I'm sure there are name-brand pads out there that don't have the padding you're talking about, but I can confirm that the RaceFace T2 absolutely has padding on the downtube - both underneath it and on both sides of it.
Post it here, just started a thread:Stumpy Evo for me. This is pre-build - it received a set of HSR discs, XTR brakes, and a (bright orange!) cascade link. I think I put the XX1 cassette on after this picture, too.
I can’t wait to get back on mine after the plate in my shoulder comes out in a few weeks … snapped distal end of collarbone. 0/10, do not recommend.
Great, so with this photo of the T2 the downtubes fit in-between the padded sections so they don't move around which I get. Is there padding UNDER the area as well?
Ouch! The Mike's clearly had a bad year last year. Washed out on the inside of a berm and broke my left collarbone in 2 places in Sept. One plate and six screws later....can't wait to get back on my rideStumpy Evo for me. This is pre-build - it received a set of HSR discs, XTR brakes, and a (bright orange!) cascade link. I think I put the XX1 cassette on after this picture, too.
I can’t wait to get back on mine after the plate in my shoulder comes out in a few weeks … snapped distal end of collarbone. 0/10, do not recommend.
This will be my solution... Little to no impact on range (if traveling any distance), and the bike is using the bed. So many other solutions have the bike everywhere, except in the bed, which seems to me a waste.Just an update on this. I've been using the bomber for my mtb and Gravel bikes for the last 4 months. Experience has been essentially flawless and since it doesn't take much room, I just leave it on the truck (quite minimalist). It requires two mini straps that click in and one strap from top tube to handlebar to keep it turned. I've used a bungee on the rear wheel to minimize movement but it's not needed for on road use.
Overall it's a nice option for a single adult bike which is my primary use case. I also just throw my kids three bikes (20-24") in the bed alongside it for short trips to local trails. Use a full pad for multiple adult bikes.
Edit : I have recently checked underneath the pad and tailgate shows no signs of scratches. Also, when installing the pad and using tailgate with pad installed, I need to hold the gooseneck flap to prevent it from loosening the buckle. Not a biggie but if you use tailgate 5x per day, could be a nuisance.
Looks great! Working on my set up now. What size is the Santa Cruz? 29er? Can't tell from the photo. Does the front tire bar bang/damage the truck's spoiler?I’m running the 1UP roof racks, over the bed, and they work like a dream!
Can you take a few more pictures of the block and how it attaches? Slick!Picked up my R1T Tuesday and have been driving it relentlessly and playing the "where do I store all my stuff now that I have so many options" game.
BUT the most important thing I had to sort out was how to haul my skis and my bike.
On my Model X I ran a customized 1-UP hitch rack that could fit my skis and my MTB without a seasonal conversion. One of the primary reasons going with the R1T was for a more permanent ski and bike mount solution that didn't require me to unload between trips.
After copious amounts of research I settled on what you see here.
It's a Ride88 with a customized back-end mount. I hate driving with the tailgate down, for both visibility, stuff shifting in the bed, and candidly I like the look of the truck with the tailgate up. So basically I customized a hard-foam (yoga) mount for cutouts for my crankcase and wheel, and it sits permanently in the bed of my truck. I ratchet the rear end down so it doesn't move.
Did some local test runs the last few days, and ventured out today with a 240 mile round trip from Denver to Canon City to run the Oil Well Flats trails today and it didn't move the whole trip (despite serious cross-winds).
On a tangent note, when I did this trip with my Model X I always ... ALWAYS ... has to stop for a charge somewhere. Not with the Rivian (and I'm running the 20's), just stuck it in Conserve mode on the I-25 and actually came back with more range than originally estimated, and that includes the northbound entrance into Lone Tree where traffic starts cranking along at 85mph.
Love this truck.
I have a similar setup. With an XL 29er, you do have to be careful to make sure you don't open the front tire bar too far or it will hit the spoiler. But it's easy enough to eyeball while you loosen it, and then just open the rear tire bar all the way. You can choose to move the racks back and forth quite a bit on the crossbars, so you can give yourself more room to play with, at the extent of the bikes protruding more over the rear of the truck.
I’m actually on a ski trip at the moment so I’ve only got a photo of my first rough cut yoga block. I think when you see it you’ll get the idea. Here’s the link to what I bought.
Thanks @jcreviston . It is a large Hightower set up mullet but the rack can fit full 29er. The front tire carrier/bar never comes close to hitting the spoiler but could if you really extended it. As for the front tire, I marked the glide bar so I know the correct spot for the tire carrier to be in order to not hit the spoiler (here is a photo). The key is also to set the rack at far ends of the crossbars so the front tire is positioned where the spoiler starts to taper. I can post some dimensions of the how I located my racks if that will be helpful.
That's a neat idea. What did you settle on for ski mounting? Our nordic skis are too long for the tunnel or bed.I’m actually on a ski trip at the moment so I’ve only got a photo of my first rough cut yoga block. I think when you see it you’ll get the idea. Here’s the link to what I bought.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5YIHWA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Basically I attach my bike to the front of my Ride88, I then close the tailgate, and as I do the rear wheel rolls up the tailgate from the inside. Either your crank case or your wheel will rest on the tailgate or a bit of both like mine does.
I then lift or roll the back wheel onto my shoulder, put the foam block on the lip of the tailgate and rest the bike on the block on the tailgate.
I then ratchet the bike down using the tie straps at the back end of the bed, and the bike does not move at all.
To create my block I used a marker pen to mark out where my crank case and wheel were resting and then used a bit of trial and error and science to work out how deep each cut needed to be. I did think about an attachment mechanism to keep the yoga block attached to the lip of the tailgate, but ultimately, I decided for both aesthetics and aerodynamics it wasn’t worth it.
Once the bike is resting on the block, and it is tied down the block nor bike moves at all.
Interestingly enough on my first try it worked really really well. The cut outs don’t look great here because this is my rough block, however, it still functions perfectly. You can see the wide cutout is for my crank case and the narrow sculpted angled cut is for my wheel.
Hopefully that makes sense. Happy to take further questions, when I get back to Denver early next week I’ll take some more photos if you need them.
I had an old Thule Snowpack ski rack. I just slid the T bolts in and off I went. It’s certainly not as aerodynamic as the Yakima.
