# 1
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
This company does it all in the way a great business should do it. I bought a Thule bike rack from etrailer and it arrived promptly. I was impressed with the amount of information on the we site ranging from product reviews to installation. The videos are also equally well done. This is the place to buy a bike rack - and the price was right due to the free shipping as well. I even got follow up from them about the shipment and as to my experience. Installation was easy and the rack is every bit as good as the reviewers said it was.
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
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
Product arrived quickly and secure. Instructions made installation a snap! Best of all it fit my Mazda5! Thanks etrailer! I love my new bike rack.
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.
# 3
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!
# 4
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
This is a very solid product! I have used it for over a year now and love it! I have had up to 3 bikes on this without a problem and have traveled over 8 hours in the car one way with absolutely no issues. Many other bike racks like this one that I see on other cars look unstable this is not unstable in anyway. I did have to file some of the paint off of the rack to get it to fit in my 1 and 1/4" hitch but once that was done it has been perfect. I also bought the locking hitch bolt which is awesome too.
The good: Solid, heavy construction. Easy to use method for attaching the bikes. Includes adapter for different type / size hitches. Fairly easy to swing out of the way for hatch access (although it is heavy). Plenty of room between carrier and rear of vehicle. The meh: Requires the use of anti-rattle bolt. This means that one must carry a socket wrench to install and remove the carrier. Should use a torque wrench. The bad: Instructions are awful. To assemble, "only one bolt needs to be installed", but the photos are so poor that they are useless. Does not say that a second bolt has to be tightened. Pin and pin locks cannot be used because the anti-rattle threads cannot be removed and are too small diameter for a pin. Recommended Swegman anti-rattle lock is too long to fit on some factory hitches such as Jeep Grand Cherokee. Bike strap and connectors make placing the bike on the inside holder a chore.
# 5
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
What I love about this hitch: 1. So lightweight that I can install and uninstall it by myself quickly and easily (female, under 5' tall and <100 lbs.) 2. It's STURDY 3. With the Kuat hitch lock, I feel more secure that the rack won't be stolen (sold separately). Universal brands of hitch locks, 1/2", do not fit. It seems to have to be this one 4. Easy to strap the bikes on, and the straps appear strong 5. Our 2 bikes didn't smack into each other on our test run of about 10 miles 6. On same test run, rack didn't move. We were fearful at first, but after a short while forgot it was on the car What I don't like (minor annoyance, not about the rack itself): The silly drawstring burlap bags that are included with Kuat's products for the small accessories!! They are bulky, scratchy, impractical, and I just want to throw them out! :) I couldn't be happier with my purchase...from the price, to the rack itself, to the great service (and easy to navigate/informative website) at etrailer!
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.
# 6
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.
Just as advertised. Sturdy and solid. Folds at both the top and bottom sections for easy storage. The tie downs are well positioned and minimize bike movement. Can't wait to get on the road with it.
# 7
Malone Hanger Trunk Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - Adjustable Arms
The Malone rack adjusts to fit my 2017 Trax really snugly and securely. Once we learned how to configure the bikes for best fit, everything traveled without movement. The only downside is that this system seems designed for narrow road bikes rather than the mountain and hybrid bikes we own. Although the anti-sway cradles are sufficiently wide for mountain tires, the close proximity of the individual bike setups sometimes cause a strap to pull loose during travel, so we keep the bikes cabled to the rack frame. We are able to make it work. For narrower bikes, I would recommend this rack without reservation.
Works great! We keep it set up to one position because it's used on my car only. I'm glad we bought the lock feature because we can just leave the rack on at the trail site. This was a great purchase. I'm impressed that you follow up on your product. I recall your staff was quite helpful in making sure I purchased the correct item for my car and set it up correctly. No recent pictures of the carrier but I do have one of myself as "happy camper" on the Fox River Trail which was doable because of the carrier purchase!!
# 8
Yakima FullBack 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Excellent quality! Bike rack comes fully assembled. Cam locks hold the upper support and the bike arms in position and are very easy to use.fairly useless included cable lock. Will only work if you always carry 3 bikes. I just used my cable lock and had no problems transporting my bike to the trails.
Performed perfectly on a 140 mile round-trip in my 2017 Acura MDX. It took me a few tries to position the anchors inside the top of the hatch, but I got the hang of it and the rack did not shift at all while driving 50-60 mph on the highway.
# 9
Swagman Fork Down Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Works great on 2010 Mazda 5 with factory racks. I purchased two and it took about 40 minutes to install both: 30 minutes for the 1st one and less than 10 minutes for the 2nd one. Inexpensive and stable. Would definitely recommend and will probably purchase a third one.
What our customers are saying:
"Everyone that bought before me was right! I got my rack in time for my next days off and putting it together was fast too. And I'm a grandma!! Thank you for being fast and honest! You beat anyone in my town hands down!"