Author: PRW

Check out this review of the RocketBox 11 from examiner.com. BY: MARIE MALINOWSKI

Mountain biking, kayaking, backpacking and skiing bring the dilemma of where to stash the smelly, cheesy, wet gear when you get off the trail, river or slopes.

In the back of my squeaky-clean Subaru Outback? Nyet!

The Yakima RocketBox Pro 11 may look like car-top coffin but it has eleven cubic feet of waterproof storage capacity. The reason I went with the Pro 11 over the Pro 12 or Pro 14 is size. We needed something long enough to hold my husband’s 210cm cross-country skis (mine are just measly 180cm’s) and our kayak paddles.

However, the real value test came with how much the Rocketbox’s presence would affect gas mileage.

My Subie Outback consistently averages 27 MPG so a road trip was in order. Copper Harbor, situated on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is known for its world-class bike trails and sea kayaking on Lake Superior. That meant a load of gear needed to hauled 7.5 hours from Minneapolis and back.

Packing, for once, was actually less of a chore because we had extra room.

An Ibis Mojo and a Pivot 5.7 were attached to the hitch-mounted bike rack. Inside the Subie, we packed bike gear, a toolbox full of bike tools and supplies, a big ice chest and clothes for two people for five days. Upstairs, in the Rocketbox, were two sets of drysuits, PFDs, spray skirts and kayak paddles.

On that trip, the Subie represented.

It also averaged 27 MPG.

I checked my math a number of times because every calculation showed that the Rocketbox had no impact on the Subie’s gas mileage. I didn’t think that was possible. Yes, it’s aerodynamic, but it’s still a thing on the top of the car and the laws of physics state that any thing on the top of the car will create drag and cause gas mileage to plunge. Guess I’ll let the Mythbusters crew explain that one.

Anyway. Putting it on and taking it off is easy because it’s so light. I can do it myself with no problem. It fits perfectly on my factory-installed Subaru roof bars and does not interfere with opening the rear hatch once it’s on. So Yakima’s specs were spot on.

On the open road, it made noise, but it was only audible when the moonroof was open. It did not wobble, weeble or rattle. I had had apocalyptic visions of the Rocketbox popping open and stewing several thousand dollars worth of kayaking gear along the highway but that never came to fruition.

Its lean, sleek design holds an amazing amount of stuff. Even with all our kayaking gear in it, there was still room for a few more items. All this cargo capacity, and there is still room on the crossbars for a kayak or a bike. If I had Yakima crossbars that were wider, I could get an extra kayak or an extra bike on top.

Assembly. Oh, now there’s a subject oozing with controversy.

It is required and is mostly intuitive. I say mostly because I’m in the habit of winging it. I might consider the possibility of actually reading the directions after I realized I put it together backwards or inside out, but even that’s a long shot. It took me an entire weekend to piece the million littlepieces into a fully-functioning Rocketbox for the Copper Harbor trip. You could probably do it an hour.

I have one boo-hiss. It’s a pain to close and it’s not because I eschew assembly instructions. It has three latches on the inside of the box and they need to line-up perfectly with three catchers. If these don’t line up, you’ll never see your key again.

This isn’t a design flaw. I checked with Yakima on this. They fully intended for you to muscle and beat the lid down with a good smack to get it to close. The tight fit prevents leaking and the locking system is designed for security. You can’t remove the key until all three latches are secure. This minimizes the danger of your grundies being strewed along the highway.

But, really, for the money, the Rocketbox at $359 is a smoking deal over Yakima’s pricier cargo boxes, which run as high as $689.

If my experience can demonstrate anything, it’s to be patient until you get the hang of it. Eventually. On the Copper Harbor trip, I was cussing and swearing when it came time to lock the box. Now I just emit the occasional grumble.

But what I do know is that you won’t regret buying this. I’m very pleased with the storage capability and that it doesn’t impact gas mileage. Bling it out with some stickers and it will look extra cool on the top of your car.

Getting good doesn’t just happen. Winning takes work. A whole lot of work.

Cyclist Brianna Walle, introduced here, has the skinny. Check it out.

What is your typical training schedule?
The road racing season runs February through August. At the peak of my training, I’m commuting to work 3-4 days a week and going for a long ride on the weekends. If I’m racing on the weekend, I reduce my miles in preparation for the event. The average miles range from 100-300 miles/week depending on the week and the event I’m training for.

Training in the wet, cold winter months in Oregon must be rough. How do you do it?
Great question! It can be really daunting to train in the cold and wet months. The secret? Take more friends! I usually ride with a group of friends once every two weeks for about 60-100 miles during this time of year.

We’re fully equipped with rain gear and good food and to keep it fun, and we often bring a bag with speakers and an iPod to blast our favorite tunes as we ride along.

Don’t worry, we take turns carrying the bag.

How do you train in the off-season?
September really is my “rest month.” That means two full weeks to totally chill out and hang out with friends I haven’t seen in MONTHS. There are parties, dancing, and other non-biking activities. In between I’m still commuting to work 3-4 days a week.

Once October hits, I’m out trail running, racing some cyclocross and mountain biking in southern Oregon. I’ll also throw in some weight training.

Come November, I begin three months of training for the next season!