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Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack
Show more by messingschlager
Average Rating: 3.5 star rating (72 Reviews)
  • Rack mounts to back of your bicycle to help you easily transport your gear
  • Durable steel rack can carry up to 55 pounds
  • Ideally used with panniers, backpacks, baskets, etc.
  • Adjustable for 26- or 28-inch bicycle tires and features universal fitting set
  • Reflector bracket and spring flap are also included
Product Description:
The Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack mounts to the back of your bicycle to help you easily transport all of your items. This durable steel rack can carry up to 55 lbs. and is perfect for use with panniers, backpacks, baskets, and more! It is adjustable for 26in or 28in bicycle tires and features a universal fitting set. A reflector bracket and spring flap are also included
The Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack mounts to the back of your bicycle to help you easily transport your gear. This durable steel rack can carry up to 55 pounds, and is ideally used with panniers, backpacks, baskets, and more. It's adjustable for 26- or 28-inch bicycle tires and features a universal fitting set. A reflector bracket and spring flap are also included.
Customer Reviews:  
Add Your Own Review
5.0 out of 5 stars.  The best, May 31, 2009
By Kenneth Florek
People into light bikes will naturally prefer aluminum racks. But...

This is made out of solid steel bar, not tubing. The flat ends are forged, not flattened tube. If the $30 aluminum tube racks are rated at 40 pounds, then this one should be rated over 100 lbs. (A sticker on it says do not use over 20 kilogram, which is 44 lbs. I think) Not that I or my bike could seriously manage 100 pounds added ... but I have loaded up 50 pounds of lawn fertilizer at times.

The short bars that bridge the rack to the stays would have fit better in my case if they were straighter, so I tried to reshape one in a big steel vise, but regardless of what I did the bar only bent slightly and sprung back as soon as the pressure was off. Maybe if I put a three foot pipe on the end it would have bent, but the pressure was already crazy and I thought that was ill advised. :) That is some good steel.

The weak points obviously would be the welds, not the bars, but the welds look nice to me. I figure the weight rating has something to do with lawyers. If you load a lot of weight on the rear of a bike, the handling is completely off and squirrelly, and the rack manufacturer would get sued in the case of an accident if he did not recommend against it. 20kg is probably what stands up in court, not what the rack will hold. Since I broke a rack (from metal fatigue at the stays mount), which this one replaces, I was looking for something tough, and this looks like it. Thanks to the first posters that put up such informative pictures.

I thought the rack might slip around at the screw joints (many racks are one piece welded), but it doesn't. The whole rack flexes in a springy way if you push hard, but the screw joints do not move around. Just in case, I added some lock washers, which should take up any slack due to winter-summer thermal cycling. The rack already comes with lock nuts, but lock nuts are good mainly because when they become loose they will not rattle looser.

Since I had some experience with helping someone with a nice aluminum rack switching from one bike to another, I was aware of how hard it is to adapt to every particular bike. That rack had an array of extra screws and brackets, but it still took some home-made weirdness to make it work on that particular bike. You can see how different the rack fits on my bike as compared to the other pics.

I didn't mention in the picture notes that the gripper material under the pipe brackets is a strip of material they use in wood working to keep small pieces of wood from sliding (without a vice) when routing (which is why I have it.) It looks like the same stuff sold as kitchen drawer liner that keeps silverware from sliding around when you open and close the drawers.

The smallest pipe brackets (1/2 inch), though sturdy, were a bit too large even after re-bent, which is why I put some plastic pipe as a spacer around the stays.

Since, when I find a really good item at a really good price, either the price immediately gets jacked up, or the item disappears never to be seen again, I got two just in case. But I think my bike will give out before this thing does.(And then I'll have a new one for my new bike!) I am more enthusiastic about this item now that I have it then when I ordered it, which is practically a new experience for me.


----> added

May 1, 2011

I see pages of reviews after the last time I checked. I read them all (around 50.)

Nothing has rattled loose, nothing bent or kinked, no welds gave out, nothing rusted. The rack is as sturdy and durable as I figured -cross my fingers- 2 years ago. When the weather is over 40 degrees here I do my grocery runs two or three times a week on the bike, and the rack gets a lot of flexing because the "milk crate" box is on top, which is a lot of leverage. In colder weather, grocery runs drop down to about once a week. About weekly I carry 2 gallons of milk in the grocery load.

I am wondering what a number of people have in mind who say the rack is flimsy, unless it is not the same rack. I have never seen a normal rack (like under $70) that this one doesn't beat the bleep out of for strength. Maybe aluminum is less springy? Or they have no experience with another rack?

I do not get why people did not believe that there are NO bolts included that hold the rack to the bike and realistically NO instructions, which I understood from the people that reviewed this even earlier than me.

About the first guy that posted left pictures of what you get. (If these are not present in your package, you were shorted, which quite a few later buyers have been.) If you don't already see how you are going to attach the thing from those pictures, and you aren't creative mechanically, or don't want to be, be kind to yourself and don't get involved.

Believe it or not I did not buy this thing because it was startling cheap. That was a bonus. Obviously I did not buy it because it was convenient to attach to my bike (check the pictures of the olive green bike.) From the earlier posted pictures, it looked to me that it was made the right way to be strong. Other racks definitely are not. Stiffness and durability are two different things. In person it turned out to be far stronger than I was thinking. It is something like spring steel, not the mild steel you find in rods and bolts.

Actually, most people do not need a particularly strong rack for the way they are using it. They are fixated on cheap. Cheap can turn out to be too expensive if you factor in the value of your time.

A few people said the bolts stripped easily. If they did, then the bolts I received were different bolts. I wondered why they put such nice bolts in the package when any old bolts would have done as well.

24 of 25 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Adequate bargain carrier rack with a few shortcuts / costcuts, April 2, 2009
By Bargain hunter by day, shopaholic at .. (IN)
Background you can skip
In our area, as part of the infrastructure development, the city put in bicycle paths all the way out to the mall / supermarkets and we can get to the bicycle path right behind our house.
So wifey wanted to start using her bike to go and get groceries on her bike and do it more frequently. This would be great: cleaner air, burn calories and good exercize. Purrrrfect. Problem is: her bike has no carrier rack and she'd need Panniers that would work for her. So I set out, being the bargain hunter and all, to fix these problems as cheaply and efficiently as possible. After much looking and reading I decided on this rack combined with Avenir Metro III Panniers (2,200 cubic inches, see other review).

