# 1
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Very solid product. Easy to setup/install and use. Price is great. Arrived promptly. My only complaint is that sometimes the pins are a pain to get in and out when folding the tire trays up and down. I assume this will "loosen" up in time. Other than that, it's an amazing bike rack.
My engineer friend who assembled the Carrier thinks it is extremely well made, and I find it very easy to attach to the hitch. Placing the bike on the Carrier takes only a few simple steps. I am very happy with the service I received from etrailer.com;( they actually upgraded the shipping at no cost to me) and am completely satisfied with the product.
# 2
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
The Good: The rack was easy and quick to put together. It was also easy to figure out how to get the bikes on the rack and secure them to the rack. The rack handled 2 mountain bikes with no issue (It has only been used once as of this review). The Not So Good: Other reviews mention this but the top hooks can scuff up the bike so we had to add some road bike style bar tape around them which fixed that issue. The rack seems to hold the bikes but I wish there was a strap around the tires to give me a little more piece of mind.
We've used this rack for a year now on our Honda Fit. It's been great for our two road bikes, and we've taken it on multiple cross-country road trips. No problems with installing, or safety, or quality of the rack. We also bought the matching Anti-Rattle Hitch Lock and Cable. I read several reviews of this type of rack before buying and one of the complaints was that the clamp could rub the paint off of your bike's top tube, and the bike can rub the rubber off the clamping surface pf the rack. The way I've found around that is to get a cheap pool noodle, cut in half and split one side along its length. Then place the pool noodle around the top tube of your bike before clamping it down. This protects the finish perfectly on both the bike and the rack, it's light and it's cheap.
# 3
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Flawless - quiet - secure - easy - convenient. Winner! I just completed a 1624 mile road trip/move from DC to Austin TX with the Swagman bike rack on a 2010 Honda Fit. This rack felt kind of heavy, but did a great job - no noise, no vibration, and the deep saddles and straps made me feel very secure. Love the saddle design. Wrap one strap around the seat tube and one around the top tube on one end, and two around the top tube on the other. I used a bungy cord to keep the front wheel in line with the frame. Very secure, noise-free. The swing-down design came in very handy when accessing the hatch. I hadn't considered this important when I bought it, but it is a nice feature, especially given the weight of the rack. Nicer to keep it in the hitch and swing it down to get in the back. Also, note how the rack rises up from the hitch receiver. This gave me plenty of ground clearance. I had that little Honda way loaded and the rack never bottomed out or scraped when entering driveways, parking lots, or up ramps. This was the right blend of features, cost and quality for my use. I'm not sure what more I could have wanted!
etrailer was very efficient at fulfilling my order, shipping expediently and providing useful information such as installation videos on my own model of car. Prices were very low also. One stop shopping! I would recommend them for self install hitches, wiring and bike racks. Very satisfied!
# 4
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
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.
# 5
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
I was looking for a light weight bike rack for my 2015 Honda Accord. Your videos stated that the Kuat Beta was light and easy to install. You were right. I opened the box, read the instructions, and had it installed in about 10 minutes. I don't use a rack lock. It is so easy to pop on and off the hitch that I keep the rack in my car trunk.
We've been using this bike rack with a 1.25" Draw-Tite receiver hitch (also purchased from etrailer) on a 2012 Prius C for a month with no problems. As shown on the pictures, it fits two bikes very well, even one with a baby carrier. I chose this model based on recommendations from etrailer that it can be easily detached from the car without tools. True to their word, it is very easily detachable from the hitch and folds up nicely to fit in your garage/closet/storage area. Basically, it uses a hand tightened ball bearing mechanism to secure itself into the hitch receiver, and then uses a 3/8" hand locked pin as a safety device. You can install and de-install this rack in just a few minutes. During driving, there is little noticeable vibration from this rack, even on rougher roads or speed bumps. The only downside is that the holes on the receiver hitch do not align perfectly with the holes on the bike rack (see picture). I believe a few other reviewers also noted this issue. There is enough room to fit the safety pin, but not quite enough to fit a 1/2" hitch lock. I called Kuat to ask them about this and the rep told me that not all hitches will line up with this rack. Kuat, coincidentally(?), sells a hitch lock that is also 3/8" (same size as the safety pin) and still fits.
# 6
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
The e-trailer video helped me easily install my new rack -- my first time handling a bike rack. Elegant success! And your order/shipping/delivery/follow-up service is excellent -- above par. Thank you!
