Review: Kuat Piston Pro Two Bike Rack

Note: Guitar Ted bought the Kuat Piston Pro car rack and is not being paid, nor bribed for this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's 

Your welcome when opening up the box

As reported in the "Rack Me" series, I chose to purchase a Kuat Piston Pro two bike hitch rack for my 2016 Toyota 4Runner with a 2" receiver hitch. I recently unboxed it, assembled it, and evaluated the assembly process. . 

The key feature here is the two-tool assembly and the simplicity of the process. There are a couple of steps which make doing the job a bit easier. I'll get around to this in this article. 

I didn't strictly time myself, but I 'think' this took about a half an hour from unboxing to finished, usable rack. This should give you somewhat of an idea of how easy the process is of assembling the rack. 

As with many items these days the instructions are online. I get how this may be a negative for some who would rather look at a piece of paper. However; the QR code works, the online instructions are clear and easy to read, and there is also a video for those who learn better by seeing. 

In defense of electronic, online instructions I will say this. They are paper-less. Good for the environment? Possibly. But they save money for consumers, and they are immediately updatable. The latter is shown in this example: The retaining arms are marked in increments reflecting the popular wheel sizes of 29"/700c, 27.5", and 26" wheel diameters. But the online instructions already say this rack is compatible with the new 32" wheels. Furthermore the online instructions indicated a running change would be made to the printed wheel size indications on the rack in the future. 

Obviously this would be impossible to communicate had the rack shipped with printed instructions. So, I appreciated this information and gaining the understanding my rack is "future-proofed" should I decide to get a 32"er. (Also - It pays to read the instructions first.....sometimes!) 

The box is rather large and heavy. I recommend two people handle it.

Contents of said box.The bag has the tools in it.

Assembly:

After unboxing the Piston Pro the instructions indicate that it is easier to assemble the rack if you put the receiver end into your hitch first. This is true in practice and what I did. However; the receiver comes out of the box in the "folded up" position, and this is not ideal. 

I would recommend the first thing you do would be to put on the Foot Lever Assembly first, then you can release the Center Beam into a horizontal position. This makes everything else go a lot smoother. 

But if your Piston Pro is like mine, you still have to do one other thing before mounting the Center Beam into your receiver hitch. That would be to take the 8mm safety hex key and loosen the nut in the end of the Center Beam which will allow the Flatlock Cam to retreat into the beam and allow you to push the beam into your receiver hitch. THEN you can tighten the hex nut until the Center Beam is secured. 

Next I'd go ahead and follow the instructions for putting the trays on, but it is a bit easier to do if you remove the safety tabs which hold the OneTap buttons in place and tap these open to allow the retention arms to swing up and out of the way. Be careful not to get bonked on the noggin when releasing the retention arms! 

Otherwise I have no quibbles with the instructions. The assembly is super-easy, in my opinion. You could use a torque wrench, as everything has torque specs, (kudos to Kuat for this), but if you do not have a torque wrench just be careful. I don't think you could over-torque the two tray bolts with the provided 8mm hex key, but just use caution and maybe check on the torque values later when you can get around a torque wrench.  

 

Impressions:

Yeah, this is a simple to use rack. I recall the old Thule T2 Pro and its release lever.  I used to have to lift, jiggle, and futz around with it to move it out of the way when accessing the lift gate. The Kuat works so much better. 

I have to hand it to Kuat for informing buyers via the online portal that this rack will work with a 32"er. Not that I am getting one......yet. Maybe someday. But if I do? I have a rack for that, which is nice to know.  

The Piston Pro with its trick, one touch opening retaining arms is fun, and should make mounting a bike a breeze. I can offset bikes as well simply by maneuvering the retention arms and offsetting the bikes in the trays. This is a cool feature. The old Thule had a fixed bike placement and that was the only option you had to carry a bike. 

The Kuat rack isn't necessarily a whole lot lighter than a Thule T2. Maybe somewhat, but it still is an awkward thing to carry alone. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't want a flimsy rack either, so.... 

Next thing to do will be to get some bikes on there and go somewhere to ride. Stay tuned....  

Review: Stan's Products

Note: Stan's Sent over several bicycle products for test/review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed, for these reviews. All opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Last year at about this same time I received a suite of Stan's products for test and review. You may remember some of them. The article from last year can be found HERE. 

This time I received a few different items, but I did get a double-dosage of stuff from last year too. So, I'll be focusing on the newer items in this review versus running over the same old ground again. I do plan on giving updates on the things which were doubled up on, although I will be skipping a detailed introduction. 

