# 1
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.
# 2
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
We have a 2013 Nissan Altima and this is perfect for what we needed to take our bikes along on vacations or weekend getaways.
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.
# 3
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gray
I haven’t put it together or on my vehicle yet. But all reviews were favorable so that’s one of the reasons for picking this rack. I also got feedback from riders at my local trails and they were all positive as well. I will be installing a hitch and the rack within the next week or two. Once installed I won’t need to use the old hanging style rack or shove our bikes in the back of the wife’s SUV anymore. Once installed I’ll try and remember to post pictures as well as a better review.
I’ve had the Kuat Sherpa for about a year now and could not be more happy with this bike rack. When not in use I keep it safely in the garage- it only takes a few minutes to install it to my Honda Civic and safely secure two bikes using its exquisitely engineered and designed system. I’ve used this for 900+ mile trips with no issues whatsoever - the perfect bike rack!
Thule Apex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Nissan Altima
Today on our 2012 Nissan Ultima we'll be test fitting the Thule Apex four bike carrier, part number TH9025. Now to begin our test fit we'll go ahead and slide the bike rack shank into the inch and a quarter hitch and allow the integrated locking hitch pin to fall into the hitch hole. With that in place we'll move to the anti-rattle knob where we'll tighten the knob down securing our bike rack to the vehicle. Now with the bike rack secured we'll give you a couple of measurements. Our ground clearance measures 9 inches. From the closet point, here at the anti-rattle knob, to the back of the vehicle measures one inch.
Yakima DoubleDown Ace Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Nissan Altima
Today on our 2012 Nissan Altima well be test fitting the Yakima Doubledown Ace four bike carrier for inch and a quarter and two inch hitches, part number Y02451. A quick note about this bike rack, when using in an inch and a quarter Class I hitch you are limited to two bikes. To begin our test fit weve already gone ahead and removed the two inch adapter from the bike rack shank, so well slide the shank into the inch and a quarter hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install the attached hitch pin. We can then move to the back of the shank where well tighten the knob down, securing our bike rack to the vehicle. At this point well go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance here at the bike rack measures seven and a half inches, and from the closest point of the bike rack here at the mast to the back of the vehicle measures three inches.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Nissan Altima
Today on our 2012 Nissan Altima well be test fitting the Thule Vertex four bike carrier for inch and a quarter and two inch hitches, part number TH9029. To begin our test fit weve already gone ahead and removed the two inch adapter from our bike rack shank, so well slide the shank into the inch and a quarter hitch. Well then line up the hitch pin hole and install and tighten down the anti-rattle bolt. With the bolt tight our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Well now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance here at the back of the bike rack measures seven and a half inches, and from the closest point of the bike rack, here at the hinge on the mast measures three inches.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Nissan Altima
Today on our 2012 Nissan Altima well be test fitting the Thule Hitching Post Pro folding and tilting four bike carrier for inch and a quarter and two inch hitches, with anti-sway cradles, part number TH934XTR. To begin our test fit weve already gone ahead and removed the two inch adapter from the bike rack shank, so well slide the shank into our inch and a quarter hitch, line up the hitch pin hole, and using the included anti-rattle bolt will tighten it down, securing the bike rack to the vehicle. Well now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance here at the bike rack measures eight inches, and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is five and a half inches. Well now go ahead and pull the pin here at the base of the mast, tilt the mast down and open our trunk. As you can see, we can gain access to the cargo area with this bike rack secured to the vehicle.
Kuat Sherpa Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Nissan Altima
Today on our 2012 Nissan Altima well be test fitting part number S102. This is the Kuat Sherpa aluminum hitch mounted two bike rack with wheel mount cradles. To begin our test fit weve removed the two inch adapter from our bike rack shank, so well slide the shank into our inch and a quarter hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and slide in the hitch pin. Well then move to the back of the shank where well tighten the knob down, securing our bike rack to the vehicle. Well now go ahead and give you a few measurements. From the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is three quarters of an inch.
What our customers are saying:
"I would like to say that you did a great job on delivery the hitch and bike rack. The equipment was exactly as in the literature and fit very well on our van. It arrived right on schedule so we could enjoy our cub scout bike wekend. Thanks, Greg"