# 1
Curt 2 Bike Platform Rack - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount - Tilting
Not perfect, but still the pick of the litter among affordable platform racks. Pros: sturdy, easy to assemble and use, two storage modes, mostly thick steel with minimal plastic, good depth (works well with my '05 Buick Lacrosse, with 1-1/4" hitch recessed about 6" behind bumper face), built in keyed locks. Quite solid Cons: barely fits tall bike, sloppy fabrication, cheap hardware; should reverse direction of short and long locking arms so taller, heavier bike goes inboard, anti-rattle hitch pin does not have a lock, so you have to buy one for $XX more. My story: assembly failed at the first step because the 1/2-20 shank bolt was mis-threaded such that it would not accept the nut. I was able to make it work by running a rethreading die over the bolt, removing a fair amount of metal. The good folks at etrailer sent me a replacement bolt, but I had to invest $3 in a new Nyloc nut. The black finish on the hardware (nuts, bolts, pins) is so thin it might as well have been applied with a Sharpie. The rack itself is nicely powder-coated. The bends and hole punching in the metal are sloppy. The rack lists to starboard, and the wheel support arms/hoops droop on the right side. It's just a cosmetic issue, but Curt should be embarrassed. I have a very tall bike (27" frame),and it barely fits. That said, it does fit, at the highest stop. If the mast were a few inches taller, it would be great. As it is, I have to finagle and slightly force the bike into place. I will probably remove the stop screw for the locking arm and just remove it entirely to load the bike. Finally, when you unpin the mast to move it into operational position from storage position, it will fall hard onto the trunk deck if you don't hold it. There needs to be a stop so the mast cannot rotate past vertical and damage the car. Overall, good solid rack, but not all it should be in design or execution.
I had a 1 1/4" hitch installed on my 2016 toyota camry (the only size offered on the camry). I was very pleased with the ride. I expected to hear alot of noise like experienced when towing a trailer, but I heard almost nothing accept when going over speed bumps. I had to extend the tire supports to their widest position because having mountain bikes with a step through angled bar, they were more secure the closer i could get the upper and lower support arms to the seat post. The bikes were mounted in opposite directions and only stuck out maybe 6 inches or so. One locking barrel on the lower support arm was malfunctioning and gave me trouble but i called etrailer and they sent a replacement as soon as they were in stock. It comes with a anti rattle hitch pin but I highly recommend purchasing an anti rattle hitch pin with a lock on the end instead of just a clip for more security when unattended. After a few times mounting the bikes and figuring out the best way they should be positioned (pedals positions, direction of bike, and that my wife's smaller bike fit better going on first with my larger bike on the outside) I can mount the rack and bikes and be ready to go in just 5 minutes. (70 pounds on a torque wrench recommended for the hitch pin) I am overall pleased with my purchase i would recommend this product.
# 2
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Great product for the price. Pretty easy to set up. Only issue I have is my mountain bike, which is an XL frame with 27 inch wheels, is pushing the limits of the base. Wish this rack was just 4-5 inches longer that way you have the perfect overlap amount in the middle without pushing the current frame to the limits. With that said it does hold my bike just have to find the sweet spot. But this fits my son’s youth bike perfectly!
As always with products I buy from e-Trailer, this item is exactly as advertised and works perfectly. Easy assembly, I bought 2 but only installed one until I check the fit with my rooftop carrier.
What our customers are saying:
"Sent out an e-mail to you earlier this week asking which hitch woudld be the best choice for installing on a 2000 Venture van for hauling a bike rack with two bikes. You suggested the one that would be easiest to install..received in a matter of days..installation went great ..very well thought out instructions. Everything went smooothly and the hitch is up nice and snug..doesn't stick out..looks great."