# 1
Rola Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
Decent 4-bike rack for the price. Stable side-to-side with the screw-in hitch pin (2 inch receiver version). Gets some fore-aft rocking over bumps at speed (inherent to the tilting design). Bikes need bungee cords to keep them from swinging (typical for this style of rack). I used this with two bikes, and really struggle to see how four full-size bikes could be added. Maybe if seats were removed? I added bumpers and some padding for the vertical post, and will probably relocate the retainer pin lanyard so the rack can be completely collapsed for storage. A few design improvements for 5 star rating would be: 1 - Add some bumpers for the fully lowered position, 2 -Add some padding on the vertical post for bike contact or accidental vehicle hatch lifting when in the raised position, 3 - Mount the retainer pin lanyard to one of the through-bolts or move the lanyard hole - collapsing this rack chews up the retaining lanyard. etrailer.com service was great - well packaged, and quickly shipped!
Excellent service and fast shipping by etrailer. Bike rack itself was easy to put together and install. It came in with a few scratches. It works well with large bikes. Slight problems started with the smaller bikes. The rack's arms are wide enough to accommodate the bikes, but the slides are not designed for smaller frames. If you have smaller bikes you might have to purchase the bike frame adapter bar for each bike. It's not a huge problem for us since the kids are growing up fast and soon they will have to graduate to the large frame bikes. In the mean time I will have to use extra straps to hold them together.
# 2
Malone Runway HM2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
400 miles and held up well. $1500 worth of bikes, so I stopped a few times to make sure everything was holding up. It did well! You can decide which way to put the “hooks” that go over the frame onto the rack when you assemble it. This will eliminate the problem of not being able to secure both bikes if one frame is lower. It’s also heavy as heck (with the bikes on it) to tilt to access the cargo in the hatch. For me, I can handle it...for my wife, not so much. Don’t plan on getting to the cargo unless you are strong and have a good back.
The amount you save on this bike will not counter the amount you pay for the damages to your bike after it fails on you on the highway. :-( When i purchased this rack June 2020, I was stoked for using it for my mountain bike this summer, and paying half the price of the competing brands out there. When i received the rack, I assembled it as the directions told me but then found out that the mounting piece was initially installed backwards by the manufacturer. I fixed that myself, but then the locking knob also broke off on initial install (see pic below). This is what caused problems. Not only could the bike not be secured without an additional lock, the actual knob broke off in transit. I made due by strapping my bike down with what i could--but eventually, on the highway, the top piece flew off and sent my bike dragging behind me until i could safely stop. The damage to the bike was about $600. Not only costly, but also very dangerous to me and the drivers behind me. So--my take away, is even though this rack looks ideal for your adventures--be aware, the components and initial assembly will fail on you.
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"