It’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the iconic Bones trunk rack first hit the shelves of bike shops across the USA. Since then, the Bones bike rack, affectionately referred to simply as “the Bones”, has become recognized across the globe. Often imitated, but never replicated, the Bones is sold in over 60 countries and is the best-selling trunk rack of all time. Talk about a reason to celebrate!
Celebration Edition Racks
For this milestone anniversary, we’ve carefully selected colors that support getting more bikes into the hands of those who need them. These Bones EX 3-bike limited edition, anniversary colors aren’t a simple, matte blue or red. For an occasion like this, we took it up a notch and added a little something extra to make the racks glimmer like the functional pieces of art they are. Both celebration colors are available for only a limited time.
$10 for World Bicycle Relief with a Celebration Red Bones EX
World Bicycle Relief’s (WBR) mission is to eliminate the barrier to education, healthcare and economic opportunity by providing bicycles for transportation to those in need. When we first partnered with WBR a decade ago, their mission captivated our hearts. We’ve had the opportunity to witness their impact firsthand, and the enormity of what a single World Bicycle Relief Buffalo Bike can do was eye-opening for us.
For those who receive a Buffalo Bike, their lives are truly changed for the better. Each bike costs $147, or about 15 Celebration Red Bones EX racks. Learn more at worldbicyclerelief.org.
$10 for Free Bikes 4 Kidz with a Celebration Blue Bones EX
Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K) is a non-profit organization geared toward helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing bikes to kids in need. Through our years of advocacy work, we know how game changing a bike can be for a young person. Which is why we’ve been dedicated to getting more kids on bikes, as well as creating safe places to ride, since the day our doors opened.
So, who better to partner with than FB4K? Since 2008, FB4K has given away more refurbished bikes than any other organization. Just $30 helps put a kid on a bike with a brand-new helmet, or 3 Celebration Blue Bones EX racks. Learn more at b4k.org.
Of course, you don’t have to buy a new trunk rack if you want to support these incredible organizations. To donate to them directly, visit World Bicycle Relief – Donate and Free Bikes 4 Kids – Donate Dollars or Bikes.
History of the Bones Trunk Rack
When Sara and Chris Fortune combined names to create Saris in 1989, their goal was to create innovative, best-in-class products that broke away from the bike rack norm of simple, folded metal. They tapped Italian designer, Fabio Pedrini, to infuse design with functionality. The result was the Bones bike rack: stylish, simple and unlike anything the car rack market had ever seen.
1995
The Bones bike rack first made its debut, just in time for the 1996 outdoor riding season. With arms and legs made from locally sourced, injection molded plastic, the Bones was - and continues to be - constructed to last a lifetime. The functional design of the rack, married with its durability, set the standard for category.
1998
Within the first 5 years of the Bones release, customers started calling us asking for more colors. Since the materials and labor for the Bones racks are 100% locally sourced, we were able to easily and quickly produce Bones racks in a rainbow of colors. Our inspiration? The re-release of the colorful VW Beetle.
2007-2013
Advocacy has long been a staple of Saris. With the popularity of the colored Bones line, we took the opportunity to marry our history of philanthropy with these brightly colored racks. Staring in 2007, we donated $5 to the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center for every pink Bones sold; in 2012, $15 of every red Bones went to World Bicycle Relief; and in 2013, $15 was given to Bike MS for every orange Bones.
2014
The iconic Bones design has become synonymous with “bike rack” since its introduction to the marketplace. This discernable design earned a coveted Trademark Registration from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the fall of 2014.
2015
The year the SUPERBones was released to the market. Billed as “The Ultimate Bones Rack”, the SUPERBones has it all – including the most requested feature for any trunk rack – integrated locking and theft deterrent straps. Just like the original Bones trunk rack, the
>2016
Following in its predecessor’s footsteps of award-winning design, the SUPERBones received a Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.
2019
Last year the the ability to fit 90% of the top 50 vehicles sold in the USA – including those with spoilers. In fact, the Bones EX fits more vehicles than any other trunk rack around. And just like the original Bones, the Bones EX is made right here at our world headquarters in Madison, WI, USA.
2020
Happy 25th Birthday, Bones!