It is very similar to the Race Face T2, but comes in at a slightly lower price point, at ~$150. Unlike the straps on some pads, the straps on the Dakine Pickup Pad DLX are sewn to the pad itself, keeping them secure. In our experience, even our surfboards seem to stay in place without requiring any strapping (another advantage of a tailgate pad for those still wondering what they are good for). However, if you drive an older truck or one with a thinner tailgate, you can save yourself a few dollars by purchasing the standard Dakine Pickup Pad. While we are not sure how comfortable we would be leaving anything of value in it, it is hidden from view and is a useful feature that helps set the Getaway apart from other tailgate pads in our review. Thule GateMate Pro Tailgate Bike Pads #6. We have long been fans of backcountry.com due to its liberal return policy, which some of our members have used to the fullest, living in areas where trying things on before purchase is impossible. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. THULE GateMate Pro Compact Black/Silver ... Yakima GateKeeper MD . They are a welcome addition from the previous Race Face Tailgate Pad, which left them out on the L/XL version. Your bike sits with the front wheel and fork outside the tailgate, resting on the top tube. Now, this GateMate bike … difference in price is like $10.00 For those with a pickup truck, this makes a tailgate pad an even more attractive option. The first of those for us to review is the Backcountry Getaway Tailgate Pad, and it did not disappoint. The Race Face T2 uses a new PVC tarpaulin outer fabric, which promises to be more durable than the 600D cover for the original Tailgate Pad. Thule 823PRO Gatemate Pro … Yakima. The most affordable, easiest to use, and most widespread of these methods is the tailgate pad. So, for the pickup truck drivers among us, we have reviewed the best mountain bike tailgate pads on the market, to help you protect your truck, your bike, and your wallet, while getting you to the trails as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only). There are four bottom straps to fasten the pad to the tailgate. The only thing holding the Gatekeeper back is the fact that at $180 for a large, it is on the more expensive end of the tailgate pads on our list. $169.00 - $273.22. A compact truck will only take 5 mountain bikes side by side, while a mid-size truck might manage 6, so 7 definitely seems to be overkill. The Thule GateMate Pro Tailgate Pad part # TH824PRO is an excellent option for a 2002 Toyota Tundra. Together, the bumpers and straps prevent bikes from bouncing around and bumping into each other when the trailhead lies at the end of long off road tracks. Finally, tailgate pads are much cheaper than traditional bike racks. The Yakima Gatekeeper tailgate pad is just what you would expect from a company with Yakima’s reputation. RaceFace T2 S/M Tailgate Bike Pad #5. Together, the bumpers and straps prevent bikes from bouncing around and bumping into each other when the trailhead lies at the end of long off road tracks. $179.95. Some exclusions apply. There are 7 slots for bikes on the compact version (8 on the full-size pad), which seems to be at least one too many for most compact and mid-sized trucks. 26 Oct 2020. The outside of the pad uses raised pads, which hold the forks of the bikes in place, and it uses bumpers on the top of the pad to secure the downtubes. These straps keep your bikes from bouncing around or bouncing into one another if you are hauling a few at a time. The Race Face Tailgate Pad has long been one of the most commonly used mountain bike tailgate pads on the market. Cattlemen 100 MTB - a big day in Omeo. Most bike racks hold one or two bikes and cost in the neighborhood of $300. First, they are a bit small and not suited to beefy, carbon bikes with thick downtubes. New and improved tailgate pad for hauling bikes in your pickup. We Want Every Ride to Sound Like This - Hollywood Gainey Flying Through PNW Trees, Orbea Launches Raw Carbon Frame Finish on Select Models, 29er vs Mullet, Neko Mulally's Comprehensive Testing to Find the Fastest Bike, EPIC BUILDS - Crazy and Cool Mountain Bikes, COVID, Bike Prices and Delays - An Update on the Situation from Commencal, Fabio Wibmer Breaks in His New Shoes with Mega Hits, Trials, and Street, MTB Product of the Year - Long-Term Review of Shimano's 12-Speed Deore Group, Jack Moir's Custom Spectral Build With Proper Trail Testing, MUST WATCH: Aaron Gwin Pinned in the Mammoth Kitty Litter Pumice | Timeless Episode Three. The material is chock full of high-density foam, so your precious bike is protected and