# 1
RockyMounts JetLine Roof Bike Rack - Fork Mount - Aluminum - Black
This was very easy to install on a Thule AeroBar rack. It is very quiet and seems to hold securely.
This is my first bike rack so, I have no basis of comparison with other racks. I can say that this rack was easy to install, the quality is high, mounting the bike is easy and holds very securely. I am glad I went with etrailer.com. I had initially ordered an incorrect item. I sent customer service an e-mail on Sunday night and received a call on Momday morning. They straigtened eveything out for me: kinda how customer service was "back in the day". Imagine, real live people to solve your problems. I highly recommend this company.
# 2
Curt Premium 5 Bike Rack for 2" Hitches - Tilting
The rack is sturdy for 3-5 bikes and only for 3-5 uses. The purpose of the screwed in pin (pic attached) is to eliminate rack swing but it got stripped after few bumps on the road and caused the rack to swing front and back. There’s no way I can avoid bumps on the road unless you drive 10 mph on highway. There’s no way a tiny pin can hold 5 bikes weights load including the rack! I’m not the only one that has this issue so this must be a flaw on the rack. So I called Curt manufacturer because it’s still under only ONE year warranty. They did send me a new shank but If your bike rack swings after 3-5 uses, will you use it? I won’t. You might get away to fix the swing by getting a U clamp but …
It moves around to much. I’ve lost both my kids bikes on two different trips. The rubber straps break. The last trip I put a another type of strap on with the supplied ones and still lost the bike.
# 3
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Short-term review: Bought this for a 2002 Subaru Forester with 1-1/4" hitch receiver. Very easy & quick to install. Just after receiving it, installed it and threw my mt. bike on it, drove round-trip 240 miles to ride with some buddies, and no problems whatsoever; the rack felt solid. I do put a cam cinch strap around the bike & rack as redundancy, but the rack's ratcheting hold-down hook does stay down very well and holds the bike down tight. Great value too, as most of the other name-brand racks are two to three times the cost. One thing to note: I cannot open the hatch of the Subaru with the rack on. If you have a car with a hatch with an opening rear window, you can probably still open the window. I am OK with this for the price of the rack. It's very quick to take off the bike(s; just a 3/4" box wrench or socket to remove the hitch pin and then the rack. With a socket & adapter for a cordless drill, I can remvove the rack from the car in about 20 seconds; with a socket wrench, under a minute. Definitely happy with this purchase! Oh yeah, etrailer's customer service is awesome!
I had ordered a Swagman bike rack from etrailer and they let me know it would take over a month to get it since the manufacturer was trying to catch up. They recommended another model by Swagman that they had in stock and it was less expensive. I got it promptly and the suggested product will work fine for us. The best thing about ordering from etrailer is that you can get video demonstrations of the product before buying, they show you add ons you might want but don't have to buy-and they have them. They will talk to you about the product and their shipping (at least right now) is free. With the products they sell, their customer service really tops Another online retailer and other retailers in my opinion. Great people to do business with.
# 4
Thule Hitching Post Pro - Folding Tilting 4 Bike Rack w Anti-Sway - 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.
Not what I hoped for. Didn't realize until afterwards that only the Thule locking hitch pin fits, as I ordered the eTrailer one, which is too large of a diameter. My bigger frustration is that I can only fit one adult bike and two kids, when I need two adults and two kids... The picture shows it's maxed out with three bikes. No way I could squeeze them tighter to fit a fourth bike.
# 5
Saris Freedom Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I had to put my electric bikes into this rack, backwards, to make them fit. Not ideal, but it works.The receiving 'trays' that are intended to provide support for holding the bikes, by being placed under the bike tires, are forced to be moved to a location that is not directly under the bottom of the bike tires. While it works in this manner, it is not ideal.For the support that attaches to the diagonal bike frame, we had to remove it from the vertical rail of the rack. We reinstalled it, upside down, because that's the only way we could make it fit, or 'grab', the bike frame. Again, we made it work, but it's not ideal. We chose to keep the rack because it was so much less expensive than the Thule rack we considered buying. The bike shop owner didn't agree with us. He observed that we are putting $3000 worth of bikes on the rack and risking that investment. So far, no problems, other than the ill-fitting installation.
This bike rack was designed for two bikes. I use it for one only fat tire e-bike as it is still within the weight restrictions. It carries my bike well and I'm pleased with it's performance. My suggestion is to always be within the weight restrictions when deviating from recommended us.
# 6
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Nice rack and easy to put together. Feels well built. A bit challenging for loading these kind of bikes on there but it worked. The kind of bikes I am using this rack for are not like the usual ones that are previously posted. I plan on using this for my stretch custom beach cruisers also. I will post more pictures once I load those up. I only had time to do my lowrider bikes today.
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.
# 7
Saris Bones 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
It has been pretty stable when using the Saris Bones 2. A little bit of a learning curve to use, but once you understand, it is very easy to use. It is very well made and I am very happy with the quality of service from etrailer.com
It is well designed, relatively intuitive (the installation videos on their webs site are a great help), and very stable when mounted on our car (We have a Volvo station wagon). I wish it had better strap management. When mounted on our car, there are four long lengths of unused strap that need to be coiled and stored so that don't flap around. I don't want to cut off the spare strap lengths because that would preclude using it mounted on a conventional trunk.
What our customers are saying:
"Loved the hitch 5-bike bike rack. Came quickly and is as advertised."