Suction Bike Racks... Are They Any Good? Seasucker / Treefrog / Rockbros Rack

[@mtbtomfoolery]

What are your experiences with suction bike racks?

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Comment below! ✔

[@Andrew-ye4fl]

I’ve been using the 3 bike version of this rack for almost a year with great success! Mostly use 2 bikes with it, but have put 2 adult bikes and 1 kids bike on it. The cups have crazy impressive suction. Highway speeds are no problem. I love how versatile it is. Can literally put it on any car!

[@mtbtomfoolery]

@@Andrew-ye4fl You are right the suction is mad! I just check the suction every time I set off (overkill maybe) and it works a treat. I've now replaced my MINI so I'm replacing the suction rack for something more permanent now my car has the appropriate fixings but I'll be keeping the Rockbros in case I need to stick my bike on another car :)

[@Robutube1]

@@Andrew-ye4fl I've been searching for an unsponsored comment on how this product behaves with motorway/freeway/highway driving so thanks for posting!

[@mtbtomfoolery]

You're welcome !

[@dianeschaefer1873]

*I was expecting a lot of shortcuts to be taken at this price. I was wrong. Decent quality **Latest.Bike** raker . Easy on easy off.*

[@mtbtomfoolery]

The Rockbros is a great quality product ✔

[@alkeeling614]

I have had the Sea Sucker version for 2 years or so as I have spent a small fortune on Thule racks and bars over the years due to me frequently changing cars. I've never had a problem and have had mountain bikes and gravel bikes up there. The roof may 'pop' on bumpy roads but it isn't the suckers coming off, its the roof flexing (Audi Q5 & VW Tiguan). The Q5 had a mostly glass roof so the rear wheel sucker was attached to that. The guy at the shop demonstrating these suckers stuck two on the shop window and hung from it. They were factory tested on a Porsche up to 140MPH so regular motoring is fine. The only downside is I cannot lock the bike to the sucker and roof so it can be removed quickly by anyone who knows how, so if it is going to be out of your sight bear this in mind. Also once at your destination you remove them and put them in the car so someone doesn't nick them, so take a cleaning rag with you.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

All good tips Al, the flexy roof is nothing to worry about. That sheet metal on car roofs is mega thin. Porsche @ 140mph sounds fun!

[@bikersi9821]

Hey dude. That’s absolutely mental. I didn’t know they made these. I would never have thought suction cups would hold a bike on the roof and keep it stable. I’m very impressed. I understand your initial nerves though, I am always nervous when I have mine on a normal Thule rack. Haha. Great find though buddy.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Thanks fella. I've been eyeing these up for a while since I got rid of My scenic. The bike does wobble a little as the roof flexes but to be fair my Thule Rack that has seen at least 5 of my cars always wobbled about anyway 🤣

[@oakkblackbird]

Same here. Never knew these existed. I have been living under a rock ha ha. Thank you for the great review, Blob!

[@mattlawton4715]

You don't want to this tho

[@snowy6551]

there is a lot of good reviews on suction mounted bike racks as long as you follow the mounting instructions, clean surface ETC & why not the Shard's glass in London was lifted with suction cups. Mine is roof mounted to my VW Tiguan on the roof bars, in 2000 we went on holiday to Wales & on the way back my wife was feeling car sick so I pulled in to a car park in conwy & forgot all about my wife's Specialized Rock Hopper on the rack, there was £1000 worth of damage to the wife's company car, the rack was wrecked & the bike had a small mark on the head badge which was easily touched up with a touch up stick & she still rides that bike today. It takes a while to get used to it, but when you do its the cheapest way to carry your bike, no fitting tow bars, rear mounted racks, electrics & number plates, that route is £1000 to £1200. One important thing is those with disc brakes fit a spacer in your caliper once you have removed the wheel, if you accidentally press the brake lever your pistons will not come out.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Absolutely, the suction cups are a great invention. Sorry to hear you had an incident with your wifes bike - you really got to have your wits about you with roof mounted bikes haven't you!

[@moomo9321]

Awesome review I just bought one for my mini. Thanks 😊

[@mtbtomfoolery]

They are wicked aren't they 👌

[@beanbaguk]

I’ve got the Treefrog Pro and it took a lot of courage to set off on a 100km drive with my €8k Supersix Evo on my roof! I stopped three times to check the vacuum but they stayed rock solid on the roof of my car. I absolutely love them, and frequently get stopped or asked questions when people see me with them on the bike! My only comment would be not to recommend the Rockbros over the Treefrog or Seasuckers. They both offer much better customer support (my friends who have Rockbros have been constantly disappointed and swapped), and they also offer every spare part under the sun. They do cost more so I guess if you are on a budget, maybe the Rockbros is a good shout but if you are placing a Santa Cruz on them, I’d spend the extra…

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Hey, some good points there. Took some balls for sure the first few runs but all is good! I think I was more recommending suctions racks in general rather than the Rockbros in particular. I've only ever used the Rockbros so I'm not in a position to compare them 👍 Thanks for watching 😎

[@drgurssehmi]

Thank you! Great review... I might take the plunge and get the 3 bike version

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Glad I could help! I was sceptical but now have no regrets having actually bought one 👍

[@scottharris6687]

Trust the suck! got a single bike one from rockbros yesterday, simple to use and install!

