# 1
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
With a regular bike this rack works great. I do have one cruiser/beach type bike that is harder to get loaded. I've only hauled two bikes but it worked great for two. Will be testing it the three threshold this fall. It is easy to attach and lower but is a little heavy. Of course, I imagine if it was lighter it would flex too much. Overall very happy with purchase.
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
# 2
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
As with my Draw-Tite hitch, I ordered my Swagman XTC-2 bike carrier on a Monday, received it Wednesday, and had it put together and mounted on my 2010 Ford Flex in about 20 minutes. Good strong high quality carrier at a fair price. Again, the vehicle specific installation video was a definite plus. My wife and I ride Fuji Saratoga 1.0 comfort bikes which have a longer wheel base and all the other carriers I reviewed would not expand wide enough. The pictures that came with this carrier's explanation showed a recumbent bike which is much longer than our Fuji's; decision made. I'm really impressed with etrailer,com and the great service I received on both items I've ordered. I will use them again if needed.
First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.
# 3
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.
# 4
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
Wonderful service, including personal updates, for a great product. Fit guide was spot on, product was easy to install and works as described so far.
Fits perfectly on our Lexus CT200h. Only on the old LS400, the side straps have to be fastened to the wheel arch edge, since the upper trunklid gap is to narrow for inserting the strap hooks. Mounting of two bikes is (with some routine) quickly done, and they stay safe even for longer and faster routes. For transporting three (mountain) bikes, though, the design doesn't seem big and robust enough. Nevertheless, the price-benefit-fun ratios are way better than reasonable.
# 5
Curt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
It was obvious that we received a product that was returned by someone else when the box was overly taped shut, a support collar was broken, and most of the pieces were out of their ripped plastic bags. However, it was a great price to hold 5, 26" and/or 27" Trek bikes. I used a piece of the broken collar and went ahead and assembled the rack. Due to the weight of the 5 bikes it did not wobble that much when driving, as one of the bike tires was up against my car. I can only imagine that if we received an untampered product that this review would have been 5 stars. The picture is a little hard to see, but there are 5 Trek bikes on the rack on my 2020 Toyota Seinna.
We received a damaged box, damaged items, no instructions, the nuts and bolts are completely stripped and not inside a bag. This was obviously used, returned, not checked for quality and sent out. We are extremely upset.
# 6
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Great service
Quick and reliable shipping and was able to take to my mechanic to get it installed and it works perfectly with my bike rack!
# 7
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Have yet to use it but the assembly process was direct and simple. Looking forward to putting the product to a test within the next week.
I like the overall design of this rack, but unfortunately after hauling a couple bikes around for a while the point where the crossbar connects has apparently rounded off so the rack swings back and forth. I've used rope to tie the ends of the rack to the car to stop this from getting worse, but it's inconvenient. Note: the hitch connection itself is good and solid, but the point where the crossbar connects to the bar coming from the hitch has gotten loose and there's no way that I can see to tighten it.
# 8
SportRack Ridge Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Swing Away
Unit doesn't fit a Jeep Rubicon with a spare tire. I tried 4 times and contacted etrailer.com that the unit doesn't work as sold and they offered to sell me a 7 3/4 extension and reduce the load capacity 50%. The length of the 2" hitch needs to be 3" longer for a standard Rubicon to get past the spare. You not going to want to take your spare tire off for the hitch to work. It defeats the purpose. Customer service was excellent, however the product is a flawed design. Can't recommend this hitch. Its also heavy.
Solid rack for half the price of the name brands. Don’t waste your money! Thanks to the extensive reviews on etrailer and a free shipping promotion I took a chance and ordered this along with the three of their crossbars, anti rattle hitch pin and cable lock. All for well less than the name brand rack alone. Shipping was painful. Etrailer said it was in stock but then due to a delay with the manufacturer it took 35 days from order to arrival. I wasn’t in a hurry so I waited patiently, and etrailer reps emailed often to lmk they hadn’t forgotten. I thought some kind of reward for my extreme patience was in order- discount, gift card, free bag of chips- but they politely declined. Oh well. In the end it arrived when they (eventually) said it would, all in one box, in great shape. The rack was super easy to assemble. You’ll need a ratchet or two and you’ll need to crank those bolts to assemble- they don’t just “insert.” But otherwise it’s only a few steps; I had mine hanging on my truck in probably 15 minutes. Swings away and locks smoothly and requires no effort to do so. Everything feels quite sturdy and well made. No rattle on initial test drive either. This will be a once in a while rack at best for our family of four. We have two SUVs so I needed a rack that could get out of the way of the rear hatch WITH bikes on it. This will do that. And now I don’t need to stuff four dirty bikes into the back of my truck, getting them all tangled and scratched!
