Review of Bell CarGo Rear Rack

Bell CarGo Rear Rack
By: Bell Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 25
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Decent rack. Gets the job done.

On: 2008-08-02

This rack is fine for anyone going on short commutes. The design is sound. I would not fit pannier bags to it given that it seems to not support much weight. It will easily handle a basket with some groceries or books, but that is it. Fitting to the rear of the seat post area may create an angle problem for some bikes. Most should not have a problem. You can get better quality, but it will cost you.

missing parts

On: 2008-07-15

The rack works fine, but the instructions are illegible and insufficient. If you buy this, be ready to get additional parts and figure it out onyour own.

NO INSTRUCTIONS!!!!! Don't buy this rack if you've never installed a bike rack before

On: 2008-07-04

I thought the bike rack was a good cost, but when I got it, I was very disappointed with the lack of instructions and materials it came with to install. The rack itself looks like its good quality, but only if you can get it installed. I have attempted to put this rack on my bike 4-5 times about 1 hour each time, and Ive also had my boyfriend try to help me and we still havent figured the stupid thing out!!!! So no its sitting in my garage and I have went to buy a bike rack elsewhere.

Poor Product Description & Instruction

On: 2008-06-16

It does not fit any of my 3 bikes. I wish the product description could have been more clear, so I dont waste money like this. Now it is collecting dust in the garage.

no real directions

On: 2008-04-24

It needs better instructions for assembly. It took a while to figure this out but once I did it was good. It seems a little small though.

Nice rack for the money

On: 2008-04-19

I bought this rack for my kids bike. Looks nice and is fairly easy to install. I did have to go to the hardware store to get a rubber covered pipe clamp so I could attach the from bracket to the seat post. Once installed it was quite solid. Over all it is good value for the money.

Transport!

On: 2008-02-26

I needed to stop hanging my grocery bags off my handlebars because it made steering slow and dangerous. I found this rack that suited all my needs and Bell is a name you can trust. This rack was difficult to install but I chalk that up to my unusual bike frame. Sturdy, low maintenance and fully functional. This rack is exactly as described and I couldnt be happier with it.

"Strong and sturdy"

On: 2008-02-08

Another inexpensive accessory, and coated so it wont rust.It can carry all your kids scool books and bags or a few heavy power tools for a quick junt to your Buddies house.

Barely usable

On: 2007-07-26

There were no instructions. The picture of the assembled unit on the package (which was the best hint they gave for assembly) was significantly different from the online picture (on which I based the purchase decision) and neither of them was close to looking like the actual product.

The provided parts apparently gave you several different ways to attach things, but none of those ways was a decent fit for any bike my family has, especially not for the one I bought this for. The primary flaw is the two pieces that connect the front of the rack to the frame under the seat are too short. Also they only provided enough screws for the simplest possible install. If you wanted to use ANY of the small optional parts you would need to obtain extra screws.

The package contained 7 long screws and 1 short screw. Unfortunately, I didnt think things through well enough in advance. The minimum of 8 connection points for my bike had 4 that needed the long screws, 3 that would be much better with a short screw and one that could only work with the short screw. I put the short screw where it was just better, not required, then realized my mistake and swapped screws but the short screw stripped when trying to reuse it.

Not for mountain bikes

On: 2007-07-13

Product was not made for mountain bikes because the strap to attach it to the bike frame is too small.

Strong enough, but taugh to installed

On: 2007-07-12

This is a functional rack as advertised, but is not easy for installation. I think may be the accessories are not enough for some bikes, or user instruction is not clear.

Bell bike rack

On: 2007-06-06

The instructions were very difficult to follow and vauge. The screws stripped and were difficult to tighten. Overall the product seemed cheaply made with little concern for ease of use for the buyer. Disapointed, thought Bell made beter products.

Bell CarGo Rear Bicycle Rack

On: 2007-05-20

The rack is OK. The instructions are nonexistant so you must have a little knowledge to complete the installation. I needed two more bolts, lock washers and nuts to get it on my bike. After it is on it is strong and does what Bell says it will and looks good to.

Horrible

On: 2007-04-11

This was a bad buy. The C-clamps would not fit my bike and there were parts missing!!! This is not the first time I have had problems with Bell products either. I also bought the U-Lock. It was so hard to install and the clamps again were not big enough. I am never buying a Bell product again!!! I really would not even give it one star, but I had too.

Not built for all bikes.

On: 2007-03-19

Nice rack, except for the fact that the front brackets that keep the rack from flopping back and forth are not long enough to attach to my bike. Fortunately my husband is handy in metal working and is building new brackets.

Not as pictured

On: 2007-02-10

The rack is not as pictured. I bought it because my bike did not have the brackets to screw a rack to the frame. Although the picture shows clamps for attaching both the top and the bottom of the rack to the bike frame, the rack only has clamps for the top of the rack. I had to fashion my own clamps out of insulated p-clamps (in the electrical department at the hardware store). Also the rack is screwed together rather than welded which makes it less sturdy than most racks. Get a welded rack at Performance bikes for about the same price ($15 when they are on sale).

