# 1
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
I love it. Very sturdy and fits my 2013 Camaro perfect. I definitely recommend it.
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.
# 2
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
etrailer has the best pre- and post-sales customer service I've ever seen! I started out not knowing anything about hitch-mounted racks. So I wrote to etrailer telling them about my car and type of hitch I was about to have installed. Samuel wrote back with lots of great information tailored specifically to my car. He even included a photo that looked just like my 2017 white VW GTI with a hitch and rack installed. Okay something of a coincidence. But the rest of the assistance I got from the crew at etrailer was just as prophetic. I went into this a novice and came out knowing lots more about hitches and racks and finding the rack best suited to my situation. I have a small car, a class 1 hitch and a heavy mountain bike. I got exactly what I needed. As to the Swagman rack itself, it works fine. If I had a different situation I would probably buy a platform rack as they are easier to load. There's no reason to buy a bike rack anywhere else.
First off, thanks to Jason T. or "Troop". The exemplary customer service he provided is rare these days. Troop made several calls to the various manufacturers to ascertain which bike rack would afford me the most ground clearance as my new VW Golf sits low to the ground and my old bike rack frequently scraped the ground when I went up even a slight up hill grade. His efforts paid off as he found me the best bike rack for my car, the Swagman Trailhead 2 Bike Carrier. It sits up off the ground just high enough that it doesn't scrape on my driveway. It is also sturdy and holds my bikes securely. And, the delivery was amazingly fast. I had my rack in about 2 days! Note to Troop, see my Pittsburgh Pirates Logo on my bumper in the attached pictures? Pirate Fans persevere! The Bucco's will be coming after your Cardinals this year! Thanks again Troop!
# 3
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.
I bought this bike rack back in April but wanted to make sure I used it to give the best review. First I want to say I did a lot of research on bike racks and found this one to be the best one to fit my needs. The best price I found was on etrailer.com, at the time it was When I called the customer service to place my order, I spoke to Dan. He was very pleasant on the phone and took the time and listened to what I needed and understood my concerns. I ordered the bike rack and also ordered the Thule Snug Tite Hitch Lock and Anti-Rattle Device and the Thule Cable Lock w/ One Key System Lock. Dan suggested I also get the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, which I never even thought of getting. Delivery was in about two business days, which was really fast and at the time of order they were running a special free delivery over $99. When I went to put it together I noticed I was missing the flat cap screw M6 x 16mm, part number #853-5787-02. I emailed Dan and within 24 hours received an email that the part was sent out and also in the email their was a link to track the order. After I received the part I did notice that the flat cap screw was actually in the 2 inch adaptor sleeve. The instructions were very easy to read, and it took me about 20 minutes to put together. I did have an issue when I positioned the stinger into the cradle, with the 8mm locking nut, it was not staying tight and when I took it off I noticed the threads inside were gone, so I ended up going out to Lowes and buying a new one and its holds perfectly fine. I also had a question about that part because it is not a locking part and was worried someone would try to steal the rack. I contacted etrailer.com to find if they make a locking device for this and they said no but I can contact Thule to double check, I'm still waiting for an answer back from Thule. The weather finally broke and we installed the rack onto my hitch, tightened it and it doesn't rattle. When I finally used the rack and put my bike on, it did sway a little but at 50 mph I was very happy with it. The trailer comes out just enough away from my car that I do not have to fold completely out and I can open my trunk with no issues. I am very happy with my purchase and had a great customer experience with Dan. Would highly recommend ordering from them to anyone.
# 4
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Draw-tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver Class I - 1-1/4 Swagman Trailhead 3 Bike Rack - Tilting The Draw-tite Sportframe class 1 trailer hitch and Swagman Trailhead 3 bike rack were ordered for a 2017 Honda Fit. The online order and shipping went just as expected. The trailer hitch and bike rack are very heavy duty. I recommend watching the trailer hitch install video before installing, whereas the video is very helpful. The bike rack has triangles that you can rotate to find the best fit for your bicycle's frame. The rubber straps are thick and secure the bicycles when you pull them tight. This bike rack will stay on the vehicle for 6 months each year. The tilt feature and folding arm feature are must haves for a smaller hatchback. I am pleased with this purchase, it appears to be good quality and good value.
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.
# 5
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Black
All in all pretty good. The arms that grab the front wheel have loosened a little bit and move side to side. They have never failed, just feel a little wobbly. The hitch receptacle is also hard to tighten but might be due to the receptacle it self. Used rack on a long trip and the bikes moved slightly side to side, but nothing serious.