# 7
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Great product. Arrived on time. Assembly was easy took less than 30 minutes.
Truly grooving on my wife's new Swagman Chinook bike rack. She wanted to be able to transport her nice road bike easily without throwing it in the back of her car, and since a roof rack is out of the question, this Swagman model fit the bill perfectly. It arrived quickly on the anticipated date. Kudos to etrailer.com for the email updates to keep me informed of my purchase. Within one hour, it was installed on my wife's 2014 Mazda3 hatchback. The Swagman is heavy and solid, which is reassuring as it makes me feel confident that it will keep the bikes secure. It also makes me feel like I got my money's worth. A ratchet wrench and Phillip's head screwdriver were the only tools required for the easy install. I did my research before purchasing the Chinook model as I was also eyeballing a very similar Thule rack that was slightly more expensive. I spoke with an etrailer.com expert who gave me the lowdown on both models. Ultimately, the Swagman won out because it has a smaller 'footprint' while extended or folded up ... and also can tilt away from the car for easy access to the hatchback area. Very convenient! FYI: Mazda doesn't make a trailer hitch for the Mazda3 as it's a small car with a small engine and has no business towing anything. Thankfully, the Curt company makes an aftermarket frame and trailer hitch that fits the Mazda3 hatchback perfectly with no drilling. Stupidly, I purchased it from another online company thinking I was getting a good deal. Turns out etrailer.com had it for less with FREE shipping. Oh well ... live and learn. Now I know that etrailer.com is one-stop shopping for bike racks AND trailer hitches. (Full disclosure: I had the garage down the street install the frame as it's easier with a lift) Only snafu: the shipment contained an extra set of keys that I assumed was for the hitch bolt lock (there was also a set of keys on the bolt itself). I spent 15 minutes using those keys trying to figure out how to remove the lock from the bolt to install it on the hitch. The keys just wouldn't turn in the lock. I called etrailer.com and Kevin told me to try the other set of keys ... and they worked. So an extra set of keys came with it that did absolutely nothing ... weird! Obviously, I can't speak to the longevity and durability of the Swagman Chinook 2 Bike Platform Rack as I just installed it. What I can speak to is the sturdiness of it, the ease of the installation and my complete satisfaction with the good folks at etrailer.com.
# 8
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Planning on bringing bikes while camping. I mounted 2 of the Swagman bike racks to my new Sportrack on my pop-up camper. The bikes fit perfectly. The racks seem sturdy enough. Not heavy duty, but for my needs they should be fine. Assembly was relatively fast and easy.
We have used the Swagman Roof Rack a number of times when we have needed the additional bike carrying capacity. It took a couple attempts to get the initial spacing of the bike rack properly balanced on the van’s roof rack as recommended by the instructions. But it was easy to do and once set was very easy and quick to put on and take off. The rack works great, the bike is easy to put into place and secure. The bike and rack are very stable and quiet and haven’t required any mid-trip adjustments. We always put the cheapest bike on the roof (lol) but do use a bit of duct tape to protect the finish just Incase. We are very satisfied with the rack and consider it quite a deal for the money.
# 9
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Flawless - quiet - secure - easy - convenient. Winner! I just completed a 1624 mile road trip/move from DC to Austin TX with the Swagman bike rack on a 2010 Honda Fit. This rack felt kind of heavy, but did a great job - no noise, no vibration, and the deep saddles and straps made me feel very secure. Love the saddle design. Wrap one strap around the seat tube and one around the top tube on one end, and two around the top tube on the other. I used a bungy cord to keep the front wheel in line with the frame. Very secure, noise-free. The swing-down design came in very handy when accessing the hatch. I hadn't considered this important when I bought it, but it is a nice feature, especially given the weight of the rack. Nicer to keep it in the hitch and swing it down to get in the back. Also, note how the rack rises up from the hitch receiver. This gave me plenty of ground clearance. I had that little Honda way loaded and the rack never bottomed out or scraped when entering driveways, parking lots, or up ramps. This was the right blend of features, cost and quality for my use. I'm not sure what more I could have wanted!
This is a very well designed rack. It's sturdy, and has very versatile straps for mounting and securing the bikes. The rack is pretty high off the ground, which is perfect for cars with low clearance. Even for aggressive mountain bikes with lots of suspension, I don't have to worry about scraping the hitch or the wheels on the ground in my Honda Fit. When loaded with 1 or 2 bikes, the rack does a good job of softening bumps from the road without bouncing too much.
