Swagman XTC2 Wheel Mount Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number S64670 from Swagman. What we have here is their 2 bike bicycle rack, the wheel mount style. This rack has the capacity of carrying two bikes and also has the capacity to carry a wide variety of bike frames, regardless if the top tube is going level, straight, or going at a severe angle. The push button ratchet arm easily adjusts to carry your bike and virtually and frame. The bike hooks have a soft padding coating on them to ensure you will not do any unnecessary scratches to your bike. The wheel mounts themselves adjust very easily for different bicycle widths. And, the rack is powder coated to protect the rack itself from the elements. We will cover some of the features of this bicycle rack. more
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Posted: 7/22/2008 2:15:59 AM
SportRack 2 Hitch Bike Wheel Mount Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number A30901 from SportRack. This is their 2 bicycle rack designed for 1-1/4 and 2 inch receiver hitches. We will go ahead and show you the features and what is really nice about this bicycle rack. We will go ahead and start by installing it in our 2 inch receiver hitch. It is pretty easy. Instead of a hitch pin, it comes with a bolt. You pull this safety clip out and it just unscrews like a normal bolt. Then you just slide it in aligning the holes before you reinstall the bolt. You go ahead and tighten it down with a 3/4 inch wrench. This bolt acts like a anti rattle device that makes the entire thing one solid assembly now. OK, once we have our bolt installed, we will install our safety pin just to make sure if it comes loose it will not come all the way out. more
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Posted: 7/21/2008 7:10:46 PM
Hitch Bike Rack Comparison - Video
Today were going to talk about getting your bikes together with your vehicle so you can go riding. Over here we have a variety of different bikes, the mom and dads bikes, and the kids bikes. Obviously, they have all different types of frames and sizes. What we are going to do here is figure out what kind of bicycle rack works with your type of bikes. To start off there are three different types of bicycle racks, i guess you could say three different configurations. One is the single arm version, on the left hand side here. It is pretty much the original design bicycle rack, not much has changed besides clamps and the hinge part at the bottom. It is the most economical one, for the most part it is the most tried and true piece of equipment. The next one in the center here, is called the two armed version. Basically, it is more stable, has two points of contact on the bicycle rack. It has pretty much been around as long as the single arm version, again it has proven technology, and pretty much there is not much to it except for the width on them. And then the last version is the wheel mount, which is relatively new. It grabs the bikes by the wheel and the frame so you have three points of contact compared to the other two. more
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Posted: 7/18/2008 5:17:35 AM
Kuat NV Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to review part number N101 from Kuat. This is their NV platform style rack. Some of the features this bicycle rack is aluminum construction, which makes for a durable yet light weight bicycle rack. The platform design allows you to use all types of different bikes regardless of frame size and tire sizes. It uses a ratchet type of system that secures the bikes at the front wheel, holds them in place, while there is a ratcheting straps at the back that secures the rear wheels. And they are also adjustable for different lengths of bikes too. It comes standard with an easy-to-use anti-rattle system. Basically you install the rack into the hitch, go ahead and your locking pin and tighten down the handle that engages the anti-rattle system. and the platform on this bicycle rack will actually fold up towards the vehicle when it is not in use. When it is in use, you can actually tilt it back away from the vehicle, allowing you to have access to the rear of your vehicle without having to take off your bicycle rack. It comes with two locks, one for the bicycle rack that goes into the receiver hitch and also one that is part of a cable lock that provides security for the bikes while they are on the bike rack itself. And one of the best things about this bicycle rack is the built in work stand, which is great for doing simple maintenance on your bicycle. This does come in a black chrome powder coat finish. 1:11 more
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Posted: 12/21/2009 9:22:16 AM
Highland SportWing Aluminum Hitch 4-Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number 1370400 from Highland. This is their SportWing Four Bike Bike Rack. This bicycle rack can hold up to four bicycles and you can take the back part of the rack off and only have a two bike rack if needed. It has eight movable nesting cradles two per bike. This will fit only a two inch receiver hitch and it also has a long extension tube that keeps the bikes away from the back of the vehicle so you do not have to worry about them bouncing around back there. The arms that hold the bikes are actually made of a lightweight aluminum. So it saves weight whenever possible for the bicycle rack. Movement and noise is virtually eliminated by securing the bicycles by the wheels and using the pedal straps that are included with the bike rack. 00:38 more
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Posted: 11/13/2009 1:10:43 PM
Yakima DoubleDown 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to cover part number Y02424 from Yakima. This is their hitch-mounted bicycle carrier. This is their DoubleDown 4 Bike Carrier. We will cover some of the features of this bicycle rack. First off, this is a four-bike bicycle rack, and it does come standard with anti-sway cradles, and it does tilt down out of the way to get in the back of your SUV. And also, is is convertible between the 2-inch receiver and the 1-1/4 inch receiver. And we will show you how you do that, next. more
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Posted: 2/6/2009 9:40:30 AM
