This rack worked really well. It's rock-solid and took 50+ pounds for 7 days over rocks, roots, bumps, and flooding with only a few minor paint chips and no bends. This was, without a doubt, the single most impactful purchase I made for my bikepacking trip.

I spent several weeks researching mounting options for my dual-suspension mountain bike, and was about to buy a Thule Pack-and-Pedal when I decided to take a chance on this rack. The rear axle mount was an easy fit, but it was not clear that the arms extending from the top of the rack could find a place on my bike frame that was not separated by my rear suspension piston. Fortunately, the arm positioning was versatile enough that I rigged it to my upper rear fork using some cheap rubber clamps that I purchased at a local hardware store. The rack didn't budge an inch after seven days of intense riding.

I watched as my friend's fork-mounted rack slipped down the fork, bent its frame, and bent his rear derailleur cable. This illustrated the sorts of problems that a rack could cause on a long bikepacking trip. This rack, on the other hand, held 10+ more pounds than my friend's and held firm. Very very good rack!

Some background: I've never bought a multi-point mounted 'full size' rack such as this before, so I can't offer any comparison to other Axiom racks or those of similar style from other manufacturers. I'll compare it to the seat post rack I had on my last bike though.

Most people reading this review will know how these racks work, but for those unfamiliar: This is a frame that attaches to mounting holes down by the back wheel and up near where the seat is. It's able to hold a lot more weight then the smaller racks that attach to the seat post, as well as being able to hold larger bags or baskets then those racks can.

When I got it, it seemed small to me for some reason, but after putting it on the bike (a process that took a little while because my bike isn't designed for a rack) it's plenty large enough. For bikes like my Huffy Nighthawk without rack mounts, Axiom provides a metal bar you can bend to use the fender mounting hole some bikes have. I opted to stick a seat post clamp on my seat post to accommodate the arms instead. Axiom makes these too if you want to do it that way. My bike is narrow for a 27", and because of that, getting it attached at the bottom was a bit of an adventure. Even still, it wasn't that much of a problem. Axiom also sends you a pile of screws with it, even if I lost one or three, I'd have some left.

Once I got to using the rack, I found it extremely sturdy, with a finish that's much more durable then that of the bike it's attached to. I suspect I'll be replacing the bike before I have to consider replacing the rack. It has two vertical holes for a rear light and reflector (you'll want one for it because it's very different to the way a regular reflector mounts). It's made to hold Axiom bags, but I have a genetic set on there now, and those work fine. You can also attach a pair of baskets to it pretty easily. After owning this for a while, I don't think I can go back to the tiny and fragile seat post racks I used to use.

The rack itself is pretty sturdy, and has taken quite a few bumps, the odd kick as I try and lift my leg over, and being left on while the bike is upside-down. It hasn't shown any sign of wear, and the finish is more durable then the bike it's attached to (I suspect that it might just outlast the bike). It has two vertical holes for mounting a rear reflector/light as well. I bought a light to go on it along with the rack, and fortunately it fit perfectly.

Nice strong bike rack. I love the way the top attaches to the bike. Since my cross bike does not have any threaded eyelets I had to get a new seatpost clamp that has threaded eyelets.

Now for the lower attachments. I like the idea of not needed a longer skewer but this is where I ran into a slight problem. My bike is a Cannondale SuperX cross bike. It has a replaceable derailleur hanger and the hanger has 2 small allen head bolts that hold this hanger onto the rear drop out.
These 2 allen head bolts prevent the lower bracket of the rack to sit flush to the drop out.
I will need to remove these brackets and put a small offset bend in to them so that there will be no interference with the 2 allen bolts.
For me this is not a big issue, I have the tools and means to make this mod' with very little effort but I can see this being a problem for most people.

If I had know of this issue I would have gone with my 1st rack choice, Blackburns EX-1 disc brake bike rack. It has lower attachments that spaces it straight out from the drop out and it also uses a longer skewer.

Pics show the problem that I ran into and also my new brackets that I made and how they have an offset to get around the hanger bolts.

I love how the rack tapers toward the top, with its upper width not being too much wider than the frame. This means that I don't need an excessively long U-lock to securely lock my bike to a U-rack through the rear wheel (I use a 7" U-lock).
I have a smallish bike (54 cm Trek) and smallish feet (41), so I ended up mounting the rack without the offset pieces, which otherwise put the weight of my pannier load awkwardly far behind the rear axle (which made handling weird, and made shouldering the bike to climb stairs much more difficult). This exposed the rack's slightly skewed structure, the result of cheap welding - it's slightly crooked relative to the frame. It's still usable, so as cheap as the rack is, I can't complain too much about that.

I have this installed on a Surly Ogre and I attached Ortlieb Panniers to them. I pushed back the rack using the attached bottom bracket so that I have no rubbing of my heels when I pedal (see photo). I have used this rack about 1000 miles of primarily packed dirt and gravel touring with about 20 lbs of gear in two panniers. So far, the rack is rock solid and has had no issues as to any breakage or needed adjustments. For the price, this surprises me. The rack is anodized black and as well there are a few adjustment knobs to attach to the seat stay that are red. Without instructions I found the installation to my bike to be straightforward.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes and I would have to be talked into the merits of buying a $100 rack compared to this more affordable one. Note the pictures and the installation.