Cal Phillips
The QuikrStuff Story Began with Cal Phillips
When you hear the name Henry Ford, you think Model T. Thomas Edison? The light bulb. The Wright brothers? The airplane.
And Cal Phillips? He’s the name behind the modern bike rack—his latest innovation being the Quik Rack Mach2, designed by Cal and proudly licensed, manufactured, and sold by QuikrStuff.
The Cal Phillips Story
The story of QuikrStuff is inseparable from the story of Cal Phillips. We first shared Cal’s journey in 2020—you can read it here—a deep dive into the life of a lifelong tinkerer, inventor, and problem-solver.
Recently, we caught up with Cal to ask a few questions and see what he’s up to these days.
Q: What are you up to these days?
Today I am retired and living in Hollywood Beach, Florida. I grew up in Miami and once all of my children were out of college, I moved back to Florida. I could no longer take the cold and the terrible allergies I had living in Wisconsin. I bike two times a day and still ride my two-wheel drive bicycle that I received my first patent on. I also enjoying running on the beach. I am very happy with my life in Florida.
Q: What does it mean to you to know that your latest and greatest rack is out in the world and getting such rave reviews?
Realizing that my rack is very well accepted means the world to me! I worked very hard to address the needs customers had about my first rack design, the very successful original Quik Rack. I changed all the concerns that customers had, like easier to use, faster loading, automatic Add-On attachment, heavier bicycle weight capacity and a very secure locking system.
The reason I decided to licence my 14 patents to QuikrStuff is because I wanted to have a non-rack company manufacture my rack. If I chose an established rack company, the Mach2 would be just another rack in their line-up. QuikrStuff was a new start-up company with a promising CEO and a competent manufacturer with knowledge about design potential.
Q: What was your favorite improvement or innovation to the Mach2 from the original Quik Rack? (To read about all the improvements Cal made, click here.)
One of my favorite and hardest designs to make work was the Add-On attachment. The trigger allows the user to operate the rack and pivot it from the end, not under the rack, like it used to be. Each Add-On automatically connects the triggers together, so all pivot ability can be done from the last Add-On on the rack.
Tilting the rack is so easy with the red trigger release front and center.
Q: What words of wisdom do you have for anyone who’s looking for a bike rack?
The most common problem bike racks have is the rack hitting the ground when driving over bumps in the road. This is where the most damage to the rack and the bikes happens. When designing my rack I knew I needed to address this issue. That is why my rack goes up at a 15 degree angle to prevent the rack from hitting the ground.
Don’t purchase a rack that will soon break and may lose your bike on the road. Avoid racks with a lot of plastic parts. I have seen many plastic parts crack or decompose from the sun and heat. Aluminum is far more durable and will last a lifetime.
Staying fit and having fun in Hollywood Beach, Florida.
Unlike Ford, Edison, and the Wright Brothers, this iconic inventor can be found cycling and running along the ocean in Hollywood Beach, Florida—still in motion, just like his ideas. We’re fortunate to benefit every day from his innovative designs and 14 impressive patents.
