you leave it on your car year round. NSR is not that rack
My NSR has been living outside year round for the best part of 12 years and it has a bit of surface rust where some paint has peeled. Hardly and issue to be worried about.
Posted by: earleb
My NSR has been living outside year round for the best part of 12 years and it has a bit of surface rust where some paint has peeled. Hardly and issue to be worried about.
Thats cool. I personally dont want a rack that rusts when there are other options avail. Friends that have the NSR all look like some kind of post apocalyptic rusty mess. Beyond a bit of rust, thats for sure.
If you ever want to carry a bike with drop bars, the NSR is not the solution. Supposedly they have adapters in the works but it's been 2 years since they announced that and nothing is out yet. I like mine though especially for the price. Only minor rust in 3 years of staying on the car, or being stored outside not tarped (Vancouver).
I'm usually all for buying locally made stuff, but Lolo Racks out of Portland look like a good choice if you've got a mix of mtb, drop bar, and kids' bikes to carry around.
Last edited by: PaulB on March 31, 2022, 10:21 a.m., edited 2 times in total.
My NSR is far lighter and easier to wrangle on and off the vehicle than my buddy's shuttle rack and takes up less space in the garage. I find the NSR easier and quicker to load too. I often carry road bikes on it by facing them backwards and using 2 sets of hooks.
I haven't actually used the shuttle rack, just seen them around. Easier to load from a strength perspective, or just generally less fiddling?
I'm leaning towards the classic NSR. Seems like the major issue is the rusting between the two.
I just found the shuttle rack a bit more awkward to load. I had to lift the bike higher to get the front wheel in the basket. NSR I load from the side which is easier for me. May not be an issue if you are tall. They are both good racks, I just find the NSR easier to live with
I have a Mammoth Mounts 4 bike rack.
It will hold any bike I have put on it. Kids, road, whatever. Paint and finishing details are a whole level above the NSR-4 I owned immediately before.
Super sturdy. Kinda heavy though (68lbs) for a smaller or more weight sensitive vehicle. I think the NSR equivalent was in the mid 50 lb range.
The NSR anti wobble mechanism of hammering a washer in the receiver beside the tube didn’t work well for me as my rack is on and off regularly. So, I started looking elsewhere.
Last edited by: mrbrett on March 30, 2022, 7:45 p.m., edited 1 time in total.
My NSR is 6 years old and was pretty good until this past winter. The rust seemed to bloom pretty quick. We love the rack otherwise. I just stripped it down tonight and will be dropping it off at the powdercoater this week. I've never had an issue with it wobbling (2")
Last edited by: DaveM on March 30, 2022, 8:20 p.m., edited 1 time in total.
That Mammoth is like a NSR and a Lolo had a baby. The mid-pivot design that NSR came up with a decade ago with the handlebar hangers off a Lolo. Not a bad idea.
Has anyone twinned an NSR with something like a Saris Switch arm at all? It's an intriguing thought.
To keep with the posting here, my NSR has been going strong, I like the fact that I can go to the place that makes them and get parts easily and any upgrades they have made. Rust is what I'd expect from having a piece of metal hanging off my car for most of the year in some truly crappy weather with only axle grease on the moving parts. It's solid for what it is and what it has to go through.
Posted by: vantanclub
I'm leaning towards the classic NSR. Seems like the major issue is the rusting between the two.
I noticed a shuttle rack at Parkgate today which was just as rusted as most NSRs, and it couldn't have been more than 2 years old.
I like the Mammoth... same features as Lolo, but made in Canada and cheaper!
The rack I have and will last forever being aluminum is the 1up racks. Although I can only carry 3 bikes on it with the extra add on. There is a 4 bike option... They sell the recon racks also but not sure if all aluminum.
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