# 1
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Great product!
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
# 2
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
A bought the swagman XTC-2 due to the many good reviews on various sites. Delivery from etrailer was less than two days to my door. The assembly was simple and without problem. I had some concern about the 2" hitch adapter, but the fit was tight with no wobble whatsoever. I just came back from a 200 miles trip with the bikes. The two MBs mounted in the carrier with out any issue on my Tahoe and were held firmly at interstate highways speeds. The XTC-2 held both bikes tightly with very little movement. The foldover feature allows access to the SUV storage area when the rack is empty. You will need to carry a 19 mm wrench to remove the threaded bolt that hold the carrier to the hitch. The carrier did exactly what is was supposed to do at a reasonable price. What more to say.
I went into my local bike shop looking for a rack to carry my bike behind my GMC Yukon. True story: I told the sales clerk what I was looking for and he showed me the two brands they carried. I told him that I had seen a Swagman XTC on a Tahoe and that I was also considering that. He said, "Get yourself the XTC, it is cheaper and better than anything we carry. You won't be disappointed." I ordered it on line the next day and he was right, I am not disappointed at all--it is simple to install and easy to lock down the bike. Highly recommend.
# 3
Curt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
We shopped around at stores and online for about 3 weeks. We wanted a good product to use for traveling and riding in the city. Curts was our best choice. It took some time for the bike rack to come to our home. Nonetheless, the company e-mailed us right away to explain and give us options. We loved that, customer service is soooooo very critical. Now the rack: Its really heavy, it comes in a big box. The bike rack was sort of challenging at first to put together. It took a little over 1 hour to put together and attach to truck. Please tighten up each and every screw "Husbands" lol lol. The direction was somewhat helpful. Maybe, having each piece with a number diagram on paper could help. What really helped was the actual video on the website after all pieces were put together. That was very helpful. Its on you tube as well. The bike rack performs exactly how the video describes it. Gave 4 stars for pulling the pens to let down the rack to enter the trunk of the Tahoe can be difficult. Those pens should have some cushion or foam for better gripping. Overall, 5 stars the quality is excellent along with the craftsmanship and sturdiness of the product. The price is definitely worth it. I received a couple of compliments.
It was obvious that we received a product that was returned by someone else when the box was overly taped shut, a support collar was broken, and most of the pieces were out of their ripped plastic bags. However, it was a great price to hold 5, 26" and/or 27" Trek bikes. I used a piece of the broken collar and went ahead and assembled the rack. Due to the weight of the 5 bikes it did not wobble that much when driving, as one of the bike tires was up against my car. I can only imagine that if we received an untampered product that this review would have been 5 stars. The picture is a little hard to see, but there are 5 Trek bikes on the rack on my 2020 Toyota Seinna.
# 4
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Excellent and prompt customer service! When I first ordered my product it wasn’t in stock— staff were quick to let me know and offered me comparable products. I ended up waiting for my original order and shipping quick and they stayed in touch with ideas! Thule: The instructions could be a little more detailed. I ended up watching YouTube videos to help me instal. Overall it was easy, and this was the first rack I’ve ever installed and I did it by myself! I was surprised to learn the bike rack is in no way secured inside your vehicle, so.. I store it in my garage when it’s on.
Positive: The product is well thought out and works for a wide range of automotive vehicles. It comes with interesting dampers that i think work. Instructions seem to be translated from another language, but are quite good, accompanying pictures make installation straightforward. A test drive over speed bumps shows that the rack will support the bike for all travel needs. It can be disassembled , collapsed and stored in the trunk. Downside: The rack is made for the classic triangular shaped frame: horizontal cross bar, "male" bike. For bikes without the horizontal bar, mounting is a little less satisfactory. Such a bike can only be mounted on the outside mounts. Cannot use the damper on one side. Picture shows the mounting. as to a design solution, maybe brackets could be replaced with smaller profile, some adjustability? however, as it is, vibration control is good and adjustability with smaller profile would have vibration concerns.
# 5
Swagman Fork Down Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Goes together quickly, appears that it will fit my needs in terms of being cross-compatible on a variety of vehicles. Fit on a Subaru Outback factory crossbar and transported bike locally with no issues when I got it out to set up and test (not quite warm enough to ride much yet where I live). Instructions are not super, but the assembly is pretty straightforward so that is not a problem. At the price point, if this rack indeed holds up to swapping onto multiple vehicles and lasts me a few years, I'll be thrilled with the purchase.
I purchased two of these racks, along with another rack that is meant to hold bikes with both tires still installed. I am extremely happy with all three of them. This rack specifically is very sturdy. Installation was sort of a pain, but that was mostly due to me installing it on the top of my 2004 GMC Yukon XL...it is so high that it was a little hard to install. But now that it's installed, it's actually very simple to take the bikes on and off. I've made one round trip with these racks, so I've put the bikes up there and removed them twice. Both trips (about 100 miles each way) they bikes were super sturdy and I had no concerns about them falling off or anything like that. I would definitely recommend this rack if you're looking for a fork down roof mounted bike carrier. In fact, I will very likely get another one when we add another bike to the family. I think I'll be able to fit four racks on the top of my Yukon easily. One last note - I was initially concerned about the height of my vehicle when bikes were on top of them. I brushed a couple of tree limbs when pulling into my camping spot, but it was no big deal. I think the total height of my load was about 10 feet, which was lower than the camper that I was pulling.
# 6
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
I did a lot of research and decided this was the rack for me. I was totally correct. First, it has all the most important features but only weighs about 14 lbs. I was concerned as a senior lady with arthritis issues. I can use it well and it performed perfectly with an adapter bar for my Electra Townie. I have had compliments from several seasoned riders and a bike shop owner here at the beach who said it was great quality and I got a great price. Also purchased a locking trailer hitch pin with bike cable from etrailer. All over satisfaction with products and etrailer who provided enough videos to help me.
This product is exactly what I wanted. The 2" post fits in the reciever perfectly, and no wiggle. I did tighten the mounting screw, but didn't have to change the hardware I have already (locks). There are two more screws to reduce the wiggles at each pivot point, and there was little to begin with. I tend to test way beyond the breaking point, and did some aggressive driving with every bump across town to the first ride. All good and I won't worry while driving with the bike attached moving forward. Only thing I wish it had was a locking mechanism, but I used a wire cable and lock. The other comparable ones with a lock were 2X the price. I can use the additional lock if I have other plans than just a trail. Service has been outstanding and I will look for any future purchases of this kind to be through etrailer.
What our customers are saying:
"Found your site on google, after a quick search I found the bike rack I wanted at a great price. Placed my order, and just under a hour 3 emails,1, order recieved,2, order in stock,3, order shipped. Never have I had such luck with a online shop. Thank you"