About assembling this rack
Since this rack is the only one I could find under 10$ it obviously cuts some cost-corners: one of those corners is assembly.
I posted pictures of how the item arrives: a bunch of screws and relatively heavy grade metal parts in a bag that you assemble. The assembly instructions are not terribly clear but the picture of the finished product is sufficient to properly insert the screws. Do not tighten until fitted on the bike as you will need to decide the right angle and use of the extension pieces to get it all to work out. Note that this item, albeit heavy quality is not as adjustable (especially height) as some of the other more expensive items out there but the item is certainly heavy quality that can carry a full load of groceries.
Assembly to the rear axle is similar to all the other brands and you need to BYOS (s=Screws). This is not convenient but the other more expensive brands have the same concept.

Pros
- Cheap!
- Medium duty, fine for carrying groceries
- Could carry panniers with 2 gallons of milk and cans etc without getting wobbly
- (More a function of the velcro and loops on the Panniers:) able to easily saddle and fix the Panniers
- Built in spring clamp to hold some towels or so
- Has rear reflector or light-plate

Cons
- height cannot be adjusted on the legs. You need to get it level by using the connection pieces and holes for the saddle neck or frame connection pieces (left hand pieces). Worked out fine though and would fit other bikes I had as well. But took 1 star off for that.
- Assembly is simple but for not-so-handy could be unclear with the frame connection pieces (upper left in Amazon pics)
- Connection to axle was tricky as I could not get the right scew to hold but did that in the end.

Conclusion:
If you want a basic rack that does not need more than 10 to 15 pounds load capacity on a basic bike then this is a great deal. Add a few bags and enjoy. Great deal for 10$ or so.

18 of 19 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Adequate bargain carrier rack with a few shortcuts / costcuts, April 2, 2009
By Bargain hunter by day, shopaholic at .. (IN)
Background you can skip
In our area, as part of the infrastructure development, the city put in bicycle paths all the way out to the mall / supermarkets and we can get to the bicycle path right behind our house.
So wifey wanted to start using her bike to go and get groceries on her bike and do it more frequently. This would be great: cleaner air, burn calories and good exercize. Purrrrfect. Problem is: her bike has no carrier rack and she'd need Panniers that would work for her. So I set out, being the bargain hunter and all, to fix these problems as cheaply and efficiently as possible. After much looking and reading I decided on this rack combined with Avenir Metro III Panniers (2,200 cubic inches, see other review).

About assembling this rack
Since this rack is the only one I could find under 10$ it obviously cuts some cost-corners: one of those corners is assembly.
I posted pictures of how the item arrives: a bunch of screws and relatively heavy grade metal parts in a bag that you assemble. The assembly instructions are not terribly clear but the picture of the finished product is sufficient to properly insert the screws. Do not tighten until fitted on the bike as you will need to decide the right angle and use of the extension pieces to get it all to work out. Note that this item, albeit heavy quality is not as adjustable (especially height) as some of the other more expensive items out there but the item is certainly heavy quality that can carry a full load of groceries.
Assembly to the rear axle is similar to all the other brands and you need to BYOS (s=Screws). This is not convenient but the other more expensive brands have the same concept.

Pros
- Cheap!
- Medium duty, fine for carrying groceries
- Could carry panniers with 2 gallons of milk and cans etc without getting wobbly
- (More a function of the velcro and loops on the Panniers:) able to easily saddle and fix the Panniers
- Built in spring clamp to hold some towels or so
- Has rear reflector or light-plate

Cons
- height cannot be adjusted on the legs. You need to get it level by using the connection pieces and holes for the saddle neck or frame connection pieces (left hand pieces). Worked out fine though and would fit other bikes I had as well. But took 1 star off for that.
- Assembly is simple but for not-so-handy could be unclear with the frame connection pieces (upper left in Amazon pics)
- Connection to axle was tricky as I could not get the right scew to hold but did that in the end.

Conclusion:
If you want a basic rack that does not need more than 10 to 15 pounds load capacity on a basic bike then this is a great deal. Add a few bags and enjoy. Great deal for 10$ or so.

15 of 16 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Universal but lacking bolts, June 13, 2009
By K. Khau (west coast)
Remember to read the description of this product. This product is universal for bikes 26 inches-28.If you have a bike slightly smaller than this,it stands far higher than one might expect. The product itself is sturdy enough for the price but it was missing some bolts. I had to go through my toolbox to find some that would fit. For the price of roughly $12 it's good enough.

8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Heavy Duty Bike Carrier Rack, April 3, 2009
By Robert F A (Vallejo, CA)
This is a heavy duty rear bike rack. I installed this in my Totino Lamborghini Leggenda, 700c, 28" tires. It is made of heavy grade steel painted black and should be able to support at least 40 pounds of load, if properly assembled, & your bicycle itself and the mounting points in your bike can support it. The only downside of this rack is the height of the legs cannot be adjusted. It is only limited to the 2 mounting holes on each side. It has a raked look in my bike, lower in the front. And of course if you have the know-how, you can always fabricate. The 2-included front attachment pieces are a bit short. If this were longer it would have corrected the leveling issues. You can put together the 2 attachments to make it longer, but this is not a good idea. The 2 attachment bolts can loosen and pivot at the point attachment. If leveling issues is not a concern to you, this is the rack to buy. Very cheap and very good quality, heavy duty too.

I finally solved the leveling issues on my bike. I put together the 2-bent pieces and the u-shaped bent piece to make it longer(make sure the bolts are tight). I secured the front of the u-shaped bent piece to the fender hole. Now it is almost level to the ground, but only slightly higher in the front. To me this is acceptable.

3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  must fidget with parts a little, May 13, 2010
By H.Y.
Not too bad - I wasn't sure I would be able to make it fit properly - as noted by other reviewers, the instructions are not useful. But after fidgeting a bit with it, it fit quite nicely on my Trek 7000 and Specialized Vienna, and seems to be quite sturdy. I do not believe the "U" bracket and the 2 individual bracket arms are meant to be used as separate pieces. They must both be used to mount the rack properly. If you don't, the rack will be too short to reach the mounting holes properly.