So, let's get to what I am doing updates on and then I'll move on to the new stuff on test/review for this season. Okay, so first mention is going to the Bio-Based Bikewash.  Next is the Stan's Fork Boost, which I am probably going to pass on to N.Y. Roll again. (I'll see if he has anything to say about it also.) Then there is the Bio-Based Wet Lube.  

New Items:

I did receive some Stan's Race Day sealant. This is the formula of Stan's famous sealant for tubeless tires which has a 200% increase in sealing crystals over Stan's Original formula. Then Stan's adds in XL-sized crystals to seal even larger tears and punctures.

• Tested and developed with world class athletes Recommended for race day and long-distance event use
• Improved sealing capabilities compared to Original Tubeless Sealant formula
• 200% more sealing crystal than our Original formula, with added XL-sized crystals
• Must be poured directly into tire–not compatible with injector or other valve install methods

Next up we have the Universal + Valves for tubeless tire set up. These are not the funky ExoCore type valves I tested last year. These are more standard valves with a few unique features. 

A high-flow base compatible with tire inserts is here along with an elliptical seat which is claimed to work in any rim well shape. The valves come with a chunky, press-on aluminum cap to protect the valve core. The locking nut has an o-ring to help prevent loosening. 

Next up we have the Exo-Core Housing Kit.  By removing the Presta valve core from a Universal+ valve one can convert to full Exo-Core valve benefits. This includes the anti-clog feature and tool-less valve core removal design. 

The Stan's Sealant Injector is up next which features a 150ml capacity for those large volume tires. A special end fits on the surgical rubber hose to allow for drip-free sealant application. Not compatible with the Race Day formula. (I have some standard Stan's to use with the injector, so no worries.) 

The Stan's Sealant Injector has a Lifetime Warranty as well, making it a great investment at under 20 bucks.

Finally we have the Original DART Tool. This is Stan's take on a tubeless plug for sealing up larger punctures and certain tears. This tool has been updated in 2025. It now features a stainless steel injector shaft. 

There are two DARTS in each tool, with more DARTs available separately. The base of the DART tool also functions as a Presta valve removal tool. 

Lubricant Update: Last year I was running Stan's Bio-Based Dry Lubricant in the Guitar Ted Lube-Off. I will be updating that test in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for news on that front soon. 

Next... 

There will be some testing going on and I will be back with updates on the things I have used. The DART tool is kind of an outlier here as you have to wait until a natural puncture occurs and to be completely honest, those are rare for me. Maybe I need to run my MTB around when the winds have knocked off some Hawthorn needles and Honey Locust's thorns. . We will see..... 

A Meet-Up

Image courtesy of Kuat Rack

 That Kuat Piston Pro rack I bought wasn't going to fly from Chicago to Waterloo, Iowa by itself, so a meet-up was planned between Ari and I so I could get it from him. I mean, the whole buying a rack thing was pretty much based on seeing Ari. 

Not really, but kinda......

Anyway, I bought it from the shop Ari works at and that was in a suburb of Chicago, so I had arranged with Ari to meet him on Saturday in St. Donatus, Iowa to pick it up. Mrs. Guitar Ted came along, and as a surprise, so did Ari's wife. After Ari and his wife gave us a nice pair of flowering pots and after we moved the rack into the back of my 4Runner, we took a little walk at Ari's suggestion. 

Ari wanted to show me the Catholic Chapel and cemetery there up on top of a short, steep hill not far from the cars. So we hiked up on a beautiful late April afternoon to check it out. Things like this are not heard of or seen much in Iowa. You wouldn't think Iowa could be this pretty, or have this rich history, since it is "corn country", fly-over territory, and is "boring". But if this is you, you don't know nuthin' about Iowa. So, I thought I'd share some images of the St. Donatus Catholic Church which is on the list of National Historic Places.

 

After enjoying the beauty of the church's interior space we walked out back to take in a view of the cemetery. Ari said further on up the hill there is another small chapel, but we didn't hike all the way up to see it. 

 

There was another church across the valley up on the next hill from the one we were at. 

The St. Donatus area is VERY hilly and gorgeous right now with all the green things on full display. We walked back down the hill and entered Kalme's Restaurant in St. Donatus. It has been around for 150 years or more there. I described it as a restaurant which is everything Cracker Barrel wishes it could be. 

Anyway the meal was fantastic and the company was even better. But eventually it was time to go back home. Ari is a dear friend and seeing him on the traditional weekend of Trans Iowa was a treat. We spoke of plans for him to come visit in Waterloo sometime so I could take him out on our local gravel.  

