# 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.
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!
# 2
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.
# 3
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I installed the hitch and bike carrier on a 2021 Toyota Venza XLE. The installation went pretty quick, easy enough. The bike carrier (swagman XC-2) for 2 bikes looks great and easy enough to assemble (good quality and strong) and doesn’t interfere with the rear hatch! And the hands free opening works, just for pass your foot to the left or right of the receiver. I haven’t been on a road trip as of yet, but I’m confident in the quality!
Right on day promised.easy to put together .real good qualitiiy .best deal on line.
# 4
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.
# 5
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!
# 6
Yakima FullBack 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Performed perfectly on a 140 mile round-trip in my 2017 Acura MDX. It took me a few tries to position the anchors inside the top of the hatch, but I got the hang of it and the rack did not shift at all while driving 50-60 mph on the highway.
Excellent quality! Bike rack comes fully assembled. Cam locks hold the upper support and the bike arms in position and are very easy to use.fairly useless included cable lock. Will only work if you always carry 3 bikes. I just used my cable lock and had no problems transporting my bike to the trails.
# 7
Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier - Roof Mount
The bike carrier is solid and easy to install...the only issue I have is that because of the way the cross bars are located on my Venza I loose the full use of the hatch...one solution is to mount the carrier backwads where the bike faces the rear and not forward...big deal...it may put a smile on the face of other drivers
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.
# 8
Rhino-Rack Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
I purchased this bike rack a year ago and I use it A LOT. I had to buy and install a stabilizer because without it, the unit would sway back and forth even without a bike on it (very noisy). This makes removal more cumbersome but since I keep the hitch on year round it doesn't matter to me. The tilting function is fabulous allowing easy use of my RAV4 hatchback. I can even tilt it down with a bike on it. I got the 2 bike hitch. Plenty of room for two bikes to fit without rubbing. Lastly, the hitch has a sizable through-hole on the bottom to thread a good sized cable so I can lock my bike up. Sturdy. I highly recommend.
The unit ‘s simplicity is a real plus. It takes less than 3 minutes to put the rack on the vehicle. It is well built and very durable and has a nice feature that allows you to open the rear hatch for SUV owners without removing the rack.
# 9
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
The packing of the bike rack was great, the delivery faster than anticipated. The rack is very solid and I expect many years of service from it. I needed the rack due to the inability to carry anything on top of the vehicle. Great product and shipping. alan
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.
# 10
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gunmetal Gray
Love the fit and solid quality build of this bike carrier. Can't wait to try it out. I am using this carrier for two e-bikes and I am confident that it will hold up very nicely and will have no problem holding the weight of the 2 bikes.
Great product! I needed something to transport my e-bikes which tend to be on the heavy side. this product does not disappoint! Great staff at this store. They were very helpful and guided me I'm making the right decision
# 11
Thule Tandem Roof Mounted Bike Rack - Pivoting Design - Fork Mount - for Tandem/Recumbent Bikes
I have ordered several products from etrailer.com, always with the same prompt delivery and email followup. I installed the Thule gutter foot mounts and rails on a 1995 Geo Tracker which we tow behind our motorhome. I have used a Draftmaster tandem bike rack for several years, but the drawback is the bike gets covered with road grime especially during rain storms. The Thules roof mounted rack should limit the amount road grime while we are on the road. I don't know this for fact, but I think the Thule roof mounted tandem rack is probably made by ATOC, the manufacturer of the Draftmaster and Tandem Topper. The Thule rail is made in the USA and there was Seattle newpapers pages stuffed in the Thule box as packing. I have visited the ATOC shop in Lynnwood, WA and like their products.
Got everything put together and it looks great. Going to be a nervous first trip on the highway but hopefully everything is good to go.
Inno Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today on our 2013 Toyota Venza we are going to be doing a test fit of the INNO Hitch Mounted Bike Carrier. Part number INH350. As you can see we have already got our bike up here on our platform so you can see what it is going to look like once you have it fully assembled and in place on the back of your vehicle. This is for 2 bikes to be fork mounted on the back side and it's going to come with a inch and a quarter shank as well as an adapter so you can use it with your class 1, 2 and 3 receivers. The only thing you are going to need to keep in mind is if you do plan on using it with your class 1 receivers is that you keep an eye on the weight of the bikes that you are putting on and that it's stays within your weight specifications of the class 1 receiver that you intend to use. Let's go ahead and start off by getting a few measurements. Our closest distance is going to be up here at the front to the back side of the bumper and about 3 inches. Overall distance that we have added to the vehicle from the rear of the bumper to the back side of the cradle are about 35 inches and our ground clearance is going to be about 11 inches. Now let's talk about how our bike is secured to our rack. We will have the tilt option here as well.