Here's the way I put it together:
First, the "u" bracket needs to be attached to the bike frame using the center mounting hole - found on the crossbar of your bike frame. You will need to buy a screw for this - my bike used a 10-32 machine screw - the length will depend on how the bracket fits on your bike. I think 1 inch should suffice. Attach the 2 single arms to the "u" bracket using the included screws/nuts.

Next, put the "y" arms onto the main body of the rack. I put the "y" arms on the inside of the rack - looks nicer, and doesn't catch clothing etc. Place the welded side of the arm facing the inside - looks nicer. The rack came with the screws and nuts needed to do this (comes w 8 screws and nuts). Next attach the assembled "y" arms and rack onto your bike frame - using the bottom holes of the "y" arms. You will need to supply these 2 screws. I needed to buy 2 10-32 machine screws - 3/4 inch if you use split washers for a more secure fit. You may need to add washers as spacers so the screw doesn't interfere w the gears. 1/2 inch may work too - I didn't have 1/2 screws but I think they will be ok. Tighten these screws up a bit so the rack doesn't move around. Level the rack, then position the "u" bracket/arm assembly so that the holes line up, and put in the final screws and nuts.

Tighten up all the screws. You're done!

2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  fits like a glove, June 4, 2009
By Robert D. Jones (Mesa, AZ)
Such a cheap price,such a great rack,my 26 inch frame fit this like a glove,dead level,very well built,virtually no instructions,there is a picture of it assembled off a bike but still had it on in 20 minutes.Did have to buy two screws and lock nuts to fit down by the wheel,their super quality allen screws were to big for that one area.... so what,its still an amazing deal.

2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  Solid construction--but poor design--bad for panniers, April 7, 2010
By dtae (Chicago, IL)
The rack seems to be made very solidly and I doubt it will break.

It is kind of difficult to install. The directions are not very good, and I had to increase the size of the bolt hole a little.

This is NOT a good rack for panniers. The design is all screwy for such purposes--and only works by being jurry-rigged.

2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  Not really universal. Didn't fit my bike!, February 11, 2010
By Herb Schwarz
Bought this for my new Trek with 700c tires. Everthing was very nice quality and went together easily except... The struts that attach the front of the rack to the seatpost tube were 4 inches too short for my bike. I'll have to find some longer ones or make some myself. So what do I get for trying to save some money? More work than it's worth.

2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  Difficult to attatch, September 12, 2009
By Thomas E. Sullivan (St. Augustine, Fl)
Strong rack and once connected works great. The screws and bars to attach all had to be jerry-rigged to fit. If you are not handy and do not have lots of tools, get something else.

2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Not bad..., May 15, 2011
By CrazyAnnie
The rack came pretty unprotected... Ended up having a hole in the bag that it came in, causing some of the nuts and bolts to roll around freely in the box. Luckily, nothing was missing. Although I did opted the included hardware for some better ones from the store. (lock washers, lock nuts, etc) I also had a single 1" bolt that was just the right size to attach the front of the rack to the middle of the "break bridge" on my bike. Otherwise I just got a couple of packages of 1/2" machine screws/bolts, 10-24 lock nuts, and 1/4 lock washers. (Order to use... Bolt, washer, *product*, nut)

Yes, it does take a little knowledge and creativity to get this sucker on your bike, but being a noobie to the biking industry, made it that much more fun! =]

All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and the Wald Rear folding baskets goes wonders with it! (I got two for both sides of the rack) The black on black combo of the rack and baskets looks great on my Diamondback Serene Citi.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Simple, very solid rack, April 21, 2011
By katahdin10
As others have noted, construction seems very solid -- made from solid bar, not hollow tube, so a bit heavier but very rigid. Instructions are pretty minimal, but it's not too hard to figure out what goes where. Does just what I want for a good price.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Ventura Universal Bicycle carrier Rack, April 16, 2011
By scott
Looks great, strong enough, Fits well on schwinn frame. Great bang for the buck.
Short mounting nuts and bolts...
Look close at the mounting in the picture then look at the frame of your bike before purchase.
When installing leave all screws loose then tighten.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Not universal and needs supplemental hardware, April 12, 2011
By E. Beria
This rack is OK and will do the job once you figure out how to attach it to your bike. First of all the bolts it comes with are garbage. Throw them away, ok maybe keep one for reference, but head to the hardware store and get good bolts that won't get stripped. If you don't strip them putting the rack on, you will certainly strip them if you ever try to get the rack off. I also had to jury-rig the part where it attaches below the seat. It just didn't reach and was not adjustable at all. There are absolutely no instructions that come with this. Not even a picture of it on a bike. The picture of it that you see in this listing is as much instruction as you get. Overall a pain to install but again, it does the job once installed. I definitely wouldn't buy another one or recommend it to anyone unless there was no other suitable alternative.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Rock solid construction, February 28, 2011
By Gia Scott (New Orleans, LA USA)
This rack doesn't mount easily to dual suspension mountain bicycles, especially the cheap ***-mart brands. In order to use this rack on those brands, you have to be able to get creative to make a bracket to attach to the frame between the wheel and the rear suspension. With that said, and the fact that we've not gotten this bracket made to mount this rack on its intended bicycle, it's a great rack.

It's solidly made, it would have mounted easily on any of the other bicycle models, and the inability to mount it on the bike we bought it for is not any flaw of the manufacturer--it's a design issue that makes sturdy racks very expensive or hard to find for dual suspension bikes. If you aren't mechanically inclined and don't have a shop to bang metal tubing into submission, and have a dual suspension bike of the discount variety--pass on a rack that attaches to the wheel and buy a sturdy METAL post-mount rack. It will do the job without the nightmare of beating on metal tubing.

We're not shipping the rack back, and I've kind of left it as a design challenge for the fix-it guys in my life to create an alternative bracket. If nothing else, it will simply end up in a closet until our next bike purchase, because I won't be buying another discount chain's version of dual suspension mountain bike! (Seriously, if you want to enjoy your bike and the time on it, head to a bike shop and get fitted with something there--it will save you money in the long run even if you opt for a used bike!)

