This 2-bike platform rack is perfect for riders who occasionally take a friend or family member out to the trail. You can tilt it with your bikes loaded for trunk access and fold it up for storage. Includes lock for bikes.
Features:
Specs:
California residents: click here
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (39 Customer Reviews)
This 2-bike platform rack is perfect for riders who occasionally take a friend or family member out to the trail. You can tilt it with your bikes loaded for trunk access and fold it up for storage. Includes lock for bikes.I really wish the bike rack had stationary tire tie downs. The ones provided do not keep the bikes from swaying while driving. I use two bungee cords and wrap them around the bikes to stop the swaying. A longer bolt and a lock nut should have been provided to secure the bike rack to the hitch. The bolt loosens easily due to the length of the bolt and causes the bike rack to lean to one side. There is one spot of rust on the bike rack. I was careful to put a lubricant on the bike rack when assembling and attaching to the hitch so that I could remove the bike rack if needed. I cannot remove the bike rack from the hitch. It wont budge. Therefore, most carwashes will not allow my vehicle to go through with the bike rack.
Did not get a chance to use this bike rack yet. But Nicole T was so product knowledgeable. Answered all my questions. Definitely use this company again.
400 miles and held up well. $1500 worth of bikes, so I stopped a few times to make sure everything was holding up. It did well!
You can decide which way to put the “hooks” that go over the frame onto the rack when you assemble it. This will eliminate the problem of not being able to secure both bikes if one frame is lower.
It’s also heavy as heck (with the bikes on it) to tilt to access the cargo in the hatch. For me, I can handle it...for my wife, not so much. Don’t plan on getting to the cargo unless you are strong and have a good back.
The swing arm came with the predrilled holes for the lock pin off by about half an inch, so I had to drill new holes. Even then, the hole for the pivot point also seems slightly off. Once I got new holes drilled, it holds on nice and sturdy and doesn't knock about while driving. The locking mechanism, while clever, seems flimsy. Might just be for preventing crimes of convenience.
This bike rack is a great design. Easy to assemble and sturdy. I did have to purchase an additional receiver to fit my trailer but the original that came with the rack fits all my other vehicles. Super easy to interchange and use it on multiple vehicles and or RVs. I'm a perfectionist and very fussy when it comes to how things are built and this bike rack passes the test.
The amount you save on this bike will not counter the amount you pay for the damages to your bike after it fails on you on the highway. :-( When i purchased this rack June 2020, I was stoked for using it for my mountain bike this summer, and paying half the price of the competing brands out there. When i received the rack, I assembled it as the directions told me but then found out that the mounting piece was initially installed backwards by the manufacturer. I fixed that myself, but then the locking knob also broke off on initial install (see pic below). This is what caused problems. Not only could the bike not be secured without an additional lock, the actual knob broke off in transit. I made due by strapping my bike down with what i could--but eventually, on the highway, the top piece flew off and sent my bike dragging behind me until i could safely stop. The damage to the bike was about $600. Not only costly, but also very dangerous to me and the drivers behind me. So--my take away, is even though this rack looks ideal for your adventures--be aware, the components and initial assembly will fail on you.
Overall, great bike rack. Easy to set up and take down every time I am planning for a bike trip. It is sturdy and easy to use. The only thing is the security when leaving bikes behind on the rack. The security mechanism provided is hokey and the lock broke very easily. I was able to replace but I now use a long chain to lock up because of how easyit is to break. Still highly recommended, I also like how the rack moves down to access the trunk or up out of the way when not in use.
After a year of use this is a good bike rack. It is pretty easy to put on the car, even for one person, and holds the bikes securely. It can be a little tricky to get everything to line up when moving pieces into different positions, but overall it does what it is supposed to do. Also, the tilt down feature with the bikes on the rack is very difficult to maneuver and is pretty much impossible without 2 people.
My biggest issue with this bike rack is that the adapter for the 2" hitch is awful. The adapter got stuck in the hitch when we first used it and made the hitch impossible to install. We eventually had to shave it down so that it would fit more smoothly. With this issue fixed, this is a solid, functional bike rack.
The key broke off in the lock after a few months of maybe weekly locking/unlocking so it’s not the best mechanism but I am now very careful about only locking it when needed since I was able to remove it and am now using the spare…I might look into other locks that I can use instead that match the profile of the current mechanism.
The frame is very study and the drop down features is invaluable. I do wish there was a 2 in hitch version since the adapter adds a little more freedom and wiggle to the rack (and I’m using an anti-rattle hitch lock).
