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Ben Hicks Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

#beoceanminded Ben Hicks – Fine Art Photographer, World Traveler, Conservationist, Entrepreneur, along with many other roles. A human who is truly trying to make a difference in this world and enjoying every step of it along the way. We’re here for it, and we support his efforts. A true adventurist – Ben has been traveling around the US, and Americas since 1999. He first built out a Ford F150, where he took to the road for 72 days, sleeping inside the cab, alongside by tent, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, fishing, and plenty of exploring. In 2007, he moved into a 4×4 van that was a bit more adventure ready – this time joining a crew that was documenting the Americas and

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Rack Maintenance Tips and Tricks

Year-Round Vs. On n’ Off – There’s nothing wrong with keeping your gear mounts on your vehicle all year round. But, if you don’t plan on using them for a while, take them off. This prevents any unnecessary build-up of road grime and bugs. Whether you keep them on year-round or remove them after use, here are some helpful tips to increase their life span, and ease of use. Keep them clean DON’T GO THROUGH THE CAR WASH – If there’s one thing to take away from all these tips, it’s keeping your racks and gear mounts clean. Brush off any loose dirt and road grime…and bugs. Hand wash with an environmentally friendly soap. Never go through a car wash with

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Summer Road Trips Essential Packing Tips

pack it up, pack it in It’s summer – You’re ready for that perfect road trip you have planned. Your packing list is long and as it grows your car seems to be shrinking. Overpacking + small cars is a never-ending story we hear at Yakima. Our products are designed to help you take it easy. So, let’s dive into some essential packing tips for summer road trips. The Duffle Bags – You should probably bring some clothes. It’s 2023, we all have smart devices available with ways of checking the weather forecast. Pack according to the climate you’ll be in and what the weather is calling for. Fill the duffle bags with what you need and maybe pack an

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Sunset Shreds: Empowering Women Through Mountain Biking

Sunset shreds In a world where women are breaking barriers and embracing their passions fearlessly, one event stands out as a shining example of camaraderie, empowerment, and the sheer joy of mountain biking. The Sunset Shreds 10-city coast-to-coast event, sponsored by Pivot Cycles, Yakima, DT Swiss and Wild Rye, brought together women, femme & non-binary identifying riders to celebrate their love for the sport while supporting the non-profit organization World Ride. With its mission to empower women globally through mountain biking, World Ride is seeing, first-hand how mountain biking is making a difference in the lives of the women. Let’s dive into this extraordinary event and explore the incredible stories of camaraderie and empowerment that unfolded. Setting the stage Yakima

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Strait Acres Racing

The Best Racing This Side Of The Mississippi

Strait Acres 2022 Recap You smell that? That’s the sweet smell of racing. And if there is one thing that Kyle and Rachel Strait know, it’s racing. This year, for their annual event in Big Bear, California, Kyle built what could only be the most difficult and fun Dual Slalom course yet.     Ambassadors Rachel Strait, Kialani Hines, and Bubba Warren were all eager to race alongside some of the fastest riders in the world. Bubba qualified 3rd, and was looking incredibly fast going into finals. Unfortunately, a nasty crash in practice (watch if you dare..but viewer discretion advised…Bubba’s crash) injured his foot. He fought through the swelling and pain and decided he would still race in finals. During

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2022 Sea Otter Round-Up

The Sea Otter Classic. The event that brings consumers and industry folks together for a long weekend of bikes, bikes, and more bikes. If you can think of it, and it has something to do with bikes, you can likely find a booth for it. And with us living in the Pacific Northwest, if there is one thing we love, it’s bikes. There are plenty of Sea Otter recaps out there that will skim the surface of the event and let you briefly see some of the things that appeared at the Monterrey, California event. But we wanted you to see some of the rad things we had out in the open at our booth. **Warning, some of the things

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Rachel and Kialani taking it easy

California Winters

Living in Southern California sure has its perks. Ocean views, t-shirt temps, and endless single track are just a few things that have us mouth breathing. But for RackPack ambassadors Rachel Strait and Kialani Hines, the state that delivers over 284 sunny days a year means riding all winter long. To make life easier, Rachel and Kialani use the all new HangTight 4 to carry both their mountain bikes and dirt jumpers. Check out Rachel and Kialani in A California Winter.   Learn more about Rachel and Kialani. Shop for the HangTight 4.

