# 1
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Hitch pin broke before I got it. Looks like a poor design for the locking pin, they might want to consider a different design. I got a 3/8 shear pin from Home Depot to replace and it works great. Bike rack is great!
Mounted on a DrawTite Class III hitch for a 2008 Outback. Assembly was VERY easy, and it seems pretty sturdy overall. I feel a little iffy on the sleeve that converts/fits it to a 2" hitch from a materials perspective - I wasn't expecting it to be plastic/nylon (not 100% sure what it is exactly so correct me if I'm wrong!) but I imagine it'll probably be fine. The small plastic bars that mount the anti-sway cages also seem like they could be subject to wear from the twisting motion to install them, so that's something I'll have to watch out for. Concerns aside, the test drives I did on suburban streets and a few miles of ~75 MPH interstate seemed to go pretty well with two 30-lb bikes on it. I will say that my wife's Salsa Marrakesh has a slightly compact enough geometry that it was a little bit of a challenge getting the top tube over the cradles, so I'd imagine anything smaller than that is going to be difficult to put on there as well, but my Cross Check fit on it just fine.
# 2
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Well, I haven't used it yet, and I'm concerned that it has the potential to do damage to my car. I'm only keeping this bicycle rack because it's a Thule and it is listed as an appropriate rack for my car. Photos always show the lower arm of this rack seated on the bumper of the car but the fit for a Subaru Outback is that the lower arm rests at the bottom of the license plate "well." My concern is that with 2 bicycles on this rack, won't it put a dent in the metal????
I purchased a Thule Passage 2 bike rack based on my prior experience with the brand and I was NOT disappointed. The rack was easy to assemble and install and fit my Subaru Outback like a glove. When shopping for this rack, I ultimately selected a lightly used item offered on the product page and I was pleased when the rack arrived. The Thule rack was as good as new and the price point was great. Without question, I would definitely look to that option in the future. I have purchase from Etrailer.com in the past and I continue to be impressed with the level of service, the variety of merchandise and with their communication. I will not hesitate to be a return customer.
# 3
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
The Swagman S64670 I ordered from e trailer arrived quickly within a couple days. The product was perfectly packaged with the bike rack box packaged inside another box so there were no scratches or dings. I am very happy with the bike rack and the way e trailer packaged and delivered it.
I just did a 400 mile trip with with unit on my car and found it rode rock solid with 1 bike on it. I have gone on shorter trips with 2 bikes on it and they rode just as solid. So far it is as good as advertised.
# 4
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Great product. Worked great for taking the boys bike down to the beach. Also great around town going to the bike trail.
I purchaced two of the swagman upright roof mounted racks the day before I left for a camping trip. They were easy to install on the existing cross bars of my 2009 Subaru Outback. The factory bars are slightly curved so I plan to shim one side of each rack to level them out. I mounted two full suspension mountain bikes on these racks. The jaws have trouble opening up wide enough to fit the beefy downtubes of these bikes but after a bit of force and unscrewing the jaws all the way, they fit in. (Bikes were a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR and a Trek Remedy) Once tightened, the racks held the bikes well and we had no issues with anything comming loose or shaking during the 6+ hour round trip. The tightening wheel locks with a key but it would have been nice if both racks (ordered at the same time) were keyed with the same lock. Not a big deal, just have to remember which key goes to which rack each time. There are better racks out there but this one does the job even for larger mountain bikes if you dont mind fighting the jaws a little. Great rack for the price.
# 5
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
Well, I haven't used it yet, and I'm concerned that it has the potential to do damage to my car. I'm only keeping this bicycle rack because it's a Thule and it is listed as an appropriate rack for my car. Photos always show the lower arm of this rack seated on the bumper of the car but the fit for a Subaru Outback is that the lower arm rests at the bottom of the license plate "well." My concern is that with 2 bicycles on this rack, won't it put a dent in the metal????
Great product, high quality, fits our Outback perfectly. Bike fits the rack great. Painless ordering with etrailer and prompt delivery. Only concern was that the shipper banged up the box pretty hard, but the bike rack was not damaged.