Simple assembly, easy load and unload, bikes secure with minimal fuss and no interference with each other
just got it, have yet to use it, five star rating is based off of ease of building and apparent sturdiness. i've been driving around with it on my subaru forester in the upright compact position and it seems pretty great. will be using it on fathers day to go biking with my dad. sturdy, doesn't rattle, good looking.
For a tilt-away hitch rack, this is a good value. Depending on the bikes, you may have to disassemble and reposition the tire cradles to accommodate different wheelbases. The same is true for the hold down hooks, depending on the height of bicycles' top tube. As such, the assembly instructions would benefit from some text as well as the drawings. A chart showing a recommended configuration for various bike height and wheelbase combinations would be very helpful. Plan on at least an hour to assemble the rack, see how the bikes load and fit, and then adjust and/or transpose the cradles and hooks.
Bottom line is I would buy this again, especially for infrequent use. If I were, say, a once or twice a week biker, then I'd pony up the extra $$ for a tire mount rack instead of the center post frame mount. On a side note, the etrailer bike rack categories, subgroups, and pictures make bike rack shopping a breeze. One of the best designed shopping assistance interfaces I've seen for any product.
The bike rack has provided good service and utility. Im very pleased with it's easier of operation and overall strength. Living in Hawaii has it's challenges, especially rust, I have not experienced any rust thus far and am very happy to report that. Overall I would rate the product as a 9 on a scale of 10, the one pitfal was in ease of installation, it took longer than expected to secure the Hitch in the receiver.
Would have given a 5 rating except for several things mostly related to manufacturing quality. etrailer site was great and technical support was helpful. Nice added feature would have been two locking knobs instead of one. Problems encountered: 1 1/4 inch bar would not slide into my receiver on Avalon. Other products I have slide in easily. Wanted to file paint off Malone unit but etrailer suggested I file inside of receiver & add grease. After many filings and some grease it finally went in. Also had to enlarge each of the pin holes used to hold unit in folded up position so that pin would slide in. In the folded down position holes line up perfectly.
This Malone Bike Rack only took about 10 minutes to assemble.
The missing star is due to one of the lock keys being broken in the box.
Still waiting on Malone (maker of the rack) to respond.
THe staff at eTrailer have been the best. Thank you all.
Padding on arms rubbed against frame top tube and wore off some paint. Wheel tie down straps aren't long enough to wrap around some fatter tires. Locking/unlocking mechanism isn't very good and not worth the trouble, I put regular wingnut on there now.
Product arrived well packed and in a timely manor. Assembly is straight forward, good instructions that are simple to read. I do wish they would add some suggestions for storing this device when not in use. It is heavy so if considering a wall mount, I suggest using at least two (2) brackets at 32" apart and lag bolted ( 2 1/2 inch ) into a good wall stud. This method will distribute the weight and lessen the likelihood of it pulling free, falling and damaging something else.
Overall, a really nice product.
Solid product. Installation was quick and easy! I have bought from Etrailer before and have always received a quality product in a timely manner. Their web site is fast and intuitive. Their customer service is outstanding.
Great bargain. For the money it’s good. The locking knob sucked and broke they mailed me a new one.(same thing) I use 2 nuts instead that I bought at Home Depot and tighten with a wrench. Also the foam that protects the bike frames wore thru in 2 uses. I wrapped it in black tape and it’s holding up.
Use this rack for bikes you are not too worried about scratching. The original foam leaves a black stain residue it comes off easy with a wd40 wipe.. I use for the camping bicycles so to me it is a good option cheap and cheerful. I didn’t have to put out $500 for a nice tire held mount but I leave it on the camper full time. I do have a nice high end rack I use with the nice bikes. It may seem that it’s not a great review. I’m just being honest about my experience. I would buy it again No doubt. It was cheap. I don’t worry of it being stolen. Etc.
For the price and the offered features, I thought this rack would be too good to pass up. But now I see exactly why the name brand racks cost so much. This thing has some terrible build quality meaning that I had to hammer in the large peg so that it would even go together, and now that it is, I can't fold it up or down. It has to stay exactly how it is. But hey, it works, and it was cheap.
If you want to buy this, don't, save up and get something that will give you less of a headache.
I use the center hold down bar, the lock come off
Great service and terrific product. Chris answered all my questions and delivery was super fast. Used it the first time this week with no problems. Did have our grandson put it together. Took him 20 minutes (would have taken us 2 hours)! Much lighter than our old bike rack and I was able to lift my bike on and off myself (I am 77!). It answered our needs.
Looks good
We love it. Easily mounted and easy to dismount bike. Best feature is the ability to lower without taking rake off to get in back of our Ford Explorer.
Assembly directions could be improved.
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.
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.