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Yes! Great product isn't it 👍

[@andreww2111]

any issues ?? I’m debating on buying one right now

[@lalohorta]

Great review! Thanks for take the time

[@mtbtomfoolery]

You're welcome, I'm glad it was useful :)

[@devyakthungba9491]

I am going for single version for my Mini Coupe! Thanks

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Good choice, I'm sure you'll love it. Thanks for watching :)

[@danckofernandez512]

Great review man!

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mattybutler2455]

8 months later, has it ran safely all the time, I hear their after sales support is actually very good. Thanks in advance.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

I actually changed my car to an estate with roof rails at the tail end of last year so these are awaiting my next car that I can't fit roof bars too. They worked great for the 6 months I was using them. I was actually shipping my little lads bike around on there too with no issue whatsoever

[@beanbaguk]

I heard the total opposite but maybe that depends on your location…I’m in Spain.

[@fajrulnorman]

Good review very informative. I wonder if you can add a third level of safety by adding a belt that ties the bikes to your rooftop through your wndows (of course you will not be able to roll your windows all the way up) for ocd people like me

[@mtbtomfoolery]

I don't see why not. Though probably not on the MINI as they have frameless windows, but on most cars you could.

[@jeffturner8927]

Never used them. My experience with suction mounting hasn’t been good but these look pretty heavy duty and obviously passed the test. I’ve only used towball mounted racks.I’ve always been worried about putting bikes on the roof and then wiping them off on the carport, which is actually quite low. I’ve got an SUV now so I just throw the bike in the back. Putting the bike/s on the roof would free up some space though.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

I am surprised how well they work. The mounting surface is a stiff conformable rubber which does conform with the curves in my roof. Losing your bike to a car port is not as good look 🤣 If I'm honest I wish I could fit my bikes in my car but it's just not possible with this car.

[@bikersi9821]

Been there mate. Had my carbon MTB on the roof of my 2 week old car, forgot it was on there and drove under an archway with a flat on top. Ruined my back windscreen and roof was all gouged so had to have it repaired under insurance. The bike took some damage but not too bad. The guy who’s flat it was above wasn’t too impressed either. Haha.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Oh dear! I don't know if I'd be more annoyed about the car or the bike!

[@bikersi9821]

@@mtbtomfoolery I think the bike survived because the forks and rear suspension were not locked out so I think the bike compressed and flew off but gouged all the car in the process. 😂

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Good job you had a full bouncer!

[@ddream777]

Thank you !

[@mtbtomfoolery]

You're welcome!

[@wayne1981]

I know this video is 3 years old but can I ask how you fitted your boys bike to it, thank you

[@MrCairnsbryce]

What was the conversion kit you used for your lads bike?

[@mtbtomfoolery]

It was just a Quick release conversion kit from Amazon I think

[@klumze9911]

When I got my new car last year I just paid for a trailer hitch to be installed for $209 us and bought a hitch rack. I’m concerned that over time your roof rack will fail and toss your bike. Hope it works out for you but I would be too scared to try one of those.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

That seems a good deal. These suckers are rated for high loads, in construction they use them to lift glass panes (not the same ones obviously!) Obviously a roof panel isn't flat so that would give more opportunity for air ingress over time but I check they are pumped before every journey and they have been great.

[@mracer8]

So how do you keep people from stealing those sucker with or without a bike on it?

[@mtbtomfoolery]

You don't, they are not designed to be a permanent rack so you remove them when not it use. It takes about 10 seconds to remove it all and stash it in your vehicle. If you leave it unattended with your bike on it you are asking for trouble no matter what rack you have. That is not a risk I would take with any roof rack setup.

[@mracer8]

Forget about the bike which I take it in daily of course, but does that mean you should/have to mount/dismount the sucker rack daily if you live in apartment/park outdoor because while it will take forever to steal my old Thule roof rack with lock, it seem it might be a 5 second job to release the suction and take the whole rack without the need for any tool? is there some kind of thief proof thing for the system? thx @@mtbtomfoolery

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Effectively each part can be removed by simply peeling the suction pad off. I mean if someome really wanted to nick it they would have no problem, but they would have to know what it was in the first place, and know how to remove it. I would say the chances of them being nicked are slim but that depends where you leave it I guess as with anything worth nicking! Plenty of people have bikes nicked as they are expensive and easy to pedal away on. Have you ever heard of anyone having their roof rack stolen?