Kuat NV Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today, on our 2013 Toyota Venza, we're going to be doing a test fit of the Kuat NV Platform Style 4 Bike Rack, part number N105-107. As you can see, we've already got our bike up here on our platform, so you could see what it's going to look like once you have it fully assembled and in place on the back of your vehicle. This bike rack does only come with a 2" shank for your 2" receivers only. It will secure to our receiver using a pin and lock assembly. We'll go over that in a moment. First off, let's start off with a few measurements. Our closest distance will be our first measurement up here at the front, from the front side of the rack to the back side of the bumper, at about 6 3/4".
Swagman Upright Roof Mounted Bike Rack Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today on our 2013 Toyota Venza well be test fitting the Swagman Upright roof mounted bike rack, part number S64720. With the Thule Rapid Traverse roof rack system on our vehicle well begin our test fit by placing the bike rack up onto the vehicles load bars. Well pull out our hardware and start at the front. Well take the silver U bolts to go around the underside of the front bar, up into the predrilled holes of the front platform. Well then take our black wing nuts to thread down onto the bolt and tighten it down. Well then repeat this process for the other side of the platform.Now moving to the rear this time well take the silver U bolt and drop it down through the predrilled holes of the bike rack.
RockyMounts TieRod Roof Bike Rack Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today, on our 2013 Toyota Venza, we'll be test fitting the RockyMounts TieRod roof-mounted bike rack, part number RKY1014. With a Thule Rapid Traverse Roof Rack System on our vehicle, we'll begin our test fit by placing the bike rack up onto the vehicle's crossbars. We'll then remove the black plastic cover at the front to bring the rubber-coated steel straps around the underside of the front bar. Okay, then hook them into the connection points. Now, moving to the rear, we'll remove one of the Allen bolts to bring the rear bracket around the underside of the rear bar. We'll then use the included Allen key to tighten down the bolts. Moving back up to the front, we'll use the included Allen key to tighten down the silver bolt to tighten down the straps up against the front load bar.
Thule Big Mouth Roof Bike Rack Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today, on our 2013 Toyota Venza, we'll be test fitting the Thule Big Mouth Roof Mounted Bike Rack, part number TH599XTR. With the Thule Traverse Roof Rack System on our vehicle, we'll begin by placing our Big Mouth directly onto our load bars. Here at the front, we'll bring the front clamps around the front bar, fit the T-bolts through, and tighten on top with the wing nut. We'll do this for both sides of the front platform. Here at the rear, we'll loosen up the wing nuts so we can bring our bolts around our rear bar. We'll fit the bolts through the black metal bracket, and secure it by tightening the two wing nuts. With both the front and the rear secured, we can go ahead and undo our wheel straps, and make sure our frame jaws are open.
SportRack Frame Mount Roof Mounted Bike Rack Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today on our 2013 Toyota Venza we'll be test fitting the Sport Rack Roof Mounted Bike Rack part number SR4611. With a Thule Rapid Traverse Roof Rack System on our vehicle, we'll begin our test fit by placing the bike rack up on to the vehicles' load bars. We'll bring out our hardware and start at the front. We'll take the rubber-coated steel U-bolts, to go on the under side of the front bar, up through the pre-drilled holes in the bike rack. We'll then take our black wing nuts to thread on to the U-bolts. We're going to tighten them down and repeat the same process for the other U-bolts.
RockyMounts TieRod Stretch Roof Bike Rack Review - 2013 Toyota Venza
Today, on our 2013 Toyota Venza, we'll be test fitting the RockyMounts TieRod Stretch Roof Mounted Bike Rack, part number RKY1011. With the Thule Rapid Traverse Roof Rack System on our vehicle, we'll begin our test fit by placing the bike rack up onto the vehicle's load bars. We'll remove the black plastic cover at the front, and bring the rubber-coated steel straps around the underside of the front bar. Now, moving to the rear, we'll remove one of the Allen bolts to position the rear bracket around the rear bar. We'll then reinstall our Allen bolts and tighten them down. Now, moving back up to the front, we'll hook the rubber-coated steel straps into position, and use the included Allen tool to turn the silver bolt to tighten down the straps. With everything all tightened down and secured, we're ready to load up our bike.
What our customers are saying:
"Put me down as another satisfied customer. My trailer hitch & bike rack arrived ahead of schedule and in perfect condition. You had the lowest price I could find on the internet - and a hell of a lot cheaper than in my local stores - and the items were just as promised. Thanks for delivering EXACTLY what I wanted without any hassle at all. Richard"