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Missing hardware, April 19, 2010
By Blai00 (Austin, tx United States)
I've had this for a few weeks now and it has not been installed on my bike because it did not come with any hardware. I figured for the price I'll just run and buy the nuts and bolts from the hardware store rather than spending the shipping cost to return it. I have 28.5 wheels and it is too small. I'll have to go to the bike store and buy some clamps to make it work. I was prepared to buy the clamps when I purchased it because I had a feeling it would not reach. All in all I can't say exactly how I feel about this product until I get It mounted.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Fantastic carrier rack with a few caveats, April 9, 2010
By Can I interest you in viewing m.. (Columbus, IN USA)
When you look at pictures of this rack, immediately you think "Man, that thing looks kinda flimsy compared to the other carrier racks here on Amazon. Those other racks have all KINDS of bendy supports and maybe three legs on each side, while this rack looks like a schematic for a wedge of cheese."

Forget that thinking RIGHT NOW.

This rack is fantastically strong and surprisingly HEAVY when you first pull it out of the shipping container, and retains that solidity during assembly. You aren't going to break this thing - never fear!

However, you may have some difficulty attaching it to your bike, as it comes with absolutely no attachment screws, bolts, nuts, etc. It ONLY includes the bolts and nuts required to make it look like that picture above, but NOT the extra ones you need to connect it to your bike. I've got mine attached to my bike with some bolts and nuts I had on hand, and the front of the rack is connected to my rear brake assembly. It is neither elegant nor aesthetically pleasing, but it's beautifully functional AND a wondrous steal.

Finally, are you asking yourself, "Self, does this "Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack" work well with the "Avenir Metro Panniers (1,380 Cubic-Inch Capacity)?" The answer to that question, my friend, is "INDEED."

That means you've got yourself a bike rack and pannier set for around (...) ... not too shabby.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Good, but not indestuctible., March 16, 2010
By B. Harris
I bought this rack on June 1, 2009, and it broke on March 13, 2010. The steel snapped at the upper of the two mounting holes at the ends of both of the legs, seemingly at the same time.

I doubt my results are typical, and are likely just due to abuse. This was attached to my Trek Navigator 2, a comfort bike that I use on my daily commute. The rack had a pair of Wald 582 Folding Rear Bicycle Grocery Baskets (Set of 2) attached, and was used to haul basically anything that could be strapped to it or stuffed in the baskets. The only concern I really gave to weight was "can I still pedal?". Also, winter riding in Alaska has been hard on my equipment; the near-zero temperatures and insanely bumpy washboard ice covering the paths and trails I use may be the direct causes of the failure.

Despite my results, I'd still recommend this rack; most people don't seem to be as rough on their toys as I am mine. The rack was inexpensive, easy enough to assemble, and is definitely versatile. It lacked a way to attach it to a seat-clamp, so it's not quite universal; my bike didn't need that (the included front mounting bracket lined up well with the mount-point on the bike), but many do.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  Rack, January 31, 2010
By vitaltraining (Los Angeles, CA)
I probably won't buy another one of these. I have a hybrid mountain bike and had to add a separate attachment to it from a different bike. The one piece that locks onto the stem was too short.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Good Rack - NO Bolts at all, January 9, 2010
By Timothy Hughbanks (College Station, TX)
Previous reviewers have given a good assessment of this rack - once it is on your bike it seems to be nice and sturdy. However, in the rack I was delivered today, there were no nuts, bolts, or screws at all, and no instructions at all - just separate loose steel pieces, period. For at least the pieces that assemble the same way on any bike (see the excellent pictures other reviewers have supplied), there is no excuse for not supplying nuts and bolts for assembly. Fortunately, one of the previous reviewers put in very good pictures of this rack attached to a Lamborghini Leggenda - which seemed to be exactly the same as my own. A little bit of common sense, a trip to the hardware store to spend $8 more on nuts and bolts (a cost you should account for when comparing prices), and I was able to put the rack on this afternoon. Oddly, the extenders you see between the rack and frame on the Leggenda aren't needed on my bike - I think I have larger wheels than the Leggenda model in the pictures. So, the flexibility of the design is good - it is probably fair to call the rack "universal". Just be prepared to buy your own nuts and bolts and to rely on the pictures posted here for assembly, unless you are shipped more than I was.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  solid - easy assembly, June 8, 2009
By RAW (PDX)
this rack mounted perfectly on my 26 inch Trek 850. I only had to add two machined screws from coast to coast hardware ( few scents) to attach to the existing mount on my bike. I added the proverbial locker room basket on top with 6 plastic cinch ties (a buck for about 20 of them ) It is rock solid with no rattling or noise of any kind. What can I say - cheap, easy to mount, works great. Very happy.

1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  Not Universal, June 1, 2010
By TDOB (San Francisco, CA)
Unfortunately, this isn't totally universal. It did not fit my 2009 Cannondale hybrid. I needed some extenders; however, the bike shop I went to in SF did not have any that were long enough. In the end, I bought another rack that was 3x the price, but at least this one fits!

I tried to give it to my boyfriend, who rides a vintage Raleigh, but this "universal" rack did not fit either...

Save some time and money and just bring your bike to a shop, so they can help figure out what works best for you.

1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  A Word To The Wise, March 20, 2010
By Richard Lawrence Hill III
Please read this review, this entire review, before purchasing this carrier rack.

The product itself is wonderful, just as the reviews said. And like the other reviews said, the service is terrible. I've always had nothing but pleasant experiences when ordering from Amazon, so I read all the negativity and dismissed it. I thought those were unlucky people. I was wrong.

First time I ordered, it took over a month to get to me. When it finally came, the box was weird/unmarked. I shook it and it rattled. I opened up the box and there was this sorry looking bit of plastic packaging, all mangled and ripped. Looks like a rat tried to eat it. Bolts, nuts were everywhere. Guess that explains the rattling, right? But I really don't care about looks, so I started putting everything together only to find that I was missing a small black bar (the "extender" bar?). I contacted Amazon and explained that all I needed was an "extender" bar. They replied promptly and told me that they do not ship parts; I would need to return the partial package once I received the replacement. I agreed.

Second package comes in an Amazon box. Shook it and rattling was minimal/normal. Promising. I opened it up and found the plastic package mostly intact...except for one big, clean slit towards the bottom where it looks like they shoved parts in. Again, really didn't care about looks, so I pulled it all out and got my one stupid extender bar and I was hoping to find some bolts/nuts. I forgot to mention to them that I needed 3 bolts/nuts, but I figured hey, why worry if they're sending me a whole new replacement package, right? Wrong. This one had no nuts/bolts. But I found some that worked, so it was okay (God forbid I approach them a third time and they screw it up...again). The product didn't quite fit on my Schwinn Aluminum Comp for some reason, but I ghetto rigged it and made it fit. Kinda. For $10, it's alright.