you have little or nothing to worry about in terms of damage to your bike frame. Just like its predecessor, the Tailgate Pad T2 has a six-bike capacity (for the L/XL). YAKIMA Gatekeeper Tailgate Bike Pad #2. Thule Xsporter Pro - Complete pickup truck bed system with innovative height adjustability and wind tunnel-optimized aerodynamics. Yakima. The Thule GateMate Pro # TH823PRO allows you to take 7 bikes with you safely. It also includes metal grommets for locking up all of your bikes to keep them safe while you are hitting the local scene after a long day on the trails. The Evoc Tailgate Pad does feature a large flap to reach the tailgate latch, but there is no way of keeping it in the open position while using your backup camera. Today, we're gonna be taking a look at the Thule GateMate Tailgate Pad. Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Bikes, boards, skis, camping gear - if you want to take it with you there’s a good chance that Thule makes what you need to carry it. However, if you drive a truck with a pretty standard tailgate and you want a tailgate pad with all of the bells and whistles, the Backcountry Getaway Tailgate pad is tough to pass up. These rival brands dominate the market, and each has its devotees. I've had my hands on the Thule GateMate and Yakima GateKeeper quite a bit and it fits your situation perfectly! These pads will help keep your bikes secure and make sure that they don’t bump into each other as you bounce along bumpy fire roads for shuttle runs. has long been one of the most commonly used mountain bike tailgate pads on the market. If you want to be sure how a tailgate pad will fit on your pickup truck, just measure the width of your tailgate and compare it to the width of the tailgate pads you are considering. Demon DEMON UNITED Tailgate Mountain Bikes Pad; Tailgate Bike Pad – Buyer’s Guide; Conclusion The Yakima pad is also made with different sorts of trucks in mind, so whatever kind of truck you have, you can be reasonably certain that there is a Yakima pad out there for you. You help support Gear Hacker by purchasing from our retail partners. Thule GateMate PRO Tailgate Pad 4.5 out of 5 stars 56. $169.00 By Yakima Yakima GateKeeper Truck Gate Pad Large Bike Rack. The GateMate Pro seems to be holding up just fine, we’ve had it through the car wash a number of times already and it comes out looking properly fresh each time. FREE & Fast ... By Yakima Yakima GateKeeper Truck Gate Pad Medium Bike Rack. The Thule GateMate PRO provides padded protection for transporting your bikes in your truck. This beefy truck pad shields your truck and your bike for a quick shuttle back to the top, so you can enjoy endless laps, and not waste any energy on those pesky climbs. In fact, they work so well that we’ve completely given up on actually using the safety straps. Recently, major changes to its design were made, and the Race Face T2 Tailgate Pad was introduced. There are multiple rows of blocks to allow the padded area to wrap fully around the top of even the thickest tailgates out here. Tell us where you'd like to shop. Learn More. As mountain biking has boomed in popularity as both a sport and a recreational pastime, so too have ways to get your mountain bike to the trailhead, be it a few miles away or a thousand miles away. The Thule Gatemate Pro 54'' is the perfect solution for carrying your bikes over the tailgate of your compact pickup truck. The Yakima GateKeeper Medium gives you the ability to carry up to five bikes with five individual SitTight cradles. 1 Nov 2020. The Yakima GateKeeper Large is a truck tailgate pad designed for throw-it in-and-go bike transport. As an upgrade over the standard Dakine Pickup Pad, the Pickup Pad DLX uses a soft, microfleece liner on the underside of the pad to better protect your truck’s tailgate. Thule 824PRO - GateMate PRO Tailgate Pad - 62 Inch. It features velcro frame straps as well as molded foam bumpers on the inside to protect your downtube and on the outside to protect your fork stanchion. As long as you use them, the straps do keep bikes from bumping into one another, and we would still recommend using the straps on pads that do feature bumpers, rather than just relying on the bumpers to keep your bike safe. Yakima GateKeeper Tailgate Pad - 53 Inch - Medium. Our last pad lasted quite a few years, so that will be the benchmark that this Thule has to measure up against, but given the quality of the workmanship and materials on display here we don’t expect it to start falling apart any time soon. Flexible padding adjusts across a wide range of tailgates and large handle opening provides backup camera visibility There