# 1
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
This two bike rack has been great for the occasional bike ride outside of our home area. I like the sturdy construction, but beware that it is a little heavier than it looks (I’m retired and a bit older so maybe not as strong). Easy to fit into the factory trailer hitch on our 5 passenger SUV and no problem securing the bikes for transport. My only complaint is, the stick on Yakima Graphic started coming apart the day we got it. Sorry, no free advertising for Yakima.
I used this product twice to go back and forth on a 700 mile trip (1400 miles total). My initial impression was that it was sturdy because it was larger than most 2 bike carriers I've seen. The strapping system is convenient and the locking system worked great. The only flaw so far is that one of the locking mechanisms actually broke off. After closer inspection, I realized that the parts are plastic. I'm not sure what actually caused it to break other than the force of hitting a pothole causing the bike to bounce on the rack. Those types of forces should be expected with normal driving however and I expected the locking mechanism to hold up. I was fairly disappointed that it happened given the asking price and the reviews I read prior to my purchase. Other than the locking mechanism on the actual bike rack, I wouldn't put to much faith in the red handled locking pin that inserts into the trailer hitch and insertion bar portion of the bike rack. It is understood that the pin does not go all the way through the insertion bar as the locking mechanism is inside and prevents further advancement. Yakima could probably improve this aspect of the product. I will be contacting Yakima to see if they will replace the broken part. One thing I did notice was that the broken bracket is screwed in and can be removed/replaced fairly easily. I have included pics of the broken bracket and working bracket for comparison. Hope this helps in your decision!
# 2
Thule EasyFold XT Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
This rack is perfect! eTrailer had it shipped and at my home in almost no time. I drove with it on the car today, and it was solid and secure. It's super easy to get on and off the hitch. I'm 5'1 and I was able to load the bike on with the ramp without a struggle. Thanks for the thorough video and comparison information. It made this purchase easy.
I purchased the rack and receiver hitch a year ago. Installation of the rack was made simple with the installation video that was specific to my vehicle (2020 Honda Accord). Literally took less than an hour start to finish. Only tool that I needed to buy was a torque wrench, which was about 20 bucks. It did require a very small cut in the plastic bumper that was accomplished easily with a keyhole saw. There was no drilling or other significant issues. The rack itself is awesome! My wife and I have two Lectric XP3 bikes. They weigh about 65 pounds each with battery. When we travel I revome the batteries to save a bit of weight. I have made two cross country trips (over 6000 miles) with this rack and have never had an issue. Literally every gas stop or hotel stop someone asks me about the rack and bikes. It really is that nice. My wife usually scolds me because we lose a 1/2 hour of travel time each stop to visit with complete strangers:) The rack is easy to install and remove on the receiver hitch. The lockout feature works great and gives a great deal of peace of mind. The bikes are easy to load. I don't use it, but there is a ramp that could make loading the bikes easier if a person couldn't lift the bike onto the rack. There are two arms the lock onto the frame of the bikes similar to the receiver hitch. Once locked down the bikes will not move. I would recommend ordering the longer ratchet staps if you have fat tires. I think they cost around 20 bucks but the longer straps allow for a little more flexibility in arranging bikes on the rack. I would strongly recommend this product and this company.
# 3
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
Works well for transporting two 29" wheeled mountain bikes. However, after one year it's starting to rust in several areas (see attached photos), and the front wheel arms are becoming increasingly difficult to raise and lower. Finally the locking cable is extremely rusty as you can see in the attached photo. I'm not sure how durable this rack will be long term.
We have had this bike rack for one year and use it every week-end. My wife has a Trek e-bike (52 lbs) and I have a regular Trek hybrid (23 lbs). The rack is very sturdy and I have no issues driving at highway speeds, there is no movement of the bikes. Very easy to load and unload.
# 4
Swagman XTC4 Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
So far I’ve just assembled it and took a quick test drive around the block. My initial thought is this thing is perfect. It’s super sturdy and easy to use. My only gripe and it’s not fault of the rack, but it’s heavy…
If you've done any research or read any of the other comments on either this rack, or this seller...rest assured they really are as good as everyone says! I ordered my rack on around 4pm est on a Friday afternoon and within an hour I received an email that said they have shipped my product AND upgraded to priority shipping. Can't say enough positive things about the customer service! When the rack arrived, it took me a little over half an hour to get it set up. Probably would e been faster if I were even slightly mechanically inclined (or if didn't I didn't have to borrow a socket wrench from my neighbor). We finally had an opportunity to load up the bikes and head out for a ride today. As others have said, the first time you load up your bikes, it's kind of like a puzzle to get them situated. Took about 15 minutes. This rack is awesome! Very sturdy and the bikes were very secure. Only racks I have had in the past were rooftop fork mount racks. This is so much easier! On e we got to the trail (over an hour drive) getting the bikes off was a piece of cake. Afterwards, it was time to load them back up and it was less than 5 minutes to get them all on and ready to hit the road. There were other 4-bike racks on the website, but this one had enough great reviews that I felt comfortable making the purchase. After the fact, I'm very glad I did! I can't imagine the $800 rack can be that much better than this, and I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a 4-bike platform rack. I will definitely recommend this rack and etrailer.com to everyone I know.
What our customers are saying:
"I ordered a trailer hitch and a bike rack carrier the order was shipped with in three days. To put the hitch on only took about 30 mins. only had to drill two 1/2 holes. fit like a glove."