Kani 1 Stand
Telescopic, floor to ceiling bike stands must be easily and securely installed, wholly reliable, and simple to use. Before selecting a unit it is helpful to ascertain whether or not you have a flat, solid ceiling surface to work with. If you know this type of suspended design is right for you, and want your bikes mounted horizontally, parallel to a wall, then our recommendation is simple: the Kogu Masamune Kani 1. This expertly crafted design was developed by the Japanese company for safety of your home and bicycles, as well as to take up as little space as possible. The Kani 1 will not be out of place in your home, apartment, dorm room or garage. It is a very popular model across a broad spectrum of users for these reasons. We have built a direct relationship with Kogu Masamune to provide their excellent bike stands to the US market and strong sales of the Kani stands are no surprise.
Setting up the Kani 1 is simple. Again, make sure the ceiling area you plan to use is solid. The stout aluminum main pillar has a clamp in the center of the design that releases the two-part vertical shaft so it can telescope up and down to wedge in-between your floor and ceiling. Considered a "base-less" design, a spring loaded rubber cap at the top of the pillar make the rack grip like glue when assembled and prevent it from moving once installed. Simply extend to compress the springs, ensuring the unit is perpendicular to the floor and ceiling, then tighten the clamp at the center of the pillar. The execution of the telescopic design is flawless and won't rotate or release accidentally. The minimum height is 5'7" and the maximum extension is 10'2". Once the pillar is properly setup, you can turn your attention the bike holders.
The Kani 1 is equipped with two bike holders. Each can be mounted at any point on the pillar, so you can define the upper and lower heights based on your specific bikes and usable height. Each holder is a rotating extension cradle with two arms that pivot at the center and individual bike hooks that also pivot. You can tighten those into place once you define the position of the bike, or leave them a slightly less than tight for greater flexibility. The overall effect is such you can completely match the angles, features and design of your frame to best hang your bike. The natural tendency is to create a level set-up and frankly, that looks great. Just keep in mind that you may want to dip the front end a little so the cockpit and wheel don't flop over side to side. We normally recommend setting up the bottom bike first, and as close to the floor as you can, especially if you have overall height limitations. Then set-up the upper bike holder with the same principles. Many users choose to alternate bike direction, but if you have enough height, both pointed in the same direction, with the drivetrain facing outward, has the most visual appeal. Another tip: whenever possible, mount your heavier bike at the bottom. This may not work if a smaller rider requires their bike to sit lower, but in general having a lighter bike up high makes it easier to lift up and set in the cradles.
The cradles themselves are steel, and the hook zones are covered in a durable urethane material that protects and offer some non-slip grip to the frame surface. Some technical details: each bike holder can support 44lbs, and the center of the cradle hooks sit 4" from surface of the pillar, and can accommodate a maximum frame tube diameter of 2.55" (65mm). Make sure you include exposed cable housing in your measurement if necessary. When setting up your pillar you want to know the maximum handlebar width required, as that will determine how far your pillar will need to be from a wall. You will be impressed by the range of cradle adjustments and flexibility for different frame designs. If you will always mount the same bikes on the rack, take your time and perfect the setup to your needs. Adjustments are simple and hardware requires common bike tools.
We have yet to find a bike that cannot be installed on a Kani 1, though we are sure some very small children's bikes may be problematic, as well as your 2001 downhill rig weighing closer to 64lbs than 44. These possible limitations aside, we love the Kani 1 with it's demure grey anodized finish, believe Kogu Masamune has delivered the best telescoping design on the market, and suspect once you start using it, you will agree.
Details
- Secure, easily setup telescopic floor to ceiling rack for holding two bikes horizontally
- Height adjustable from 5'7"-10'"2
- Strong, light aluminum 2 piece telescoping pillar with center clamp mechanism
- Upper mount is spring loaded for essential tension to hold safely in place
- Both ends feature rubber covers that eliminate slippage, reduce possible damage
- Always make sure your floor and ceiling mounting zones are solid
- Two bike holding cradle system included, fully adjustable up to 35° angle
- Cradle arms & hooks are fully adjustable, covered with urethane to protect frame
- Cradle hooks can accommodate frame tube diameters up to 2.55" (65mm)
- Independent height adjustment of each bike holder on pillar allows for custom setup
- Each bike holder can support 44lbs max, and can be setup 13.4-16.6" wide
- Anodized Grey finish
- Weight: 8.6 lbs (3.9kg)
- Made in Japan