are a number of good tailgate pads on the market already, so Thule could not afford to take the easy road when designing their latest offering. I use the regular length pad on my 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 pick-up truck. For 2018, the company launched a new and improved tailgate pad for hanging bikes off the back of your truck, and since the company is well-known for the quality of its gear, we thought we should check out what they had come up with. The Dakine Pickup Pad DLX is Dakine’s top of the line tailgate pad. The durable nylon exterior protects your bike from your truck's tailgate while the soft felt backing keeps your truck's paint protected.Integrated SitTight™ bike cradles add extra stability … Most of the features of the curved version are similar to those of the DLX Pad so it all comes down to fit, sizing, and truck model when you’re torn between the Pickup Pad DLX and the Pickup Pad DLX Curve. Presumably, they have a great deal of data on what features mountain bikers are looking for in a tailgate pad, and they delivered one that hit all of the marks for us. Offering padded protection for your rig, the Thule GateMate Pro tailgate pad lets you carry multiple bikes over the tailgate of your compact or full-size pickup truck. Yakima; Home > Accessories > Vehicle Racks > Truck Bike Racks > Part# 8007411. ok have it narrowed down to either Yakima gatekeeper or thule gatemate pro for my chevy 2018 silverdao. So I decided to turn my rack into a mixed case: With Yakima’s razzle-dazzle bike tray mounted alongside fresh produce from Thule, I set out to see which of these powerhouses deserves the champion’s crown. The inside flap is a bit too wide for compact sized trucks and it can end up interfering with the tailgate latches on either side. is Backcountry’s own creation and is exclusively sold on backcountry.com and competetivecyclist.com. Another advantage to Thule’s design here is the thick strap that covers each bike slot. This is helpful because those that only velcro to pads are prone to getting lost in the wind. It is durable, well made, and incredibly functional. The downtube straps are too long which makes it hard to cinch them down. On our compact truck, the inside of the pad was a bit too wide, and it would end up getting caught on the latches of the tailgate when closing it. The, Unlike the straps on some pads, the straps on the, As an upgrade over the standard Dakine Pickup Pad, the, Late-model, full-sized Ford and Dodge truck owners now have the option to choose a pad that follows the contour of their tailgates and the location of their backup cameras with the addition of the. so you’re sure that you’re making the right choice. Dakine Pickup Pad DLX: Best Tailgate Pad for Mountain Biking, Evoc Tailgate Pad: Best Mountain Bike Tailgate Pad For Ease of Attachment and Removal, Material: 1000D Polyester with UV/Weather-Resistant Coating, Microfleece Inside Liner, Material: PVC Tarpaulin with Micro-Brushed Inner Lining, Width: 54” x 17” x 6″ Medium, 61” x 25” x 8″ Large, Material: 600D Tarpaulin, Microfleece Inner Liner. Meanwhile, the T2 addresses the main issue that we felt held the original pad back: its durability. Free standard shipping on orders over $49. With that said, if you find our review helpful and decide to purchase an item we review, we would be very appreciative if you use our links to do so. . It has seven individual anchor straps, but if you want to use the backup camera, you can leave the access flap open and comfortably strap down four bikes. Free ... By Thule Thule Gatemate Pro Small 54in Bike Rack. Dakine was one of the first brands to make a tailgate pad for mountain bikes, and they are still making some of the best. For those riders with a ute looking for a rack solution, a tailgate pad is a great idea and the Yakima GateKeeper tailgate pad is an awesome bit of kit to transport up to 5 bikes in the back of your ute. Many people don't want to be driving around with huge logos or gigantic text on their tailgate, making them look like billboards. However, it does provide you with multiple configuration options when carrying just 3 or 4 bikes, and even if a couple of bikes end up between slots, they are still properly protected and still not prone to moving around. ... Thule. The Yakima GateKeeper will fit your 2018 Ford F-150. It would also be our top recommendation for those who don’t plan to leave the pad on their truck full time. The outside of the pad uses raised pads, which hold the forks of the bikes in place, and it uses bumpers on the top of the pad to secure the downtubes. Finally, the Backcountry Getaway Tailgate Pad also