If you’ve ever teetered on whether or not you wanted a truck, this little doozie of a tailgate from Hoodworks may just knock you off that ledge. Loaded with some bike friendly features, the GearGate puts a lot of the things you need in one place and adds a few other handy items to boot. In total there are a lot of the very well thought out… as well as heart breaking features of the HoodWorks GearGate…..
You really need to watch the video to get a better perspective of how this loaded tailgate looks and works as the pictures don’t do it justice. They’ve launched a crowd funding campaign to get these produced and in your hands. The GearGate simply replaces your truck’s existing tailgate and installs in a hurry.
To start, there is the Universal Bike Mount that will accept open dropout and thru-axles alike, (no specifics were mentioned, but surely 15mm fits) and holds up to 3 bikes. The mounts will accept up to 150mm hub-spacing so it’s fat bike friendly as well. It’s hard to tell from the pics and the video of how exactly it works, but it seems allow you to clamp the bikes in place with the tailgate down for easy access, then the mount rotates as you shut the tailgate lifting the bike into place. My only beef is that it appears to only clamp down on one side of the dropouts leaving the potential for rattling and likely placing as lot of stress on a single dropout. Since this is the prototype, hopefully that may be addressed on production.
Regardless of your setup, it’s important to have a way to secure your prized possessions. Like many, I quit using coffee shop locks, cable locks with my rack a long time ago and carry a decent chain lock with me that requires much more work to cut through. Hoodworks put some thought into this. Just about every rack on the market that includes a lock, includes a mediocre cable lock at best, so this feature is a home run in my book. Calling it the Mantis Passive Locking System, the setup uses two steel claws to hold the chain which are then hidden once the GearGate is closed.
It comes with a sturdy, foam lined tool box that slips in the top of the tailgate. I can only assume it’s secured in there as that would get stolen quick otherwise. I have a mobile tool bag that I take everywhere, but having it integrated like this would be nice.
There is also a lockable compartment built into the GearGate for to keep your valuables secure and easily accessible. This is nice as break-ins at trail heads are all too common so putting your goods, (including keys you don’t want to lose on the trail) here adds an extra level of security.
One super handy feature are the LED lights mounted in the back. Not having to fumble with your bike light to work on something in a parking lot before, after or during a night ride would be nice. Plus, it would create a nice ambiance when folded down while sitting on the tailgate post ride while having some brews. Speaking of which…..
GAHHHH!!! Okay, not everything can be perfect, but if one thing should be, it’s this. Sure, just about anything you can put a bottle opener on should have one, but I am pretty sure this is one of the worst positioned bottle openers I’ve ever seen. The video almost makes me want to weep a little when beer pours all over the place. How about making it so you push the beer in the other direction, keeping it in the bottle?
Regardless, they have over 100 designs and are open to suggestions… so how about a better bottle opener? An integrated bike hanger/repair stand would be rad too! What do you all want to see?
Features Include:
- Universal Bike (UB) Shaft for Open Dropout and Thru-Axle Bikes.
- Custom American Internal and External LED Truck Bed Lighting
- 18 Feet of Extreme Conditions Square Link Lock Chain from Pewag
- Two Integrated Steel Bottle Openers
- Nanuk 910 Medium Conditions-Proof Heavy Duty Toolbox
- Dual Tactical-Grade Handles with OEM Latches
- Handmade Steel and Aluminum Tube & Panel Construction
- Made in Portland, Oregon, with All-American Components.
The GearGate Cycling Comp One (GGS-CC1), as seen in the video with lighting, lock chains, Nanuk case, combo locking NanoVault safe, three UB-Shafts for bike forks, and Hoodworks bottle opener goes for $1,790 (Early Bird Special on their crowd-funder is $1,590)
Add-ons and Extras, and Options from Hoodworks:
- Integrated Backup Camera – If your pickup has a reverse camera, the GearGate retains it. (Contact for details and model availability.) Price: $300
- Make mine a “B” – The GGS-CC1B – all of the features of the GGS-CC1 plus backlit GGS-CC1 lettering in a choice of colors. Price: $150
- Custom Colors – they can offer a wide range of personalized powder coated external color options Price: $150
