# 1
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I like the overall design of this rack, but unfortunately after hauling a couple bikes around for a while the point where the crossbar connects has apparently rounded off so the rack swings back and forth. I've used rope to tie the ends of the rack to the car to stop this from getting worse, but it's inconvenient. Note: the hitch connection itself is good and solid, but the point where the crossbar connects to the bar coming from the hitch has gotten loose and there's no way that I can see to tighten it.
It works great! Easy, quick, you know. One needs to screw in the hitch bolt, for some reason, before latching it. Other than that, it makes going bike riding way easier.
# 2
Swagman Truck Bed Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Fork Mount - 9-mm Skewer
I bought this bike rack because I didn't want to have to remove my bed cover every time I wanted to take our bikes on a trip. This rack works perfect because I can roll up my cover and this thing just clamps across the bed. Taking the front tire on and off is kind of time consuming but when I travel with my brother who has a hitch mount rack, it takes him just as long to unload his bike as it takes me to unload. The wheel mounts tighten easily and the bikes appear secure during long drives, so I don't worry about them coming loose. Of course, you'll want to wrap a bike chain around the bike and rack if you plan to leave them out to make sure no one can steal the bike (although it would be missing a wheel)
I used 2 inch square tubing cut the length of the tie down support bracket in my 2007 Honda Ridgeline and secured with a stainless bolt and wing nut, use a large enough washer to cover the diameter of the supply hole in the Honda Ridgeline bracket on the truck. A couple of notes: Be sure to use something as a cushioning gasket to insure a snug fit and to protect your truck lining. I used rubber or foam exercise mat cut to the same as the aluminum square tubing. Use a washer that a combination of hard plastic and metal to avoid the corrosive effects of dissimilar metals in contact with each other. last: My 26" full suspension bike fits, but I have swing it to one side slightly before i close the tailgate and lift the bike up and slide it down....It's a very snug fit but the suspension adds pressure to the tailgate and its works out very well. Or you could just use a tailgate extender.
# 3
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.
# 4
Inno Velo Gripper Bike Rack for Truck Beds - Clamp On
Using the Grippers for carrying 2 ebikes, weighing 55 & 75 lbs. I know this is above the rated bike weights but so far they have performed well. My short bed keeps the 75# bike pretty well locked in front to back so that may help.
1 year ago, ordered 2 pair Inno Velo clamp on bike rakes for pickup. One pair received damaged/used. eTrailer credited 50%. Rated average for 2 reasons. First, I couldn't get them to work securely with my tonneau cover without modifications (plastic spacer blocks to clear tonneau rail) and I can't close the tonneau cover over them when not transporting bikes. Second, while not recommended for ebikes, they kinda worked but are not strong enough for the weight of the bikes especially when needing to extend to full length. I like the idea but just doesn't meet my needs. Otherwise, they should work just fine under different applications. Best use is to install and left installed. In my circumstance, removal & reinstallation was a pain.
# 5
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.
# 6
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
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.
We have had this bike rack for one year and use it every week-end. My wife has a Trek e-bike (52 lbs) and I have a regular Trek hybrid (23 lbs). The rack is very sturdy and I have no issues driving at highway speeds, there is no movement of the bikes. Very easy to load and unload.
# 7
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
This bike rack works great for our 2 Lectric 2.0 e-bikes. We mount it on our 2019 Honda Ridgeline. It folds up nicely when it’s on the truck and we are using our bikes. The locking mechanisms work well also. I contacted support for a smaller hook arm to clamp B over the bike frame. They knew exactly what I needed and shipped it - no problem.
Used the rack for two E bikes on a 4000 mile two month trip. The tack worked great. It is easy to load and unload bikes with just two straps and tower support. The tower folds down to make loading the bike closest to the car just as easy as the outer bike. I usually just line the bike up with the rack and then hold the rear brake so I can pull back on the handlebars to lift the front wheel off the ground and pivot into the front of the rack then lift the rear onto the rack. That makes it easy for one person to load a 50 pound E-bike. The rack itself is rather heavy to mont onto the car but it needs to be to handle the weight of the bikes. Other than the weight it is easy to install by just inserting into the hitch receiver and it has a tension device so it doesn’t flop around when mounted. Overall a great product I am very happy with. Only issue I have it lighting. With the bikes mounted it is difficult to see the vehicle tail and brake lights. With a cover on the bikes the tail/brake lights are useless. I made a “light bar” that I can mount to the rear of the rack inserted where a red reflector is located. Hollywood now sells a strip light that gets strapped onto the bikes. I’m not sure how that would work with a cover. I think they need to have better options.