SportRack Escape 4 Folding Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number A30404 from SportRack. What we have here is a folding 4-bike carrier for 1-1/4 inch and 2-inch receiver hitches. And this model is the SportRack Escape 4. And we will go ahead and install this on a typical 2-inch receiver hitch and show you how it works. To show you how to convert this to a 1-1/4 inch receiver, it is pretty easy. This bushing is basically a press-on fit. So you can just take a screwdriver and just kind of pry it away a little bit and it comes apart. And there you have it, it is ready for a 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch. Next we will go ahead and install it on a typical 2-inch receiver hitch. more
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Posted: 9/11/2008 11:09:13 AM
Swagman XTC4 Wheel Mount Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video - Video
Today we are going to show you part number S64665 from Swagman, their four bike wheel mount carrier that is also folding. We will cover some of the nice points about this bicycle rack. First we will cover the wheel mounts themselves. They are pretty neat. What is nice about these is that they are fully adjustable on the rack itself. You just loosen this knob and you can adjust up to any size bike. Also the wheel mounts have these Velcro straps that go around and keeps the wheel tide to the rack just in case something comes loose. The next feature is, what is nice about this post here, it actually can be folded down and out of the way when you are storing it. It is pretty simple. You just pull this pin, lay it down and go ahead and re-install the pin. That way when it is in its fold up position it will not rattle around. We will go on and move on to the top of this post here to the hooks. This is really nice. First off they are ratcheting style, so you do not have to worry about tightening or loosening them every time, you can just push them into place and they will stay locked. The hooks themselves have heavy padding on them so they will not scratch your bike frames or anything like that. We will go ahead and install the bike rack. It slides into a two inch receiver only. more
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Posted: 8/29/2008 7:00:24 AM
Highland Sportwing 2 Bike Hitch Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number 5801200 from Highland. This is their Sportwing two-bike rack. This will fit 1-1/4 and 2- inch receiver hitches. We will go ahead and install this in a 2-inch receiver hitch and show you how it works. It is pretty simple. It does use two pieces of metal as a bushing to install in 2-inch receiver hitches. If you use 1-1/4 inch, you do not need the bushings. Again, we will show you how it goes together. We will use these two pieces here, that is going to be like a bushing, for a 2-inch receiver hitch. Basically, you just line them up together, like so. And you can orient these either way, depending on the depth of your hitch. So it is not a hard and fast rule to have them a certain orientation. And basically, you just line them up as best you can. Kind of grab them by the edge here, and then you can just go ahead and install it in the hitch. Put our pieces together, grab the ends, and install it in your hitch. And it is going to be loose for now. Install your anti-sway bolt. Take your flat washer and your lock nut - and it is a nylon lock nut - and just go ahead and tighten it down. The bicycle rack does come with the tool for the Allen head but you do need a separate wrench for the nut itself. And we use a 16-mm wrench on this nut. All right, and essentially what this does is that the bolt pulls the whole assembly to one side of the hitch and locks it into place so it cannot move. more
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Posted: 11/10/2008 9:59:26 AM
Swagman 2 Hitch Bike Ball Mount Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number S64095 from Swagman. This is a 2-bicycle carrier for 1-1/4 and 2-inch trailer hitch receivers. How this bicycle carrier works is that it actually mounts into the ball hole of either/or receiver. It requires a ball with a 3/4-inch shank or you can bolt it to your bumper, also, using a 3/4-inch nut-and-bolt assembly. As you can see here, we have this bicycle rack here actually mounted to the bumper using a 3/4-inch bolt-and-nut assembly to hold it in place. Pretty simple. Again, you can do it like this on your bumper, or you can install this on your ball mount on a 2-inch or 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch. more
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Posted: 9/17/2008 12:20:44 PM
Swagman 3 Bike Carrier Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number S64910 from Swagman. What we have here is their three bike bicycle rack that is designed exclusively for a two inch receiver hitch. We will show you the features of this bicycle rack starting from the bottom and we will work our way up. The first of is where it inserts into the hitch. It is kind of nice that it has actually two positions to choose from and we will show you how that works. As you can see here, we have it pretty close to the bumper and we can actually take out the pin and pull it out an additional three inches to give a little bit of extra clearance if you need it. And going on to here, this particular joint is a non-tilting unit which is nice because you can actually use this unit on the back of fifth wheel trailers or RVs. With most other bicycle racks you really are not supposed to do that, especially with the tilting models. But with the three bike rack you can do that, four and five you can not do, but the three bike you can. You also want to maintain a minimum ground clearance on the bicycle rack from the ground a minimum of 15 inches. more
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Posted: 8/30/2008 1:21:40 PM