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Strait Acres 2021

Strait Acres Slalom 2021

The Straits know bike racing. Rachel and Kyle Strait have been fixtures on the dirt scene for years, creating their place in the mountain bike community.

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Meet Rachel Strait

Growing up with a motorcycle racing dad, Rachel Strait didn’t have to go far to discover a love of two-wheeled speed. When she was young, her family followed the race calendar and all participated. After each race, dad would pin their number plates on their travel trailer door and have the kids write down their place, how they did, and their goals for the next race.

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How To choose your bike rack

Choosing the right bike rack can be a little daunting…but we’re here to help! On The Back Or Up On Top: There are a few ways to carry bikes on your vehicle Each has its own benefits. One of the biggest factors to consider is how you like to load and unload your bikes. Hitch Easy to install and remove Minimal bike-lifting required Room up top for other gear Convenient access to trunk Trunk Easy to install and remove Room up top for other gear No need for a hitch or roof rack Must install/remove for each use Spare Tire Easy to install and remove Utilizes spare tire bolts Low profile when not in use Only available in 2 bike

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Rachel Strait – Riding Fast & Taking Names

Growing up in a cycling family meant Rachel Strait was born to ride. Biking was consistently Rachel’s childhood family activity because her father, Jeff, was racing motocross growing up. “He really wanted his children to be outdoors rather than indoors glued to the TV,” says Rachel. “I began riding cross-country when I was nine years old and entered my first competition at age ten.” She won and has been taking names ever since. A few years later, in 2006, she was titled the Junior Expert National XC Champion, landing her a spot representing the USA in the World Championships in Rotorua, NZ.  She was 16 years old. She placed 14th, and she’s had a bunch of impressive competitive achievements over

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NICA – I wish I had this in high school

NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, provides systems, procedures, leadership and services to help form regional leagues that put on competitive – and not so competitive – middle and high school mountain biking events and programs. They get students on bikes, so we are excited to support them by helping get the riders – and their rides – to the races and events. Their programs get students who both already love to ride and those that are new to cycling, an opportunity to be involved with an interscholastic team sport, and it offers students who are curious about mountain biking an avenue to get rolling.  Plus, it brings a team ethic – and the camaraderie that comes with that –

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Unracked: 5 Tips for a Successful Mountain Biking Trip

Raul Bonifacio : Customer Service Lead Raul Bonifacio lives to bomb around on his bikes – both Mountain and Cyclocross – but also loves to unrack by quietly hanging out in nature with his wife, Jennifer, and sometimes… a couple of owls. His day job is helping people out. “I work as a customer service lead, helping consumers and my team with fitting racks on cars, teaching them how our products work, and how the products will make their lives easier. Turning people onto the product is really fun.” And sometimes service means stepping up big. “I call this story ‘Ship happens.’  I recently got a call from a customer, ‘Hey man, I’m a ski instructor and believe in karma.

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Unracked: Road Biking with Kenny Graham

Kenny Graham – Product Integrity Specialist “I ride as much as I can,” says Kenny.  “I ride to work  – an hour and a half commute – then I’ll commute home, and after work I try and ride for a couple more hours if I can. Plus long weekend rides.” What about lunch? “Sometimes. But lunchtime rides are over too quick.” Kenny is a Product Integrity Specialist, but that’s just a title. “I like to share the Yakima culture – I consider myself to be a brand ambassador. I want to make sure the cycling community knows what Yakima is about, what our presence is in the cycling world – and in the outdoor community, too – so I work hard to insert our involvement so people

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Yakima X Deathgrip

Brendan Fairclough is one of the world’s best mountain bike riders. Clay Porter is one of the world’s best mountain bike filmmakers. They’ve been good friends for a decade. You know they had to do a film together. For the last two years, Porter and Fairclough have been shooting and editing Deathgrip. Fairclough—joined by a squad of some of this generation’s most influential riders—and Porter traveled the world to push mountain biking’s envelope and bring it to the people. Says Porter, “Deathgrip is essentially a byproduct of our 10-year long professional relationship with the sport of gravity mountain biking. We are using our collective experience working with each other to give our audience a futuristic vision into the sport and

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5 Incredible National Parks for Cycling

