Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.
You want to take the family riding, but most bike racks are bulky and expensive, and you've got nowhere to keep one. The ShiftShow gets the whole crew to the trail and packs away in a closet, in your trunk, or on a shelf when you're done.
The Benton ShiftShow is built for families and friends who just want to get out and ride. It's even ready right out of the box, so you don't have to waste any time assembling it. It carries four bikes, though depending on bike styles, you might see a little contact between them. If you've got carbon frames or bikes you want to keep pristine, we recommend the Benton Shifts&Grins platform rack (B82FR - sold separately). But if the risk of a few scuffs doesn't bother you, this is one of the easiest ways to carry four bikes without spending a fortune.
One of the best things about the ShiftShow is how little space it takes up when folded. The support arm folds flat, and the shank pivots in tight against the mast, turning the full-size rack into something compact enough to stash in a trunk, closet, or garage shelf. It doesn't lean awkwardly against the wall or take up floor space like other platforms. In fact, it tucks away so neatly you might lose track of it if you're not paying attention.
Grabbing gear from the trunk doesn't have to mean unloading all your bikes. Unlike most hanging racks, you can tilt the ShiftShow away from your vehicle by pulling the lower spring pin and gently lowering it down with both hands. Need snacks? A jacket? No problem. Grab what you need and get back on the road. And when your bikes aren't loaded, you can fold the support arm down into its storage position so it takes up less space behind your vehicle. That way, you can leave the rack on and still park in your garage.
If you have a women's bike, kid's bike, or any other bike without a straight, horizontal top tube, you'll need an adapter bar (sold separately) to properly mount your bike. It fits between the seat post and handlebar stem to create a level mounting point.
Love the product so far! It does NOT however fit smaller kids bikes well. I figured out a system to get things to fit, but it took a long minute. Love the quality and craftsmanship for the price though! Once the boys graduate to a larger bike frame, it will be a great 4 bike rack!
4 stars, only because my tailgate clips the bike arm when the arm is folded (on in the "down" or 'no bikes' position) and the vertical arm stemming from the "tilt pivot point" is tilted down in the 'tailgate access' position.
essentially, the 'tilt' feature needs 1 or 2 more degrees of tilt. This way, when all the bikes are off, I can collapse the upper arm. (parking lot saver). When I need access to the tailgate, the tilt feature travels just a pinch more and the tailgate would then clear perfectly.
I get around this by just pulling on the top of the rack, and the gate clears.
I'd love to see a better/faster mounting feature. I have to keep a ratcheting wrench in my car... not a huge deal, but some type mechanism that removes the need for tools to mount the rack.
Weld an eyelet or offer an accessory to add locking mechanism (Bike lock cable I already have??) to secure bikes to the rack itself.
Very solid bike rack. We will be taking it for it's first road trip soon. But I did a test fit on our truck, just to check things out. The unit itself is a quality built item. It's sturdy and definitely feels durable. Should not be an issue to fit 4 adult bikes. And at half the price to some of the brand name racks, I think this is a great purchase for our needs.
This product seems well built. The only thing I would change would be to have it fold down a bit further so I would be able to open the tail gate of my pick up while in the receiver hitch.
I tested out the ShiftShow and compared it to the Reese Eclipse 4-bike rack that I own. They are both similar in design but the ShiftShow is a clear winner for my needs.
I don't have fancy bikes or a lot of money to spend on a rack. We are not avid bikers and just need to get our bikes from point A to point B. I currently use the Reese Eclipse for my road bike and two kids bikes. I have been using the Reese Eclipse for 2 years and I want to switch over to the ShiftShow for a few reasons.
The straps on my current bike rack are a cloth material with hook and loop to secure the bikes. I don't feel comfortable going far distances with that setup because it does allow the bikes to bounce around. The ShiftShow has the zip strip rubber straps and I noticed a lot less movement with my bikes in the rear window while going down the road. The straps also secure to the bike's seat post which made a huge difference in the bikes swaying around back there.
Both bike racks require you to tighten down the anti-rattle hitch bolt but I experienced way less wobble when I borrowed the ShiftShow. My current setup definitely bounces around back there when I am driving and that was pretty much eliminated with the ShiftShow. Also the ShiftShow comes with a wrench. I don't remember if mine did or not but I am always looking for a wrench to tighten down the bolt. So hold onto that little wrench that conveniently comes with the ShiftShow.
One thing I was hoping for was to eliminate the need for the bike adapter bar for my bike because it has a slanted cross tube. I will be honest, you will still need a bike adapter bar for women's bikes with a slanted cross tube or kids bikes to allow them to hang level. Although, the bikes will still work on the rack they will just hang crooked. I personally feel the adapter bars were worth the extra cost to allow them to hang level.
Now let's talk about storage. The Reese Eclipse I have right now DRIVES ME CRAZY when it comes to storing it. There is never a good space in the garage to put it. It's always sticking out somewhere and my kids are tripping over it. The ShiftShow when folded is compact which would make my life so much easier.
I will be replacing my Reese Eclipse with the ShiftShow soon because I don't really need a big fancy platform rack. I just need a rack that is functional enough to go to the park with my kids. Thank you for reading all of this!
Great, sturdy bike rack!
This purchase was a good online experience. I felt like I knew what I was getting g and it was a great fit
Very sturdy.
This rack is pretty sweet for the price point. It's easier to use than my old hanging rack that doesn't tilt down or fold up when in storage. It's also easier to get bikes onto it since it only has one arm instead of 2.
Heather A.
11/22/2024
Why does 1 arm make it easier to get bikes on? Just wondering
Jameson C.
11/26/2024
solid, great quality and easy as hell to set up and use. Bikes are very stable if you set them in and lock them down the right way. Love that you can fold it down with the bikes on it.
Gwendolyn Y.
7/7/2025
Looks like you were headed off to a fun ride, Gene! I did notice that the aqua (?) colored bikes front wheel is kinda dipping low. If you are ever headed to a trail that may lead you down some rough roads it may be good to get an adapter bar like part # 64005. Some bigger bumps could cause it to get pretty close to the ground. If you don't see that in your future then, you should be good!
Incredibly fast Incredibly great service!! Will recommend to everyone.
the unit is well done. think now that it is on, we, will just leace it on the car.
Do you have a question about this Hitch Bike Rack?
Info for this part was:
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Bryan
1/7/2025
Wow Heather, Thank you for all that information. I am also looking for a new affordable bike rack and I think this looks like a good option.