SHUT THE GATE

IF YOU HAVE A UTE AND A BUNCH OF MOUNTAIN BIKING MATES, YAKIMA’S GATEKEEPER WILL MAKE YOU THE MOST POPULAR PERSON IN TOWN.

- Justin Walker

IF THERE were ever three things that were meant to be, it’s a dual-cab 4x4 ute, a pile of mountain bikes in the tub, and four or five riders and all their gear, somehow jammed in. Well, that’s how a lot of 4x4 ute manufacturers present their vehicles to the ‘lifestyle’ market. Not seen are those expensive bikes getting banged against each other – and against the ute – and them actually taking up a fair chunk of storage space as you try various ways to secure them in the tray.

Yakima’s GateKeeper is a ute tailgate-based bike storage system that goes a long way to solving those problems. This tailgate pad offers secure storage for five MTBs in the tray of your ute, allowing you to still shove a big hardcase and a fridge/freezer up the back for you and your mates’ gear. The appeal of these tailgate pads is that they keep the bikes down low (not on the roof rack) and also allow you to fit five comfortably – with the actual loading process supersimple. Even better, you don’t have to take a wheel off your bikes to do so, which is always welcome.