# 6
Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier - Roof Mount
Great rack! Many improvement over the current yakima product. Easy to install, easy to mount bike, everything quick to turn by hand-no tools necessary. May have to get another one.
Great product! Exactly what I hoped the rack would be, but be sure your order locks! They are not included by Yakama.
# 7
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Used our Swagman Chinook 2 bike platform for the first time today. My wife and I really like it. Drove about 60 miles to a rail trail at a state park. Easy to load and unload, travels well on the highway and secondary roads. Love the ability to tilt the rack with the bikes on for easy access to the rear door of our Subaru Outback. It appears to be a very well made carrier. It does weigh almost 50 lbs, and that is our only complaint.
Fast shipping and just right fit
# 8
Rhino-Rack MountainTrail Rooftop Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
I've had this bike roof rack for 1 year and I'm happy to say that it was the right product to purchase. I've had no problems at all with the racks. I bought a pair for my Subaru Outback and had my bicycle repair guy install it for me. I feel secure in that it locks the bikes in place and keeps them sturdy on the roof. I'm glad I got the one where you remove the front tire of the bike. The other style would make it much to hard to remove the bikes from the roof. I usually put the bikes up and remove them with my wife and the aid of a small step stool. It's been really great riding with our bikes to our favorite bike trails. Would highly recommend Rhino for making such a great product.
I mounted this on my 2011 Subaru Outback in about one hour. The instructions were in error as in Step 1 it has you put on the end-cap first. But then you have to take the end-cap off in order to thread on the Wheel Strap. I mounted the bike (29 inch hard-tail) and it seems sturdy and secure. So far so good. Will it keep the bike on in Wyoming cross winds? This remains to be seen.
# 9
Swagman XTC4 Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
So far I’ve just assembled it and took a quick test drive around the block. My initial thought is this thing is perfect. It’s super sturdy and easy to use. My only gripe and it’s not fault of the rack, but it’s heavy…
If you've done any research or read any of the other comments on either this rack, or this seller...rest assured they really are as good as everyone says! I ordered my rack on around 4pm est on a Friday afternoon and within an hour I received an email that said they have shipped my product AND upgraded to priority shipping. Can't say enough positive things about the customer service! When the rack arrived, it took me a little over half an hour to get it set up. Probably would e been faster if I were even slightly mechanically inclined (or if didn't I didn't have to borrow a socket wrench from my neighbor). We finally had an opportunity to load up the bikes and head out for a ride today. As others have said, the first time you load up your bikes, it's kind of like a puzzle to get them situated. Took about 15 minutes. This rack is awesome! Very sturdy and the bikes were very secure. Only racks I have had in the past were rooftop fork mount racks. This is so much easier! On e we got to the trail (over an hour drive) getting the bikes off was a piece of cake. Afterwards, it was time to load them back up and it was less than 5 minutes to get them all on and ready to hit the road. There were other 4-bike racks on the website, but this one had enough great reviews that I felt comfortable making the purchase. After the fact, I'm very glad I did! I can't imagine the $800 rack can be that much better than this, and I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a 4-bike platform rack. I will definitely recommend this rack and etrailer.com to everyone I know.
# 10
Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Once I figured out that my factory crossbars *could be moved* everything worked (2009 Subaru Outback). If you happen to have fixed position crossbars, and your bike's wheelbase just happens to place the rear wheel exactly in the middle of the rear clamp, then it won't work (even if you get the free fix). The rear tire ratcheting tie down (wheel tray) can't be placed suitably close to the rear wheel for buckling. Also, the clamps don't *exactly* match the shape of my crossbars, so the gripping force is not spread out. I need a notch between the upper and middle notches, or a rubbery, compressible surface.
The clamps fit factory oval cross bars. No adapters necessary. Setup on my 04 Outback took 20 minutes.
# 11
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Solid craftsmanship. Bikes are secure, easy placement in holders. Nice option of pulling a pin, allowing carrier to tilt, to access hatchback of a Subaru Outback wagon. Slight "side to side" movement when driving down the road however; maintains solid attachment to trailer hitch.
