FEEDBACK SPORTS RAKK 2.0 E BIKE STAND REVIEW

Words & Photos by Travis Reill

When you review as many mountain bikes and e-bikes as we do, you have to get creative about where to store bikes. If you were to swing by The Loam Wolf’s office, you would find bikes leaning against walls, in door frames, against tables, and just about anywhere else they can be “out of the way.” Don’t get me wrong; it is an excellent problem to have, but it is a problem nonetheless. So when our friends at Feedback Sports sent us a few of their Rakk 2.0 E bike stands, we were eager to set them up to see if they may help with some of our storage woes.

ABOUT THE RAKK 2.0 E BIKE STAND

The Rakk 2.0 E consists of four main pieces — a tire tray with an adjustable spring-loaded arm; two bolt-on legs with rubberized feet; two half-pulley discs, and a charger tray. Also included are the four bolts and the hex wrench needed to assemble the Rakk 2.0 E.

In addition to the rubberized feet and plastic pulley discs, the Rakk 2.0 E has a steel construction with a powder coat finish for durability and longevity. When assembled, the Rakk 2.0 E has a wide enough base to hold bikes upright on most terrain you’re likely to find in your garage or in a parking lot. The Rakk 2.0 E measures roughly 17.5 in x 15.5 in (44 cm x 39 cm), with the spring-loaded arm sticking about 22 inches (56 cm) above the ground when holding a 29er. At just under 8 lbs (3.5 kg), the Rakk 2.0 E is planted to the ground, creating a firm base for bike-holding.

The spring-loaded arm stands upright, and moves freely backward as a bike tire is inserted for hands-free use. It also has a release tab, allowing the arm to fold flat to transport the stand. This arm also has adjustable points, allowing for the stand to accommodate down to a 20-inch wheel. Kid’s bikes with 16-inch wheels will also fit in the Rakk 2.0 E with the addition of an adapter that can be purchased from Feedback for $7.

Feedback Sports’ Rakk 2.0 E can hold almost any bike — any bike with tires under 4.5 inches, that is. Its holding weight is also substantial, stretching up to 75 lbs (34 kg), allowing the Rakk 2.0 E to hold just about any e-bike on the market.

A glance at the Rakk 2.0 E might make you think it is eerily similar to the Rakk 2.0 — in which case, you’d be right. What sets the Rakk 2.0 E apart is the charger tray, which clips on either side of the rack. The tray has a powder-coated base and a velcro strap to secure the eBike charger. Feedback goes a step or two further by providing magnets that can be attached to the charger cords. This lets you hold the charger cord on the Rakk 2.0 E magnetically, keeping plugs and cables off the ground and easy to reach.

THE DIRT

Assembling the Rakk 2.0 E was incredibly easy, taking less than ten minutes with a beer in hand. Feedback included a QR code on the front of the box that took me to a helpful assembly video, although I could have figured it out without it. Assembly consisted of bolting the legs on the bike tray and releasing the spring-loaded arm. Once the arm was released, I removed a bolt at the top of the arm to install the half-pulley discs. Last was the charger tray, which can go on either side of the bike tray and easily snaps on.

And that’s about it. The next thing to do was to let the Rakk 2.0 E do what it does — hold bikes. The stand is built well and feels solid on the ground, with no wobbles and nothing wiggling loose. Bikes didn’t slump to one side or the other — even with a 55-lb e-bike in the Rakk 2.0 E. If a bike did lean to one side, I found the issue was the tire tread catching the arm in a wonky way, rather than the Rakk 2.0 E not holding it securely. So far, the spring-loaded arm shows no signs of wear, and it doesn’t seem like it is going to wear out soon. If it did, I imagine Feedback Sports could help, as the stand has a three-year warranty, and there seems to be solid spare parts availability.

Bikes are held firm by either the front or the rear tire, and rolling them into the rack is easy. Every bike I put in that rack was a 29er with a width of 2.4 to 2.6 in., which held perfectly. It would be nice if the Rakk 2.0 E held a tire wider than 4.5 in. so it could truly be a “one-size-fits-all” sort of stand. But I suppose eventually you’ve got to find the compromise when designing such an item, and offering wider compatibility is likely to increase the overall size of the stand.

Essentially, the Rakk 2.0 E is exactly the same as the Rakk 2.0, but with the addition of the battery tray, power cord magnets, and an extra $10 out of your wallet. The battery tray and magnets were a nice touch; however, I rarely used them. Depending on what we have going on at The Loam Wolf, I might be on several e-bikes in a month — which I was during some of my testing time with the Rakk 2.0 E. Because I was changing out bikes rather frequently, I didn’t use the charger tray, nor did I find that not using it was a terrible inconvenience. With that said, I know the average person isn’t going to be switching bikes every few weeks, and the battery tray and magnets might make a lot of sense as far as organization goes. A tidy garage is a happy garage, right?

The last thing to blow me away was the price. I assumed that a solidly constructed, powder-coated steel bike stand would be in the price range of $120–$150. Actually, I didn’t know the price until this afternoon, when I hopped on Feedback’s website to look the Rakk 2.0 E up to write this review. I was already impressed with how well this bike stand works, and then the icing on the cake was it was nearly half the price I expected it to be. It’s still not exactly pocket change, but it’s a solid offering that feels like it’ll continue to be useful for the long haul.

The Wolf’s Last Word

From opening the mostly recycled box, to assembling the stand, to using it, I was impressed with the Rakk 2.0 E from Feedback Sports. While you may need to find another option for the fattest-tired bikes, the Rakk 2.0 E securely holds any bike up to 75 lbs, keeps e-bike charging cables organized, and is built to last.

Price: $70
Website: Feedbacksports.com