# 1
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Excellent quality. Easy assembly with clear instructions. Stable attachment to vehicle. The bike(s) are secure on the rack. I do have to remove the front wheel of my bike for transport because it rests too low to the ground. I purchased this bike rack so I can take my bike to different areas of town for my daily ride. I am very pleased with the price, processing and delivery of my purchase from etrailer.com.
The carrier works fine on larger (adult) sized bikes, but 20" kids bikes barely fit on the forks due to their spacing and their large plastic saddles and straps, and they only fit on the outermost saddles. This is probably true of most fork-type carriers, but customers need to be aware that the carrier won't fit more than one 20" bike on it. In general, I 'm happy with the carrier. One other note, after mounting it on the car and loading the bikes on it, retighten the straps holding it to the vehicle, and stop and do so again after driving a few miles, as they stretch a little under initial load.
# 2
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.
# 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
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.
This rack is easy to put on and take off as needed. It hold bikes firmly and the additional cable locking system keeps everything secure. Also,it's easy to add a U-Lock for added security.
# 6
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
This carrier fit my car perfectly. It's quite stable even at highway speeds and fits my 2 bikes well. The only problem is the difficulty in getting the bike frame over/around the mounting brackets to the back position. Even rotating the middle brackets down didn't help a lot because it just hits the bottom of the frame instead of the top bar. Still, it gets my bikes where I want to go.
It not only wasn’t stable, it damaged my car in the process. It was sketchy with one bike on it, let alone three.
# 7
Hollywood Racks Express 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Fixed Arms
The bike rack is so easy to install and easily holds two adult mountain bikes firmly. I have only driven with them on back roads so I am not sure how they would do on an interstate or highway. My only gripe is that the padding is not sufficient in all areas and I had to supplement padding to protect the paint on the car. In all, very satisfied.
The picture shows that the rack will fit a G35 Infiniti, but when I tried attaching it to my car it didn’t fit properly. I called etrailer and they said that this particular rack is not a guaranteed fit, yet a G35 Infiniti is the picture that was on the box. Seems like a bait and switch to me.
# 8
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
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.
Excellent carrier! Zero sway and solid as a rock. Only downfall is the pin that goes through the hitch. Kinda hard getting the spring part on and off of the pin. I pinched my hand a few different times. Wish there were a better pin system.
# 9
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
This Swagman bike rack is exactly what my family needed. Great quality at an affordable price. We go biking weekly in our Scion XB and with 2 on the roof and 2 on the hatch its perfect. Thanks to the folks at etrailer for a smooth purchase and fast delivery.
All parts were present, the instructions were clearly written and illustrated, and it took about 35 minutes to unpack, examine and mount the rack on my after-market Volvo cross bars. The last five minutes of the installation were to remove and flip (180 degrees) the pre-mounted down tube clamping assembly so the tightening handle and key lock would be facing me after I hoisted my bike in place. (I probably should have done this before mounting the rack on my cross bars, but no harm, no foul.) You might notice a Thule roof rack mounted alongside the Swagman. The Thule does a great job holding my Cinelli 10-speed, but because the front mount is made to handle a fork rather than a wheel, it was useless for my Electra which has (for all practical purposes) non-removable wheels. The Electra has internal hub brakes (and eight speed gear box), and the idea of fiddling with those hubs and cables and all their adjustments was more than I wanted to face. So the Swagman was the perfect solution. The Electra is a relatively heavy bike, but the Swagman supports it in style and security. Thanks again for all your help and getting this wonderful rack to me so quickly.
# 10
Hollywood Racks Express 3 Bike Carrier - Fixed Arms - Trunk Mount
Seems like a sturdy, reliable product so far. Components are solid and well put together. Fits great and carries well on my 2014 Corolla. Excellent value considering the price tag on other racks out there. And the prompt delivery was great!
We have had this product a year now and have used it about 10 times. I am not a handy person, so the first time took me some time to understand how to put it on, but I checked the videos on youtube and that helped a lot. Now, it's easy and I am super happy with the quality. The only real challenge is getting the kid's bike on b/c of the smaller size, so I have to refigure that out each time. Once he grows some more, it'll be easier.
# 11
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.
# 12
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
The install was super easy following along with the video. The Chinook is excellent quality. A year later and lots of local trips and two trips from PA to Florida and the rack is still in perfect condition. The key for us is IT DOESN'T RATTLE ON THE HIGHWAY! If I had to listen to 14 hours of rattling on I95 the bikes and rack would have been on the side of the highway. Exceptional value and quality!