SportRack Escape Tilting 3 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to be showing you part number A30403 the folding 3 bike carrier for 1 inch and 1/4 and 2 inch trailer hitches. This is called the Sport Rack Escape 3. The features of this includes that it carriers up to 3 bikes, it works with many alternative and larger tubed frame bikes and it has a dual arm design which offers great bike support and 3 attachment points for each bike. Also it has a anti sway cradle which attaches to the upright or angled bar of the bike frame to help keep bikes from swaying front to back as you are driving down the road. The soft cradles slide front to back and rotate to help accommodate many types of bikes. The carrier is also powder coated to resist corrosion. The bike rack tilts down to allow access to the rear of your vehicle. The top support arms also collapse for travel without bikes or for storage. The bike rack includes a threaded anti rattle hitch pin that prevents the bike rack from swaying back and forth. more
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Posted: 8/25/2008 8:06:44 PM
Tow Ready 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Well cover the features of this rack starting from the bottom up. Well start with its anti-rattle device. As you can see the hitch pin is actually a bolt that goes in to the side of the bicycle rack and helps keep it in place, keeps it from rattling and is an added security feature as well. The next feature is the tilting action of this bicycle rack. This allows you to tilt the rack back to be able to get to the back of your SUV, van or whatever so you dont have to take off the rack completely. As you can see its just a simple pin with its own built in clip to help keep everything in place. Working our way to the top, well show you the cradles here. The cradles have a nice cushion of rubber which will definitely last for years of service. Also the Velcro tie-downs offers infinite adjust ability for different frames of bicycles. Theres a lot of different variety of thicknesses of the top tubes of the bikes, and this will handle virtually every one of them. Now well show you how a bike actually gets installed on the rack. As you see this bicycle rack can handle an alternative frame bike as well. Next well provide you with a measurement of the cradles themselves so you can compare this to smaller frame bikes such as kids bikes. It looks like the measurement is 8 1/2 inches wide overall and about 3 3/4 inches deep. There you have it, this is the Tow Ready bicycle rack, part # 63124. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 10:33:47 AM
Thule Revolver 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
These are the parts that will consist of the bicycle rack, well show you how they come together. One stipulation is that this is made only for a two inch receiver hitch. Well start by ing our shank into our hitch. Well use the bottom half here and then use our hitch pin/anti-sway bolt to hold it in place. Next well install the swing out arm portion of the bike rack. The swing arm assembly consists of the bolt, two washers and a nut. Now well install the main body of the bicycle rack. Again this will install with the same bolt, two washers and a nut. The next step is to go ahead and assemble the lock assembly for the hitch pin. Step one we have to take off the protective covers off the locks themselves, step two well install the lock cylinders, and three well test its operation. Now well test the lock on the hitch pin to verify that it works. With the first lock done well move on the second lock which has the same procedure for installing it. This will be for the cable lock for the bicycles. Lets go ahead and test our lock. Lets get the rack ready to accept the bikes, what we have to do first is rotate the cradles facing the right side up. Then well get the straps out of our way and test fit the bike. Now we have the bike attached with the cradles, now well one up it by adding one of the anti-sway brackets. This will keep the bike from moving around on the rack. more
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Posted: 8/5/2008 7:37:41 PM
Thule Roadway 2 Hitch Bike Carrier Review - Video
Today we are going to be reviewing the newly upgraded Roadway series bike rack from Thule part number TH912XT. This bike rack is also available in a four bike system part number TH914XT. The Roadway bike rack features the anti-sway system which combines the T3 cradles with no sway cage to help stabilize bikes during transportation. The soft rubber straps keep the bikes secure to cradles and prevent bike to bike contact. These cradles also slide and adjust throughout the arm for perfect bike positioning. The dual arm system offers excellent bike support and minimizes the need for bike adapter bars. The roadway also features the hitch switch quick release lever which lets you fold down the dual arms when they are not in use. It also makes it easy to tilt the rack forward for rear cargo access. 00:44 more
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Posted: 5/27/2010 4:17:31 AM
Rola NV2 Two Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today, we are bringing you the Rola NV2 hitch mounted two bike carrier for 1 1/ 4 and 2 inch hitches. The NV2 is the perfect combination of versatility and functionality. With light weight aluminum construction and the ability to fit both 1 1/ 4 and 2 hitches without an adapter. The NV2 carries two bikes of any size or shape simultaneously. 00:19 more
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Posted: 12/27/2009 8:51:52 AM
Softride Versa Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you the Softride Versa part number SR26249. Some of the features of this bike rack include unique tilting design which allows easy rear vehicle access. Easy access spring loaded quick release handle which shifts bikes away from the vehicle. The entire rack folds up for storage. It also has wheel mounted cradles which keeps bikes snug using sturdy rubber straps. Telescoping side tubes adjust side to side to accommodate children and adults bikes. Threaded anti-rattle and hitch bolt and lock included to secure the rack inside the receiver tube. Integrated cable protects bike from theft. Pad lock sold separately. It fits on 1 1/ 4 inch and two inch hitches. I am going to show you how to do this right now. 00:48 more
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Posted: 12/14/2009 10:20:25 AM
