# 1
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.
# 2
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Black
This rack is great. The adjustable tilt feature is convenient. The price point is solid for the quality. The 4 star rating is simply because some of the plastic melted due to exhaust heat when the rack was in the bikeless up position. Küat warranty and customer service was great. They are replacing the hook. If you're thinking of this for a 2021 Forester, definitely get the Hi-lo adapter so that the hook doesn't sit in line with the exhaust.
I had waited a long time to get this Kuat rack and I am glad I did. The build quality is excellent and using the box as an assembly platform is a nice touch. It went together easily with 3 bolts and secures to the hitch very securely with little to no wobble once the adjustment knob is tightened. My last hitch rack used a threaded bolt to secure it to the hitch and that did an ok job to reduce sway but so far this method is much better. Loading bikes is easy and it holds then securely. I haven't used the security cable yet, other than to test it out, but like anything else I consider it more of a deterrent than anything else as I doubt I would leave my bikes loaded w/o being able to keep eyes on them. Overall this was a good purchase and etrailer was fantastic throughout the process as well. They offered an alternative when I ordered as this item was out of stock, but this is what I wanted so I was prepared to wait. Then to my surprise it shipped almost 2 months earlier than expected! They of course notified me when it was shipped and when it was delivered and made sure I had a contact at etrailer if I had any questions with the rack. Overall it was a great process and a great looking and functioning rack.
# 3
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Check out my other review on the hidden hitch for a 2015 BMW 4 Series for the majority of the review, but this thing is great. Easy setup and install, does all the things it's supposed to do. Mounting and removing bikes is a snap with the included clips (big difference from some of the cheaper variants with nylon ratchet straps). Fits very snugly in my 2" receiver, and pretty solid on the highway and over bumpy roads.
The rack itself is fantastic. Not too heavy, easy to attach to hitch, and very easy setup. The only real downside is if your bicycles don't have a standard frame, you'll need to buy the Yakima Tube Top Bike Adapter Bars (~$50 each) in order to be able to mount them on the rack. I will say that smaller bikes (for my 9 year old) can be a challenge to mount with larger bikes as you'll need to finagle the handle bars and such to get them to line up but once you do it a few times you figure it out.
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."