# 1
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
etrailer has the best pre- and post-sales customer service I've ever seen! I started out not knowing anything about hitch-mounted racks. So I wrote to etrailer telling them about my car and type of hitch I was about to have installed. Samuel wrote back with lots of great information tailored specifically to my car. He even included a photo that looked just like my 2017 white VW GTI with a hitch and rack installed. Okay something of a coincidence. But the rest of the assistance I got from the crew at etrailer was just as prophetic. I went into this a novice and came out knowing lots more about hitches and racks and finding the rack best suited to my situation. I have a small car, a class 1 hitch and a heavy mountain bike. I got exactly what I needed. As to the Swagman rack itself, it works fine. If I had a different situation I would probably buy a platform rack as they are easier to load. There's no reason to buy a bike rack anywhere else.
First off, thanks to Jason T. or "Troop". The exemplary customer service he provided is rare these days. Troop made several calls to the various manufacturers to ascertain which bike rack would afford me the most ground clearance as my new VW Golf sits low to the ground and my old bike rack frequently scraped the ground when I went up even a slight up hill grade. His efforts paid off as he found me the best bike rack for my car, the Swagman Trailhead 2 Bike Carrier. It sits up off the ground just high enough that it doesn't scrape on my driveway. It is also sturdy and holds my bikes securely. And, the delivery was amazingly fast. I had my rack in about 2 days! Note to Troop, see my Pittsburgh Pirates Logo on my bumper in the attached pictures? Pirate Fans persevere! The Bucco's will be coming after your Cardinals this year! Thanks again Troop!
# 2
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!
# 3
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.
Hitch pin broke before I got it. Looks like a poor design for the locking pin, they might want to consider a different design. I got a 3/8 shear pin from Home Depot to replace and it works great. Bike rack is great!
# 4
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
I love this rack. It is heavy duty but still light. I am impressed with the design of the anti-wobble feature, the folding mechanisms and the straps. I saw a comment somewhere that you can't drop the rack while loaded. It might not be recommended but I do it every time I load my bike and forget that my Chevy Sonic hatch is still up. I do it with only one bike on it and lower it slowly and it works fine. This is no fault of the rack but I did run into conflicts with loading my 29'er and my fat bike at the same time. They both have slanted top tubes which put the tires and bars in the same spot. It looks like I can rotate one of the pads and strap it to the down tube though. I am very happy with this rack.
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.
# 5
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!
I have used a lot of bike racks and this is the one I keep on my 4Runner. It just works. It is the easiest to take on and off, which is important for me because between me, my wife and kids I have 4 bikes that need to be rearranged often. We also use a roof box, kayak racks and a SUP rack so I am always taking things off and on. The front straps loop over the bar and tightens with an allen key, the back is a couple wing nuts. Since there are 2 straps up front the rack is very stable when a bike is on it. I like that it comes with locks and the skewer is super easy to adjust, clamp and unclamp. If it is cold, dark and damp at 6am and I am tired, late for a ride and still waking up this is the rack I go for because it is easy. There are a couple things to be aware of though... You will need to put a drop of oil in the skewer every 6 months or so to keep it opening and closing smoothly. Otherwise is can stick. Sometimes if the skewer is turned just right there will be a bit of whistle because of a hole in the clamping mechanism. If I turn it to a different angle the whistle stops. And after going through the car wash with the rack on my roof a dozen times or so the black paint began to have a bit of a rainbow sheen. Not sure if it is the bike rack or the soap my car wash uses.
# 6
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Draw-tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver Class I - 1-1/4 Swagman Trailhead 3 Bike Rack - Tilting The Draw-tite Sportframe class 1 trailer hitch and Swagman Trailhead 3 bike rack were ordered for a 2017 Honda Fit. The online order and shipping went just as expected. The trailer hitch and bike rack are very heavy duty. I recommend watching the trailer hitch install video before installing, whereas the video is very helpful. The bike rack has triangles that you can rotate to find the best fit for your bicycle's frame. The rubber straps are thick and secure the bicycles when you pull them tight. This bike rack will stay on the vehicle for 6 months each year. The tilt feature and folding arm feature are must haves for a smaller hatchback. I am pleased with this purchase, it appears to be good quality and good value.
