# 1
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.
I bought this bike rack back in April but wanted to make sure I used it to give the best review. First I want to say I did a lot of research on bike racks and found this one to be the best one to fit my needs. The best price I found was on etrailer.com, at the time it was When I called the customer service to place my order, I spoke to Dan. He was very pleasant on the phone and took the time and listened to what I needed and understood my concerns. I ordered the bike rack and also ordered the Thule Snug Tite Hitch Lock and Anti-Rattle Device and the Thule Cable Lock w/ One Key System Lock. Dan suggested I also get the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, which I never even thought of getting. Delivery was in about two business days, which was really fast and at the time of order they were running a special free delivery over $99. When I went to put it together I noticed I was missing the flat cap screw M6 x 16mm, part number #853-5787-02. I emailed Dan and within 24 hours received an email that the part was sent out and also in the email their was a link to track the order. After I received the part I did notice that the flat cap screw was actually in the 2 inch adaptor sleeve. The instructions were very easy to read, and it took me about 20 minutes to put together. I did have an issue when I positioned the stinger into the cradle, with the 8mm locking nut, it was not staying tight and when I took it off I noticed the threads inside were gone, so I ended up going out to Lowes and buying a new one and its holds perfectly fine. I also had a question about that part because it is not a locking part and was worried someone would try to steal the rack. I contacted etrailer.com to find if they make a locking device for this and they said no but I can contact Thule to double check, I'm still waiting for an answer back from Thule. The weather finally broke and we installed the rack onto my hitch, tightened it and it doesn't rattle. When I finally used the rack and put my bike on, it did sway a little but at 50 mph I was very happy with it. The trailer comes out just enough away from my car that I do not have to fold completely out and I can open my trunk with no issues. I am very happy with my purchase and had a great customer experience with Dan. Would highly recommend ordering from them to anyone.
# 2
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.
# 3
Curt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
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.
We received a damaged box, damaged items, no instructions, the nuts and bolts are completely stripped and not inside a bag. This was obviously used, returned, not checked for quality and sent out. We are extremely upset.
# 4
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.
The Swagman XTC-2 platform bike carrier arrived very quickly from etrailer and in good shape, the actual carrier box is inside another shipper box, which I'm sure helped with its condition. Assembly was relatively quick and painless, even though the instructions could be a little more thorough. Installing the carrier on the back of our Jeep Patriot also was quick, it helps to have an extra ratchet & 3/4" socket laying around for just this purpose. Installing the bikes takes a little patience and trial and error the first time you try and put them on the carrier. It's easy enough to adjust the wheel holders to fit the wheelbase of your bikes, but for us at least, the challenge was trying to swing the vertical support bar up into position after putting on the first bike (closest to the Jeep). We couldn't angle the bike enough toward the Jeep to have the bar clear the bike. We learned that the easiest way to secure the first bike was to remove the ratcheting frame hooks altogether, put the bike in the carrier, swing up the vertical support bar, put in the pin, and then slide one of the frame hooks down on the bar. The outside bike is much easier because you can set the bike in the carrier at whatever angle you need, not being limited by the back of the vehicle. One thing we did to protect the bike frames was to use some foam pipe insulation as cushion between the frame hook and the frame (see pictures). Once you get a system for installing the bikes, it is very quick to load/unload them. The rack seems to be well made and doesn't wiggle excessively when traveling. All in all a good product for a good price, would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a platform bike carrier.
# 5
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Metallic Black
EVERY BRAND HAS ITS PROS AND CONS. THE PROS ON THIS RACK IS THE HIGH QUALITY OF MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION AND THE INNOVATIVE FEATURES. THE RACK IS EASY TO USE AND EASY TO INSTALL. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE INTEGRATED BIKE STAND. IT IS EASY TO USE, UNOBTRUSIVE, AND COMES IN VERY HANDY WHEN YOU WANT TO MAKE A TWEEK ON YOUR BIKE WHILE AT THE TRAIL HEAD OR IN THE PARKING LOT. I KNOW THERE MUST BE A NEGATIVE TO THIS RACK, BUT AFTER A YEAR OF USE I HAVEN’T FOUND IT YET. IT IS A BIT PRICEY, AND IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT DURABILITY, QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION, OR ADDED FEATURES, THEN A LESS EXPENSIVE BRAND MAY WORK FOR YOU AND YOU WILL SAVE A FEW BUCKS. ALSO, IT IS A BIT HEAVIER THAN SOME OTHER RACKS, BUT I AM IN MY 70’S AND I CAN HANDLE IT FINE.
This is rack’s construction is a rock, heavy hitch tube and the scissor extension swing is solid due to the ball barring lock feature in the mounting tube. The ease of mounting bikes with tire saddles, installing and construction quality excellent. Purchased the wide tire kit adds flexibility to my use of road to fatter tire bikes. Being able to install the bike service bracket is a breeze for airing up, lubing. Use it on my Hylander to my truck camper
# 6
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gunmetal Gray
This thing is built like a tank! It is of the best fit and funtion I have seen in a bike rack! Solid as can be, fits my bikes perfectly and looks awesome! Plus it folds completely out of the way to access the rear liftgate on my 2022 Rav4!