Love my new Swagman Chinook 2-bike rack! Impressive packaging to protect product for shipping. Assembled easily and transports my bike beautifully. I appreciate easy adjustments, multi-folding features, sturdy design and locks: 1) from rack to car receiver and 2) locking bike(s) onto rack.
# 13
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!
This system has been wonderful. Not a single issue. I love the Bike Rail that I purchased with the rack. George is awesome gives real honest customer service. You won't go wrong with this system or George as your contact at ETrailer.
# 14
Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier - Roof Mount
I'm very happy with my bike rack. I worked for etrailer for 3 years during college so I knew of the hard work the company puts into provide great product testing, education on use and amazing fast shipping to its customers. I received my Bike rack within 2 days of ordering with standard shipping. I'm very happy with my purchase. I have used my rack once now in town and at highway speeds with no complications and this was on a really windy day!
This rack has worked well for me and is fairly simple to mount and use. The only two issues I have had with it is that I have had the front mount come loose in transit before, and an end cap fell off at some point. I use these on the Swagman Roamer LT Roof Rack on top of a Viking Epic. I do travel bumpy rural roads and gravel campground roads but do not take it onto any forestry roads or off-roading trails.
# 15
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
After some good research on different types of bike hitches I picked the Swagman Trailer 3 Bike Rack. It arrived ready to use (THANK YOU!) and this really was just the start of using this great hitch.Taking 3 mens bikes is really easy and it works as promised. The fact that I can lower it to open my trunk is awesome. Good product. Strong and sturdy.
Bike rack is perfect! I have a 1-1/4 hitch on a compact car and it fits perfectly. Installation is easy and the rack itself is great. Great quality straps that hold well. Highly recommend
# 16
Yakima FullBack 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
We have had the rack for a year and did not have a chance to use it until this past month. When we went to raise the arms to put the bikes on they were completely locked…we could not get them to release. We are seniors and need something with much more ease of movement. Very disappointed that this doesn’t work for us.
Great bike rack and very sturdy. It was more than I paid for other bike racks but it should last. Rust proof, easy loading and clips to keep bikes secure.
# 17
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Black
All in all pretty good. The arms that grab the front wheel have loosened a little bit and move side to side. They have never failed, just feel a little wobbly. The hitch receptacle is also hard to tighten but might be due to the receptacle it self. Used rack on a long trip and the bikes moved slightly side to side, but nothing serious.
Car: 2017 Honda CR-V This is a great rack! There's not a lot to the assembly, other than getting the first two long bolts in, those were tricky. Once those were in there, aligned properly, the rest of the assembly was pretty easy. Attaching the rack to the hitch receiver was the easiest part of the whole thing! The rack is really nicely portable, and will easily store in our apartment during the off season. It takes less than a minute to get it loaded into the hitch receiver. The cable lock is a little bit flimsy, but should hopefully deter casual thievery. What I would have loved to have seen were locks in the retaining arms as well, so those couldn't be messed with by strangers. Otherwise, this rack is really great, and I would highly recommend it.
# 18
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
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.
Overall, the quality of this product is excellent; however, I ran into an issue with the threaded bolt section that feeds into the 2” receiving tube. The standard 1/2 inch hitch pin did not fit and had to be tapped out using a tap and die set. Similarly, the Swagman 1/2 inch security pin I purchased separately also required my dye set. For someone who doesn’t have access to a tap and die set, using these products would be impossible.
# 19
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!
# 20
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Gray
I absolutely love my Kuat bike rack. I love the security lock for both the rack and bike and love the tilt to allow access to my car SUVs rear storage area. I utilize a strap to further steady my bike and am very happy with how steady the bike rides. I take the bike off after every ride and reinstall it for the next ride. It only takes a few minutes to do this and allows me to know my Kuat is safe inside my home.
This Kuat rack is AWESOME!!! When I first got it I thought I was not installing it correctly, that I was missing steps. Nope. The rack is just incredibly well designed and easy to use. Bike on! Easy. Bike off! Easy. Rack on! Easy. Rack off! Easy. It's always three steps 1-2-3 done. I especially like the feature to tilt the rack down to access our hatchback even when the rack is loaded. Beautiful. We are super pleased with this rack.
What our customers are saying:
"Got the Hitch & the Bike rack and installed it last night. An easy installation! From the ordering to the delivery & install, all has gone perfect. You guys run a first class operation!"