Seasucker Bike Rack Failure – Common Issues and The Solutions! 

Like many other bikers, it did seem like something I needed to explore when I first came to know about the Seasucker bike rack. Carrying your bike without a traditional rack is a pretty good idea as the Seasucker rack is instantly removable and mobile. 

However, even if It’s pretty useful and easy to use, the Seasucker bike rack is actually prone to failure, too. Obviously, it has a few limitations that you need to make sure you keep in mind. Riding at high speed, carrying more load than it can hold, and having a faulty vacuum – are some of the most common failures users observed. 

Here, we will discuss the possible seasucker bike rack failure and how to avoid them. 

What Is Seasucker Bike Rack?

Seasucker bike racks work as regular bike racks that help you to carry your bike on your vehicle. This rack comes with several vacuum suction cups that suck on your vehicle surface and get stuck pretty strong. There’s a bracket connected to the cups. These polyethylene brackets are pretty strong and sturdy.

How to Use Seasucker Bike Rack?

Using a Seasucker bike rack is fairly simple. All you need to do is to find a clean spot on your car’s surface. Put the suction cups on the surface and click the pumps on the sides to suck the air out and stick the cups.

It’s ideal for attaching one vacuum to the plastic surface of the car and the other two vacuums to the glass parts. This way, it fits perfectly on your vehicle surface, and you can easily attach the bike to it. 

Seasucker Bike Rack Failure Issues

Now, no matter how good the bike rack is, there will always be some challenging issues that you need to deal with. Seasucker bike racks can also fail at times if you are not paying proper attention. Make sure you follow the guidelines mentioned in the manual so that you don’t use it improperly. 

As for the failure issues, here are some common problems that riders notice while using the Seasucker bike rack. 

Weight Constraint

The most common models of Seasucker bike racks can hold around 45 pounds. Even if you are using the model that can hold 3 bikes at a time, it cannot carry more than 45 pounds of weight. This brings in a challenge as the bikes may fall down if the suction becomes weak because of the overweight. 

Speed Constraint

Another common problem is speeding. Once you have attached a Seasucker rack to your car, you must limit your speed to a specific level. Most of the time, it’s going to be about 75 mph. If you are riding above this speed, there’s a good chance that the suction cups may get loosened, and the bike can fall down eventually. 

The Height Issue

Attaching the bike to the Seasucker rack doesn’t allow you to keep a fair height between your car surface and the bike. You only get a couple of inches of space between the two. This is why some bikers have complained that the bike crank has come in contact with the car surface. This eventually damaged the car paint and left scratches on it. 

Tender Suction Cup

The suction cups are made of rubber and need proper protection from scratches and punches from sharp objects. You need to keep them covered when they are not in use. Use hard leather or plastic covers to keep these cups safeguarded after every use. Try to keep these clean every time after you have detached them from your car. 

Road Bumps

Even if you’ve tightly attached the bike to the rack, you can’t trust the road. Often, the bumpy and uneven roads pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the cycle on the top. Bumpy roads can cause the car to jump and eventually loosen the connection between the rack and the bike. So, apart from controlling the speed, you should also consider avoiding bumpy roads, or at least drive slowly enough to ditch jumping. 

How to Avoid Seasucker Bike Rack Failure?

Okay, so these were the issues that you may face if you are going for a Seasucker rack. However, this is not the end of the world, and you can easily avoid these failures if you know how. Here are some pro tips that you should consider while using a Seasucker bike rack. 

• Don’t Speed Up: You should always keep the speed under the limit that comes with the manual. Sometimes, this may need you to do some calculations, but generally, it’s around 70-75 mph. Try not to reach over this speed limit.
• Keep the Weight Low: If adding multiple cycles is necessary, make sure you don’t cross the weight constraint. If two bikes reach the limit, consider carrying one inside the car. We have discussed how to transport a bike without a rack in detail; it should come in handy for you. 
• Keep the Car Surface Clean: Never leave your car uncleaned or unwashed. The cleaner the surface, the better the suction cups can hold on to it.
• Clean the Suction Cups: You need to clean and wash the vacuum cups regularly to make sure there’s no dust, dirt, or any sharp object to put a tiny hole in it. Clean it immediately after using it.
• Maintain Distance Between Bike and Surface: While mounting the bike, make sure that the bike has a safe distance from the surface of the car. Otherwise, it will leave a scratch. Try to keep the sharp sides of the bike, like the chain, crank, etc., away from the surface for about 3 inches, if possible.
• Don’t Attach Suction Cups to Bumpy Surface: Make sure you are attaching the cups on a plain and straight surface. If you put it on bumpy surfaces, it will eventually get loosened as you ride.

Final Words

So, there you have it! These are the most common Seasucker bike rack failures you can come across if you are using them on a regular basis. Let’s admit it, everything that eases our tasks do come with a bit of sacrifice. So, if you choose to use a Seasucker bike rack, you need to make sure you are following proper measures to avoid such failures and get the most out of it. 

Happy riding!