My previous bike rack was a hitch mounted Yakima. It was sturdy but not well suited for my low Subaru Impreza. It stuck out too far and hung too low so that I had to inch my way down the driveway or over speed bumps for fear of it bottoming out. A roof rack or a rear window mounted rack was not suitable since I wanted to be able to also carry two kayaks. First, I tried to modify my rack by shortening the part that sticks out of the hitch. I tried to saw off about 6 inches so it wouldn't stick out so far but the steel was much too hard. I ended up ruining several metal-cutting blades on my power saw before I gave up. I looked for other rack options. There weren't many out there. But eventually, I found something that met my needs. I purchased the "Swagman Trailhead 3 Bike Fold Down Bicycle Hitch Rack" in 2013 from eTrailer.com. The part that enters the hitch curves up to increase clearance from the ground. It is sturdy and sticks out far enough so I can still open my trunk hatch without having to lower the main vertical bar on the hitch (though I could if I wanted to). It isn't often I am really excited about a piece of gear but this hitch rack has made me worry-free when I transport my bicycle(s) via car. The only thing I don't like is that it is advertised as being a 3 bike carrier but it only fits 2 hybrid bikes. Maybe it will fit 3 skinny racing bikes but for the average rider, don't expect to fit on more than 2. But my experience is that is the case for all bicycle racks.
# 7
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.
# 8
Rhino-Rack Hybrid Roof Bike Rack - Wheel Mount - Clamp On - Aluminum
Great bike carrier! Etrailer always provides me with high quality products with fast deliveries.
I love the racks, instructions were understandable, one of my end caps came in bad, it can wiggle off after locking but I emailed etrailer and they arranged a replacement quick with rhino rack, pretty nice of them, comes with rhino rack decal and just have to decide where to put it, out my bike up and took it for a test drive and it was very nice, I love their package because it comes with locks and way cheaper than the competitors, very satisfied
# 9
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
2014 Chevrolet SonicThis carrier is well made, lightweight and easy to install. It adapts to both of our cars and holds both bike securely during long trips.
Ford EdgeFits perfectly on our Lexus CT200h. Only on the old LS400, the side straps have to be fastened to the wheel arch edge, since the upper trunklid gap is to narrow for inserting the strap hooks. Mounting of two bikes is (with some routine) quickly done, and they stay safe even for longer and faster routes. For transporting three (mountain) bikes, though, the design doesn't seem big and robust enough. Nevertheless, the price-benefit-fun ratios are way better than reasonable.
# 10
Inno Tire Hold II Roof Bike Rack - Wheel Mount - Clamp On - Aluminum
So close! This rack is great, with a few caveats... First, it's almost too small for an XL (21" frame, 29" tires) mountain bike. I had to completely remove the adjustable wheel holder thingy on the rear arm (brace? lever? support?) to be able to properly fit my bike. Not a deal breaker, but not really working as intended, I think. Second, the front mounting bracket is... middling. It doesn't have a lever like the rear, and so tightness is purely dependent on how hard you can twist the little knob. Also, there's only one in the front, unlike the double setup in the rear. The brackets, themselves, aren't designed particularly well. I'm not sure what crossbars they were using as a baseline, but the angles just don't make sense. (at least to me...what do I know) What I do know, is that they don't grip the factory Outback crossbars very well, and I found myself constantly adjusting and tightening them to where I wouldn't get any sliding left to right on the crossbar. (I did finally get it to where I was satisfied, but it took some doing, and I imagine it would be like that every time if you wanted to take the rack off occasionally.) TL,DR: Does the rack do what I need it to do? Yes. Is the fitment a bit frustrating? Kinda. Are there other similar options out there? Not many, and none that I could find at this price point. Would I recommend, or buy again? Yes and Yes.
The bike rack worked well until the ratcheting teeth on the track became worn. Now I can't tighten the tire hold levers. I contacted customer service in March, and they said they would contact me when the replacement part came in. It's now November, and I'm still without a working bike rack. Definitely inhibited my mountain biking this summer, which was a huge bummer.
