Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Rating: 
16 reviews
Code: SR26247
Retail:$309.99
Price:$278.99
Shipping Weight: 39 pounds
Shipping Special
Features:
Specs:
The Softride Dura features a tilting parallelogram design that keeps the rack arms and bikes level at all times. Most racks tilt down and dip bikes close to the ground when they allow rear vehicle access. The Dura, however, maintains a straight angle when it moves away from the vehicle, always carrying bikes in an upright position. The Dura has two parallel upright bars that move together to provide the unique tilting parallelogram design. Two hitch pin holes help fine tune the distance between the rack and vehicle.
Rugged tie-down straps safely secure bikes to the soft, rubberized cradles. Anti-sway cradles are built-in to grab the bikes at a third point. This third point works to prevent bikes from swaying front to back. Safety reflectors at the end of each arm provide nighttime visibility.
A spring-loaded, quick-release pull pin handle is easily accessible near the top of the upright bar. Simply pull it out to allow the rack to tilt away from the vehicle, providing trunk or cargo area access. The arms can also remove for convenient storage. This done by simply sliding the quick release buttons located on the back of the steel top plate. An optional Softride Wall-Mounted Bike Storage Station is sold separately to hold the removed arms and bikes when you're not on the trail.
Replaces SR25863 and SR25864
Video of Softride Dura Parallelogram Tilting 4 Bike Rack for 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Softride Access Dura Bike Rack offers the ultimate combination of features in a hitch mounted rack. The rack lowers for easy access to the rear of your vehicle without removing your bicycles. Simply pull the pull pin on the side of the rack to lower for cargo access or to load the bike.
The racks unique patented parallelogram design allows the bike rack arms to remain horizontal even when the rack is lowered. Unlike other brands, the Access Dura Bike Rack remains level, protecting user and bikes. The Access Duras anti-sway system compliments the cradles of the arms ensuring the smoothest, safest ride around. The Access Dura is equipped with rubber straps to hold bikes securely while you navigate the roads. Also available and nonparallel in design is the Access Elite Rack. Its silvery hue of its aluminum frame and aero design simply make it the most elegant rack in the industry. Softride Access Bike Racks, the ultimate in design and function.
Customers Who Purchased This Hitch Bike Racks Also Bought...
Replacement parts available for this product
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (16 Customer Reviews)
by: Jeano B.04/30/2011
Is this review helpful?
Well build, solid, really good bike rack. The only thing that's stopping me from giving it a perfect score is because of it's weight. If weight is not an issue, get this bike rack if you want something that will last very long.12606
by: John O06/03/2011
Is this review helpful?
My only other experience with a hitch rack was a $99 Walmart special. Not good. This rack was easy to install and I used the 1 1/4" adaptor. Loaded up 4 mountain bikes. A little tight but made it work. Took it for a test drive and it was solid and quiet. Didn't even know it was there. Watching in the rear view, there was little movement. I was looking for something strong and it is. Some reviews stated concerns about the rubber straps. I pulled them as tight as I could and the held well. If they happen to wear out they are worth buying replacements. I am very confident in taking this across the US this summer with the family. Mounted it on a Mountaineer.16072
by: mark b03/29/2011
Is this review helpful?
haven't had an opportunity to use it yet. did mount it on a honda odessey van and was happy with the ability to open the back door by lowering the rack. we bought it in the first place because it will carry our bike higher above the ground than our last rack. we were dragging bikes going in and out of filling stations.10677
by: Don & Jess Alexander02/25/2011
Is this review helpful?
This bike rack is phenomenal. Came 95% assembled and is very rugged. Great warranty. We love our new bike rack which we'll use for long road trips and around the city. Again, great packaging and delivery by E-trailer. Love all the info that is posted on the site. Made me comfortable with my purchase. Thanks7908
by: John H09/26/2011
Is this review helpful?