From the seat of a bike, exploring America’s national parks takes on a different view. As you pedal slowly through these protected lands, awareness of nature becomes strong, filling your nose with the smells of wilderness, while you feel the wind on your face. From cycling on the rim of a volcano and biking next to herds of bison to pedaling through the deserts of Utah and everything in between, these parks give cyclists of all levels amazing experiences in nature. It is a great way to bond with your family, your friends, or as a couple in the majesty of the great outdoors. The views, trails, and roads are awesome, but what lingers are not the miles you put

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Dead Reckoning – A Summer of Getting Lost

“…pack your stuff late, get up early, and hit the road” We jumped on board to help Yonder Journal, a team of cultural anthropologists and sportsmen, on their latest big project – Dead Reckoning. They loaded up their bikes and did some over-mountain exploration using ancient and modern trade routes. Then they wrote about what happened. Take a look. “Over the past two years Yonder Journal has investigated, documented, and published the possibilities of Over-Mountain exploration. We call this project Dead Reckoning. We applied the technologies and methodologies of adventure-cycling, bike-packing, and ultra-lightweight-touring to multi-day-style expeditions with a focus on crossing mountains using a variety of both ancient and modern trade routes. We choose a bike because they cover ground

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A Mountain Biker’s Guide to Leaving No Trace

Originally written for RootsRated Mountain Biking provides an amazing mix of outdoor adventure. On a bike, you can pedal at a pace that promotes intimacy and interaction with the environment, or you can swoop along a rippin’ singletrack while testing your skills on a steep descent. MTB is one of the most popular forms of outdoor recreation and now, more than ever, responsible riding is essential to helping ensure long-term health of the sport. For mountain biking to continue being a viable outdoor recreation endeavor on public lands, doing so respectfully and with the resource in mind, is vital. These are just a few simple considerations to keep in mind on your next mountain biking adventure and will help ensure

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REMEMBERING THE LEGENDARY KELLY MCGARRY

Kelly vs The Volcano: A Memorial film from CoLab Creative on Vimeo. Kelly McGarry was an incredible ambassador not only for Yakima and brands alike, but also for the sport of mountain biking. His incredible spirit and enthusiasm transcended what he was able to accomplish on his bike and inspired everyone around him. He will be sorely missed and we were honored to have him as a part of the Yakima family. “In honor of Kelly McGarry, New Zealand’s legendary freeride mountain biker, we Kelly’s friends and family are establishing a trust to support his passion: the New Zealand biking community. McGarry was a hugely influential and inspirational character on the bike and off his bike, touching the lives of bikers,

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Going Big With The Gentle Giant: Kelly McGarry

     Nothing represents the biggest, baddest most technical freeride mountain biking like the Redbull Rampage. And no one has left an impression from the event like Kelly McGarry. “McGazza”, as he’s known, wowed the crowd in 2013 with his enormous backflip over the iconic 72 foot canyon gap. His run landed him a second place podium spot while he captured the hearts of the viewers to take the People’s Choice Award, as well. With well over 23 million views of the Red Bull video of his incredible run, you could say, McGazza really knows how to go big. Born in 1982, McGarry started out riding motocross and BMX in his hometown of Nelson, NZ before moving into downhill mountain biking when

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5 Bucket List Rides Across the Country

Cycling is a sport that quite literally takes you places. Whether you’re strapping your bike to the car and heading out for a destination-ride, or simply pulling the bike out of the garage and leaving your driveway, most riders know full-well that some roads are simply better than others for two-wheeled touring. Listed here, by RootsRated, is a handful of rides across the country, with no particular rhyme or reason, other than the fact that locals love ’em. 1. 360 Loop | Austin, TX The Capital of Texas Highway is a roughly 14-mile loop highway on the western side of Austin that connects South MOPAC with North MOPAC. It’s a scenic highway in the rolling Texas Hill Country that is wide

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Kelly McGarry Red Bull Rampage GoPro Video

Kelly McGarry took home the Silver Medal at the 2013 Red Bull Rampage.  We checked in with Kelly after Day One last week and this week he released his GoPro footage of his 2nd place run. Yakima Racks helped get Kelly and his bikes to the Red Bull Rampage this year with a HoldUp Plus 2  on the back of his sweet rig.    

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