On Trend: 5

Group rides are back! Well, at least judging by the latest bike racks Yakima and RubiconEP are showing at Sea Otter this week.

RubiconEP claims their 5-bike Corral Bike Rack is "one of the strongest, lightest, and most functional upright bicycle racks ever introduced." It's rated for carrying up to five, 60lb. (e-)bikes, and the rack itself weighs 72lbs. The rack tilts down for vehicle access and to make it easier to load and unload bikes at the trailhead. RubiconEP offers 2-, 4-, and 5-bike versions priced at $999, $1,499, and $1,699 in a variety of color finishes.

Yakima is also showing a 6-bike hanging rack at Sea Otter this week called the HangTight 6. It's designed to hold — you guessed it — six bikes, and is priced at $999. The HangTight tilts just like the RubiconEP Corral, though it's limited to 37.5lbs per bike, so e-bike owners may need to look elsewhere. The HangTight 4 holds four bikes and is priced at $799. Look for both HangTight racks to be available starting around mid November.

LoloRacks is another company that has been selling 4- and 6-bike vertical bike hitch racks for a few years now. Those racks are made in the USA and are priced around $800.

We won't be surprised to see other brands release vertical bike racks in the future, which is a welcome change from the lonely, single tray bike rack trend from a few years back.