# 9
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Planning on bringing bikes while camping. I mounted 2 of the Swagman bike racks to my new Sportrack on my pop-up camper. The bikes fit perfectly. The racks seem sturdy enough. Not heavy duty, but for my needs they should be fine. Assembly was relatively fast and easy.
We have used the Swagman Roof Rack a number of times when we have needed the additional bike carrying capacity. It took a couple attempts to get the initial spacing of the bike rack properly balanced on the van’s roof rack as recommended by the instructions. But it was easy to do and once set was very easy and quick to put on and take off. The rack works great, the bike is easy to put into place and secure. The bike and rack are very stable and quiet and haven’t required any mid-trip adjustments. We always put the cheapest bike on the roof (lol) but do use a bit of duct tape to protect the finish just Incase. We are very satisfied with the rack and consider it quite a deal for the money.
# 10
Saris SuperClamp EX Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Tilting
This bike rack is a tremendous value. Cheaper and just as good as comparable racks that cost twice as much. The rack has performed superbly. One caution: the manufacturer’s packaging is poorly designed, and insufficient to safely ship a 60+ pound bike rack. The steel parts of the rack shifted during transit and broke several molded plastic components. Saris’ customer service folks were excellent, and promptly sent replacements for the components that were broken in transit. The improper packaging was not etrailer’s fault. Saris should reengineer their packaging for this item.
This is great bike rack. It arrived fast and just in time for our trip in mid July. My husband and I put it together quickly, we looked at a [online] video for how to put it together and went by the instructions booklets. It took us under an hour to put it together. It is very simple to load and unload bikes on it and the bikes stayed stable throughout our 600 mile trip and back. So overall, I am very satisfied with this bike rack. Will now see how it holds up with time.
# 11
Yakima FullTilt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Just an all around great bike rack. I have loaded four bikes and driven a decent amount of miles with no issues at all. I didn't even find it necessary to use the accessory cross bar that can be purchased separately. I did buy a couple of them just in case. I don't find it an issue if the bikes are not level with the ground when loaded. They are all well above the ground. I only wish I had purchased this from etrailer sooner.
So far so good. Easy to install on my 2in hitch, looks great and feels secure. I will need to but a few adapter bars for the family bikes but I'd recommend this one for sure. The adjustable locks are very convenient and the removable straps make it easy to slide bikes on and off the rack.
# 12
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
Haven't done a test drive yet, as we just received it yesterday. We have a 2009 Ford Flex with a 2" receiver. I researched on-line for several months before making the purchase. I used etrailers measurement checklist, for the hitch as well as the bikes' tire size and spans prior to purchase to confirm that this rack would work for our vehicle and ebikes. The rack arrived on the day promised, packed well. We are aged 81 and 61. Easy for us to assemble, very good, well written instructions with easy to understand diagrams. Took us maybe 25 minutes to install, in hindsight probably could have done it faster, but we were trying to be very careful. Loading the bikes took the both of us, as the bikes are about 48 pounds each, but it was relatively easy. We anticipated having to adjust the bolts that are in the sliding holes after we loaded the bikes, but the position in the middle was perfect for our 2 Aventon Level Commuter bikes. Our front tires have a fender, so that was our major concern. We tried the hold-down bar on both our fender and the tire. Seems either will work fine, but will probably keep the hold-down bar on the tire just in front of the fender. The bikes are very stable and upright in the rack and no part of the bikes touch each other. All moving parts seem to work perfectly. So far, we are very pleased with the product!
Seems like a solid rack. Really heavy and bulky which I was not expecting. You essentially have to mount the 2 bike rack to the car then slip in the 2 bike add-on. Lifting the 4 bike rack as assembled is doable but triccky. Still much better for my beloved bikes than the 4 bike cradle racks which beat the bikes up as they rub each other. Warning: the nut in the receiver part of the rack had steel shot beads stuck in the grease so I couldn't thread the bolt in. I had to disassemble the nut holder and pick the steel beads out with a dental pick.
# 13
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gray
So after much research into bike racks, I decided on pulling the plug on the Kuat Sherpa 2.0. I've looked into the Kuat NV and other brands, but they were just too much for my needs. If you've got "regular" bikes and not the heavier eBikes, then this rack is perfect. I wanted a hitch rack that was user friendly and not overly complicated. I have a mixed bag of bikes and this rack can handle them all, from mountain bikes, street bikes, and BMX bikes. I like that this rack comes with an adapter piece for 20"-24" wheels. Assembly of the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 is really a no-brainer. I think it's only 4-5 bolts really. Everything else is ready to go. The anti-rattle hitch ball mechanism is simple to use with just a twist of the dial, easy. The tilt pedal/lever is also easy to access should you need to open your hatch, a solid "click" assures it's in place. So far, loving this rack. Fit and finish is superb. Thanks to Jerred and etrailer for answering my questions, always helpful.