# 10
Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier - Roof Mount
Overall I am happy with these bike carriers. They mount to the racks over the bed of my Tundra TRD Pro. Installation is simple. I think they could be just a bit sturdier because there is just a bit of wobbling when driving on bumpy roads but I'm not too worried about them coming dislodged. Take note that although they come with a cable lock to attach the bike to the carrier, the key is sold separately.
Very good product. It holds the bike securely on the roof without contacting the frame. It is easy to adjust from my road bike to my 29er mountain bike. Our drives are all relatively short, so I like that I do not need to remove the front wheel to lock in the bike. It's also nice that the SKS locking system allows me to use the same key for this rack that I use for my Yakima roof box and hitch rack. This is my first roof rack and I chose this route for a couple reasons. Some of the roads we travel to get to our trail heads are a bit rough and with a roof rack I don't have to worry about bottoming out a hitch rack hanging off the back of the vehicle. Also, it takes up less room in the garage. Our vehicle is a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with an additional 4 inches of ground clearance. That makes it a bit of a reach for my 5'4" wife, so we take our two-step along to help her. This is my third time purchasing from etrailer, and each experience has been very good. They are a very customer service oriented company. I really appreciate all the additional information they provide on their products, especially all the videos they produce to aid in reviews, assembly, and use.
# 11
Rhino-Rack MountainTrail Rooftop Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Love this bike rack! It fits perfectly with my Rhino Rack Cross Bars. I'm very impressed by the lack of wind noise. With the bike mounted on the rack, you can barely hear the wind noise at 60mph. With the sunroof open you can hear wind noise, but as long as the window is closed, you can only slightly hear anything if the radio is off and you are trying to hear it. Amazing! Can't wait to get more use out of it in the future!
# 12
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
This is a very well designed rack. It's sturdy, and has very versatile straps for mounting and securing the bikes. The rack is pretty high off the ground, which is perfect for cars with low clearance. Even for aggressive mountain bikes with lots of suspension, I don't have to worry about scraping the hitch or the wheels on the ground in my Honda Fit. When loaded with 1 or 2 bikes, the rack does a good job of softening bumps from the road without bouncing too much.
Excellent product and transaction. Thank you George!
# 13
Swagman Fork Down Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
I like the fork-mount design in general for roof mounted bike carriers, and this product gets the job done. (We have 3 attached to the SportRack SR1002, and this seems to work well for us.) However, the assembly instructions were not well written or well illustrated. For example, there is a short carriage bolt that one basically has to guess about where to install, and also you may have to insert some of the bolts backwards from the instructions so that they don't interfere with quick release that clamps onto the fork.
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.
# 14
Swagman Titan Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
One of the few racks that will clear my Jeep's large rear mounted spare tire without using an extender. The other is the Allen which doesn't have the nice features the Swagman Titan has. Tips enough to allow partial opening of Jeep rear door, but enough to open the soft top rear window. The vertical portion of rack tips slightly toward vehicle (at least it does on mine). Would be better if the horizontal "S" shaped piece could be turned around to dip down, moving it further from the spare tire, but there are only holes drilled to mount it as shown. Can't attest to the durability yet, but it doesn't wobble even a tiny bit. Have to compliment everyone I spoke with at etrailer. very nice and extremely helpful.
eTrailer.com had my new Swagman Titan bike rack delivered super fast. I received the right amout of email communication informing me of the status of my order, plus I could track my delivery directly from the eTrailer website. Awesome! As for the hitch, I am so happy with it. I was tired of taking the front wheel off my bike and cramming it into the back of my small Corolla, it never really fit right, was always a struggle, and then I had no room for anything else in my car. Now, I just hang my bike onto the rack and strap it in, takes less than 60 seconds and I have all the extra room in my car and don't have to fold down the back seats. The other feature I really like is that this bike rack has an integrated locking cable, once your bike is on the rack, you attach the locking cable so now your bike is locked onto the rack. Someone can't take your bike off the rack and walk away with it when you aren't looking. I also got the Swagman bike rack locking pin, that attaches the bike rack to the car hitch. I've used the bike rack twice so far and it makes my life so much easier. Solidly built bike rack that is well worth it. Thank you eTrailer, you rock!
What our customers are saying:
"We just recently used the hitch bike rack, it was easy to put on and worked great.It makes traveling easy! Thanks for the quick shipping service too.Ill recommend your product to everyone. Thanks Rick"