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I just bought one of these and it's pretty easy to put the bikes on the rack...much easier than the Northshore Rack, especially for vertically challenged people. The removable rubber sleeves that cover the hooks (where the handlebars hang from) protect my carbon bars well and haven't seen a scratch on them. The total weight of the bike doesn't hang from the bars, but are distributed to the bars and rear wheel, so I don't think there will be any issues with putting too much stress on the bars. Anyway, it's works great for my Toyota 4Runner...fits 5 passengers and...

I have both the elbow and knee Maxi-Pads and they're the best pads for my riding. I wore them at Mammoth Mtn Bike Park and never had to adjust the pads, even with all the pedaling...I never really even noticed I had pads on. I also used them on Lower Rock Creek trail where there's quite a bit of pedaling and lots of rocky sections. It's also perfect for a lot of trails in Southern California, especially places like San Juan. I didn't really test the effectiveness of the impact protection except to drop to my knees from a standing...