Just installed the rack & took the bike on a little ride... all worked great! Installation instructions could have been a little bit clearer, but I've seen worse.
# 12
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
The bike rack is awesome, well built and easy to assemble. The only issue that i have is that the product description says that these are suppose to have ratcheting straps to secure the tires and mine most definitely DOES NOT. Its not a big deal but still.
Rack is still going strong. The BackSwing attachment allows us to use this while camping, on road trips, etc. and we can access the back hatch on our Outback without removing the bikes. We use this for mountain bikes, as well as our heavy (65 lb) e-bikes. Very sturdy.
# 13
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gunmetal Gray
I have a great rack! (actually my wife does) I have 5 or 6 friends that use this rack and grew weary of throwing my bike on top of the Outback. Additionally my wife has become interested in venturing off on her own and cannot put a bike on top her outback. etrailer shipped promptly, and the product arrived in good shape, note: there were a few spots where the parts had jostled around in the box slightly and you could see some marring of the surface. This polished right out with a microfiber towel and mothers. There are a few minor nicks (I mean really minor) on the rack;but, they were there before being put in the factory packaging. Not enough to whine about just know the finish is great just not perfect. Speaking of the finish the color matches my Outback perfectly, it actually looks like an OEM Subaru thing. Fit is good using the Hidden/Drawtite hitch clearing the hatch while tilted back easily even with 800mm bars. The locking Hitch pin that comes with the rack is 1/2" diameter instead of the normal 5/8", fortunately the hitch mentioned above has a smaller 1/2" about 12mm aft of the 5/8" hole. The hole in the rack is 5/8" but do to the snugging system on the Küat the mismatch I'd of no consequence. Assembly is easy and someone with good mechanical aptitude should be able to do it in less than 10, an extra set of hands would be nice but aren't required. I built mine on an elevated bench and it was quick and super easy, admittedly I used power tools because I have them. I'm looking forward to the convenience of a tray.
I received the rack very quickly from eTrailer.com, faster than expected, which is always nice. Of course UPS beat the tar out of the box, but the rack was packed well and survived the abuse without a scratch. Assembly was quick and easy, 4 main bolts and 1 for the tilt release lever, that was it. This rack is built like a tank, I'm impressed with the construction and finish. Test fit my road bike (Cannondale Synapse Carbon) and wife's MTB (Cannondale Foray) in just a few minutes. Bikes fit well and felt very solid. Overall I'm a very happy camper and would highly recommend the rack and eTrailer.com.
# 14
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
It’s relatively heavy but super easy to install and use. No rattles from hitch or bike areas. Red Yakima stickers on the vertical beam are low quality, not firmly attached, and I expect them to peal off. Otherwise, very happy with the rack.
I bought a 2015 Subaru Outback and had a Subaru factory installed 1-1/4 hitch added to my purchase. I did not know at the time that Subaru designed the hitch to fit basically only their branded products. I went to several bike stores trying to find a 4 bike hitch supported by my Subaru. I even took some home and tried to get them to work and none did. I went on the internet and googled some solutions that were either completely wrong or was a solution by some engineer who customized the bike rack. Luckily I reached out to etrailer and spoke to their phone rep. He had heard about challenges with the Subaru hitch and recalled there were a couple of 4 bike hitches that would work. He said he would get back to me. In about a 1/2 hour I got an email about the Yakima RidgeBack. I was hesitant because so many had failed but with the free return policy I gave it a shot. I am not real mechanically inclined but in about an hour I figured out how to mount it on my Subaru (it takes less than 5 minutes now that I know how). I used the rack dozens of times, even hauling 4 bikes on it. This is the second product I have bought from etrailer and could not be happier. They are fast, responsive to questions, and get it right. I
# 15
Swagman Fork Down Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Goes together quickly, appears that it will fit my needs in terms of being cross-compatible on a variety of vehicles. Fit on a Subaru Outback factory crossbar and transported bike locally with no issues when I got it out to set up and test (not quite warm enough to ride much yet where I live). Instructions are not super, but the assembly is pretty straightforward so that is not a problem. At the price point, if this rack indeed holds up to swapping onto multiple vehicles and lasts me a few years, I'll be thrilled with the purchase.
