# 1
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Really fast and information about shipping was right on!! Would not hasitate to use again!!
Excellent and prompt customer service! When I first ordered my product it wasn’t in stock— staff were quick to let me know and offered me comparable products. I ended up waiting for my original order and shipping quick and they stayed in touch with ideas! Thule: The instructions could be a little more detailed. I ended up watching YouTube videos to help me instal. Overall it was easy, and this was the first rack I’ve ever installed and I did it by myself! I was surprised to learn the bike rack is in no way secured inside your vehicle, so.. I store it in my garage when it’s on.
# 2
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I am very happy with the product. It was very easy to put together and to install on the vehicle,and thanks for all your help
Rack was easy to assemble and holds the bikes well. even the comfort bike fits. Only problem I had was that the 2 inch adapter was installed and the bolt holding it was really tight. If you don't have quality allen heads it could be hard to remove. This could have been an isolated instance.
# 3
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
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.
The Swagman XTC-2 platform bike carrier arrived very quickly from etrailer and in good shape, the actual carrier box is inside another shipper box, which I'm sure helped with its condition. Assembly was relatively quick and painless, even though the instructions could be a little more thorough. Installing the carrier on the back of our Jeep Patriot also was quick, it helps to have an extra ratchet & 3/4" socket laying around for just this purpose. Installing the bikes takes a little patience and trial and error the first time you try and put them on the carrier. It's easy enough to adjust the wheel holders to fit the wheelbase of your bikes, but for us at least, the challenge was trying to swing the vertical support bar up into position after putting on the first bike (closest to the Jeep). We couldn't angle the bike enough toward the Jeep to have the bar clear the bike. We learned that the easiest way to secure the first bike was to remove the ratcheting frame hooks altogether, put the bike in the carrier, swing up the vertical support bar, put in the pin, and then slide one of the frame hooks down on the bar. The outside bike is much easier because you can set the bike in the carrier at whatever angle you need, not being limited by the back of the vehicle. One thing we did to protect the bike frames was to use some foam pipe insulation as cushion between the frame hook and the frame (see pictures). Once you get a system for installing the bikes, it is very quick to load/unload them. The rack seems to be well made and doesn't wiggle excessively when traveling. All in all a good product for a good price, would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a platform bike carrier.
# 4
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Excellent product Its been a year that I bought and still working well using everyday... Im very happy I recommend it
I love the anti-sway feature of this bike rack.
# 5
Hollywood Racks Express 3 Bike Carrier - Fixed Arms - Trunk Mount
Works great! Really enjoying my rack.
I recently installed my HRE2 on my vehicle. The setup was easy and took about ten minutes. My daughter and I took it out for a test drive. We drove it over rough streets to see if it would fall off and it did not. I checked for scratches and found none. The rubber straps provide a secure grip for my bike.I feel safe knowing that i can tow my bike anywhere to ride.Thanks.
# 6
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
Really fast and information about shipping was right on!! Would not hasitate to use again!!
Ford EdgeFits 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.
# 7
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!
# 8
Rhino-Rack MountainTrail Rooftop Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
it looks great and really held up my bike secure. Easy to install.
Love this bike rack! It fits perfectly with my Rhino Rack Cross Bars. I'm very impressed by the lack of wind noise. With the bike mounted on the rack, you can barely hear the wind noise at 60mph. With the sunroof open you can hear wind noise, but as long as the window is closed, you can only slightly hear anything if the radio is off and you are trying to hear it. Amazing! Can't wait to get more use out of it in the future!
# 9
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
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.
We've been using this bike rack with a 1.25" Draw-Tite receiver hitch (also purchased from etrailer) on a 2012 Prius C for a month with no problems. As shown on the pictures, it fits two bikes very well, even one with a baby carrier. I chose this model based on recommendations from etrailer that it can be easily detached from the car without tools. True to their word, it is very easily detachable from the hitch and folds up nicely to fit in your garage/closet/storage area. Basically, it uses a hand tightened ball bearing mechanism to secure itself into the hitch receiver, and then uses a 3/8" hand locked pin as a safety device. You can install and de-install this rack in just a few minutes. During driving, there is little noticeable vibration from this rack, even on rougher roads or speed bumps. The only downside is that the holes on the receiver hitch do not align perfectly with the holes on the bike rack (see picture). I believe a few other reviewers also noted this issue. There is enough room to fit the safety pin, but not quite enough to fit a 1/2" hitch lock. I called Kuat to ask them about this and the rep told me that not all hitches will line up with this rack. Kuat, coincidentally(?), sells a hitch lock that is also 3/8" (same size as the safety pin) and still fits.
