# 1
Thule Insta-Gater Pro Truck Bed Bike Rack - 1 Bike
Linda and I recently ordered two Aventon Pace 500 NextGen E-bikes from [bike store] in Madison, WI. Not wanting to just toss our expensive new bikes in the back of the p/u when they arrive next month we promptly ordered the Thule Instagator from etrailer. My prior experience with etrailer came as a recommendation from a friend. I was able to do quite a bit of the research on etrailers website, the demonstration video extremely helpful and we placed an order. The racks were in-stock, shipped promptly, etrailer providing a very nice tracking link that included pics of the staff involved in processing the order and a map of the route all the way to delivery. Absolutely 1st rate service. The racks showed up in perfect condition about two days after placing the order, exactly as promised. We are very pleased with etrailer, will most certainly be ordering from them again and recommend this company w/o reservation. Nice job etrailer!
Installed in my Ford Ranger. With the dealer installed drop in bed liner on my truck, my bikes are too long to mount the front tire in the rack as I have less than 60 inches by a couple. So I mount with rear tire and the front tire at an angle in the front corner of the truck bed. Loading is a little awkward. I can’t secure the carriers (I have two) by closing the tail gate as my E-bikes are too heavy at about 50 lbs. each to lift over the closed tailgate. So I have to mount them with the tailgate open, then position the racks where I can close the tail gate with a good fit and then ratchet up the slack of the holding straps. With the bricks mounted this way the security chain built into the carrier is not long enough to go around the main part of the frame in fron of the seat. It has to go on/over the rear part of the frame. With the short trips I’ve taken so far the bikes seem reasonably secure. There is some sway from the front tires, but on long trips I will probably secure some how with a strap. Unloading is also not the easiest, mainly due to the weight of the bikes. Two people makes it much easier. Finally, the carriers could be easily stolen by simply pulling out the ratchet straps or cutting them. Recommend a security chain lock be attached to the carrier and also maybe the bike.
# 2
Yakima Locking BlockHead Single Bike Truck Bed Mounted Rack - Bolt-on - 9-mm Skewer
Bought this product one year ago, and I absolutely love it! I bolted it to my pickup box. It is in brand new condition after a year in our harsh coastal weather. It is a breeze to operate. And the locking system secures my bike so well that I have piece of mind if I have to leave my bike unattended. I highly recommend this product! Fast shipping, very reasonable price.
I thought you guys might want to see the way I am using the Yakima bike racks.
# 3
Kuat Transfer V2 Bike Rack for 1 Bike - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
This is a solid product. Easy to assemble and simple to operate. A couple of issues make it less than ideal. First, because it is built to fit 1 1/4 and 2" hitches, the hitch pin holes do not line up correctly in a standard 2" trailer hitch. This means that you cannot use a 5/8" hitch pin. You can use the smaller pin, but you get the kind of fit you would expect -- it's loose and it rattles. If the cam system fails, the smaller hitch pin isn't going to help much. This is a huge design flaw in my opinion. Note that if you order the hitch pin lock that they say you need for this particular rack (HL2), it comes with a 5/8" pin that won't fit. Just dumb. My rack didn't come with the cable, so I contacted etrailer and after alot of back and forth, they said they would reach out to Kuat. That was a month ago. There is not a cap to snap over the cable lock, so when the rack is folded in the upright position, water leaks into the hollow bar behind the lock. It will sit in there forever unless you pull the rack and turn it upside down. I put a piece of duct tape over it -- the lock is no use to me since etrailer and Kuat can't seem to provide me with the missing cable.
My husband and I are in our 60's and had no problem putting this together as per instructions. It's a good solid rack, no wobble even with my big 35 pound 29'er. It easily clears our steep curb on the back of our Subaru Outback. The hatch clears the bike and there's plenty of room to move between the car and bike in that tilt position. We loaded our car for vacation with the bike on the rack. It's a bonus to be able to leave it all on the car in our garage. We also bought the Drawtite 2" hitch from etrailer.com. We're very happy with this setup!
What our customers are saying:
"great experience!!! I've been looking for a hitch. With the experience I just had with the bike rack, I;kk definitely come back and order the hitch when I have a little more $$$. delivery was quick! the product was awesome!!! Frank"