Thule Helium Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to review part number TH971 from Thule. This is Thules Helium, aluminum, 3-bike, hitch-mounted bicycle rack. This rack will fit 1-1/4 inch Class II hitches only, and 2-inch receiver hitches. First off, what makes this bicycle rack called the Helium is because of its ultra-light, aluminum construction. It is basically half the weight of a traditional carrier, yet the part that goes into your hitch is still the steel product, so you have durability there but you also have the benefit of lightweight construction on the rest of the carrier. It does come standard with sliding, anti-sway cradles. The cradle arms are made a little bit more narrow than on traditional bicycle racks. And it also comes standard with the quick-release lever, which allows the bicycle rack to tilt away from the vehicle so you can get in the back of your SUV or car. It also comes with an integrated locking cable and receiver lock for security. So you have two locks, one for the bicycles and you also have one for the hitch itself. And with the lock on the hitch, it also comes with a built-in anti-rattle device, also. more
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Posted: 8/10/2009 8:06:48 AM
Swagman XC2 Wheel Mount Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to be showing you part number S64650, the XC2 Bike Rack from Swagman. It has easy loading, with up to two bikes carrying capacity. It has a new, push-button ratchet arm that easily adjusts to secure your bikes. The ratchet arms have a soft, frame-friendly coating to protect the bikes finish. And it easily adjusts to different bike frame sizes with a simple movement of the wheel holders. The XC carries a wide variety of bike frames without the hassle of removing wheels. And the rack folds up for easy storage or when not in use on the vehicle. This can be used for both 1-1/4 inch and 2 inch applications. Right now, you see it on the 1-1/4 inch version. Now, to make it a 2-inch, you have to put these pieces on. They fit on like so, and then you just simply put this bolt through. Now, it does not come with this, so you are going to have to have the right Allen key to tighten this down. Now it is ready for 2-inch applications. more
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Posted: 4/20/2009 3:47:02 PM
Yakima DoubleDown 5 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to review part number Y02425 from Yakima. This is their DoubleDown Hitch Mount Bicycle Carrier. This bicycle carrier does carry five bikes. It will work on a 1-1/4 inch and a 2-inch receiver. Next, we will show you the main points about this bicycle rack. First off, it does come with a standard anti-rattle hitch bolt. This rack will fit 1-1/4 inch and 2-inch receivers. This does have a tilt feature that will help you get on the back of your vehicle while the rack is installed. The arms will fold down for clearance in storage. And also, the cradles themselves come standard with anti-sway. And the arms do carry anti-sway cradles, standard. All right, we will go ahead and install this on a typical 2-inch receiver and show you how it looks and how it works. more
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Posted: 2/13/2009 8:06:23 AM
Yakima StickUp 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
All right, today we are going to show you part number Y02420 from Yakima. This is their StickUp Bicycle Carrier. This is a bicycle carrier that is a wheel-mount design that carries up to two bikes. Some quick points about this bicycle rack are that the rear wheel wells themselves are adjustable on the rear wheel. It also has a one single arm that will actually hold both bikes. The handles that lock themselves are independent of each other. And also the whole bicycle rack tilts up out of the way when you are not using it. And of course it does fit 1-1/4 and 2-inch receivers. Right now, this is set up for a 2-inch receiver hitch. To convert it down to a 1-1/4 inch, all we have to do is take off this bolt right here. It is an Allen key bolt, and the bicycle rack does come with the tools to take it apart with an Allen key wrench. One bolt and it is ready for use in a Class II receiver hitch. And in this instance, we are actually going to use it on a Class III receiver so we will go ahead and reinstall the bushing. more
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Posted: 2/10/2009 9:44:08 AM
Thule Parkway 4 Hitch Bike Carrier Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number TH956. This is the folding 4 bike carrier for 2 inch trailer hitches, also known as the Thule Parkway. It is perfect for a weekly trip to the park or an annual family vacation. The convenient tilting mechanism allows for easy access to the rear cargo area of your vehicle, while an anti rattle device secures the bike carrier to the hitch. It also comes with a safety strap to give your bikes just a little more security with you are driving down the road. Okay we are going to go ahead and put the bike rack into the hitch now and install the anti rattle device. Simply screw it in like so and Thule has a tightening tool you can use to tighten it down the rest of the way. Nice and tight and it will not be going anywhere. We will show you the tilting feature next. Undo the pin and let it fall forward and then you can get to the rear of your vehicle with ease and comfort. Next we are going to install a bike for you here. more
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Posted: 11/11/2008 9:25:17 PM
Yakima HighLite Aluminum 3 Hitch Bike Carrier Review - Video
Today we are going to take a look at the Yakima Highlite Aluminum 3 bike carrier for 1-1/4 inch and 2 inch trailer hitches. Part number Y02439. The Yakima Highlite is built primary of aluminum, which means it will be very strong while being very light. The Highlite uses anti-sway cradles to keep the bikes from swinging back and forth or hitting each other or the vehicle. :22 more
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Posted: 3/29/2011 3:45:22 AM