# 10
Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier - Roof Mount
Overall I am happy with these bike carriers. They mount to the racks over the bed of my Tundra TRD Pro. Installation is simple. I think they could be just a bit sturdier because there is just a bit of wobbling when driving on bumpy roads but I'm not too worried about them coming dislodged. Take note that although they come with a cable lock to attach the bike to the carrier, the key is sold separately.
Very good product. It holds the bike securely on the roof without contacting the frame. It is easy to adjust from my road bike to my 29er mountain bike. Our drives are all relatively short, so I like that I do not need to remove the front wheel to lock in the bike. It's also nice that the SKS locking system allows me to use the same key for this rack that I use for my Yakima roof box and hitch rack. This is my first roof rack and I chose this route for a couple reasons. Some of the roads we travel to get to our trail heads are a bit rough and with a roof rack I don't have to worry about bottoming out a hitch rack hanging off the back of the vehicle. Also, it takes up less room in the garage. Our vehicle is a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with an additional 4 inches of ground clearance. That makes it a bit of a reach for my 5'4" wife, so we take our two-step along to help her. This is my third time purchasing from etrailer, and each experience has been very good. They are a very customer service oriented company. I really appreciate all the additional information they provide on their products, especially all the videos they produce to aid in reviews, assembly, and use.
# 11
Rhino-Rack Road Warrior Rooftop Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
This bike carrier has a clean design and it assembled and attached to the roof rack easily. A locking front cover prevents it from being detached from the roof rack and the tray has a cut out in the front for a disc brake if my next bike has one. Once everything is snug, the bike feels solid and there's no slop.
I'm not too sure how to rate this but I'm not happy with it. Everything that happened is no fault of etrailer. I've made many purchases from etrailer, they're a great distributor. The bike rack appears to be great. The problem seems to be that they changed the design. To start, UPS damaged the box in shipping and then tried to tape the package they sent me. After walking through the parts in the box with an etrailer rep on the phone, it seemed that no parts were missing. So I proceeded to connect everything up based on the instructions. As I put it together I noticed the mounting bracket in the rear doesn't have anything to remove the slop. The rear is literally resting on a slider, which means that it would rattle when driving around. Just for kicks I took it for a drive with my bike on top. It rattled like crazy! So I looked at the installation videos on etrailer and then youtube. Every one of them showed an extra rear mounting bracket with knobs to tighten. These were not listed in the install manual so I suspect Rhino thought they could cut cost by eliminating them. I contacted etrailer to see if they had any. They didn't. So I returned it. Sadly, I still had to pay a $25 restocking fee. I'm not sure why etrailer charged me. It's not like I bought the wrong thing and didn't want it. It's actually a really nice bike carrier. Just a flaw in the design that etrailer should catch when they test it out in their videos. If anything, I've helped them out with this. Hopefully etrailer will test out what I sent them, then reach out to Rhino about this new design flaw. Again, I like etrailer as a service but I wish they had caught this before selling to me (and others). I strongly suggest that you don't buy this until the bracket issue gets resolved. Also, take a look at the last pic of the Inno XA391 on the etrailer site. They resolve the rear bracket rattle by putting in a thumb screw.
# 12
Kuat Trio Roof Bike Rack - Fork Mount - Clamp On - Aluminum - Black and Polished Chrome
Installed all products after having watched videos and read through pdf instructions. The Yakima JetStream roof rack system is outstanding (with one exception) - instructions and videos facilitated the installation. The Yakima system is the only one I could find for my car (Mercedes E450 Coupe), as the car's panorama roof glass extends to the edges near the fixed mounts. The Yakima system is quiet, thanks to the ability to modify the crossbar pitch angles, and has a high-quality appearance that complements my car. And it is rock solid. The Kuat Trio bike tray is an outstanding low-cost, simple solution - well-designed and well-executed and installs to the Yakima JetStream bars flawlessly. I would recommend that Kuat include a 12mm x 100mm thru-axle in the Trio kit, as I had to purchase that part separately. Only disappointment is in the Yakima Landing Pad Covers that ship with the Landing Pad 22 (LP 22) kit. The covers do not snap tightly into place, and appear as if they were designed for a different Landing Pad. In summary, my Yakima/Kuat bicycle roof rack system exceeds expectations (except for the LP 22 Covers), operates flawlessly, looks great, and stores easily. It has given me high confidence in Yakima, in Kuat and in etrailer.com. Well done.
