MBB Surf Bike Rack review

Our experience with the Moved By Bikes shortboard bike rack

– Works for both my shortboard and 7’8 softtop. The fact that you can remove the arms with just a click makes it a perfect surf bike rack for me. Materials appear high quality, even after five months of weeky use.

Why use a surfboard bike rack anyway?

For years I refused using a bike rack while cycling to the beach. I don’t longboard – I can easily carry my small surfboard under my arm while cycling. However, a year ago I struggled with a shoulder injury. A lethal combination of too many hours being hunched over my laptop, only then to go surfing in cold water without warming up. Rookie mistake!

The MBB bike rack – perfect for carrying the MF Kuma Fish softtop

I researched different bike racks online. The thought of making one myself crossed my mind – there’s plenty of DIY videos out there. I decided to opt for the bike rack by Moved by Bikes – a premium brand. It seems to be the only model that has quickly removable arms, which is an advantage if you use your bike for other destinations too. I wouldn’t want to have my bike rack on while cycling to the supermarket. And since I surf quite often, the thought of using a screwdriver to remove the whole rack from my bike didn’t sound ideally either. So, the MBB it was.

Can you use a bike rack for a softtop?

Yes. I use a shortboard bike rack and it works well with my 7’8 softtop. However, if you have a larger board you might want to choose the longboard bike rack. Moved by Bikes (MBB) has multiple versions: the longboard bike rack and the shortboard bike rack.

Moved by Bikes surf bike rack review

The material is made of very lightweight aluminum, partially wrapped in foam to avoid scratches on your board. It basically consists of two parts: a mount that you attach to your seatpost using a hex key. This part stays permanently on my bike. The other part, the racks arms, can be slided in the mount using a pushable pin system – no tools needed.

The setting up was a bit of a puzzle. You need to find the right set up for your boards. If the two arms aren’t in balance, chances are your board will fall off. Since I wanted to use the rack for both my shortboard and my Olaian 7’8 softtop, I had to set, check and adjust the setting of the mount quite a few times.

On the first time using the MBB bike rack, it felt like such a relief. Years of cycling with one hand, getting cramps in my fingers (especially when wearing gloves), this felt like such an improvement. Should have gotten one sooner.

The bike rack leaves enough space for you pedal and foot

My bike is parked outside. Always. After 4 months, the MBB rack mount under the seatpost is still good. No decay of any kind. I was afraid that the pin system would get sticky because of the salt air and water, but this isn’t (yet) the case. I do recommend avoiding getting sand in the pin system. This isn’t easy in winter when you’re wearing 5mm mittons. The pin system works well, but does feel a bit fragile and hard to operate with cold fingers or gloved hands. The solution is to just leave the rack on, and remove it after you’re done taking off your wetsuit.

My review of the MBB shortboard bike rack is, after almost half a year of using it, very positive. I cheer everyone to make a rack themselves, but I know I could never make one that is as lightweight and easily removable as the Moved by Bikes rack is. I feel that it’s better for my shoulder to use a bike rack, especially in winter, and especially for my bigger boards. The materials are high quality. The only downside is that the pins are, when wearing gloves, not easy to push to get the racks arms out. Plus: with some salt and sand they might get sticky. But this hasn’t happened yet. So, all in all, very positive about the Moved by Bikes shortboard bike rack.

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