The rack was pretty much as should be expected at this price point. It works, but not great quality. For one, the paint easily chips off. Another, the rails are a bit flimsy and twist when you tighten the rear wheel firmly. The directions don't explain a number of small items (which make for a better installation) such as make sure the lever is positioned on the outside for easier installation of the bike, why is there one different bolt, whether the bikes should be mounted forward, backward or it doesn't matter, the rails have a right (and less right) way of going together, the strap for the rear tire "will" fall off of the rack if you forget to reinsert it after taking the bike off of the car. Despite these shortcomings, the rack works well at an inexpensive price...I think a pretty good value
# 16
RockyMounts MonoRail Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
The rack came damaged and could not be assemble without first repairing the damage. The mounting bracket for one of the cross arms was bent (see photo) which prevented the cross arm from being installed. The bend had to be hammer out straight before the cross arm could be installed, which also cause the area of repair to need repainting. Otherwise, the rack appears to be functional and well built. The website specs for the rack list its weight as 38 pounds, but the actual weight is 45 pounds.
I bought this rack for transporting my full suspension mountain bike and gravel bike on the back of my 2016 subaru outback. The rack itself so far is great - I spent a while researching different systems, and the Rocky Mounts MonoRail had the best value for features of all racks I looked at. The tilt feature is great, and the loading/offloading is easy. The integrated locks for the rack and your bikes are a great feature, although the cable would not stop a determined thief with tools. Bikes are relatively stable in the cradles on highways, minimal movement on gravel roads. One complaint is that the entire rack is not very snug in the 2" hitch installed on my vehicle. There is a noticeable bob and sway on the entire loaded unit on bumpy roads. Ideally, I would add shims. Finally, this unit does block ~60% of my backup camera, which just means you have to be careful and use the old school method of turning around to look before backing up.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon, we're doing a test fit of the Thule Vertex hanging style 4-bike rack. That part number is TH9029XT. Now, we already have our bike secured down. We're first going to show you how we do that. You have two cradles in place with three straps, two on our frame and one as our anti-sway strap here in the back. That's going to prevent that bike from swinging back and forth and either hitting your bike rack or other vehicles around it.
Swagman Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today in our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon, we'll be doing a test for the Swagman Quad 2 plus 2, 2 bike, or 4 bike platform style rack. That's Part Number S64692. I've already go it loaded up on a Suba, just to give you a good idea of what it's going to look like. As I said in the introduction it is a platform style rack. It secures our bike in 3 spots. We've got our two wheels in the cradles there.
Swagman Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon S64682
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon, we'll be doing a test for the Swagman G10 platform style two bike rack. That's part number S64682. I've already got loaded it up on the back of the Outback, just to give you a good idea what it's going to look like. It secures our bike in three spots. We have two straps and our two cradles for the front and rear tires. We also have this nice big frame hook, frame hook, excuse me, that puts down pressure into the cradles holding it in position.
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon, we'll be doing a test for the Kuat Transfer Platform Style 3 Bike Rack. That's part number TS03G. So I've already got it loaded up on the Outback just to give you a good idea what it's going to look like. One of the greatest features about this bike rack is it's ability to tilt away so we can gain better access to our rear hatch. So we can come down here to our foot petal, where we can use our hand, press in, and lower it down. And as promised, we can get full access to our rear hatch to remove any cargo, gear, groceries, anything we might have with us on our trip. We'll close that back up.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon th912xtr
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback, we'll be doing a test fit of the Thule Roadway 2 Bike Rack. Part number is TH912XTR. I have a bike on our rack and we have a rack hooked to our vehicle. I would like to just show you a few features of it. How we have our bike connected to our bike rack itself, we have a total of three straps. We have two up top, and we have the one towards the side as our anti sway strap.