# 8
Thule Insta-Gater Pro Truck Bed Bike Rack - 1 Bike
Linda and I recently ordered two Aventon Pace 500 NextGen E-bikes from [bike store] in Madison, WI. Not wanting to just toss our expensive new bikes in the back of the p/u when they arrive next month we promptly ordered the Thule Instagator from etrailer. My prior experience with etrailer came as a recommendation from a friend. I was able to do quite a bit of the research on etrailers website, the demonstration video extremely helpful and we placed an order. The racks were in-stock, shipped promptly, etrailer providing a very nice tracking link that included pics of the staff involved in processing the order and a map of the route all the way to delivery. Absolutely 1st rate service. The racks showed up in perfect condition about two days after placing the order, exactly as promised. We are very pleased with etrailer, will most certainly be ordering from them again and recommend this company w/o reservation. Nice job etrailer!
I bought two racks to transport my ebikes. The tires do not fit in the rack. the cradle that holds the tire require to be wider. I need to return them. please assist me in this matter. thank you
# 9
Kuat Piston Pro X Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount
It's really a beautiful bike rack, and the lights work great. However, it blocks my car's back-up camera, regardless whether I keep it in up or down position. And to open my car's hatch, rack must be in down position. Things to keep in mind.
Kuat Piston Pro X bike rack so far exceeds expectations on 2023 Tesla Model Y! Fabulous wellbuilt, solid platform 2 bike hitch rack w tilt & locks. Thrilled on all accounts: excellently presented product info, easy to follow lit & videos for installation & convenient access to customer service. Delivered in 3 days. Quick install. Just needed to pick up 4 flat to 7 way adaptor for hooking up electrical lights in stock at [online]. Lights awesome unique feature! Visibility from rear camera good. Contrary to video & booklet instructions may be best to insert hitch pin through holes in hitch receiver and piston shank as 1st step. Was more difficult doing this as one of the last steps. Also would be good to know about how to acquire extra set of keys. Glad to have piece of mind of bikes being tight & secure.
# 10
Swagman Dispatch Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Seem heavy duty. Have not used it to transported my bikes. The only difficulty I had with the assembly dealt with the wheel cradles. They are not labeled left and right, front and rear. After installation, I discovered that one side of the cradle is higher ,viewing your videos I noticed that you put the higher end on the outside of both wheels. The aventon bikes weight 38 pounds with their battery removed. And this rack is rated at 45 pounds per bike. Therefore I think this rack will be able to transport my bikes safely on my Subaru Outback and my Forest River motorhome.
Excellent bike carrier for the back of our travel trailer. Very stable. We lost a bike once and now we can travel, stress-free, knowing our bikes are secure.
# 11
Yakima HangOver Bike Rack for 6 Mountain Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
I would strongly recommend NOT dealing with this company. My bike rack arrived very late and after delivery I realized it was not compatible with my bikes. I was looking for a six bike rack that could hold my family's bikes (2 adult + 4 small children's bikes) and this rack is very specific for ADULT MOUNTAIN BIKES ONLY. I did not realize this and called the customer service to initiate a return after having a hitch put onto my car. I was told I could not return. I was out over $1k and ended up giving this rack away on my local free cycle as it was NO value to me and took up space in my garage. I am not a bike expert just a mom with 4 small kiddos looking for ways to enable them to play outdoors, I would have appreciated a better product explanation up front so I understood this would not be a fit for my needs. I would have benefitted from better customer service. Suggest passing on this product/company.
Perfect rack! Easy to put together, bikes are easy to load up. I own a bike tour company and get compliments from my guests all the time about this rack. Getting ready to order another one next month.
# 12
Hollywood Racks Destination Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Sturdy, affordable and good ground clearance. Easily fits large size mountain bikes. Quick assembly and not that heavy at all. Folds up nicely. Only used it twice so far but very happy with this product.
Great personalized serve Outstanding delivery and free shipping Easy to assemble Well thought out and will be a cinch to use Rock solid on my Jeep Grand Cherokee Outstanding value!!! Thanks 1000k!
# 13
Swagman Patrol Truck Bed Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Fork Mount - 9-mm Skewer and 15-mm Thru-Axle
rack tends to work itself loose from bed walls during long trips. had to strap down with ratchet straps to keep from moving. locks only work at a specific angle -- wish the manual had said this because we couldn't lock our bikes until figuring it out.
Excellent Customer service and help for this product. Thank you Carol and Neil your the best.
What our customers are saying:
"Hitch and Bike Rack were received very quickly, and were installed very easily."