Great rack easy to install, light weight and well made.
# 13
Thule T2 Classic Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount
I have to get a trailer hitch extension in order for the bike rack to fold up when not in use. Definitely will go through etrailer for this item.
Great product. We just got a new convertible and I could not use the roof mount or trunk mount. Using the bikes was important. Taking care of the bikes is important too. This bike rack is really the best I have ever had. It is extremely easy to use. I like that it has built in locks. I can use the hard top convertible on the VW Eos if I only have one bike positioned outward. It also works with no bikes installed. I could not be happier with this product and the incredible price, fast shipping and overall value from etrailer.com.
# 14
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
I bought a couple of these for my new OEM VW roof rack with elliptical bars for my 01 Jetta. They fit nice, are made better than expected, and were easy to install, requiring only a 10mm and 12mm ratchet. I will be retrofitting thule lock cores into the the locking knobs on these bike carriers so that i can match the key to my roof rack. I haven't had a chance to put a bike on them yet, but will definitely be taking a bike ride this weekend.
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.
# 15
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Check out my other review on the hidden hitch for a 2015 BMW 4 Series for the majority of the review, but this thing is great. Easy setup and install, does all the things it's supposed to do. Mounting and removing bikes is a snap with the included clips (big difference from some of the cheaper variants with nylon ratchet straps). Fits very snugly in my 2" receiver, and pretty solid on the highway and over bumpy roads.
The rack itself is fantastic. Not too heavy, easy to attach to hitch, and very easy setup. The only real downside is if your bicycles don't have a standard frame, you'll need to buy the Yakima Tube Top Bike Adapter Bars (~$50 each) in order to be able to mount them on the rack. I will say that smaller bikes (for my 9 year old) can be a challenge to mount with larger bikes as you'll need to finagle the handle bars and such to get them to line up but once you do it a few times you figure it out.
Pro Series Q-Slot Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today on our 2012 Volkswagen Jetta well be test fitting the Pro Series Q-slot platform style bike carrier for both 1 inch and 2 inch hitches part #: PS63134. Now to begin our test fit well simply slide the bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pinhole and install our hitch pin. This will secure our bike rack to the vehicle. We can now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the back of the bike rack is 13 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 8 inches. Well now go ahead and unfold the bike rack platform and open our trunk.
Thule Doubletrack Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have with us a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting the Thule Doubletrack Platform Style Hitch-Mounted Bike Carrier part number TH990XT. To mount carrier onto the vehicle, well insert the shank of the bike rack into our receiver. Well line up the hitch pinholes and then well thread our anti-rattle bolt into the bike rack. Well use the -inch wrench to tighten it down and well secure it on the other side with a lock. Next well check for rear vehicle access. Well grab the switch at the bottom of the bike carrier and fold it down.
SportRack EZ Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting Sportrack 2-Bike Hitch Mounted Carrier part number a30901. To fit our back rack into the vehicle, well slide the shank into our receiver and line up the hitch pinholes and begin threading the anti-rattle bolt. We'll then take a 3/4 wrench to tighten it down. Next well check for rear of vehicle access. Well fold down the wheel trays and the upright mast and make sure we can still open the trunk and access the cargo area. Now we can fold the upright mast back up and well be ready to load a bike.