OMG!! I have been researching and pricing bike racks for a month. Every time I thought I was ready to pull the trigger, I have a question or review that through me off the trail. I was ready to purchase the rack from outdoor retail store and drive 2 hours to pick it up from store to save the $75 shipping, when I thought about etrailer that I had used when I had a travel trailer. Checked them out, they had the exact rack I decided to buy, with $[XX] discount and free shipping. Life doesn’t get any better. It was delivered right on time and in great shape. BTW etrailers website description and videos were better than the racks manufacturer site. You are Rock Stars in my book. Overall, start to finish was above and beyond expectations.
# 14
Swagman XC-Extended Bike Rack for 2 Recumbent Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I have bad shoulders and could no longer lift my long wheelbase recumbent bike up to my Thule rack. The new rack solved the problem and made it much easier to load the bike. Very happy I got the new Swagman rack.
Thank you again for such excellent customer service. I am including two pics from today showing the bikes mounted on my 2009 Honda Fit with the bike rack we purchased from you. Please feel free to use them in any of your publications, print or web.
# 15
Hollywood Racks Road Runner Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
So, one year in, this works well for the price. I have successfully hauled around 5 bikes a couple times now including a couple vacations. Bikes got there securely despite 4+ hours of driving at interstate speeds, including one harrowing stretch on bumpy roads with 70 mph speed limits (wow Texas, seriously?) where the car got significant amounts of "air" at random intervals. Getting the bikes on and off is still a major pain. I had to buy the adapter for 3 womens/children's bikes. My own full size mountain bike barely fits on, too, the pitch between the bars seems a bit challenging and requires me to contort the bike dramatically to get it on and off. If you are trying to actually get 5 bikes on here, figuring out the bike handle tetris game is not easy. Will take you a bit. It still takes me ~15 min to load 5 bikes up every time. On short trips I sometimes skip the tiedown through all the bike wheels and it's fine, although I wouldn't do it for long trips. My biggest regret here is not buying one where the rack will pivot out to allow access to the rear minivan hitch with the bikes attached -- this means this is the last thing to pack in the car and the first thing you unpack, every time on vacation. It requires planning and forethought. The rack does fold down nicely which we used extensively on vacation once the bikes were unpacked, just don't drive around that way. On my Honda minivan the bottom of this sags a bit when fully loaded with bikes, to the extent I scrape hard every time exiting my slightly inclined driveway. We found a few other low spots along our way, from restaurants to other businesses, that resulted in similar cringe-inducing moments. We drove it on the beach quite a bit, after a healthy wash with the pressure washer there is some mild rusting where the handles rotate, but the rack is otherwise in good shape.
Bought several bike racks and trailer hitches from etrailer. They followed up to make sure all was good. I would highly recommend buying from them. Good people and they care about the customer!
# 16
Hollywood Racks Express 3 Bike Carrier - Fixed Arms - Trunk Mount
Installation was straightforward. The rack sits high up on my 2016 Subaru Forester so lifting bikes onto the rack requires effort. Getting 3 mountain bikes on the rack was a bit tricky. When loaded rack was secure and stable.
Seems like a sturdy, reliable product so far. Components are solid and well put together. Fits great and carries well on my 2014 Corolla. Excellent value considering the price tag on other racks out there. And the prompt delivery was great!
Yakima SwingDaddy 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
All right today, on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number Y02422 from Yakima; this is their SwingDaddy 4 Bike Carrier. One thing to know about this bicycle rack is that it's designed for class two receiver hitches only. Now we'll go ahead start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, then we'll tighten down the anti-rattle bolt, then we'll install the safety clip on the other side. All right, with the bike rack installed, let's go ahead and get some clearance measurements. At its closest point from the bike rack to the bumper, we're looking at four and a half inches. Ground clearance looks like 14 1/2 inches.
Yakima FrontLoader Roof Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
Today on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number Y02103 from Yakima; this is a Front loader Bike Carrier. A few notes about this bicycle rack is that it does not require you to remove the front wheel on the bike if it's round, square, and factory crossbars. On this particular vehicle we'll be using the Yakima Roof Rack System. The adjustable arm provides a sure fit for any size wheels. Now we're going to start off our test fit with the bike rack already assembled according to the instructions, so we just got to put it on the roof rack. We'll line it at the front clamp with the front crossbar, and then we'll loosely install it and then go to the back clamp and loosely install it onto the roof rack for the second crossbar.
Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
All right today, on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number Y02098 from Yakima, this is a Forklift Bicycle Rack. A few notes about this bicycle rack that it will work with round crossbars, and square crossbars and most factory crossbars. Now with this particular vehicle, we will be working with the Yakima Roof Rack System. To start off our test fit, our bicycle rack were already assembled according to the instructions, so we just kind of put it on the roof rack. We'll start off by lining the front clamp up with the front crossbar, and then we'll go ahead and tighten it down but loose enough where you can still move it around and will go on to the back clamp in protecting the place as well. Then we'll go ahead and move the bike rack to the position that we want, then we'll go ahead and tighten down both clamps.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
All right today on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number TH9029 from Thule, the Vertex 4 Bicycle Rack. A few notes about this bicycle rack that this will work inch and a quarter receiver hitches both class one and class two. However, with a class one receiver hitch, you're limited to carrying just two bicycles. Now this will also work with a two-inch receiver hitch with the included spacer. That's what we will be working with today. Well start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, then we'll go ahead tighten down the anti-rattle bolt.
Thule Parkway 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
All right today, on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number TH958 from Thule, the Parkway 2 Bike Carrier. One thing to know about this bicycle rack, that it is designed for two-inch receiver hitches only. Now we'll start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, then we'll go ahead and tighten down the anti-rattle bolt. Okay, with the bike rack installed, let's go ahead and get some clearance measurements. From the security cable loop on the bike rack to the bumper, is going to be three inches. Ground clearance is going to be around 11 inches.
Thule Apex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
All right today, on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number TH9025 from Thule, the Apex Four-Bike Carrier. Few things to know about this bicycle carrier, is that it will work inch and a quarter receiver hitches both class one and class two. However, on class one hitches, you're limited to carrying just two bicycles. Now this will also work with a two-inch receiver hitch with the included spacer and that's what we're working with today. We'll start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, we'll make sure that the integrated hitch pin snaps in securely and then we'll go ahead and tighten down the anti-rattle device. Now we can go ahead and get some clearance measurements.
Swagman Titan Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
All right today, on this 2009 Ford Flex, we're going to do a test fit of part number S63410 from Swagman. This is their Titan Four-Bike Carrier. Few things to know about this bike rack, that it will work inch and a quarter receiver hitches both class one and class two. However, when using it with a class one hitch, you can only carry two bicycles. This will also work with two-inch receiver hitches with the included spacer and that's what we'll be working with today. We'll start off our test fit by installing the anti-rattle bolt and then the safety pin on the other side.
SportRack EZ Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
Alright, today on this 2009 Ford Flux were going to do a test fit of part #: A30901 from Sport Rack. A few points to know about this bicycle rack is that this will with inch and a quarter receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2. This will also work with 2 inch receiver hitches with the included spacer and thats what well be working with today. Now to start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, then well go ahead and tighten down the anti-rattle bolt and put the safety clip on the other side. Okay, now well go ahead and pull the bike rack and get some clearance measurements. Form the bumper to the bike rack clearance will be 9 and a half inches.
Yakima DoubleDown 5 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
Today on this 2009 Ford Flux, were going to do a test fit of part number y02425 from Yakima; this is their double down five bike carrier. This bicycle rack will work with inch and receivers; however it can only be a class 2 receiver hitch. In this application we will be using the 2 inch receiver and the bicycle racks 2 inch adapter. Alright we will start off by installing the bicycle rack into the hitch, and installing the anti-rattle bolt, and then tightening it down, and then installing the safety pin on the other side. Now the bike rack does come with a tool to tighten down the bolt, however a inch wrench will work just as well. Alright next well give you a couple measurements that will give you an idea of clearance between the bicycle rack and the vehicle, and the bicycle rack and the ground.
Thule Doubletrack Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2009 Ford Flex
Alright today on this 2009 Ford Flex were going to do a quick test fit of part number TH990XT from Thule, the Thules Doubletrack Platform Style bike rack. This bike rack will fit 1-1/4 inch trailer hitches class one and class two. Well be using it on a class three receiver hitch with the included bushing. Alright well go ahead and install it into the hitch, install the anti-rattle bolt, and then the lock on the other side. Now Thule does supply a tool to tighten down the bolt, however a inch wrench will work just as well. Alright now we will give you a couple measurements that will give you an idea of clearance between the bicycle rack and the vehicle, and the bicycle rack and the ground.
What our customers are saying:
"First off I was having trouble finding a 2inch hitch for my Hyundai Tucson which was needed for my hitch mount bike rack. Your company and one other came up in the search results. Your price was best, shipping was inexpensive, and you shipped immediately. I am not a very big person so my boyfriend helped me install it. We gathered all the right tools and had it installed in 25 minutes. It looks like it came with the car. Thank you!"