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# 1
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
2013 Subaru ImprezaGood for the car, bad for bike. I have a subaru impreza and if done right it fits very well onto the back. However, I also have a mountain bike with a bizarre though not terribly unusual frame geometry. For that bike it was frustrating and worthless, and also quite dangerous as I almost lost the bike despite tying it down with a half dozen straps. For a bike with a straight top tube I have no doubt it works quite well
Could not fit one of two carrier arms into either hub of the frame. After I talked with the Thule warranty people, they sent a replacement carrier arm which also did not fit into either hub. After talking with your warranty people again, they are sending an entire new bike carrier. I will be returning the original unit to e-trailer, which is the web site I purchased the bike carrier from.
# 2
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
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.
# 3
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
This does an ok job carrying mountain bikes. Very easy to mount/dismount the bikes, and the unit holds them securely. Cons: 1. If you have two identical bikes (frame size and style), it can be challenging to figure out how to place them. Even though the two hooks are different lengths, they aren't different enough, so the top hook ends up hitting the bottom one's mount before it snugs onto the bike. Only way to work around this is to have the bikes offset in a less than ideal arrangement, where the hook for one of the bikes is on a sloped part of the top tube instead of a flat area. 2. The hitch pins Swagman uses to hold the upright and folding tray holders in place are made out of cheap steel that rusts quickly. The little spring loaded balls have already corroded to the point that they no longer protrude, so the pins tend to fall out of their holes from road vibration.
I purchased this to use behind my 2014 Subaru Impreza sedan and installed the Draw Tite 24888 hitch. This is possibly the easiest way to haul your bike that I have seen. It is well built and holds the bike securely. The bike comes on and off in seconds. A lot of bikes have the shifter and brake cables routed beneath the center tube on the frame, so using this carrier keeps them from being in contact with the support arms. I would note that the inside bike will fit with the pedal closer to the car in the high position. (It hits the bumper in the lower position. I cannot speak to smaller, or childrens bikes though.) Also with a bike on the inside, the handlebar keeps you from being able to open the trunk. Considering how easy it is to get the bikes on and off, this is a non issue as far as I'm concerned. (I just thought it was worth noting.) The adjust-ability of this carrier insures it will fit virtually any bike quickly and easily. In summary, I am very happy with this and would not hesitate to recommend this product to anybody.
# 4
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Very sturdy. Collapsible. Holds 2 bikes up to 35 lbs each. Nice product and very easy to put together.
A little heavy, but a great hitch rack! Easy to assemble. Folds up nice and compact in the garage. Super easy to load the bikes and install the rack on the car. Just because it doesn't say Thule or Yakima or 1up doesn't make this a bad rack. Basic, sturdy rack without the high price of a flashy name. When the anti-rattle bolt is tightened down, i can shake the whole back end of the car with the rack and it doesn't make a sound :)
# 5
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
My previous bike rack was a hitch mounted Yakima. It was sturdy but not well suited for my low Subaru Impreza. It stuck out too far and hung too low so that I had to inch my way down the driveway or over speed bumps for fear of it bottoming out. A roof rack or a rear window mounted rack was not suitable since I wanted to be able to also carry two kayaks. First, I tried to modify my rack by shortening the part that sticks out of the hitch. I tried to saw off about 6 inches so it wouldn't stick out so far but the steel was much too hard. I ended up ruining several metal-cutting blades on my power saw before I gave up. I looked for other rack options. There weren't many out there. But eventually, I found something that met my needs. I purchased the "Swagman Trailhead 3 Bike Fold Down Bicycle Hitch Rack" in 2013 from eTrailer.com. The part that enters the hitch curves up to increase clearance from the ground. It is sturdy and sticks out far enough so I can still open my trunk hatch without having to lower the main vertical bar on the hitch (though I could if I wanted to). It isn't often I am really excited about a piece of gear but this hitch rack has made me worry-free when I transport my bicycle(s) via car. The only thing I don't like is that it is advertised as being a 3 bike carrier but it only fits 2 hybrid bikes. Maybe it will fit 3 skinny racing bikes but for the average rider, don't expect to fit on more than 2. But my experience is that is the case for all bicycle racks.