This is an excellent, well built product. It requires minimal assembly, just 4 bolts if I recall to attach the top plate, torqued to hand tight (snug). I posted a question about the torque as the installation manual did not mention it. etrailer contacted the manufacturer and got the answer (that's customer service!). Note: make sure the bike lock cable is pulled out of the main vertical rack tube before assembly, or you'll find yourself un-assembling it to do just that. If you have a spare tire mounted on the rear of your vehicle, you'll probably need the Softride Bike Rack Extender Bar for 2" Hitches (etrailer # SR26033). I have a 2004 Dodge Sprinter RV with a rear mounted spare, and my measurements suggested I might be able to go with the original hitch bar, but thankfully I bought the extender bar as it was needed. If you get this extender bar (which is 2" BTW), etrailer should have a short video on installing it to the rack - that was a question I had - as neither the extender bar nor the bike rack have installation instructions for it. It replaces the existing hitch bar. It's a little tricky with the washers, so watch the video. I believe the video is linked under the extender bar. I don't know if you can down-convert the 2" extender bar to 1-1/4. The bike rack comes with a 2" to 1-1/4" hitch converter, I just don't know if the 1-1/4 class hitches can handle it with the extender, so be careful. When you install the assembled unit in your hitch receptacle, you'll need a torque wrench. If I recall, the torque is 60 pounds, and this is in the install manual. You also might need a socket driver extension if your hitch receptacle pin hole is in a tight area. Once it's in, it's nice and snug. Installing the 2 bike carrying arms is a breeze - just slide them in until they lock. Next are the rubber straps. Before mounting any bikes, I recommend placing them toward the rear side of the vehicle on each rubber mounting assembly so that, as you mount bikes, you're pulling the straps away from the rear of the vehicle, toward yourself, to secure the bikes. The rubber straps are very tough and stiff initially, and I had a devil of a time getting them secured the first time. I had to use a long nose pliers, but since can manage without, what with my heroically strong fingers and hands. Ha! (Ok, maybe you younger stronger whipper-snappers won't need a pliers). In any case, the first time you mount bikes, allow yourself 3 times as much time as you think you'll need. After that first time it's easy and goes much quicker. The rack comes with a set of velcro straps and no explanation for them. I assume they are to secure the front wheel of the bike to bike frame, so the wheel is not twisting in the wind and clanking against the neighboring bike. A single velcro strap was not long enough for either of my bikes, so I had to daisy chain 2 of them together. I'm sure a rope or bungie cord will work just as well. I only carried 2 bikes, a man's on/off road, and a retro woman's bike with really wide handle bars. With only 2 bikes I was able to space them out, which made it easier to mount. There was plenty of space for a 3rd bike, but I think a 4th would've been very tight, if not impossible, what with the 2 wide-load bikes I have that are meant for lazy older people. Also, somewhere on etrailer, I read that if you use an extender hitch bar, you cut the weight capacity of the bike rack in half. That wasn't mentioned specifically for this product, so that might be a general rule of thumb. That'd be a good question for etrailer if you plan on loading up this rack while using the extender bar. This rack has a "lowering" feature that moves the bikes away from your vehicle, while keeping the bikes vertical. It is a singularly excellent feature. I am able to fully access the right rear door of the Sprinter. However, I cannot access the left door as that's where the spare is mounted, and even if I attempt to drop the spare to its horizontal position, it won't clear the lowered bike rack. I can live with that as I seldom need access through that door anyway. The rack comes with a hitch lock - very nice - that you'll pay extra for with other racks. It also has an integrated bike lock cable (lock not included). Pull the cable all the way out, and then maneuver it horizontally right or left under the top plate, and then pull it over the bikes to lock it. The cable is not long enough if you go over the top of the top plate. As far as performance on the road, I was impressed. Watching the tops of the bikes through the rear view mirror, they hardly move. And let me tell you, the Sprinter is notoriously tippy, side to side and front to back. It's like a 20 foot sailboat in 10 foot waves, especially going in and out of gas stations or over those pain in the arse speed bumps in my neighborhood. Once on the expressway though, it's smooth sailing for the vehicle and the bike rack. All in all, I think this is an excellent product and recommend it. I'm a bike rack novice (this is my first one), so I don't have anything to compare it to, but perhaps this lends credence to my thoughts on this product. Be careful, do your research, and have fun!24642
by: Andrew P.08/10/2011
Is this review helpful?