Thule Helium Aluminum 2 Bike Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to review part number TH970XT from Thule. This is Thules helium aluminum two bike rack. This is also available in a three bike carrier as part number TH971XT. First we will cover some of the features of this. This rack will fit either an inch and 1-1/ 4 receiver hitch or a two inch receiver hitch. With 1-1/ 4 receiver hitches, this one works great with a class one receiver hitch. One of the main components about this bicycle rack is it is made out of light weight aluminum and one of the best parts is the anti-rattle feature that we installed in the hitch itself. The bicycle rack engaged into the receiver hitch and it will not rattle. 00:35 more
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Posted: 6/29/2010 8:09:13 AM
Kuat Sherpa Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you the Sherpa from Kuat, part number S102. The Sherpa is a platform style bike rack that grasps your bike at the wheel instead of the frame, eliminating stress on the frame. Because the wheel mounts are positioned closer to the ground, loading and unloading your bikes can be done with ease. Large wheel mounts and pivoting cradles make positioning a snap. And the ratcheting wheel hooks and straps let you secure your bike quickly and easily. The rack itself folds up conveniently for storage, aligning with the rear of your vehicle to eliminate clearance concerns when it is not used. You can also tilt the rack down, even when bikes are loaded to get to the rear of your vehicle. 0:35 more
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Posted: 12/21/2009 9:18:33 AM
Softride Dura Tilting Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number SR26247, the Softride Dura bike rack. Alright, we will start covering some of the features of this bicycle rack and again, we are showing you the 2 inch receiver version. You can tell you actually have two choices in installing it in your receiver hitch. You can keep it far away from the bumper or if you have plenty of room like in this combination we have, you can just go ahead and push it as far in as possible. And Dura bicycle rack does come standard with an anti-rattle bolt. It threads into the block on the inside of the bicycle rack. It threads into place. And what happens as it tightens down, it pulls the rack to one side of the hitch and keeps it from rattling. Once you get started you can use a 7/8 inch wrench. And the lock gets installed on top of it and comes with the bicycle rack also. 0:55 more
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Posted: 12/21/2009 1:15:16 AM
Softride Access Versa Bike Rack Manufacturer Review - Video
The Softride Access Versa Bike Rack offers superior design and function making it the ultimate two bike solution. This rack lowers for easy access to the rear of your vehicle without unloading the bicycles. Simply pull the lever to release the pin and lower the rack. This provides clearance between the bikes and items in the back of your vehicle. The Access Versa bike rack is different from others in its class. Its aluminum tubing expands to accommodate virtually any bike. A steel powder coated frame completes the structure making the Access Versa the ultimate in strength with bikes. The Access Versa has the impressive ability to compress to the size of a temporary spare tire when it is not in use. Simply fold the Access Versas hoop arm down, slide the frame tubes in, and the rack is snuggly stowed and ready for transport. Choose the Access Versa bike rack for the ultimate in design and function. more
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Posted: 10/1/2009 5:09:21 AM
Kuat Alpha Hitch Bicycle Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you the Alpha bicycle rack from Kuat. As shown here we have it in an 1-1/4 inch version in the chrome black. It is constructed completely out of aluminum, it is very light weight and you can practically toss this anywhere you want. Also available is in the white color as shown here in the 2 inch version bicycle rack. more
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Posted: 8/28/2009 6:56:20 AM
Yakima BigHorn 4 Bike Hitch Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number Y02404 from Yakima. This is their BigHorn Hitch Mounted 4-Bike Carrier for a 2-inch receiver hitch. This is one of their more basic carriers, but it will do anything you need to. It will carry up to four bikes and transport your bikes securely and safely. All right, we will go ahead and install this on our 2-inch receiver using the anti-rattle bolt. more
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Posted: 2/10/2009 3:24:34 AM
Yakima SwingDaddy 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to cover part number Y02422 from Yakima. This is Yakimas SwingDaddy Hitch Mount Bicycle Carrier. This rack is designed to work in 2-inch receiver hitches only, and it can carry up to four bikes. The first feature we will show you is the anti-rattle hitch bolt. This goes into where the hitch pin goes, and it threads into place. All right, and then once you have it in place, you can tighten it down with the supplied tool. Next, you can install the safety pin clip or add the supplied lock, which covers up the hitch pin, too. Next, we will show you the best feature about this bicycle rack, and that is the swing-out feature. First off, you want to take out your safety pin, here, and then undo this bolt. Then pull up on this pin, and you can swing it out. You can take this upright, here, and rotate it, and then you can move the whole assembly away from your vehicle, allowing you access to the back of your vehicle. Put your safety pin back in so it cannot come back around, and you can get in the back of your vehicle. more
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Posted: 2/9/2009 9:33:43 AM
Yakima DoubleDown 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number Y02423 from Yakima. This is their DoubleDown 2 Bicycle Rack. This is a bicycle rack that will fit both 2-inch receivers, as shown here, and also 1-1/4 inch receiver hitches. A couple of nice features about this rack: it has all steel construction, it does tilt down, and the arms also tilt up and down for storage and for carrying bikes. These are tools that help you assemble the bicycle rack and install it on your trailer hitch. It also has a little Allen key, here. What this Allen key does is, it allows you undo the bolts so you can convert it from a 1-1/4 inch to a 2-inch receiver hitch. We will go ahead and show you how to do that next. It goes right here. Undo this bolt, take off the bushing, and there you have it - it is ready to go for 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch. We will go ahead and show you the details of this bicycle rack a little closer now. more