Car: 2017 Honda CR-V This is a great rack! There's not a lot to the assembly, other than getting the first two long bolts in, those were tricky. Once those were in there, aligned properly, the rest of the assembly was pretty easy. Attaching the rack to the hitch receiver was the easiest part of the whole thing! The rack is really nicely portable, and will easily store in our apartment during the off season. It takes less than a minute to get it loaded into the hitch receiver. The cable lock is a little bit flimsy, but should hopefully deter casual thievery. What I would have loved to have seen were locks in the retaining arms as well, so those couldn't be messed with by strangers. Otherwise, this rack is really great, and I would highly recommend it.
# 6
Saris Freedom Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I had to put my electric bikes into this rack, backwards, to make them fit. Not ideal, but it works.The receiving 'trays' that are intended to provide support for holding the bikes, by being placed under the bike tires, are forced to be moved to a location that is not directly under the bottom of the bike tires. While it works in this manner, it is not ideal.For the support that attaches to the diagonal bike frame, we had to remove it from the vertical rail of the rack. We reinstalled it, upside down, because that's the only way we could make it fit, or 'grab', the bike frame. Again, we made it work, but it's not ideal. We chose to keep the rack because it was so much less expensive than the Thule rack we considered buying. The bike shop owner didn't agree with us. He observed that we are putting $3000 worth of bikes on the rack and risking that investment. So far, no problems, other than the ill-fitting installation.
With a few adjustments this rack has delivered. Needed to add additional strapping since the provide straps for securing the bikes to center bar were not long enough due to my ebike design (Velotric). My bikes are step through with a thick frame so provided straps won't fit. Simple adjustment with strapping resolved minor issue. Speed of 73 mph on the highway and some bumpy VT roads and this rack performed.
# 7
SeaSucker Talon Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Fork Mount - Vacuum Cup Mounted
The rack arrived very quickly. Upon opening the box I observed that the covers for the suction pads had come loose during shipping. Probably not an issue. The instructions for assembly and mounting were clear and easy to follow. I planned to secure the cups to the glass roof on my VW. So, I thought it would be best to clean the glass and roof with auto detailing spray. After doing that I attached the carrier and gave it a prett y good shake. I have attached three photographs that may add clarity. I'm very optimistic. This may be the best carrier I've had for my bicycle. Keep Eager.
Your product is still working great. It’s on top of a fiberglass truck top. Speeds up to 75 mph. It’s a heavy hybrid Fugi. Well I do lose some suction in one of the cups but not much. I’m always able to pump it back up. Sorry I can provide a picture at this time.
# 8
Swagman Titan Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
One of the few racks that will clear my Jeep's large rear mounted spare tire without using an extender. The other is the Allen which doesn't have the nice features the Swagman Titan has. Tips enough to allow partial opening of Jeep rear door, but enough to open the soft top rear window. The vertical portion of rack tips slightly toward vehicle (at least it does on mine). Would be better if the horizontal "S" shaped piece could be turned around to dip down, moving it further from the spare tire, but there are only holes drilled to mount it as shown. Can't attest to the durability yet, but it doesn't wobble even a tiny bit. Have to compliment everyone I spoke with at etrailer. very nice and extremely helpful.
eTrailer.com had my new Swagman Titan bike rack delivered super fast. I received the right amout of email communication informing me of the status of my order, plus I could track my delivery directly from the eTrailer website. Awesome! As for the hitch, I am so happy with it. I was tired of taking the front wheel off my bike and cramming it into the back of my small Corolla, it never really fit right, was always a struggle, and then I had no room for anything else in my car. Now, I just hang my bike onto the rack and strap it in, takes less than 60 seconds and I have all the extra room in my car and don't have to fold down the back seats. The other feature I really like is that this bike rack has an integrated locking cable, once your bike is on the rack, you attach the locking cable so now your bike is locked onto the rack. Someone can't take your bike off the rack and walk away with it when you aren't looking. I also got the Swagman bike rack locking pin, that attaches the bike rack to the car hitch. I've used the bike rack twice so far and it makes my life so much easier. Solidly built bike rack that is well worth it. Thank you eTrailer, you rock!
Yakima FrontLoader Roof Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro we'll be test fitting the Yakima, Wheel Mount bike carrier, part number y02103. The the Yakima roundbar roof rack system assembled onto our vehicle, we'll begin our test fit by placing our front loader directly onto our crossbars. We'll go ahead and fit the front and rear clamps around each bar. Then here at the front, we'll tighten the T handle until our handle is tight around our front crossbar. Now, we'll move to the rear and drop our T bolt through the appropriate slot and tighten with a T nut on top. We'll want to make sure that we get that all the way tightened down. With our front and rear clamps secured, we can then open the wheel loop at the front of our carrier and undo the rear wheel strap.
Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
Today, on our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, we'll be test-fitting the Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Carrier, part number Y02098. With a Yakima Round Bar Roof Rack System installed on our vehicle, we'll begin our test-fit by placing the ForkLift directly onto our cross bars. Here at the front, we'll go ahead and feed our clamp around our front bar. We want to make sure that we drop the T-bolt through the slot, and then tighten withthe T-handle. We'll want to get that clamp tight around our bar. Then, we can slide up our slotted bracket around our T-handle and install our skewer.
Thule Helium Aero Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro we'll be test fitting the Thule Helium Aero 2 bike carrier for 1-1/4" and 2" hitches, part number 2H9042. To begin our test fit we'll slide the shank of the carrier into the receiver tube of the hitch. Line up the pin hole and allow our attached pin to fall into place. We use the hand knob here at the rear of the shank to secure our bike rack to our vehicle and engage our anti-rattle device. Now we'll go over some clearance measurements. We have about 12 1/2" of ground clearance. We've added about 12" to the overall length of our camaro. As you can see, we have full access to the trunk of our car with our bike carrier in its upright position.If you need more room to get into your trunk you can tilt your carrier away from your vehicle by pulling the lever here at the base of the mast. Now we'll pull the level at the top of the mast to swing out our dual arms.
Kuat Beta Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, well be test fitting the Kuat Beta Folding Two Bike Aluminum Rack for 1-1/4 hitches, part number B202-114. To begin our test fit, well slide the shank of the carrier into the receiver tube of the hitch. Line up the pin hole and install our pin and lock. At the rear of the shank, well tighten the hand knob to secure our bike rack to our vehicle and engage our anti-rattle device. Now well go over some clearance of measurements. We have about 11-1/2 inches of ground clearance.
Thule Apex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
All right today on this 2012 Chevrolet Camaro we are going to do a test of part number TH9025 from Thule, this is Apex-4 bike carrier. A couple of quick notes about this bicycle rack that will work with 1-1/4 inch receiver hitches both class I and class II. However with a class I receiver hitch you are only limited to carrying two bikes. This will also work with a 2-inch receiver hitch which the included spacer. We'll go ahead and start our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch we'll make sure that the integrated hitch pin snaps into it then we'll go ahead and tighten it down with the anti-rattle device. All right with the bike rack installed we'll go ahead and give you some measurements that will give you an idea of clearing between the bicycle rack and the car and the ground.
Rhode Gear Highway Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
All right, today on our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro we're going to do a test fit of part number RG8015220 from Rhode Gear. This is our Highway 2 bike carrier. A couple quick notes about this bike rack is that it will work with 1-1/4" receiver hitches both class I and class II. It will also work with class III receiver hitches with the included spacer. We'll go ahead and start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch then we'll install the anti-rattle bolt and put the safety pin on the other side. All right, with the bike rack installed we'll go ahead and give you some measurement that will give you an idea of clearance between the bike rack and the car and the ground.
SportRack EZ Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
All right, today on 2012 Chevrolet Camaro we're going to do a test fit of part number A30901 from Sportrack. This is a Sportrack EZ 2 bike rack. Couple of quick notes about this bicycle rack that will work with 1-1/4" receiver hitches both class I and class II. It will also work with class three receiver hitches with provided spacer. Okay, we'll go ahead and start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch then tighten it down in anti-rattle bolt then installing the safety pin on the other side. Okay, with our bike rack installed we're going to go ahead and give you some measurements that give you an idea of clearance between the bicycle rack and the car and the ground clearance.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
Alright today on this 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, were going to do a test fit for part number TH9029 from Thule. This is a Vertex 4 Bike Carrier. A Couple of quick notes about this bike rack is that this will work with 1-1/4-inch receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2. However, with a class 1 receiver hitch, youre only limited to carrying two bikes. This will also work in 2-inch receiver hitch with the included spacer. On this car, well be using a class 1 receiver hitch.
What our customers are saying:
"I purchased a hitch, wiring harness, bike carrier and bike adapter for a newly redesigned 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. Everything arrived in a matter of days and either fit or worked perfectly. Great prices, quality and service support. Rest assured, I'll be recommending you to anyone who asks. Thanks again."