Great service from etrailer and the rack arrived as expected. Fairly easy assembly. OK video on Kuat’s site, but didn’t cover the foot pedal. Really glad we got the 2” hitch. It tightened up and we’re impressed with the quality and the stability of the rack. We haven’t done a road test yet, but look forward to putting it to the test. We have a Ford F-150 and it works great. The bikes were fairly easy to load with the batteries out and two people. We do need the strap extenders for our RadMini Step Thru’s. The tires are too big for the ones that come with. Only one set of extenders came with the bike and one adapter for a smaller tire. It’s okay, but since it’s a two bike unit, would have been nice to have both extenders. Otherwise, we are really liking the look and stability.
# 7
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Quick and reliable shipping and was able to take to my mechanic to get it installed and it works perfectly with my bike rack!
This is a very solid product! I have used it for over a year now and love it! I have had up to 3 bikes on this without a problem and have traveled over 8 hours in the car one way with absolutely no issues. Many other bike racks like this one that I see on other cars look unstable this is not unstable in anyway. I did have to file some of the paint off of the rack to get it to fit in my 1 and 1/4" hitch but once that was done it has been perfect. I also bought the locking hitch bolt which is awesome too.
# 8
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
Works well for transporting two 29" wheeled mountain bikes. However, after one year it's starting to rust in several areas (see attached photos), and the front wheel arms are becoming increasingly difficult to raise and lower. Finally the locking cable is extremely rusty as you can see in the attached photo. I'm not sure how durable this rack will be long term.
We have had this bike rack for one year and use it every week-end. My wife has a Trek e-bike (52 lbs) and I have a regular Trek hybrid (23 lbs). The rack is very sturdy and I have no issues driving at highway speeds, there is no movement of the bikes. Very easy to load and unload.
# 9
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gunmetal Gray
My Kuat NV 2. Bike Rack is the best bike rack I have ever owned. It is excellent for electric bikes. Very easy to load bikes and holds bikes very securely.
This bike rack is built extremely good. It is solid and the bikes are easy to put on and off the rack. The reason for the 3 stars are the following. I purchased the 4 bike rack together. It comes in two seperate boxes one for the main unit and the other for the additonal two bike add on. However, even purchasing this as one unit the two units are keyed different. If I have 4 bikes on the rack and lock the bikes I have to have two different keys to unlock the bikes. Why? The main unit came with some scratches on it. However, I know that putting bikes on and off the unit will get scratched. It is disappointing to see the amount of money this bike rack cost to come already scratched. The other major issue with having the four bike rack is the ability to have all 4 bikes on the rack and tilt the rack down to get into the hatch of the vehilce. The manufacture could provide an extention to the lever so that when the rack is setup for 4 bikes it can be tilted without the assistance of another person. Only comes with two child bike adaptors.
Thule Parkway 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Today we have a 2010 Mazda CX-9 and we'll be test fitting the Thule Parkway Two-Hitch Mounted Bike Carrier, part number TH958. To mount the carrier on our vehicle, we'll insert the shank into the receiver on our hitch. We'll line up the pin holes, insert our anti-rattle bolt and tighten it down. We have 11 inches of ground clearance from the bottom of our bike carrier to the ground. From the farthest point on the bumper to the closest part of the bike rack, measures about five inches of rear clearance. Next we'll check for rear vehicle access.
Yakima StickUp 2 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Alright, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9, well be test fitting the Yakima Stickup 2 Bike Rack part number Y02420. Now to begin our test fit, well simply slide the bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pinhole and install our anti-rattle bol0074. With our bolt tight, bike rack to secured to our vehicle. With our bike rack secured to the vehicle, well give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at bike rack is 11 inches and from closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle in the stored position is 1 inches. Well now unfold our bike rack platform and give you a few more measurements.
Yakima Holdup Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Alright, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9, were gonna do a test fit of part number Y02433 from Yakima. One important note about this bicycle rack is that its designed for 2-inch hitches only. Well start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch; well tighten down the anti-rattle bolt and install the lock on the other side. Alright, now we can go ahead and get some clearance measurements. The closest point to the bumper to bike rack is 3 inches away. Now well unfold the bike rack and get a clearance measurement at the very back.
