Saris Sentinel 3-Bike Trunk Mount Rack

by Saris

Product Features

• Designed for hatchbacks, sedans and passenger vans
• Mounts over most spoilers or lighting arrays
• Can carry up to three bikes
• Adjustable mounting arms
• Features wrap around hold-downs and coated hooks

Product Description

Product Description

Got a more family oriented mode of transportation? Then the Sentinel three-bike trunk rack from Saris is for you. Designed to carry bicycles on vehicles with atypical body styles such as hatchbacks, sedans and passenger vans. It can be mounted over most spoilers or lighting arrays, and carries up to three bikes. Made with adjustable arms that can be mounted securely in multiple positions, and they can also fold flat for storage. The hold-downs secure each bike independently and keep them crashing into one another or wobbling while in transit. The hooks that secure the rack to the trunk seam are neoprene coated so they won't scratch your car's finish, and the bottom bar brace has a vinyl covered foam pad to separate the rack from your trunk lid. No assembly is required.

Product Description

The Saris Sentinel Rear Racks take all the things you love about roof mounted systems and put them where you can actually get at them. Like convenience. Simplicity. Peach of mind. Whether you need temporary bike transport that gets you through a weeked,

Product Details

• Item Weight: 9.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000BT4F7O
• Item model number: 1052
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,335 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #62 in Sports & Outdoors > Bikes & Accessories > Bike Carriers & Racks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value, December 9, 2007

By 

C. Ross - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saris Sentinel 3-Bike Trunk Mount Rack (Sports)

This rack works great! I was not ready to invest in a hitch for my car and tried a few different trunk racks before getting this one. The six straps really help to keep the rack secure...make sure you tighten them before AND after you load the bikes. There is plenty of room for three bikes with the adjustable length arms and the individual straps to secure the bikes are much more secure than I thought they would be after my first glance. I did not feel the need to use bungee cords in addition to the straps...but might for longer car trips. This rack also fits very well over my spoiler. Great value for a trunk rack!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Simple strap hardware solves problems, June 12, 2009

By 

D. Kim "bummster" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saris Sentinel 3-Bike Trunk Mount Rack (Sports)

Pros: Cheap! Holds 3 bikes, but more like 2 on my 2000 Sentra w/ spoiler. Fits over most car spoilers. Folds and is easy to store.
Cons: The six straps are a pain to adjust. Bottom support rests on my license plate. Bike hold downs move around.

I bought this because it was the cheapest three bike trunk rack I could find. Over all, I'm happy. Unfortunately, like another reviewer here, the straps kept coming loose, even after I did as the manual said and tie things off in knots. This is most likely due to the foam compressing under load or the knots tightening and creating slack.

After a trip to REI, I fit two triglide rings to each of the top straps and one of the side straps. After adjusted to my car's trunk, I looped the straps through each triglide buckle twice. So that's three layers of webbing in each buckle. This also means I looped the webbing through the hooks, and the ladder locks bolted to the rack. The result is nice, dense, non adjusting, triple 1" webbing straps. This also means that I now have 3 straps less to worry about. I added two triglide buckle to each of the remaining three straps. Unlike the other straps, I didn't go through the triglides twice. Spacing them widely apart and going through them just once keeps the straps snug and secure, though a bit of a pain to adjust. If I had to do it again, I'd probably buy six or three 1" ratcheting or metal cam buckle straps. This of course would put me close to the price range of higher end racks. But for a few dollars, triglides can do the job. It also looks very tidy as there are no extra bits flapping in the wind.

Sadly, on my car, the bottom foam bar rests directly on my license plate. So it is slowly rubbing the paint away underneath it. A total bummer. I plan on adding a closed cell foam pad underneath it to put that to an end.

The bike hold downs do move about. Once I figure out what the best distances are for our bikes, a few inches of PVC pipe and or zip ties are probably in my future. I also picked up some 60" side release buckle straps to loop through the bike wheels to prevent spinning. A small patch of grip tape to the bottom support tube prevents scratching from chain rings and denting of seat tubes.

In the end, it's three stars. It's the little things that make a rack easy to use. This one lacks very much so the little things. But, a little thought and very inexpensive bits will make things right for existing owners. For the tinkerers, here's your canvas. :)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fits my hard to fit SUV, June 27, 2008

By 

SuleNYC "sulenyc" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saris Sentinel 3-Bike Trunk Mount Rack (Sports)

I purchased the more expensive Yakima Super Joe 3 rack but was disappointed when I learned that it didn't fit my Chrysler Pacifica. I checked bike stores and they only had the high end Saris Bones and Thelma racks--which weren't recommend for my car either. I was very happy to find the Saris Sentinel. At $70, it was only half the price of the racks sold in stores and, including shipping, was less than the Yakima rack that I initially purchased. I took one star away because getting the straps situated the first few times was pretty challenging.