# 11
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I have been using this with 1 bike (not 2 yet) for about a month now, and it has worked great for me so far. Yes it is pretty heavy and still has movement going over bumps, but it seems very strong. I just took the 2nd bike tire mounts off until I need them. Everything is metal on this except the bike frame ratchet track and button mostly. I use it on a 2014 sonic hatchback with the trailer hitch I bought from here as well. I recommend this for people not wanting to risk scratching the paint on their car. The pictures make it look like it sticks way past the sides of my car, but that's not correct.
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.
Yakima Trunk Bike Racks Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Speaker 1: Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic we're doing a test fit of the Yakima HalfBack trunk-mount 2-bike rack. That part number is Y02636. Now we already have our bike secured down. We're first going to go over how we secure our bike in place, a couple of features, and some measurements.Now how our bike is secured in place, we have three straps in place. They're also known as ZipStrips. We've got two over the top portion of our frame here and one as our anti-sway strap in the back.
Yakima Trunk Bike Racks Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic Y02634
Speaker 1: Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic we'll be taking a look the Yakima FullBack Trunk Mount 2 Bike Rack, that part number is Y02634. Now we already have one of our bikes installed on here, we're going to go over some features, show you have we secure our bike down, and take a few measurements.To start off how our bike is secured down we're going to have 3 straps all together, these are also known as ZipStrips, we'll have two on the frame here and one is our anti-sway in the back, which is going to help prevent our bike from swinging too far back and forth and possibly making contact with the other bikes. To release those we're going to pinch the two tabs on the sides and we'll just pull straight out. Then we can take our bike off and set it off to the side.One great thing about our cradles here is that they do have a rubber coating, they're gonna be cushioned to prevent any scratches or abrasions, they'll also allow for your brake lines to sit without causing any damage there. I do suggest you replace your ZipStrips so they don't get lost of damaged. Another great think about this rack is that we do have a bike lock on the end of the rack so you can secure that last bike and prevent both bikes from being taken off.Now we'll take a few measurements here.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, we'll be test fitting part number TH934XTR. This is the Thule Hitching Post Folding and Tilting 4 Bike Rack with Anti-Sway Cradles, fitting both 1-1/4-inch and 2-inch hitches. Now to begin our test fit, we've removed the adapter from our bike rack shank so we'll go ahead and slide the shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole, and install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. With our anti-rattle bolt tight, our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. We'll now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 10-3/4 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 7-1/4 inches.
Thule Doubletrack Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, we'll be test fitting the Thule Doubletrack Platform Style 2 Bike Carrier, part number TH990XT. Now to begin our test fit, we'll slide our bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole, and install and tighten down the anti-rattle bolt. With our bolt tight, 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 10-1/2 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 4-3/4 inches. We'll now go ahead and pull the hitch switch here just in front of the platform to allow the platform to fold down.
SportRack EZ Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic we'll be test-fitting part number A30901, the SportRack 2-Bike Hitch Mounted Platform Style Bike Rack for both 1 1/4 and 2 inch hitches. Now to being our test fit we'll slide our bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install and tighten down the anti-rattle bolt. With our bolt tight the bike rack is secured to the vehicle. Now to give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the back of the bike rack is 17 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 8 inches. We'll now go ahead and unfold the bike rack platform and open the trunk.
Rhode Gear Highway Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic we'll be test-fitting the Rhodegear Highway 2-Bike Carrier, part number RG8015220. Now to begin our test-fit we'll slide our bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and then install and tighten down our anti-rattle bolt. With our bolt tight our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. We'll now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 10 3/4 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 5 3/8 inches. We can now go ahead and pull the pin on the bottom of the bike rack mast to allow the mast to tilt down.
Pro Series Q-Slot Hitch Bike Rack Review - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Today on our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic we'll be test-fitting the Pro Series Q Slot Platform Style Bike Carrier, part number PS63134. Now to begin our test fit we'll slide our bike rack shank into the hitch, line up the hitch pin hole and install our hitch pin. With our safety clip on the other side our bike rack is secured to the vehicle. We'll now go ahead and give you a few measurements. Our ground clearance at the bike rack is 16 inches and from the closest point of the bike rack to the back of the vehicle is 9 1/4 inches. We'll now go ahead and unfold the bike rack platform and open our trunk.
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"