Product reviews can be excellent sources of information for consumers. The trick is to determine if what you are reading is a truly objective point of view given by a reviewer with no vested interest in the products. Shingleback Off Road have put themselves out there for independent reviews by industry experts many times over the years and you can find these reviews, along with 70 x 5 star google reviews, 68+ Facebook reviews, 500+ Trustpilot reviews from customers who have been using our products for years.
The following review recently published has some factual information that is incorrect. We’ve left the original review intact and added our responses. We want to make sure you’re getting the right information about our products. We’ve got an excellent Customer Experience team and website ready to help you to learn more.
Shingleback Response: The reviewing stockist does not sell Shingleback products and has not since early 2021. We offer our customers a comprehensive warranty on our products and support our stockists with any warranty claims or replacement parts for our products.
Shingleback response: Our anti rattle clamp is a proven super simple design, won’t jam, is easily replaceable and definitely didn’t come from Bunnings! It’s so effective that our 4WD stockists recommend it to their trailer customers as a great solution to other problems encountered with towing. A major advantage of the Shingleback system is that the tow bar tube is modular so it can be swapped out for different length tubes with multiple hitch pin holes and rack adjustments both in/out and tilt, to ensure a good fit to a wide range of vehicles. Not all vehicles have the same hitch pin position so an internal anti wobble device can limit the ability to fit your vehicle properly.
Another major advantage of the Shingleback is the modular design of our mounting system. It allows you to swap out the tow bar tube for our super popular and innovative Swing Arm which allows full access to the rear of most vehicles without unloading bikes. Like our vertical bike rack, we were the first to market with the Swing Arm, along with all the innovative storage options you’ll find available on our website.
Every vehicle with a tow bar comes with its own high quality hitch pin that is perfect for it. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel – it’s the perfect match for our racks and that’s why we advise customers to use it.
The advantages keep coming! The Shingleback system uses the standard 16mm hitch pin, so it is possible to swap it out for an aftermarket lockable hitch pin if desired. And it is definitely NOT recommended to use a bolt with a nut from Bunnings, stick to your hitch pin or lockable hitch pin if you have one.
So with our Anti Rattle Clamp, there is one U bolt to tighten (two nuts) which can be done with a spanner or a deep socket, or if you have a cordless drill or impact driver it is even easier. And you only need to loosen each nut a few turns to remove the rack.
Shingleback response: Tried and tested since 2016, our iconic orange bungees still offer super speedy, simple and safe bike fastening to the rack. We have always used quality Australian made, marine grade, UV resistant bungee that is doubled over for strength to form a loop and attaches to an Australian made black button. This is the critical difference between our bungee loops and those used by other brands. Yes, we agree that the user must take care and fasten the bungees each time they load their bikes – unfortunately people’s driving flaws are out of our control!
We’ve tested both bungees and pedal straps over the years and have found the pro’s and con’s with each system and the protection for your bike that the bungee provides wins hands down.
One of the key challenges with vertical bike racks is the risk of the rear bike tyre contacting the ground. With bikes getting longer this can even happen when going up a driveway or over a curb etc. On contact with the ground, the Shingleback orange bungee allows the bike to move up to absorb impact and save your bike. The pedal strap is great at locking the bike in, but it can be the cause of major damage to your bike if the wheel contacts the ground.
At Shingleback, we also offer a pedal strap option for those who choose, which we have been using for over 3 years, but we don’t supply as standard as we still believe the bungee is still far superior because:
Advantage: Shingleback for the one vs two person job of installation
Shingleback response: The impact of weight on the back of a vehicle can’t be taken lightly (pardon the pun!). It is so important in so many ways. Weight on the car is a big consequence as it cuts into your vehicle’s tow bar rating which could be enough to limit the use on some cars. At about 13kg lighter the Shingleback is not only significantly easier to handle (including Storage) which is a big deal when you need to remove and install from your car with our Dolly Stand, but it also reduces the overall weight on your tow bar.
