At the tail end of last year, Yakima acquired Road Shower, the pressurized and portable water system used for showering yourself, your bike, your dog, or anything else for that matter. The brand are becoming something of a one-stop-shop for all your bike adventure needs, showing no signs of stopping. At the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show Yakima introduced new additions to their Bike Rack and Cargo Box range. Included was their all-new CBX Solar Premium Rugged Solar Cargo Box, winner of the Innovation Awards Product of the Year, the GrandTour Lo Cargo Box, and the OnRamp E-Bike Hitch Rack.
Yakima OnRamp E-Bike Hitch Rack
Just because they have a motor in them, doesn’t mean we won’t be hauling them halfway across the country just as much as we do our push bikes. E-Bikes are here, and they’re here to stay. An ever increasing number of brands are adding E-Bikes to their line-up, most recently Santa Cruz. Though the new Specialized Levo SL eMTB shows just how quickly eMTBs are coming down in weight, if not price, they still weigh a significant amount more than a standard bike. It’s possible that regular bike rack on your car isn’t designed with e-Bikes in mind, and may not be robust enough to carry their heft.
Yakima are by no means the first with this, but they’ve gone ahead and designed a bike rack specifically for eBikes. The OnRamp E-Bike Hitch Rack has the strength required to haul heavy e-bikes, and no need for superhuman strength when it comes to loading. An integrated ramp allows the user to simply roll any bike into place and the adjustable retention cradles fit just about any frame. The E-Bike Hitch Rack takes up to two E-Bikes, with a capacity of 66 lbs per bike, and 132 lbs in total.
Integrated locking lets you lock the rack to the vehicle and the bikes to the rack. Front and rear wheel straps keep the bikes secure. The E-Bike Hitch Rack is available in 2.0″ and 1.25″ hitch options with a limited lifetime warranty. and will set you back $549 when available in Fall.
Yakima CBX Solar Panel Cargo Box
Yakima teamed with Sunflare in the design of CBX SOLAR, the first mass-produced, premium-level cargo box with an integrated solar panel. Sunflare mass-produce light, thin, flexible, and durable CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) solar panels, which are 75% lighter and 95% thinner than standard c-Si (crystalline-silicon) panels. Sunflare’s CIGS panels are capable of withstanding high impact; are impervious to heat, wind, and cold; and will not crack.
The integrated 36-watt panel on the CBX SOLAR cargo box produces a 5-volt (3-amp max.) output through two USB ports, making it a green way to power a campsite or tailgate/trailgate activity. Harness the power of the sun to charge portable batteries and devices without having to drain your car battery or even start your vehicle.
The Cargo Box has dual-sided opening for easy access on both sides of the vehicle. It installs to just about any roof rack with a removable torque tool that ensures a secure fit
and leaves flat space for more gear.
The CBX Solar has dimensions of 83″ x 38″ x 15″, giving 16 cubic feet of storage space and will take a max ski length of 183cm. A CBX 18 is also available, with 18 cubic feet of storage space, but it doesn’t feature the solar panel.
Yakima GrandTour Lo Cargo Box
The GrandTour Lo is Yakima’s premium low-profile cargo box. The low-profile stature is
great for larger SUVs heading to the mountains or pulling into parking garages. The GrandTour Lo is a 15 cubic feet Cargo Box. It will accommodate longer skis than the Solar CBX, up to 215cm, with dimensions of 90.5″ x 37″ x 11.5″. It features new removable torque knob installation hardware for ease of installation. SuperLatch™ metal access handles lock gear inside.
It features spacious hatch clearance for superior fit and usability and has a universal roof-rack fit accommodating any shape of crossbar. As with the CBX Solar, it has dual-sided opening for easy access on both sides of the vehicle.
E-Bike Hitch Rack Pricing & Availability
All new additions to the Yakima range will you available in Fall 2020. The OnRamp E-Bike Hitch Rack will set you back $549. The CBX Solar and GrandTour Lo cargo boxes will retail at $1,299 and $779, respectively.