# 6
Swagman Fork Down Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
I have been looking for an affordable bike rack for quite some time. I kept thinking that I should just go for it and buy and Thule, but could never justify spending almost as much on a rack as I did on the bike! I finally decided to just go for it and try something, instead of continually putting it off. I am really pleased with my choice. The rack is great, the bikes fit perfectly on the two racks we bought (I'm 5'3" and my partner is 6'1" so we have very different sized bikes). I would give this 5 stars, except for the fact that the instructions for installation were very hard to follow. Once we figured it out, installation was SUPER EASY. The racks are sturdy, and we were able to travel 4 hours without any trouble at all. We have oval bars, and it fits just fine!
For this price, it's a good rack. I had to do some fiddling to get it to fit well on the OEM aerodynamic bars of my Subaru Impreza. For example, I found I had to put the three bolts that hold the front piece to the rail with the nuts on the top rather than the bottom, so the nuts didn't poke into the bar (particularly the middle one). But with some patience during installation it seems to work fine.
# 7
Saris Bones 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
I have a 2013 Subaru Impreza 5-door (wagon). The rack fits perfectly and installs in 3 1/2 minutes. I have a full suspension mountain bike with a horizontal rear shock and a funky geometry, so it’s a little work to get the bike on the rack, but it fits. Good product at a good price.
While getting a bike rack for a sports car isn't ideal, I really wanted to transfer my bike with my own car instead of borrowing my friend's pickup truck. After hours of trying to find a bike rack that would be good for my 07 Mustang, I decided to give this one a try and I gotta say, it has been pretty good so far. It fits very well over the factory spoiler. One of my biggest concerns I was worried about when ordering a rack for my Mustang was ruining the paint, but the feet on the legs haven't left one scratch. I have used this to transfer my bike at freeway speeds (up to 80 mph) on car rides that typically last an hour and my bike was perfectly secure throughout each ride. For extra security, I wrapped both bike wheels with a ratchet strap so the wheels and pedals wouldn't shift in transit. So far, I am very pleased with this bike rack for the price and quality. I would highly recommend this if you want a rack that is affordable and durable.
# 8
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Tilting
Great product. Sturdy and excellent finish.
I was looking for a light weight bike rack for my 2015 Honda Accord. Your videos stated that the Kuat Beta was light and easy to install. You were right. I opened the box, read the instructions, and had it installed in about 10 minutes. I don't use a rack lock. It is so easy to pop on and off the hitch that I keep the rack in my car trunk.
# 9
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
2013 Subaru ImprezaGood for the car, bad for bike. I have a subaru impreza and if done right it fits very well onto the back. However, I also have a mountain bike with a bizarre though not terribly unusual frame geometry. For that bike it was frustrating and worthless, and also quite dangerous as I almost lost the bike despite tying it down with a half dozen straps. For a bike with a straight top tube I have no doubt it works quite well
Could not fit one of two carrier arms into either hub of the frame. After I talked with the Thule warranty people, they sent a replacement carrier arm which also did not fit into either hub. After talking with your warranty people again, they are sending an entire new bike carrier. I will be returning the original unit to e-trailer, which is the web site I purchased the bike carrier from.
# 10
RockyMounts BrassKnuckles Roof Mounted Bike Rack - Wheel Mount - Black
Works great and looks awesome on my car. However the rail came scratch and is very noticeable. For that can't give 5 star.
l Low profile, holds the bikes in place and very easy to put the bikes on the rack. Also, very east install.
What our customers are saying:
"Just used my new combo bike rack/trailer hitch and it worked great! Actually towed a little smoother then just the plain hitch I had before and the bike rack part is very sturdy and stable - products arrived in a timely manner and packaged well - bravo!"