I was intrigued by tilting mechanism of this rack and the fact it has most of the features of Thule and Yakima systems at a slightly better price. The product arrived on time and was easy to assemble and install. The rack itself is very well made and sturdy. Had no issues carrying three bikes, but had to some trouble with my cruiser bikes. I found this product called Xporter which is like a clip on top tube that solved the problem. The issue was not with the rack, but with my bikes as I would have run into the issue with the other brands as well. Overall I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend it.21573
by: John B08/01/2011
Is this review helpful?
Just used this for a short two hour drive up to the mountains. Rack assembled quickly and installed quickly as well. It is very sturdy and is also easy to tilt, even with four bikes on it. I am using it to transport 2 adult and 2 kids (24") bikes. It is a tight fit getting all the bikes on, but I really like the space in between the bars. It is narrow enough to fits the kids bikes without having to buy any adapters. One of the rubber straps broke after the third or fourth use, so make sure you are not pulling too tight. All in all, I think this is a good value and would recommend. 20839
by: Emily R.07/18/2011
Is this review helpful?
Do not buy this if you want to transport 4 bikes at a time! Worked ok for 3 but definitely not the 4 it said it could hold. 19671
by: stephen07/18/2011
Is this review helpful?
The rack works about as expected. The tilt-away feature is really worth it for gaining access to your hatch without messing with the bikes. I had great difficulty putting the bikes on for the first time, because the rubber attachment straps, when new, are very stiff and it was hard to get the round holes in the straps over the oblong attachment points. When the rubber stretches a bit, it should be easier, but I was surprised to find how difficult it was at first. (Given that, I can't imagine having to take the bikes on and off every time you wanted access to your trunk.) That said, we transported three bikes over one hundred miles on the first trip without problems -- once the bikes were in place. Pushing the bikes back in place from the lowered position does require some muscle, so if you're pushing three or four full size bikes a lot, I might spring for the hydraulic assist. The other feature I appreciate is the ability to easily slide the two horizontal supports off the rack for storage -- that's a good design element. Otherwise, the rack seems stable, solid, and well constructed.19629
by: James06/29/2011
Is this review helpful?
very solid and looks long lasting. If you are looking to own a long life bike rack, this is the choice. this even comes with hitch lock and keys. only cons i can say it's it's weight.18162
by: TL06/13/2011
Is this review helpful?
Overall a great product. Holds the bikes steady and functions smoothly. Would buy again.16872
by: John O06/03/2011
Is this review helpful?
PS etrailer.com shipped and delivered fast. Good price and free shipping.16073
by: Allen B04/14/2011
Is this review helpful?
The product was delivered the day after I ordered it even though I did not select overnight delivery. Everything was included, easy assembly, and it went onto the car with no issues. Thanks for the great service and great product.11713
by: Dave M03/16/2010
Is this review helpful?
Exactly as I expected!!!!! This rack is just what I ordered. I would recommend this rack to everyone.I thought it would be to large for my 2009 Santa Fe, but it looks great and works great. Buy one and enjoy.Also etrailer.com is the best site I have ever used to purchase from FIVE STAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!2812
by: Paul B01/29/2012
Is this review helpful?
Pros Good Construction Easy to assemble Cons V hard to push up Rubber straps holes are hard to get onto here designated keeper Rubber straps very stiff, not for older people Would be much easier if they were like a bungie cord 4 bikes are really tight. I would not buy this rack if I had known the above information Review of E Trailer Made a customer for life out of me. Thanks for the great customer service. 30504
by: Bob G09/13/2011
Is this review helpful?
3rd time I've used etrailer. Product always arrives on time or early. Great quality and easy to assemble. Should be the last bike rack I will buy.23862
Ask the Experts about this Softride Hitch Bike Racks
Do you have a question about this Hitch Bike Racks?
Related Products...
Installation Details