Inno Multi-Fork Lock Bike Rack Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today, on this 2012 Subaru Outback wagon we're going to show you the Inno Multi-fork bike carrier, part number INA392. This is what it looks like when it's installed on our vehicle. Now our vehicle does have the factory roof rack installed with the factory cross bars as well. Our Inno bike rack actually clamps directly to these bars. Now in this typical set up here we have a row bike installed in our bike carrier. This will haul a variety of different style bikes. We can go ahead and take a closer look. We'll go ahead and take our rear bike and just move it out of the way for now. We'll loosen up a strap by simply pushing on the top part of this lever here.
Saris Axis Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback we're going to be doing a test fit of the Saris Axis. This is going to be your hanging-style 2-bike rack. It does come with an 1-1/4" shank for your class one and two hitches, as well as a 2" adapter for your class three hitches. Going to be part number SA832. Let's go ahead and get it fitted into the 1-1/4" receiver that we have here today. Insert the shank and we'll line up our pinholes. Once you have your pinholes lined up, from there we will go in and place in our pin and clip.
Saris Freedom SuperClamp Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback we're going to be doing a test fit of the Saris Freedom Super Clamp. This is going to be your platform style tube bike rack. It comes with an inch and 1/4 shank for you class 1 and 2 hitches as well as a 2 inch adapter for your class 3 hitches. It's going to be part number SA4025. I'm going to go ahead and show you how it fits and looks on our Outback we have here today. Insert your shank into your receiver and line up your pin holes. Once you have your pin holes lined up, insert your anti-rattle bolt which will look like this.
Kuat NV Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon, well test fitting the Kuat NV for 2-inch hitches part number N101. To mount the carrier to the vehicle, well insert the shank of the carrier into the receiver tube of the hitch, well line up the hitch pinholes, then well use the knob at the base of the bike rack to tighten it the anti-rattle device, then well come back and insert our pin and lock. Next well go over a handful of clearance measurements. Weve got about 12 inches of ground clearance and about -inch of clearance between the closest part of the carrier and the closest part of the vehicle. Overall, weve added about 12 inches of length to the rear end of the vehicle with the carrier folded up. Now we can prepare to load up a bike.
Yakima DoubleDown Ace Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon well be test fitting the Yakima double down ace 4, part number Y02451. To mount the carrier to the vehicle, once were at the shank of the carrier into the receiver tube of the hitch, well lineup the pinhole and use our securing pin to hold the rack in place. Then well use the hand knob at the base of the carrier to tighten up our anti-rattle device. With our bike carrier mounted well go ahead and go over a handful of clearance measurements. Weve got about 11.5 of ground clearance and about 2.5 of clearance between the closest part of the carrier and the closest part of the vehicle. Overall weve added about 9 of length to the rear of our vehicle with the carriers arms folded down.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon well be test fitting the Thule Hitching Post Pro, part number TH934XTR. To mount our bike rack to our vehicle well insert the shank of the carrier into the receiver tube of the hitch, well lineup the hitch pinholes, then well thread in our anti-rattle bolt. Well then tighten it down using a wrench. Now well go over a handful of clearance measurements, weve got about 12 of ground clearance and about 4 of clearances between the closest part of the carrier and the closest part of the vehicle. Overall weve added about 13 of length to the rear of the vehicle with the carriers arms folded down. We also want to check for rear vehicle access, well remove the pin at the base of the bike carrier and till it down, we want to make sure that we can open the hatch of our Outback and access the cargo even with our bike rack mounted to the hitch.
Pro Series Q-Slot Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon
Today on our 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon well be test fitting the pro series Q Slot Platform Style Bike Carrier, part number PS63134. To mount our carrier to the vehicle well insert the shank of the carrier into the receiver tube of the hitch, well line up our hitch pinhole and secure the carrier with the pin and clip. Next well go over a handful of clearance measurements. Weve got about 12.5 of ground clearance and about 5.5 of clearance between the closest part of the vehicle and the closest part of the carrier. Overall weve added about 22 of length to the rear of our vehicle. We also want to check the rear vehicle access.
What our customers are saying:
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