The kicker? I basically paid $20 because I was too lazy to return the other package. I just got busy and never got around to mailing it...returns are just so freaking inconvenient. And the part I find incredibly funny is this: "We never ship just parts". Oh, really? Then why the HECK did I receive not one, but TWO partial packages? Let's use some common sense here....someone got to those packages before the customer did...so they're doing something with those parts. If they stopped ripping open packages, all these problems would be gone.

Friends, Amazon does a lot of things well. I love Amazon. But for some reason, they struggle with Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Racks. Do not brush off all the negative reviews; they are real people that got a real pain in the butt from this (usually) really good company. This is a great product, but not worth the hassle. If you choose to not heed my warning and order it for your kid's bike for Christmas, fine. Order it now if you want it for Christmas. I am dead serious. It'll take a month to ship the first time and there's a good chance they will screw up *multiple* times. And you may want to assemble it for your kid, too, like for him to go out to his bike and see it on there. Because no 6-year-old wants to open up a Christmas present only to find a ratty, ransacked piece of plastic packaging.

1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Do not buy, April 15, 2010
By kapt (VA, USA)
I bought this item even though the instructions were reportedly hard to understand. Other reviewers made it sound like if you just follow the picture, you can figure it out. They consist of nothing. Sure, the rack is now put together, but there is no information or hardware provided to let you attach the darn thing to your bike.
The picture actually tells you nothing.
What is that extra U-shaped piece for? No idea.
How do you attach it to the seat? No idea.
How do you attach it to the wheel? No idea. The holes are certainly too small.

Only buy this if you feel like wasting your money.
The best-made product is actually a load of junk if you can't use it.

Since the packaging consisted of a plastic bag wrapped to death with tape, I probably won't be able to return it either. Wonderful. So glad I ordered pannieres also.

DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!

1 of 4 people found the above review helpful.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  A Word To The Wise, March 20, 2010
By Richard Hill
Please read this review, this entire review, before purchasing this carrier rack.

The product itself is wonderful, just as the reviews said. And like the other reviews said, the service is terrible. I've always had nothing but pleasant experiences when ordering from Amazon, so I read all the negativity and dismissed it. I thought those were unlucky people. I was wrong.

First time I ordered, it took over a month to get to me. When it finally came, the box was weird/unmarked. I shook it and it rattled. I opened up the box and there was this sorry looking bit of plastic packaging, all mangled and ripped. Looks like a rat tried to eat it. Bolts, nuts were everywhere. Guess that explains the rattling, right? But I really don't care about looks, so I started putting everything together only to find that I was missing a small black bar (the "extender" bar?). I contacted Amazon and explained that all I needed was an "extender" bar. They replied promptly and told me that they do not ship parts; I would need to return the partial package once I received the replacement. I agreed.

Second package comes in an Amazon box. Shook it and rattling was minimal/normal. Promising. I opened it up and found the plastic package mostly intact...except for one big, clean slit towards the bottom where it looks like they shoved parts in. Again, really didn't care about looks, so I pulled it all out and got my one stupid extender bar and I was hoping to find some bolts/nuts. I forgot to mention to them that I needed 3 bolts/nuts, but I figured hey, why worry if they're sending me a whole new replacement package, right? Wrong. This one had no nuts/bolts. But I found some that worked, so it was okay (God forbid I approach them a third time and they screw it up...again). The product didn't quite fit on my Schwinn Aluminum Comp for some reason, but I ghetto rigged it and made it fit. Kinda. For $10, it's alright.

The kicker? I basically paid $20 because I was too lazy to return the other package. I just got busy and never got around to mailing it...returns are just so freaking inconvenient. And the part I find incredibly funny is this: "We never ship just parts". Oh, really? Then why the HECK did I receive not one, but TWO partial packages? Let's use some common sense here....someone got to those packages before the customer did...so they're doing something with those parts. If they stopped ripping open packages, all these problems would be gone.

Friends, Amazon does a lot of things well. I love Amazon. But for some reason, they struggle with Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Racks. Do not brush off all the negative reviews; they are real people that got a real pain in the butt from this (usually) really good company. This is a great product, but not worth the hassle. If you choose to not heed my warning and order it for your kid's bike for Christmas, fine. Order it now if you want it for Christmas. I am dead serious. It'll take a month to ship the first time and there's a good chance they will screw up *multiple* times. And you may want to assemble it for your kid, too, like for him to go out to his bike and see it on there. Because no 6-year-old wants to open up a Christmas present only to find a ratty, ransacked piece of plastic packaging.

1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  solid and cheap, July 15, 2011
By Alicia L Chandler (Erie, PA)
It's real solid and cheap. The instructions could be better, and it could come with mounting hardware but for the price I can't complain.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Good value but missing nuts & bolts, June 25, 2011
By Stanhi
The item is a good value. The reason I purchased it was I had other racks but they did not last. The aluminum rack broke off at one of the joint. The hollow metal rack also broke. This rack is solid and can hold a lot of weight. I had one problem. It did not come with enough bolts and nuts.You need at least 9 pair but 10 would be better. It came with 7 pairs of bolts and nuts.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  not enough nuts/screws, June 1, 2011
By daddy of 16
the rack looks ok after it's finished, slightly unsymmetrical. I have a road bike, and that required a little bit of trickery when it came to putting it on.

Beware though, the nuts and screws they give you are not only insufficient in numbers, they're also crappy. some of the allen key holes are drilled away from the center, and one of them had the imprint of the allen key hole, but didn't actually have a hole in it. But as bad as the screws are, they still get the job done.