Shingleback has put a lot of effort into the engineering and design, by using aluminium and optimum thickness materials to create a rack that is both light and strong. Strong and light is a key challenge for most engineers and our rack delivers this.
Shingleback response: Yes, the classic Shingleback has a simple but proven pivot design that gets the job done. Tried and comprehensively tested, we got it right from the word go – no recalls, no redesigns necessary! The powder coat is an industrial finish with excellent durability and UV resistance, has good slip/ware properties but it can sometimes rub off at the pivot, but it won’t flake as the steel is sandblasted first. Some surface rust can occur at the rub points but as the rack is tilted up and down any surface rust will be kept away, this has never been an issue. Just like powder coating, zinc coating can also be rubbed away and surface rust will occur and zinc coating is many times thinner.
Shingleback response: We’re pretty loud and proud about being 100% Australian Made & Owned and have always used quality Australian steel. We source everything we can from Australian companies and many of the components on our products are made right here in Australia. We have always prided ourselves on quality and we don’t take shortcuts. You don’t have to just take our word for it,our independent reviews by both AMB and Revolution magazines, customers and many well known personalities use identities or riders in the MTB industry attest to this. As do long standing partnerships with AusCycling, Thredbo Resorts, Maydena Bike Park, Dynamic Motivation and many world class athletes including Sian A Hern – all choose Shingleback as their rack of choice due to exemplary product safety record, integrity and the trust consumers have in the brand.
Our racks use Australian made Duragal steel for some sections which is stronger and more durable, as unlike zinc coated steel, Duragal is coated fully on the inside to prevent rust. Our new rack designs are certified by third party engineering to ensure quality with confidence, the only Australian made vertical bike rack to do so.
We think it’s also good to let you know that the powder coat finish is something we get fantastic reviews on, particularly regarding the look and feel. Competitor vertical bike racks must get lots of requests for this as they offer it at an additional cost – adding around $250 on top of their pricing.
Shingleback response: We’re going to have to call this out. This reviewer has not had any experience with our new range of racks and therefore can not offer readers any insight into these products.
The main features that set the new Shingleback racks apart from any other vertical bike racks are:
The Shingleback has far more quality features and comes in at about the same price point as lower spec competitor vertical bike racks.
Our pricing is transparent – you’ll find all pricing, including FREE SHIPPING within Australia, detailed on our website.
Other notes ————
Shingleback response: We’ve solved this issue by designing the world’s first innovative snap in Roadie inserts (patent pending) exclusive for Shingleback to quickly and easily carry road bikes without the need for foam to protect the rim.
Shingleback response: As mentioned, all Shingleback racks feature adjustable bottom bars to custom fit to your bikes. And the all new cradle also features an accessory specifically designed for 20” wheels, the BMX insert. So again, no need for foam or pool noodles with this one. And we also have a bottom bar riser to extend the bottom bar up for small bikes or it can be flipped for long bikes so even a family with a big range of bike sizes will fit easily.
Shingleback response: From my many years of experience in the steel manufacturing industry, zinc-plated steel doesn’t always last longer as the coating is very thin and can easily rub off in high wear locations. You will still get rust in these areas and on the inside, and many don’t like the look of tarnished silver.
Shingleback has always used a quality industrial powder coat over sand blasted steel to ensure a long lasting quality finish that is UV stable, many times more abrasion resistant than standard black powder coat, and won’t flake off.
We’ve covered a lot of ground haven’t we! We take great pride in providing high quality products that are designed with practicality and longevity in mind. We aim to deliver a product that will do what it promises and we aim to provide our customers with comprehensive information that enables them to make the best decision for their circumstances.
In summary, we offer the following advice on what to look for when comparing products and making your purchasing decision:
Thank you for taking the time to read our review and please check out our website and get in touch with our Customer Experience team for more information.
Andrew
Shingleback Off Road
© SHINGLEBACK OFF ROAD 2022
ABN: 28 633 831 393