Bell Rear Bike Rack

by: Anonymous On: 2007-01-28

The Bell rear bike rack has the shape and function I wanted but not the parts to install it in all applications. It comes with some very small "c" clamps that didnt fit the wider diameter of the seat post on my PT Cruiser Bike. You can find and paint ones that will work at your local home center. It does come with some parts that I have no idea what they are suppose to do or where they fit. Directions that are more specific would be a great idea.

missing hardware

On: 2007-01-22

good quality const. simple to install , except parts bags were short two
bolts & nuts each to complete installation. no big deal , just meant finding bolts / nuts / washers to finish installation .

Are there fenders?

On: 2007-01-19

Based on other reviews I did not expect to receive directions. The rack does not fit the bike I was trying to fit since it has a rear fender. I mistakenly calculated the rack would fit but significant modifications are required. Otherwise product meets value expectation.

Great for the short trips

On: 2006-11-12

This carrier was easy to add to the back of my mountain bike. Fit well with the saddlebags I possess, and was easy to add an extra light so it is safer to bike at night. The sring allows me to place some small item for staorage without the saddlebag, and not worry about it falling off. Enjoy some worry free biking with this rack.

CarGo rear bicycle rack

On: 2006-07-20

I have put three of these on two different kinds of bikes--two Raleigh C-40s and a new Specialized Crossroads. I ended up having to adapt each to the saddle stems. Each of these bikes have a thicker stem with a suspension spring in it and the U-bolt supplied by Bell wasnt big enough to accomodate. I used a plastic or nylon clamp from a reflector to make it work. If Bell included U-bolt that accomodated the larger saddle stem, I would have rated the carrier as great (five stars) because these thicker stems are common to most newer hybrid bikes that Ive seen. Other than that problem, I thought the rack was pretty nice and reasonably priced. It adjusts to wheel size nicely and one of the racks (but not the other two) has a built in studs for holding an air pump that would work if you happen to have an air pump that is just that long.

CarGo rear bicycle rack

On: 2006-07-19

I have put three of these on two different kinds of bikes--two Raleigh C-40s and a new Specialized Crossroads. I ended up having to adapt each to the saddle stems. Each of these bikes have a thicker stem with a suspension spring in it and the U-bolt supplied by Bell wasnt big enough to accomodate. I used a plastic or nylon clamp from a reflector to make it work. If Bell included U-bolt that accomodated the larger saddle stem, I would have rated the carrier as great (five stars) because these thicker stems are common to most newer hybrid bikes that Ive seen. Other than that problem, I thought the rack was pretty nice and reasonably priced. It adjusts to wheel size nicely and one of the racks (but not the other two) has a built in studs for holding an air pump that would work if you happen to have an air pump that is just that long.

No instructions, but not bad for the price

On: 2006-06-17

To echo what everyone said here: No instructions come with the package and youre left to figure it out yourself with a lot of random screws and bolts included. It took me about 30-45 minutes to figure it out, which was frustrating, but it looks nice on my bike and seems sturdy. As the other person stated, yes - it is hollow - but it seems sturdy enough. If I were you I would recommend going to Wal-Mart, Target, or a local bike shop because the quality would probably be better and would be packaged better, probably for the same ballpark price.

So-so

On: 2006-04-14

I didnt expect the frame to be hollow tubular steel (thought it would be solid). The reviewer beneath me said he had limited instuctions, I absolutely none (if you take a good look at the picture its not too hard to figure out thought). Other than that its pretty damn good for the price. It adjustments for different sized bikes and options for different attachment locations. The springy clamp hold-down thing works great as well.

Could be better

On: 2006-04-12

Ill preface this by heartily admitting what a cheap stingy (insert word of choice here) I am. This was the cheapest item of the type so naturally, I went with it.

I was kind of hovering around 2 stars because of the lack of instructions, which were vague. The price kept it from being a 1 star right off the bat. There was neither explanation nor apology for the differently sized bolts/holes and the height adjustment.

It seems to me that the differences in bolt/hole size was deliberate. The different length bolts also have different diameters. In short, the wrong bolts simply will not fit in the wrong holes, so add 1 star. It took me an hour to figure that out, so take that star back. This is coming from a guy who doesnt read instructions anyway, so take it or leave it.

The height adjustment made sure it fit pretty well on my bike. Here we are at 3 stars if youre counting. I ride an older model 27" Raleigh racing bike, by the way. I am also using a milk crate tied down with bungees, which is probably an unintended use anyway, so no change in rating here.

It seems to be reasonably sturdy, but Im not figuring that in my rating since Ive only had it for a month. Final result: 3 stars for good fit at good price but lacking instructions and difficulty in assembly.

Cannot fit bike

On: 2006-03-27

be careful when ordering such bike accessories- it may not fit your bike!

Cannot fit bike

On: 2006-03-26

be careful when ordering such bike accessories- it may not fit your bike!

no instructions what so ever

On: 2005-10-21

speedy delivery, however the package has almost no instructions at all. Only an illustration of how it looks on the bike after the installation with the major parts labeled. That doesnt help me figuring out how to put it onto the bike. and [...] doesnt even list this product.