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Posted: 2/9/2009 3:29:25 AM
Yakima FlipSide 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number Y02426 from Yakima. This is their FlipSide Bicycle Carrier. And this bicycle carrier does fit 2-inch and 1-1/4 inch receiver hitches and holds up to four bicycles. One of the main features of the bicycle rack is this anti-rattle hitch bolt. The next feature would be the flip feature: instead of tilting down out of the way, this bicycle rack will actually flip over to the side instead. The next feature would be the hitch security lock, which is integrated into the body of the bicycle rack. The next feature is the arms themselves. They actually have a fold-down feature that allows you to store the bicycle rack. And also, the cradles themselves, they do come standard with the anti-sway cradles. And also, they can be moved up and down with the arms of the hitch, as necessary. Next, we will show you how this bicycle rack can be converted to work on a 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch and a 2-inch receiver hitch. more
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Posted: 2/6/2009 9:46:50 AM
Swagman 3 Bike Single-Arm Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to be showing you part number S64152-2 from Swagman. This is the 3-Bike Single-Arm Bike Rack. It attaches to the hitch with a simple pin and clip. It has the same solid design and construction as all of the Swagman Original series. The new Swedge design facilitates quick and easy assembly, and disassembly for storage, and it fits all standard 2-inch receivers. We will go ahead and throw a bike on here and show you how it works. more
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Posted: 11/17/2008 3:10:57 AM
OSI Swinging 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number 51953 from OSI. This is their four-bike bicycle rack. This bicycle rack features heavy-duty steel construction with a locking top plate that secures up to four bikes. What also is nice about this unit is that it actually swings out of the way so you have rear access to your vehicle. This rack does fit 2-inch receivers only, and the actual rack swings out up to 42 inches out to the side. And the cradles themselves will handle a bike frame up to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. We will go ahead and demonstrate and show you how it works. more
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Posted: 11/10/2008 10:03:49 AM
Tow Ready 2 Hitch Bike Folding Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number 63120. This is the two-bike, hitch-mounted, folding rack with frame-mount cradles for 1-1/4 inch hitch. This is from Tow-Ready. This rack carries up to two bikes and works with many alternative and larger tube-frame bikes. However, womens bikes may require an adapter. It has heavy-duty, Velcro, straps which secure the bikes to the carrier, and a powder coated finish to resist corrosion and rust. It has rubberized pads to protect the finish on the bikes as you load them on. And the bike rack tilts forward to allow access to the rear of the vehicle. And also, the shank rises for better ground clearance. It fits 1-1/4 inch hitches only, and the maximum weight on the rack cannot exceed 66 pounds. more
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Posted: 11/12/2008 12:27:14 PM
SportRack Towing 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you A30404TW200 from SportRack. What we have here is a 4 bike folding and towing rack for 2 inch hitches. A few nice details about this bicycle rack are first off this bike rack does fit only 2 inch receiver hitches. But you have an option of having only 2 pin holes on the shank itself. So you can bring it in even closer to the vehicle or further away depending on your bumper and hitch combination. Also on the shank here is the pivot mechanism basically allows you to pull this pin back and allows you to tilt the rack backwards to allow you access to the back of your vehicle. We will go ahead and show you just how that works. You pull out the clip and then you pull out the pin. Then it folds back and out of the way so you can get to the back of your vehicle. more
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Posted: 9/1/2008 6:04:10 PM
Thule Parkway 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to be showing you part number TH958. This is the folding 2 bike carrier for 2 inch trailer hitches, the Thule Parkway. This carrier has a dual arm design for extra stability during your trip. The soft rubber cradles that are made to protect your bike frame while keeping it secure. This is perfect for weekly trips to the park or annual family vacations. The Thule Parkway is an excellent addition to your vehicle for more travel with your bikes. We will go ahead and show off these features starting off with putting the bike rack into the hitch and showing you how the anti rattle device works. Lift the bike rack into the hitch and line up the holes on the side. The anti rattle device simply screws in. That is going nowhere. Next we will show you the tilt feature. You simply pull the pin towards the bottom near the shank and you let the bike rack fall towards you which gives you more clearance to the rear of your vehicle. Next we will be going ahead and putting the bike onto the bike rack. We will get a standard frame bike to keep things simple. Then we will show you how the cradles work. more
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Posted: 8/13/2008 2:24:33 AM