So, that was the trip to go get the rack. Now it will be unboxing time soon and I'll get around to my impressions of this thing soon enough. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more on the rack.  

There Is Something In The Air: The Finishline

Sorry! I cannot figure out who these finishers are of either T.I.v9 or v10.

 The final thing I find which is a recurring thought around this time of year is the finish line of a Trans Iowa. 

Typically, for any given year of the fourteen Trans Iowas, I was in a state of sleep deprivation which often was part hallucinations and part sharply recalled moments. There are many things I probably don't recall anymore about the end of a Trans Iowa. But what I do recall is very heartwarming and I am glad I was able to share many great moments along the way at various finish lines. 

Oddly enough, the very first finish line of a completed Trans Iowa I ever experienced was in Decorah for the third Trans Iowa. The first one was run solo, by myself, and I was stationed as an observer about 20 miles from the finish line while Decorah Time Trial folks handled the end. Trans Iowa was truncated the following year due to everyone missing the time cut-off in Algona, Iowa. So, the third one was really my first one, if you can follow that! 

T.I.v4 had an impromptu finish line in Edgewood where winner John Gorilla found this beer in the street!

 

Impromptu finish line: T.I.v6 finished at the Malt Shop in North English, Iowa.

Many know several Trans Iowa events did not see the scheduled distance run. But this did not mean we had no finish line hangs. Impromptu finish lines set up for T.I.v4, v6, and the hang after the ending of T.I.v11 at Lonski's in Grinnell were all fantastic in their own right. 

I had some very special times at the T.I.v12 finish in Grinnell. 

Matt Gersib hugging T.I.v13 winner Dan Hughes with myself here in the orange jacket. Image taker unknown. 

There were some awesome hugs. I do remember those well. Steve Fuller's hug. The hugs at the end of T.I.v12 from various folks. Then there was that hug from T.I.v13 winner Dan Hughes. That's the one which was surprisingly long, emotional, and memorable. 

Waiting on the T.I.v14 finishers. Image by Craig Growseth

Eventually it all ended and I went back home. This was a stop on the way back from T.I.v14

Oddly enough, the end of a Trans Iowa wasn't all that different than the start, only it went in reverse. You had all the anticipation of seeing finishers. The emotional outpouring when finishers did make it to the end, and the atmosphere of the finish line with everyone hanging out. Whether this was across from a cemetery on the fringe of Decorah, Iowa, a random intersection in Williamsburg, Iowa, in a barn near Grinnell, or in one of a few parks used in Grinnell, the feeling was always the same. 

Then one by one folks would wander off to their cars, or ride their bikes away to motels, and I'd be left standing all alone. The quiet, peaceful end of a sometimes chaotic 34 hours and more of wild emotional swings, sleep deprivation, and physical efforts which marked my time in a Trans Iowa. I remember how I felt after those post 2:00pm Sunday afternoons. 

All of these things I have written about in these posts called "Something In The Air" and more than those are what floods my memories at this point. I thought I'd share how I feel after all these years of being away from Trans Iowa, or putting on events in any capacity. Like I said before, I miss it, but there are a lot of things I have left out of these posts which I do not miss one bit. 

Am I glad it is all over? Yes. But I also am very glad I did that for all those years as well. 

I hope you all enjoyed the look back at what I find memorable this time of the year. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

Country Views: A Quick One

 I did something I haven't done in a long time. I loaded my bike into a vehicle and drove to a starting point. This was a common thing back when I had "The Truck With No Name", but then my son Jacob started using the truck after he obtained his license and when we traded in the truck late in 2024 for a Toyota 4Runner for Jacob that put me out of a car for the first time in many a year. 

So, it's been a while since I've done the thing where I haul the bike out to Prairie Grove Park. But Tuesday was a very nice day. The weatherfolk were saying the winds would be mere puffs. So, I had some time after an appointment at noon to go ride. 

The bike was the Honeman Flyer. The kit was straight-up Summer kit as it was 80+ degrees. Speaking of warmth, the temperatures have been so warm here the soil temperatures rose to a level which was good for planting sooner than normal. This led to a surprising amount of fields which I saw that were planted already. 

A John Deere planting rig scuds along the horizon line. 

It was 'almost' perfect out. Almost. 

One thing I realized immediately after getting out of town. The weatherfolk missed it on the wind forecast. It was breezy out of the West, and it wasn't a light wind either. So, I was doubly burdened because I also wasn't feeling great either. 

I was working hard, my legs felt tired already, and my heart rate was elevated. I said to myself, "Well, this isn't your day". Sad, but true. 