If you order, you will be short 2-4 screws. I was missing 3 screws.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Sturdy, Cheap, Recommended, June 1, 2011
By mrecio
This is a very cheap rear rack, cheap but very sturdy and installed in 10 minutes. If you are looking for a rack just to attach random things when going for longer rides or just need something to attach the diaper bag to when going to the park this rack is what you want. If however you plan to buy a dedicated trunk bag i would recommend a Topeak rack with a build in quick rail to easily mount and dismount the bag from your bike. I own both this and the topeak explorer rack and this is every bit as sturdy as the topeak just without the rail system(which doesn't matter unless you own an MTX trunk bag)

Pros:
- PRICE
- quality construction
- high load rating
- built in spring bar

Cons:
- no quick rail

If you just need a bike rack and dont want spend a lot just buy this rack you will be glad you did, If however you plan on getting a dedicated trunk bag as well go with a topeak system instead.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Not Bad, June 1, 2011
By tricorn
Don't even bother to try putting this together without a metric hex driver. Either get one or use diffrent screws from what is provided. The whole thing goes together easily, the diagram and pic on the carton are self explanatory. Getting it mounted on your bike can be tricky, depending on the bike. Getting the rack mounted from below was easy, but the front connection was a nightmare, no where to mount the bracket to. Not wanting to go to the hardware store for pipe brackets and other sundry pieces of hardware, I decided to try mounting the rack backwards. Doing that, I was able to mount the bracket to the seat post. This is a decent rack for the money. Sturdy enough for a 10-15 lb. load. Use your imagination when mounting and you'll be alright.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  no enough screws, May 6, 2011
By jojo
The rack is fitted to one of my bike but there are not enough screws in the package, shot of three screws, so I have to buy screws for it.

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Does not come with all hardware, May 1, 2011
By tuna ketchup (pittsburgh pa)
This may be a sturdy bike rack, but I'll never know, because it didn't come with all the hardware necessary to attach it to my bike. The instructions were also really awful, but easy enough to figure out with the pictures on Amazon. Yes, this is the cheapest rear bike rack on Amazon, but I would have been willing to pay a few bucks more to get all the parts I needed. Returned.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Disappointed., April 28, 2011
By bornforwater
The rack itself is beautiful and very sturdy, but when I opened the package that it came in and took a look at the contents, I realised that I'm missing two screws and two nuts. After waiting quite a few days in eager anticipation of this item's arrival, the fact that it's missing pieces is a huge let-down.

I guess I'll go to home depot and get the rest of the bits for this thing that I purchased, then. Sigh.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  It is what it is., April 1, 2011
By Redriderpgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
I have multiple bikes with racks. This rack was purchased for a bike that a friend of mine is going to use for a 320 Great Allegheny Passage and C&O trip. I purchased this rack mainly due to the price. Once installed correctly the rack is stable, but heavier than higher end racks. It happened to fit my bike well. (An old GT MTB) I did need to use a few of my own bolts as two of the supplied bolts were defective. So, for the money this rack is worth it. Do not purchase this thinking you are getting the same quality as a $50 rack. It is strong and inexpensive which makes it just right for my application.

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2.0 out of 5 stars.  Flimsy, February 21, 2011
By ITPro (Vienna, VA USA)
I bought this when I bought my Kent Dualie Tandem bike because it was reported that it is frequently purchased together with the Kent Dualie Tandem bike. This rack is pretty flimsy. I should have researched more before purchasing. There are so many solid rear racks for less than $30 out there. I tried to save a buck and ended up getting something that is not too usable but for lightest duty carrying. I guess for around $14, I should have expected this.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Needs some bolts, washers, and nuts, February 18, 2011
By Der Stahlhelm (Hendersonville, NC)
Over all I'm satisfied with the product. As other reviewers have stated, there are NO INSTRUCTIONS. You get the hardware (most of it) and that's it. There's basically enough bolts, washers, and nuts to put the product itself together, but in order to fashion it to your bicycle, you're going to need to go down to your local hardware store to purchase more bolts/washers/nuts. I would recommend purchasing some that are a little bigger because the ones that are supplied are quite small. The lack of sufficient bolts/washers/nuts to put everything together (including putting it on the bicycle) is why I have only rated it a 4star and not 5.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  rear bicycle rack, February 8, 2011
By krakerjm
Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack

It's very sturdy for the price and easily adjustable to fit a 24 inch cruiser. A little difficult to put together; the tiny nuts have plastic lock incerts built in and I had to scrape them with a sharp pointed knife to get them to go on the bolts. But over all a very good value.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  great for the price!, January 25, 2011
By dylanaxel
Like some of the other reviews say it is complicating to put on but i got it to use for work its great not having to wear your back pack when you riding but over all its worth it

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  the Price is Right, January 23, 2011
By Honestly Now. . . (Hilo, HI)
I live in Hawai'i, where the price of bike accessories is nigh unaffordable. The one bike rack at the Wal-mart (curse the place) is $30, while the one at the bike shop is $36! I took a chance on buying this one because I wasn't sure it would fit, and lo and behold it did. It takes a 3mm hex wrench to put it on, which isn't included. I went to the bike shop and borrowed one, and it fits well and doesn't rattle. It slants forward a little, but that doesn't bother me (upon inspections, the costlier ones would have slanted, too). There's even a spot at the back where you can affix a light - perfect.

Extra info: I have a Specialized Myra with 26" wheels. It fits without having to add holes or buy extra screws.

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Super cheap materials, January 23, 2011
By Ed
This bike rack overall is very flimsy. I am worried what I can put, if anything, on this rack. The tiny bolts that they provide are so weak that they strip as soon as you tighten them. I have never stripped bolts in my life and this is the first time. Fitment is not very great either, I really had to bend some of the steal pieces to make it aligned. Your experience may be different, but I do not recommend.

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Would not install this even if i was paid to., January 22, 2011
By Diego Contreras (New York, NY)
This is not worth the work of even looking at the item. So cheaply made and did not even have the correct amount/size of screws. I wasnt even sure if it would hold up anything. Spent the extra money for a topeak rack and never looked back since.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Functional, good rack for the price., January 20, 2011
By Dave,
Flaming pain in the ass to put together!!! I'm handy, have tools and work them everyday. I don't know what size allan key the bolts are made for as the one I finally touche-rd myself with fit but would slip out constantly. So what seemed like a ten minute project took a bit longer with some well placed cursing throughout the procedure.

:)

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Not a fan., January 17, 2011
By Jay Lee
Hated this product. Requires tools that most people do not own. Cheaply made. Instructions are incoherent. I threw it across the room. Maybe it will work out fine, but I suggest you try another.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Rack worked out great for our new Kent Dual Drive Tandem Comfort Bike, January 10, 2011
By RFG
This rack fit our Kent Dual Drive Tandem Comfort Bike beautifully. Despite the fact that it's made of steel, it is quite light in weight, sturdy, and the black finish looks great with the silver and black color scheme of the bicycle.