Thule No Sway Cage Bike Stabilizer Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number TH955 from Thule. And what this is, is the Thule no sway cage bike stabilizer. With this part number you get a quantity of 2. What this part number does is actually eliminates any sway on your bicycle while it is on the rack itself. It is pretty neat and easy to install on Thule bike racks and this part will install on most Thule bicycle racks. As we have here we will show you on part number TH915. It is very simple to install. Basically you have this little guide that goes in the middle of the cradle here and you simply just slide it underneath into that guide there. Also make sure you get it around the bar here and simply it just snaps into place. You can rotate it depending on the down tube of your bike to accommodate all kinds of different frames. We will go ahead and install a bike and show you how you can use it. You put it against your down tube and then you strap it in. Of course the same thing applies for the cradles that are holding the bike into place. Alright and there you have it for part number TH955 from Thule, the no sway cage bike stabilizer. more
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Posted: 8/13/2008 12:52:43 PM
Thule Ridgeline 4 Hitch Bike Carrier Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number TH954 from Thule. This is the Ridgeline 4 bike hitch carrier. It carries up to 4 bikes comes with anti sway knob as well as anti sway for the bikes after they are installed. It comes with 2 locks, one for the actual hitch itself and one for the bikes after they are installed as well. This is a tilting bike rack as well as a folding bike rack which provides better storage for you when you are not using it. It can be converted into 1 inch and 1/4 by removing covering on the shank. All that requires is an alan key to unscrew it. Before we install this into our 2 inch hitch we are going to show you how convert it into 1 inch and a quarter. You go to this screw here and take this alan key and simply loosen it off, unscrew it, and this sheath slides off and it is ready for your inch and a quarter application. more
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Posted: 8/12/2008 11:12:00 AM
Swagman 4 Hitch Bike Carrier Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number S64960. This is the Swagman 4 bike single arm bike rack for 2 inch receiver hitches. We are going to go ahead and show you the features of this bike rack starting from the bottom up and throw on some bikes. As you can see this has a standard hitch pin and clip. It also has another hole here which means you can push this in further if you wish or further out. It has 2 points of entry to actually clip it into the trailer hitch, which can give you anywhere from 3 to 4 inches of extra clearance on the back of your vehicle. Starting with the front cradle, you can actually see that it has a locking mechanism on it. You simply turn it like so and it locks down, so it can not open or close and it is pretty much locked into position. Now to operate these you just lift up on this handle here and you can see that there are these nice grooves here that actually keep the bikes cables from getting mashed up against the frame. It is a very good thing to have. It also has this very nice padding here that keeps the bike frames nice and scratch free when you are driving down the road. If you look underneath here you can actually see 2 bolts, or 2 nuts actually. If you loosen or tighten these up you can move these from side to side or back and forth. This one here we have already tilted to the side to accommodate an alternative style bike frame. more
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Posted: 7/22/2008 3:13:22 AM
Thule Parkway 2 Hitch Bike Rack Assembly - Video
We will start by inserting the base or the stinger into the hitch, it gets bolted in place and also has an anti-rattle device. Next we will install the main structure. We will have to unclip the clip on top there, take it off, put it back on there, put the structure in place and then we will put our bottom pivot bolt in. Next we need to unfold the top part of the rack and bolt it into position. Last, but not least, we will rotate the cradles up and put the straps on. A couple bolts to install, and some cradles to unfold and your bicycle rack is ready to go. This is part # TH958, the Thule Parkway bicycle rack. more
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Posted: 7/14/2008 10:49:57 AM
SportRack 4 Hitch Bike Towing Rack Assembly - Video
This is a four bike bicycle rack that is actually capable of towing a light duty camping trailer or utility trailer. We will show you the assembly process of this bicycle rack. First we will start off with the shank which we will install in our two inch hitch, and then we will start building up from there. Our shank is installed, lets go ahead and install the main post that will hold everything together. Next we will install the cap for the post. Next we will install the arms, the part that actually holds the bikes. That concludes our assembly of bike rack part # A30404TW200. more
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Posted: 7/14/2008 12:28:11 PM
SportRack Escape 3 Hitch Bike Rack Assembly - Video
Before we can begin, one other thing we should consider is what type of hitch well be using. In our case its a two inch receiver hitch. However, this bicycle rack is adaptable down to the 1 1/4 inch receiver hitch. I will show you how to do that here. First you unscrew the bolt and then basically the plastic covers pop off. Do that to the other half and you have a 1 1/4 inch drawbar ready to go. First off we will start off by inserting the shank of our bicycle rack into a hitch, and we will use that for our starting point. Next we will install the main support, it will bolt in on one spot and it will be a hitch pin that will hold it in the other spot. Next we will install the actual top of the rack itself, the part that actually holds the bikes. A couple more details left, we will go ahead and raise the rack to its upright position and then we will install the straps. That will do it for our assembly of the Sport Rack Escape 3 Bike Carrier part # A30403. more
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Posted: 7/14/2008 7:23:13 AM
Thule Parkway 4 Hitch Bike Carrier Assembly - Video