More fields than not are already planted

Some other day I will be going that way. Soon, I hope....

It's hard to come to the realization that you are starting at a lower level of fitness than you thought. I read something the other day about endurance. It went something like, "Endurance fitness is rented, not owned."

I thought this was a very wise statement. I just have to invest in myself on a regular basis to get back what I had not been renting all Winter. I had grace for myself as well. Just a little over a month ago we had a blizzard, near sub-zero temperatures, and afterward it was so windy it was ridiculous. 

 I had a lot of life stuff to deal with. That has been an ongoing thing. But through it all I haven't quit. I was out there. I wasn't sitting at home wishing I was out there. So, it was good. Short, but good. 

I hope to start stringing together more consistent rides.  

There Is Something In The Air: Part 2

Checkpoint 1, Trans Iowa v6

The Checkpoints:

The next thing I think about this time of year are the checkpoints we set up for Trans Iowa. These were often fun times in an otherwise stressful event. 

The first few Trans Iowa events had one checkpoint.and it wasn't until the fourth event where multiple checkpoints were used. T.I.v4 had two checkpoints. The first one was in Wadena, Iowa and the second was in Earlville, Iowa. 

The most checkpoints we ever utilized were three. However, had Trans Iowa v6 gone its entire distance there would have been a fourth "official" checkpoint in the Columbia Wildlife Reserve in Tama County. 

The only other oddity involving checkpoints was the "Secret Checkpoint" we set up for Trans Iowa v8, which was not an additional checkpoint, but it was not announced ahead of the event. 

Typically checkpoints were in small Iowa villages and towns. However; as time went on I added rural checkpoints to deter any inclination for cheating. Some were near to towns, but not actually in them. Some were in villages so small there were no amenities for resupply. 

Dennis Grelk set this little shelter up for he and Christina at CP 1 in Baxter Iowa for T.I.v13

The only checkpoint for T.I.v3 was in Brandon, Iowa. That's Ken Yokanovich's Rivendell fixie he rode to the finish.

Usually I was in a bit of a hurry at Checkpoint #2, and I didn't stay long. But Checkpoint #1 was always a bit of a rest. I got to chat with volunteers, enjoy the Sun rising, or the freezing wind, or both! Then when the first batch of riders would arrive I stick around a bit and then it was off again to check the route ahead of the riders. 

Matt Gersib playing me a tune on his uke during T.I.v12

The Hangs:

Probably the most memorable thing about Trans Iowa for me, and the thing I miss the most, are the incredible "hangs" I experienced with several people. A "hang" is slang for "hanging out" The thing you do (hopefully) with great people who make the hang out a special memory. 

I was so fortunate that all my times with people during a Trans Iowa were of the "special memory" type. They made the event palatable while I was running it. This was never more apparent than the times when I did not have those special hangs. For instance, during T.I.v9, when I spent almost the entire event alone during the 34 hours it was held. 

But fortunately, those times were outliers. And meeting my volunteers or having a driving companion along the way was an enhancement which made doing Trans Iowa so much easier and more fun. This was never more in play than it was the last few years of Trans Iowa where I had the privilege of having Matt Gersib, Tony McGrane, Mike Johnson, and several awesome volunteers along for the ride. Having their support and companionship made some everlasting memories which I often come back to at this time of the year. 

How can I forget the recon hangs with Wally Kilburg (R) and George Keslin (L)? Those were awesome times! 

3:37 am, Sunday morning of T.I.v13. You just had to be there!

It's hard to share these hangs in imagery because typically there  were no images taken. This was the nature of those times. I kind of wish I had been a bit more cognizant of the importance of those meet-ups in the middle of no-wheres. I wish I had better memories of those times. Especially when those happened in early Trans Iowa events. 

Fortunately I do have one documentation of an early hang with Zach Dundas who was shadowing me for his research on the chapter about Trans Iowa in the book, "The Renegade Sportsman". I reviewed this book in 2010 HERE, if anyone cares to check that out. The tale Zach wrote captures a rare look at what it was like early on in the gravel cycling scene. It also is a rare look from a very unique perspective of myself. 

Other hangs I recall mostly have to do with my brother, Matt Gersib. Matt was such a special part of my latter Trans Iowa experiences and for this I will be forever grateful. My thoughts often include those times at this point in the year. That "something in the air" always brings those times to mind again.  

Look for a final entry in this mini-series concerning the finish line memories.  
 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Sklar Bikes

New Bike PPacking Rack From Sklar Bikes:

Sklar Bikes introduced this rack about a week or so ago. Inthe midst of all the Sea Otter madness, it seemed that the news was lost in the haze of 32'ers and all, so I am featuring it here on this FN&V. 