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Ventura Bike Rack, November 18, 2010
By FFAMatt
While this kit has great construction and looks to be a very durable piece, I was disappointed with the lack of instructions, lack of mounting hardware (nuts, bolts, etc) and lack of actual mounting hardware. I had to get mounting hardware on my own, which I did not feel like was appropriate for this kit.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Happy owner, October 17, 2010
By alco
I've had the Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack a few days, fast delivery by the way. For my mountain bike there was more hardware than I actually needed for the installation. I found it to be very sturdy and high quality. Very happy with the purchase.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  My first Bike Rack, working well so far, September 30, 2010
By Daniel Shevock (Pittsburgh, PA United States)
I found it pretty easy to get together. I assume the additional piece (sort of U shaped) is for another style of bike. It fit well on my Specialized hardtail mountain bike, though I used some of my own bolts. . . to connect it to the frame how I wanted it. It lays flat and is very secure, and feels pretty strong. I'm sure it's not as strong as the ones you can buy welded into one piece, but what can you expect for the price. The one minus I give it is that it didn't come with instructions. With a "universal" rack, it would be nice to have an instruction book describing different ways it can be connected, depending on what the back side of your bicycle looks like, whether you have fenders attached, etc.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Really univeral, May 25, 2010
By Val (San Francisco, CA United States)
I thought I had a regular bike, and did not think would need a univeral rack. If this rack were not so universal it would not have fit my, what I thought was, regular bike. Really good buy, good quality, and a great price.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Universal...... a bit of a stretch, May 15, 2010
By Roadfitz (Central NY)
nice construction, solid.. well made. but.. not Universal.. would not mount on my Giant, Cypress bike. But with one small modification, made a good addition to my wife's bike.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Great!, April 28, 2010
By Shain (FL)
For the price I can't complain. It came with all hardware to put it together. Even without instructions, took me less than 30 minutes to put it together and install it on the bike just by the picture on the package. All and all I am happy, It was worth what little I paid for it.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Nice for the Price, March 1, 2010
By Barry Cusano
I think this was a nice carrier for the price. It is very strong, (but not lite) comes with a varity of brackets and very heavy duty hardware with locking nuts which require a set of Allen Wrenches. One the correct bracket was selected, it bolted right up to the the factory mounts on my TREK mountain bike. My only complaint is that once you have the carrier itself put together, you have to supply the screws to actually mount it to the frame of the bike. No big deal, 4 machine screws from my hardware box. However, if you are not handy with a screwdriver and wrenches, this might be a challange.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Well worth the price, January 29, 2010
By F. Moreau (Maple Falls, WA USA)
I bought this rack because of reviews and price. It is strongly constructed of 1/4" steel wire stock and not tubing. The rack should be more than strong enough to carry the bags I have planned for it. The only complaint I might have is that the two short bars that attach from rack to the braze ons on the bike frame are a little too short for my bike, making the rack have a slight forward slope to it. This shouldn't affect function, but it does detract from appearance in my opinion.
At the price, I doubt that I could do better.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  NICE RACK!!!!!, December 21, 2009
By jammers1 (america)
worked greeat on my bike and the delivery was quick...thanks for the great effort of your business

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Schwinn friendly rear rack, November 19, 2009
By R. Miner (Pennsylvania USA)
This bike rack claims to be universal, and it probably is. Other reviews have been critical of this product because of the difficulty in installing the product.

I didn't have any problems. You must understand that this is a universal rack, meaning one product for many bikes. You have to play with it for a bit to find the configuration that works best for your bike. Having said that, the rack is very adjustable and worked great on my schwinn ranger. I suspect it would work on most schwinn bikes.

The reason I bought this rack was because it was the cheapest rack that had the features I wanted. I am very happy with my purchase. I zip-tied a milk crate to the rack and am going to use it to haul my fishing stuff or whatever I decide needs hauled on a two-wheeler.

Have some patience, and give it a try. You will like this rack.

Peace. Happy biking.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Nice rack but not good for panniers, November 18, 2009
By Kid at Heart
Rack is made of a steel. It's not light. Mounting and assembly is easy.

The biggest problem is that the support mounts protrude away from the main bar to which panniers are attached, thus panniers won't attach.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  good value, August 31, 2009
By Nicholas Batselos
Very little instructions, could use some more parts, but a good value for the price.

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Excellent, especially for the price, August 26, 2009
By Ella (Ohio)
I was in need of a carrier rack such as this to lug around all my college textbooks back and forth to class. This can definitely hold the weight of 3 to 4 large textbooks and even comes with a spring holder to keep things in place. Although it was slightly big for the size of my bike, I am very glad that I ordered this! Given my experience with this, I doubt that the more expensive racks would do much better.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  near perfect, August 22, 2009
By Paladin08 (Folsom, CA)
1) You need to go to the hardware store and get a few extra screws that are specific for your bike in order for this to fit. Don't expect to be able to pull this out of the box/bag and install it. No screws provided where the unit physically connects to your bike

2) The multiple parts seemed strange prior to assembly, but once I got it put together (put the front brackets on the inside of the main frame), then it's snug and secure AND level. Yes I even took my level to it and it was perfect!

3) Holds up to 40lbs, which is more then enough when commuting to work with my laptop and gym bag.

4) Get either a bungie net or a set of bungies to round out your rack

5) The tension clip in the middle is fine and has good tension if you're ever in a jam and find yourself without your bungies

OVERALL: I couldn't believe the price compared to other racks but after reading the reviews I figured I could afford less than $12 at the time.

Unless you're looking to hang luggage or racks off the side, this is a perfectly fine functional rack for a great price

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Good solid rack, July 26, 2009
By Barry (Minnesota)
The rack is very strong. The label on it says the maximum load is 20Kg (44 punds). I believe it can easily hold 50 pounds. The installation instruction is very poor.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  handy bike rear rack, June 27, 2009
By morningrider (central valley, california)
Great rack, just takes a little adjusting to get it level, well worth the money. Can handle my large panniers with ease making for an easy commute.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Kinda Universal, May 29, 2009
By KT (Chicago, Illinois)
This rack was advertized as universal, but I needed to make a trip to the hardware store to make it work. Also, one of the bolts was missing from the package and there was only a diagram (and not a good one) to show assembly...