We will start off the assembly process by inserting the stinger into our 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch and we will start building up from there. As you can see the hitch stinger will be held in place by a bolt assembly. Next we will install the main structure, we will first start off by taking off the latch pin. Then the main structure will go ahead and be bolted down at the bottom at its pivot point. What we will do next is go ahead and unfold the arms into their upright position. Alright, next we will rotate the cradles up and put their straps on. That completes the assembly process of part # TH957, the parkway model from Thule. more
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Posted: 7/14/2008 10:53:18 AM
Thule Parkway 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
We will cover some of the features of this rack, starting at the base. We will talk about the hitch pin or lack there of, instead of a hitch pin this assembly has a bolt that locks it into place. You screw it in, tighten it down, and essentially it makes the bike rack one piece for your hitch so it does not rattle around, move or make noise. Another nice feature about this rack is that the rack itself tilts in case you need to get into the back of your truck, SUV or whatnot. You simply unclip the pin and let the rack down so you can get in the back without having to take the whole assembly off. Next we will talk about the cradles themselves. They are real nice in the fact that they can be adjusted front to rear or left to right. Also the cradles themselves have grooves in them to keep room for your cables on your bike so they do not mash up against the frame. As an additional note, we will take an outside measurement of the cradles to see if it is compatible with your bicycle frame. It looks like overall it will be 12-1/4 inches. Now we will show you how a couple of different bike frames will fit on the rack. We will start off with the standard frame bicycle. As you can see if you look down the line of the cables, they go right into the grooves already made into the cradles so they will not get pinched against the frame. Now we will go ahead and install an alternative frame bicycle on the rack to show you how it mounts up. As you can see an alternative frame bicycle fits just nicely on this rack too. There you have it, part # TH957 from Thule, their Parkway model. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 10:40:16 AM
Thule Revolver 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - Video
Today we are going to show you part number TH964 from Thule. This is their swinging 4 bike carrier for 2 inch trailer hitches. The Thule Revolver. What we have here is a hitch mounted bicycle rack that is designed for 2 inch trailers hitches. It can hold up to 4 bikes and it has the unique ability to swing in and out from the vehicle so you have complete access to the rear of your vehicle when you need too. We will go ahead and start to show you all the features of this rack starting at the bottom and working our way up. One of the more important features of this bike rack is that it has a built in anti sway device. Basically it has this bolt that goes through and is threaded to the bicycle rack. Which essentially bolts the bike rack to the hitch. It comes packaged with a tool that you can use to tighten it up. So that it becomes one with your vehicle. more
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Posted: 7/22/2008 5:32:32 PM
Tow Ready 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2008 Subaru Outback Wagon - Video
Today on our 2008 Subaru Outback, well be test fitting the Tow Ready 4 Bike Hitch Mounted Bike Rack, part number 63124. With our bike rack already pre-assembled, were ready to go ahead and fit it to the vehicle. Well just need to insert the bike rack shank into the hitch. Well line up the hitch pinhole and insert our anti-rattle bolt. With our anti-rattle bolt in place, well go ahead and tighten it down with a wrench. And after its tight, well insert our safety pin and that will secure our bike rack to the vehicle. more
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Posted: 1/30/2012 4:20:54 PM
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe - Video
Today on this 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, were going to do a test fit on part number TH9029 from Thule, the Vertex 4 Bike Carrier. One note about this bicycle rack is that it will work for an inch and a quarter receiver hitches, both class one and class two, however the class one receiver hitch youre only limited to two bikes, and well work with a class two receiver hitch with the included spacer, okay. Were going to start off with test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, and we will install the anti-rattle bolt. Put the bike rack in its storage position, well go ahead and get some measurements. As closest point of contact to the bumper, were looking at two to quarter inches. Ground clearance will be ten and inches. more
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Posted: 1/30/2012 4:20:49 PM
Thule Doubletrack Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe - Video
Right today its 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, were going to do a test fit for the part number TH990XT from Thule, Doubletrack Platform Bicycle Rack. This is bicycle rack will work with class one and class two receiver hitches and will also work with two inches receiver hitches with the provided spacer. We start off for tested by installing the bike rack into the hitch. They will install an anti-rattle bolt and put the lock on the other side. All right were going and fold the bike rack and gives some measurements on clearance. All right, as closest point on contact between the hitch switch and the bumper, were looking at two and a half inches. more
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Posted: 1/30/2012 4:20:41 PM
Thule Apex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2011 Ford Expedition - Video
All right today in 2011, Ford Expedition. We're going to do a test to the part number TH9025 from Thule. This is Apex 4 bike carrier. Few quick notes what this bicycle carry, they will work with a two-hinge receiver hitch with provided spacer, and also work on inch and quarter receiver hitches, both class one and class two. However, when you use it on a class one receiver hitch, youre limited to just two bikes. Okay. more
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Posted: 1/30/2012 4:20:30 PM
