So you like to ride? Finding a bike rack that best suits your needs takes time and research. We’ve done the hard work for you so you can spend more time enjoying the outdoors. Here, we lay out the most important features of the Bell Cantilever 200, the pros, the cons, and other good to know bits of information.
What's Included in this Article
A Look at Bell
Bell has been around the block and back again with over sixty years of experience in the bike accessory business. Bell makes quality products that are durable and affordable. They stand behind them with a warranty you can check out here.
Casual Biker: Likes To Ride But Not Every Weekend
So, occasionally, you would like to go for a ride in what might be unfamiliar terrain to you. Maybe you’re not planning on loading up the bikes every weekend for a jaunt on a new trail but you do want the option to transport the bikes period and explore a new area whenever you get the urge. You also don’t want to fork over hundreds of dollars for an occasional hobby either.
Bell offers the Cantilever series as a cost-effective option that allows you to strap and load quickly so you can get out there and explore.
5 things you need to know
Trunk Strap – Makes for easy on and off your vehicle
Bell offers three types of bike racks: trunk strap, platform style hitch, and traditional hitch racks.
The Cantilever 200 is the double trunk strap rack. The trunk strap racks are the most cost-effective and compact of the three styles. They offer the ease of simply using the straps provided to quickly strap the rack to your vehicle and you’re ready to load your bikes. No tools required.
This type of rack is great for people who just want a quick and easy solution to transport their bikes on occasion.
Two Bike Capacity – If you want company, no problem
This trunk rack easily transports two bikes so biking with a friend or special someone is no problemo. Always nice to have room for an extra bike when going out for a ride.
Reflective End Caps – Help protect your rear
A nice safety feature to have when traveling at night. This will be helpful in keeping those tail riders a safe distance from the rear of your vehicle. Get Back Jack!
Construction – Durable and strappy
Features powder-coated steel construction for a solid build. It also includes padded cradles and straps to hold the bikes in place. It utilizes four long straps to secure the rack to the trunk of the vehicle.
Easy One Fold – One and done for storage
This rack folds down in one step so it’s quick and easy to fold and store in your trunk or garage when not in use.
Pros
No assembly required
Easy to fold and store
Cost-effective
Installs in seconds
Cons
Not as stable as the platform style hitch rack because it doesn’t have a way to secure the bottom of bikes.
Doesn’t accommodate a variety of styles of bikes
The possibility of bikes scratching the vehicle
What Customers Are Saying
Overall, most customers are satisfied with the Cantilever 200. It has a four-star rating on Amazon and customers are pleased with what they get for the price.
Some reviewers say it allows you to still be able to open your trunk when the rack is attached. This would depend on what type of vehicle it’s on of course but the box it comes in states that it’s “guaranteed to fit any car.”
Some have had issues with bikes banging against their cars while transporting and chipped the vehicles paint.
What Makes This Product Stand Out
-The price point.
-No assembly so it’s good to go right out of the box.
-The quick install on your vehicle.
How to install the Cantilever 200 Bike Rack
The nice thing about the Bell trunk strap racks is that there is no assembly required. Whoop, whoop! A huge bonus for all of us who have instruction manual phobia.
They do have a quick video that shows you how to attach it to your vehicle here.
Things to Note:
-Needs a locking cable to lock bikes to rack
-Cannot lock rack to car, so it needs to be taken off and stored in the trunk or garage when not in use or while riding bikes.
-Dimensions 7 x 18.5 x 28
Overall Summary
This Bell Double Back Trunk Rack is great for those who don’t have a trailer hitch and would like to transport bikes on occasion. Also, the compact size is nice when storing so it’s not taking up a lot of room in the garage.