features a tool pocket on the backside of the pad. The flap for the rear camera was replaced with a removable velcro panel that allows for better backup camera visibility and easier access to your tailgate latch. To allow access to the truck’s tailgate handle even with the pad on, there is a large flap door that can be secured either in the open or closed position with the help of a couple of Velcro strips. Free standard shipping on orders of $50 or more (U.S. only). Free ground shipping on orders over $50 (U.S. only). The GateKeeper tailgate pad is a perfect companion for pick-up bed bike transport. Shipping available by country. Tailgate pads are especially useful for people who shuttle their bikes for gravity runs, as throwing your bike on one is much easier than securing it in a bike rack. $169.00 #7. Most of the features of the curved version are similar to those of the DLX Pad so it all comes down to fit, sizing, and truck model when you’re torn between the, . Pro Tips for Mountain Bike Tailgate Pad Users, PVC Tarpaulin with Micro-Brushed Inner Lining, 54” x 17” x 6″ Medium, 61” x 25” x 8″ Large, Dakine was one of the first brands to make a tailgate pad for mountain bikes, and they are still making some of the best. The Yakima Gatekeeper Tailgate Pad is easy to install. Thule Gatemate 62-in Tailgate Bike Carrier Product #040-1168-0. Those that carry four or more often cost  $600 or more, and this is for a rack that will likely require the purchase of an additional adapter or jury-rigging before it will carry your full suspension 29er. The Yakima GateKeeper Medium is a truck tailgate pad designed for throw-it in-and-go bike transport. Free standard shipping on all bikes (continental U.S. only). Typically, large pads fit full-sized trucks such as Dodge Rams, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundras, etc. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). After a few months on the road, here is our report. If you're looking for a truck and bike rack, go with the Thule GateMate Tailgate Pad. We did find these straps to be a little bit too long, so we’d end up running them a bit further down on the downtube – the way they attach to the pad gives plenty of room for adjustments. $179.95 By Yakima Yakima GateKeeper Truck Gate Pad Large Bike Rack. If that sounds like you, the GateMate Pro may be a viable option. Although the Curve was specifically designed for later models of Ford and Dodge trucks, it’s important to always check. On the outside, it features the same 1000D UV and weather protected polyester finish as the original. Universal 54" GateMate Pro Truck Tailgate Pad (823PRO) by Thule®. Most tailgate pads come in two sizes, standard (or small) and large. If you have a newer truck with a thicker tailgate and backup camera, we would recommend it over the original. Finally, the Pickup Pad DLX is designed with the newer, thicker breed of tailgates in mind, and features an oversized velcro handle flap, which can be secured in the open position, to take advantage of newer trucks’ backup cameras. Thule GateMate PRO - Protect both your bikes and your pick-up on your next adventure with heavy-duty, adjustable padded protection. $179.95. The opening is extra large to allow your backup camera a good chance of seeing something when the flap is in the open position (depending of course on where your camera is placed). Only time will tell how well the T2 holds up over time, but our initial impression of the new fabric makes us very hopeful. Foam padding protects both bike and truck tailgate with ultra-durable, heavy-duty vinyl. The Yakima Gatekeeper features velcro straps as well as cushioned cradles that help hold your bikes in place. 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Or bouncing into one another if you are hauling a few at a lower... To bike racks > truck bike racks always check style that he describes as `` none (... Perfect companion for pick-up bed bike transport ultra-durable, heavy-duty vinyl, here is our report business due the! But some places could bunch up depending on the Thule GateMate Pro tailgate... Racks hold one or two bikes and cost in the wind welcome addition from the previous Race Face,! Actuality he rips! ) and your pick-up on your next adventure with heavy-duty, adjustable padded protection here. T2 tailgate pad but comes in at a time trucks with part TH. Throw-It in-and-go bike transport only ) ; Home > Accessories > vehicle racks > part # is... ( continental U.S. only ) styling is clean, and the Race Face T2, nor multiple versions for tailgates!, Toyota Tundras, etc and easily stows thule gatemate pro vs yakima gatekeeper for use with backup..