Thule Vertex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Alright, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9, were gonna do a test fit of part number TH9029 from Thule, the Vertex 4 Bicycle rack. A few things to know about this bicycle rack is that it can work with 1 -inch receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2. However, with a class 1 receiver hitch, youre limited to carrying just 2 bicycles. Now this will also work with 2-inche receiver hitch with the provided spacer. And on this particular vehicle, well be working with a 2-inch hitch. Well start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch then well go ahead tighten down the anti-rattle bolt.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Alright, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9, were gonna do a test fit of part number TH934XTR Thules Hitching Post Pro. A few notes about this bicycle rack is that it can work with 1 -inch receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2. However, a class 1 receiver hitch are limited to carrying just 2 bicycles. And this will also work with 2-inche receiver hitch with the included spacer and thats what well be working with today. Well start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch then well tighten down the anti-rattle bolt. Alright, well go ahead and get some clearance measurements.
Thule Doubletrack Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Alright, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9, were gonna do a test fit of part number TH990XT from Thule, Doubletrack platform style bike carrier. A few key points to know about this bicycle rack is that it will work with 1 -inch receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2 and this will also work with class 3 receiver hitches with the included spacer. This vehicle today is equipped with a 2-inch receiver hitch. Now well start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch then well tighten down the anti-rattle bolt and then install the lock on the other side. Alright, with the bike rack installed, well go ahead and get some clearance measurements. As the closest point to the bumper, were looking at 2 inches.
Swagman Titan Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Okay, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9 were going to do a test fit of part #: S63410 from Swagman, the Titan 4 bike carrier. A few notes about this bicycle rack that you need to know is that this will work with inch and a quarter receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2, however with a class 1 receiver hitch it is limited to carrying just two bicycles. Now, this will also work with 2 inch receiver hitch with the included spacer and thats what well be using today. Well start off our test fit by installing the bike rack into the hitch, well tighten down the anti rattle bolt and install the safety pin on the other side. Okay, now I can go ahead and get some clearance measurements. From the bike rack to the bumper were looking at 8 inches.
Thule Apex 4 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Alright, today on this 2010 Mazda CX9 were going to do a test fit of part #: TH9025 from Thule, the Apex 4 bike carrier. A few points to know about this bicycle rack that it will work with inch and a quarter receiver hitches both class 1 and class 2, however with a class 1 receiver hitch it is limited to carrying just two bicycles. Now this will also work with a 2 inch receiver hitch with the included spacer. And on this particular vehicle well be working with the 2 inch receiver hitch. now, well start off our test fit by installing our bike rack into the hitch, well make sure that the integrated hitch pin is out of the way while we slide it in and then well let it snap into place and then well go ahead and tighten down the anti rattle know. Now Ill go ahead and get some clearance measurements.
SportRack EZ Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Today on this 2010 Mazda CX9 were going to do a test fit of part #: A30901 from Sport Rack. A few things to know about this bike rack that it will work with inch and a quarter receiver hitches, both class 1 and class 2, this will also work with 2 inch receiver hitches with the included spacer. To start off our test fit well install the bike rack into the hitch and then tighten down the anti rattle bolt and put the safety pin on the other side. Next, well unfold the bike rack and get some clearance measurements. From the bumper to the bike rack looks like 11 inches. Ground clearance at the very back is 16 inches.
SportRack Escape 3 Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Today we have with us a 2010 Mazda CX9 and well be test fitting the Sport Rack Escape 3 hitch mounted bike carrier part #: A30403. To mount the carrier on our vehicle well insert the shank of the bike rack into the receiver hitch. well line up the pinholes and insert and tighten down our anti rattle bolt. With that done our bike rack is mounted on the vehicle and we can check for rear vehicle access. Well pull the pin down at the bottom of the bike rack and lower the bike rack to make sure we can still access our cargo area. With that done we can tilt our bike rack back up, reinsert the pin and prepare to load a bike.
Pro Series Q-Slot Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Today on our 2010 Mazda CX9 well be test fitting the ProSeries Q-slot platform style bike carrier part #: PS63134. Now, to begin our test fit well simply slide the bike rack shank into the hitch, well line up the hitch pinhole and install our hitch pin. And with that our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Now we can go ahead and give you a few measurements: our ground clearance at the bike rack is 15 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 7 inches. Well now fold the platform down and open our cargo door. And as you can see we can gain full access of the cargo area with this bike rack.
Kuat Sherpa Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2010 Mazda CX-9
Today on our 2010 Mazda CX9 well be test fitting the Cuat aluminum hitch mounted bike rack part #: S102. Now to begin our test fit well simply slide our bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pinhole and install our hitch pin. After installing the lock on the other side of our hitch pin well give it a slight tug and tighten down our anti rattle know at the back of the bike rack. Now we can go ahead and give you a few measurements: now, our ground clearance at the bike rack is 11 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack in the stored position to the rear of the vehicle is a quarter of an inch. Well now fold the bike rack down and well give you a few more measurements. With the platform down from the closest point of the bike rack to the bumper is 5 inches.
What our customers are saying:
"Everyone that bought before me was right! I got my rack in time for my next days off and putting it together was fast too. And I'm a grandma!! Thank you for being fast and honest! You beat anyone in my town hands down!"