This rack, rated to carry up to 30lbs, weighs in at 1.4lbs including hardware. It is designed as a minimalist rack for light touring or bike packing with mini-panniers. You can also use it to strap on water bottles or just use it for utilitarian errand running around town. 

At $140.00USD it seems like a nicer rack which looks good and should fit a wide range of bikes. 

See Sklar's webpage for this rack HERE.

Comments: One nit about this rack is that the description does not say what it is made out of. Anyway.... I like this rack from the perspective of its design intentions. Minimalist pannier type touring and bike packing uses do not require super-heavy duty racks. Not if you are conscientious and intentional with your loading. And this rack carries up to 30lbs, which, let's be honest, is about the most I'd want to load up with anyway. Especially if you consider what you might be carrying in bags and on racks elsewhere on your bicycle. This might be a little pricey for some folks, and yes -cheaper racks exist, but if you care about how your stuff looks and like this style it is hard to beat it. 

Image courtesy of Q36.5

Q36.5 Offers New Range Of Wind/Rain Gear:

Q36.5 brand is now offering a range of wind and rain jackets and designed to allow cyclists to choose garments specific to their use cases and not have to compromise by a "one size fits all" solution to wind/rain gear.  

The range includes various jackets and vest, with the lightweight "Air" models being the most packable. Q36.5 claims the Air vest will roll up to the size of a gel packet. 

Most of the range called out in the press release doesn't seem to be up on the site yet, but the Air jackets and vests do appear there on their site. You can check those out on the website HERE.  

Comments: I don't know of any other category in cycling which has more wordy press releases and marketing than the apparel side. I mean, look at this jacket. It is rather unremarkable, yes? Yet the site goes on and on about it as if it were some super-tech device. Maybe its just me, but I've reviewed clothing for cyclists for over a decade and this seems to be par for the course across all apparel brands. I find it rather odd.  

Typically most of these apparel press releases are ignored by me, but this one has a feature I think many cyclists would see as being useful in the ultra-packable nature of the Air jacket and vest. I could see this as a great "break-glass-in-case-of-emergency" bail-out when the weather turns on you during a ride. I would imagine the rain wear (which didn't seem up yet on the site) would be similar. 

Image courtesy of Kuat Racks

Picking Up The Rack This Weekend:

Thanks to all who commented on the recent "Rack Me" posts here on the site. I valued each and every comment. I ended up buying a Kuat Piston Pro, and this weekend I am meeting my good friend Ari in St. Donatus, Iowa to pick it up. 

There were many reasons as to why I went with a Kuat, and if you missed the post listing those reasons out, you can go back and read it HERE. 

I will be excited to get this and use it for going to different places to ride. I've been stuck in the local loops for a few years now and it is time to branch out a bit. I've already got a few places in mind to hit up. 

I'll also be excited to visit with Ari again after not seeing him for close to two years now. And visiting St. Donatus will be interesting as well. Look for a report on all of this coming up next week. 

Never fear N.Y. Roll is here!

New Podcast Dropped:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode is HERE.  This episode contains N.Y. Roll's advice on how to be a good event participant. I think it is a good list of things to consider. Too many times we hear about an event in a negative light on social media. It is nice to be reminded to say "Thank you" to event directors, volunteers, and staff when attending events. It is also prudent to air concerns directly with event directors instead of being a coward and running off to social media. Event directors, despite popular opinions, really do care about participants and their event. 

We also gabbed about the 32"er stuff from Sea Otter. I already covered my take on the bigger big wheels HERE, in case you missed it.  

We also covered one other thing, but you'll have to go listen to the episode to find out what this was all about. (Hey! I gotta drive the numbers somehow!) 

We should have another episode posting up soon. So, thanks if you are subscribed to our podcast, or if you have checked it out at some point. We appreciate you folks a lot! 

Image courtesy of Airborne social media

High-Tech Titanium Gravel frame By Airborne Now Available:

Hydroforming and 3D printing are utilized in the manufacturing of Airborne Bicycle Co.\s new Endeavor gravel bike. This frame has other unique features as well. 

Airborne claims this has a 13 position adjustable head set to alter head angle. The titanium material is also double butted for strength and weight reduction. The double-dropped chain stay alignment allows for 700 x 54mm tires. UDH compatible as well. of course. 

The asking price is $3,232.50. You can see and learn more at Airborne's site HERE. 
 

Thank you for checking out Guitar Ted Productions. Now get out there and ride your bicycles!