[@666Tazer]

Great video. Have you tried them in the wet? As I live in Scotland so rainy weather is second nature haha

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Yeah it belts it down here in the South West! In fact you have to wet the pads before fitting them for a good airtight seal. Rain is no problem :)

[@666Tazer]

@@mtbtomfoolery cheers, looking forward to getting one

[@kronovang]

So anyone can take your mount off when you're at the park? no locking mechanism?

[@mtbtomfoolery]

That is true but that is kind of also why they exist. These are for cars where it is not possible to have permanent roof bars, such as this MINI. Someone would have to know what they are looking at, how to remove it and have no morals so I guess, whilst possible it is highly unlikely that someone would pinch it. If you had your bike on there you wouldn't leave it unattended anyway, and if you haven't got your bike on then you can remove them yourself in 10 seconds so there is no temptation for thieves 👍

[@jpmtb2924]

Do anyone know if the 3 bike version actually works on MTB ? I only see it with road bikes. Would much appreciate some help. After watching your videos and doing some more digging myself, I did bought the Seasucker Bomber 3 and let me tell you all, it’s been great. It does fit my 3 MTB without any issues. If you’re thinking on getting one I can definitely recommend it. Much love y’all !

[@mtbtomfoolery]

I've never tried it. I imagine the handlebars would clash unless you had a kids bike in the middle. You could always turn your bars.

[@nickdoe24899]

Are you still using this now? I'd love to hear how it's doing after a year.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Hey Nick, actually I'm not right at this minute as I bought a car with roof bars. I have kept it though as I know it will come in handy one of these days. They are fantastic 👌

[@nickdoe24899]

@@mtbtomfoolery thanks 👍👍

[@mtbtomfoolery]

You're welcome :)

[@mattfelmlee2102]

Great video. Do you have any idea if it would work if your mini had a sunroof? It looks like the front of moon roof the curve of metal would be too much? Do you know the length of end to end of outer suction cups? Maybe the rack is too long to suction to the moon roof.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Thank you. They recommend that you don't use them on a sunroof but plenty do with no issue. That curve in front of the sunroof probably would be too much (I've sold my MINI now so I cannot check for you sadly). The one bike version would certainly fit on the sunroof, if any of the cups on a longer rack went over the join between roof/sunroof it would not be effective. Hope that helps.

[@senatron]

Good review man! Do you still use the bike rack now? Cheers

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Thanks NDS, I actually bought a car more suited to family life than an R53 so I'm not currently using the rack (My new car has proper roof rails so I now have two permanently mounted Thule 598 racks). I have kept it though as no doubt it will come in useful sooner or later!

[@klvnvisuals8283]

How does it hold on a hot sunny day?

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Absolutely fine!

[@alainpc23]

I will NEVER use such a thing as I do not want to be responsible for killing fellow motorist(s) if/when my bike(s) smash through their windshields.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

I respect that choice. Have you seen someones bike fly off their car when using these then?

[@alainpc23]

​@@mtbtomfoolery Not really but like I said on my previous comment I'd rather it not be me who causes an accident/massive pile up on a highway. Metal can heat or freeze up and can severely affect the rubber material used in this mount. It makes me cringe when I see people put the suctions on top of the windshield. I guess not everyone pays attention in Physics classes. :(

[@zoltantisza7937]

My team mate had a Rockbros, but the vacuum cups start to melting after 1 summer. Their vacuum cup material is not that good quality as some of the bigger brands. But the price is cheaper for sure. I know TreeFrog had been tested by TUV

[@mtbtomfoolery]

That's interesting. I wonder if they were leaving it on the car longer term rather than just when carrying a bike?

[@zoltantisza7937]

@@mtbtomfoolery I think more about the quality of the material they use makes the difference on the long run.

[@microshiroku]

hey dude, have you tested during the rain or snow? i'm afraid it's going to loosen up.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

It has been fine in the rain, after all you have to wet the suction pads before using them. Sadly, we can only dream of snow where I live, and if it did snow I'd be heading out on my snowboard, not my bike! i can't see why snow would cause you any issues though :)

[@microshiroku]

@@mtbtomfoolery thank you, appreciated dude, keep going reviews cool stuff, we need it. like it.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Thank you, will do :)

[@spikeycoda]

Change in air temp is going to affect the pressure of the suck.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

I have considered this. However, since it is a vacuum product, if fitted properly there should be no air to expand or contract....

[@xmalchikm1544]

I hate a bike be dirty! No exceptions.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

If I've got time to wash it I've got time to ride it. I rebuild it when I'm injured 😜

[@justanothernoobe]

Mate - LOTS of valuable info BUT ... slow the **duckquack** down - it would be a shame for your pace to overwhelm people. Not attacking you fella - just trying to support you with an external perspective.

[@mtbtomfoolery]

Fair point, likely well made! I didn't realise I was talking fast 🤣

[@MrFowl]

Personally, it was perfect for me. If people can't comprehend what someone is saying when they're talking, there's a button to slow down the speed.