I am complaining about a product that works though. It is serving my purposes well and currently I am happy.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Did the trick, May 13, 2012
By Charlie1104
Got this a few weeks ago for a bike I recently purchased. I looked around, but wanted one that had multiple installation options because my bike is an electric bike and the battery mount is in the back right under the seat which would be right in the way of most racks. This rack is truly "universal" as I was able to find a way to put the various brackets and mounting arms so that it fit my bike even with the battery location! It's pretty sturdy too! Great purcahse...

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5.0 out of 5 stars.  Extremely Happy with my Ventura Universal Rack!, April 27, 2012
By Amity
I received the Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack very quickly after placing my order. The item was exactly as described. It took me a little while to attach this rack to my bicycle but I'm not complaining on this point, as I expected this.
I spent quite some time deciding what rack to buy to attach to my Cruiser style bike. After lots of research and review reading I decided on the Ventura because of it was very affordable compared to many other options and had lots of reviews. I use the rack with a plastic milk crate that I attached mostly for groceries and the like. It holds plenty of weight and I am very happy with my purchase! I have to say that I really expected to have more difficulty attaching the rack as this seems to be a common issue with racks in general, but no, it attached easily.
I would recommend this rack to anybody considering attaching a rear rack to their bike. For the extremely fair price, fast delivery and easy attachment I could not be happier!

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Sturdy, but could have used a bit more included hardware, April 23, 2012
By John Wilkes
There was not enough included hardware to fit this rack to my bike.

The rack is sturdy, solid, and has nice mounting holes on the back that I use for my tail-light, but I had to take a trip to the local hardware shop for some nuts and bolts to mount this to my mountain bike as the included hardware was not adequate.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Good rack, hardware problems, April 21, 2012
By Ben Crosby (Vermont)
As other reviewers have said, there are some hardware issues with this rack. The bolts that come with it strip out almost instantly if you slip with the screwdriver once--and, moreover, there aren't enough of them. You are given only enough bolts to fasten all the pieces of the rack to each other, but no extras to replace the ones that will strip out, and more importantly, you are not given enough bolts to fasten the rack to the bike itself. You'll have to go to the hardware store to get these bolts anyway, so just get a dozen of them and don't even use the included bolts.

Other than that, the rack itself seems solid--I just installed it today. As others have said, it does not have instructions of any kind, so you're left to use user pictures and the picture on the package to divine how to put it together. But that's not really that hard. I zip-tied a milk crate to it to use to carry groceries and all my things for work, and I think it will serve the purpose admirably.

IMPORTANT: The size of the bolts included (which, again, you'll need to supplement and/or replace from the hardware store), which is not stated anywhere in this listing or on the packaging, is 5mm. You can use different close sizes for putting the rack itself together (if you buy matching nuts), but 5mm is also the size of the mounting holes on my bike, so the same bolts go for both.

I would recommend this rack to a friend.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Not quite universal, April 16, 2012
By Reed
This was a fairly easy kit to install, but I should warn you that I did have to drill out the plate on the bracket so it would fit my bike, as well as the two holes on my bike frame. This was easy to do as they are both soft metal and I have a drill handy, but some customers may be a little nervous about taking a drill to their bike. Fortunately mine is an old Huffy that my brother in law gave me instead of tossing.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  Real value, March 6, 2012
By urbantreckker
This is a true value. It is solid and can be mounted on most any bike in so many ways one might get discouraged. Don't. It's a great basic rack that,when mounted correctly will last for a long time , I'm sure.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  Fine Bike Rack, Hardware Sucks., November 25, 2011
By Reader of Fine Literature (Brooklyn, NY)
This bike rack is fine. Comes neatly packaged including the hardware. Does what it says its going to do. In terms of value, its not a bad purchase.

HOWEVER, being that I am not a bike mechanic and have limited tools, this bike rack comes with allen wrench style nuts in the hardware kit. So be forewarned before assembly- make sure that you have the proper tools. I may have to return it just because of that!

Aside from that, its a fine bike rack.

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3.0 out of 5 stars.  rear bicycle rack, February 8, 2011
By krakerjm
Ventura Universal Bicycle Carrier Rack

It's very sturdy for the price and easily adjustable to fit a 24 inch cruiser. A little difficult to put together; the tiny nuts have plastic lock incerts built in and I had to scrape them with a sharp pointed knife to get them to go on the bolts. But over all a very good value.

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Ventura Bike Rack, November 18, 2010
By HandyMatt (Missouri)
While this kit has great construction and looks to be a very durable piece, I was disappointed with the lack of instructions, lack of mounting hardware (nuts, bolts, etc) and lack of actual mounting hardware. I had to get mounting hardware on my own, which I did not feel like was appropriate for this kit.

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4.0 out of 5 stars.  near perfect, August 22, 2009
By Erik1988 (Folsom, CA)
1) You need to go to the hardware store and get a few extra screws that are specific for your bike in order for this to fit. Don't expect to be able to pull this out of the box/bag and install it. No screws provided where the unit physically connects to your bike

2) The multiple parts seemed strange prior to assembly, but once I got it put together (put the front brackets on the inside of the main frame), then it's snug and secure AND level. Yes I even took my level to it and it was perfect!

3) Holds up to 40lbs, which is more then enough when commuting to work with my laptop and gym bag.

4) Get either a bungie net or a set of bungies to round out your rack

5) The tension clip in the middle is fine and has good tension if you're ever in a jam and find yourself without your bungies

OVERALL: I couldn't believe the price compared to other racks but after reading the reviews I figured I could afford less than $12 at the time.

Unless you're looking to hang luggage or racks off the side, this is a perfectly fine functional rack for a great price

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1.0 out of 5 stars.  Very disappointing, February 20, 2012
By CaptainKen (Gilbert, AZ)
1) No detailed instructions, only a drawing with numbers
2) Bolts for connecting to frame near rear wheel axle (number 4 in drawing) not included
3) No way to connect to seat neck or frame in that location (number 2 in drawing), so it's not universal
4) Not enough bolts to connect all components

I did receive a full refund from Amazon. Thank you Amazon!

0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.

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