Official Rivian Bike Pad for R1T Tailgate - First Look! 🚴‍♀️ (updated w/ photos in use)

[kipevans22]

I don’t want straps that wrap all the way around the tailgate. As the OEM, they have a lot more freedom to design something different. Yes, perhaps some buckles that clip onto the tailgate under the flap.

I want someone smarter & more creative than me, the same people that designed all the other things on this truck that I would‘ve said aren’t possible, to come up with something clever, and then take my money. I was hoping that the Rivian team would design something more innovative than the same old straps that every aftermarket pad has.

Great points! There are really nice differences with this pad if you watch the video closely. Watch how they attach the corners to the tailgate. Maybe a design engineer can figure-out a way to eliminate the straps, but for me it’s not a big deal. They have streamlined the process with the buckles. I think They need to price this pad in the $250-$300 range to be competitive with other
Leading brands.

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[Wefty]

I hate that I like it. I won't replace my Raceface pad (that I bought used) unless the Rivian one is very competitively priced. Mine will stay on for the summer and ever since going through a hail storm that beat up my hood I'm a little less precious about the paint.

 

[DTown3011]

Great points! There are really nice differences with this pad if you watch the video closely. Watch how they attach the corners to the tailgate. Maybe a design engineer can figure-out a way to eliminate the straps, but for me it’s not a big deal. They have streamlined the process with the buckles. I think They need to price this pad in the $250-$300 range to be competitive with other
Leading brands.

really hope it’s closer to $200 but I have to assume a premium so you are probably right. The pad on mine works great and I paid under $100 from Amazon. Most top tier pads are around $200 these days.

 

[anotherburrito]

I like this. I adjusted the velcro on the back of my RaceFace pad to show a middle section of the middle red light, but this is even better. I'm slightly concerned about the back of it being really thin, but maybe that allows the cover to close tighter when the bike isn't on it.

 

[kylealden]

As someone mentioned, they should use their design time to find a good solution for 12,000 tonneau covers. This pad strikes me as waste of precious resources.

Agreed, can't believe the pulled the Chief Tonneau Engineer out of the "NASA eggheads trying to save Apollo 13"-style tonneau scrum to design this tailgate negligee.

 

[AYAYRON]

Yuck. Don't like that at all.

If they'd just make a truck with a longer bed, wouldn't need to worry about things like that.

My MTB fits fine on the bed with the cross bars, what's silly is they partnered with Yakima who's bike rack cannot hold a MTB b/c their slots don't allow it to be moved far enough back, but other brands work fine (1up for example)

 

[Iwannarivian]

very nice…absolute buy, if I didn’t already have a tailgate pad!

 

[teartags]

They have the freedom to design a lot of things. This pad is great, but it doesn't do anything special other than let you see the light bar. Any medium sized pad also shows the side brake lights.

As someone mentioned, they should use their design time to find a good solution for 12,000 tonneau covers. This pad strikes me as waste of precious resources.

Anyway my bike pad looks nicer on the truck!

Is that the Pisgah Pad or the Bomber Strap? How you like it? Those look ideal to me, but it's hard to swallow that these things cost as much as a full pad.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Can't help but wonder what all the covered vehicles and partial vehicles in this studio area are.

 

[jlstan]

This has me wanting to purchase a mountain bike. There Is a new Specialized bike shop in the first floor lobby of this amazing building here in Bentonville, AR.

The Ledger

I wonder if they‘d let me drive my truck up the switchback ramps if I rented office space?

So apropos of nothing, I'm glad you like Bentonville. I grew up there, and it's unrecognizable to me. Mixed feelings at best about what they (and the Waltons) have done to my little hometown. But time marches on, etc, and some other cliches. Ha.

 

[Timdb82]

I got a low cost alternative. Seems to fit well - I'll probably get the Rivian one depending on price though. My Wife saw one of these in the wild last weekend and we spent some time trying to find one.....

 

[kanundrum]

Great Minds, I was looking at this again about 45 min ago and saw the same.

Can't help but wonder what all the covered vehicles and partial vehicles in this studio area are.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Great Minds, I was looking at this again about 45 min ago and saw the same.

The one next to the R1S seems to have some slightly different lines and the mirror isn't in quite the same spot as the S/T.

 

[anotherburrito]

I got a low cost alternative. Seems to fit well - I'll probably get the Rivian one depending on price though. My Wife saw one of these in the wild last weekend and we spent some time trying to find one.....

Yikes. That looks like the mesh lets a ton of silty soil slip between the pad and the paint.

 

[antennariidae]

I have kid riders so the tailgate pad isn't ideal as I have at least three sizes of bikes at any given time. And I carry stuff in the bed at the same time. So I'll stick with my 1Up hitch rack, thank you very much. I don't begrudge Rivian this, but I'd rather they address other related issues, like being able to disable the auto-down tailgate when accessories are in the hitch receiver. And a way to avoid activating all the "features" of towing mode automatically when you plug anything (like a lighted hitch rack) into the trailer socket. They'll probably make more off branded accessories than addressing my edge cases with software and now that I own one of their vehicles, I'd prefer they stay in business. LOL.

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