Kuat Sherpa Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting the Kuat Sherpa Aluminum 2-Bike Carrier part number S102. To fit the carrier on our hitch, well slide the shank into our receiver and line up the hitch pinholes. Well use the knob at the end of our bike carrier to tighten our anti-rattle device and then well put our pin to the hitch pinhole and secure it with a lock on the other side. Next well check for rear vehicle access. Well fold the carrier down as far as we can, open the trunk of our Jetta and make sure we can still get inside. With that done, we can fold our platform back up level and open up the ratcheting arm on the bike rack.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting the Thule Vertex 4 Hitch-Mounted Bike Carrier part number TH9029. To fit the bike carrier into the hitch, well first need to remove the 2-inch adapter then well slide our bike rack into the hitch and line up the hitch pinholes. Well thread in our anti-rattle bolt and tighten it down with a -inch wrench. With the bike rack securely mounted to the vehicle, well check for rear of vehicle access. Well grab the switch down at the bottom of the upright mast and tilt the bike rack down. Well open the trunk and make sure we can still access the cargo area.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting the Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch-Mounted Bike Carrier part TH934XTR. To mount our bike rack, we will line up our shank with the receiver, push it in until we get the pinholes to line up. Once weve done that, we can begin threading our anti-rattle bolt and then tighten it down with the -inch wrench. And with that, our bike rack is mounted to the vehicle. Next, well check for rear vehicle access. Well fold the upright mast down by removing the bottom pin.
Swagman Titan Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting the Swagman Titan 4-Bike Carrier part number S63410. To mount our bike carrier on our hitch, well line up the shank with the receiver slide it in and make sure our hitch pinholes aligned. Next well thread in our anti-rattle bolt and well tighten it down with a inch wrench and secure it with a clip on the other side. Next well check for rear vehicle access. Well fold the carrier down and open the trunk of our Jetta to make sure we can still get inside. Now we can fold the upright mast back up.
Rhode Gear Highway Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and well be test fitting our Rhode Gear Highway 2 Hitch-Mounted Bike Carrier part number RG8015220. To mount our bike on the vehicle, well insert our shank into the receiver of the hitch. Well line up our hitch pinholes and then well begin threading our anti-rattle bolt. Well use a inch wrench to tighten it down. Next well check for rear vehicle access. Well remove the pin from the bottom of the upright mast, fold the bike rack down and make sure we can still open the trunk and get in to our cargo area.
Yakima FrontLoader Roof Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and we're ready to test fit the Yakima FrontLoader Roof Mounted Bike Carrier, part number Y02103. We already have our bike rack together. Now we're ready to mount it up on the vehicle. We'll start by laying the bike rack up on top of our roof rack. We'll position the front head over the front crossbar and we'll position the rear clamp above our rear crossbar. We'll then turn the T handle on the front to tighten the front mount and we'll tighten the wing nut on the rear to tighten the rear clamp.
Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we've got a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and we'll be test fitting the Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Rack, part number 702098. We've got our bike rack assembled and now we're ready to mount it up on the vehicle. The first thing we need to do is remove the front skewer for the bike rack and move the cover out of the way. Once we've done that we can place the bike rack up on top of our roof rack. We'll fit the head of the bike rack and wrap the clamp around the front bar. We'll then take the wing nut and tighten down the front clamp.
Thule Domestique Roof Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today we have a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, and well be test fitting the Thule Domestique Roof Mounted Bike Carrier, part number TH513. We already have our bike carrier assembled, so well place it up on top of our roof rack. Well need to remove the front skewer so that we can access the bolts to attach our clamp at the front. With our front clamp attached, we can move on to the rear. Well use the included Allen wrench to secure the clamps at both the front and the rear. With our secure back in place and our rear wheel strap undone, were ready to fit our bike.
RockyMounts TieRod Roof Bike Rack Review - 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Today on our 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, we're going to do a test fit of the RockyMounts TieRod Bike Rack, product number RKY1014. This will be on top of our Rhino Rack Aero Bar Roof System. We've already got our bike rack set up so let's go ahead and mount it on the vehicle. To install our bike rack, we'll simply take two rubber straps, run them underneath the front bar, and then tighten them down with the Allen bolt. Once we've got the front tightened down, we'll go ahead and move to the rear attachment point using the wing nuts to tighten it down. It's best to tighten it down evenly from front to rear.
What our customers are saying:
"I ordered a Thule bike rack this summer and was pleased with your service and the product. Your web site is well designed and provides more product information than can be found on other sites. The videos are very helpful, providing the 'touch and feel' that is often missing when purchasing via the internet. With this order, you have exceeded my expectations. I am leaving town for a Christmas trip next Friday, which is why I have ordered the carrier."