# 1
Swagman Truck Bed Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Fork Mount - 9-mm Skewer
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.
Referring to special mounting instructions if you have a bed liner: (line #3). I do not have a bed liner, but I do have a molded plastic cap on my bed rails ('04 Ford F350). The first install over the plastic cap the locking pin or pin as called out in line #3 was nowhere near making contact with the metal lip of the metal bed under the plastic. What I did next on the second and final install was remove/cut away the plastic on the inside of the bed rail to allow the vertical portion of the "L" mounting bracket (Fig 4) to contact the metal bed. The locking pin is now at a position almost where it would protrude under the metal bed lip if I would remove the rest of the plastic under the horizontal portion of the "L" mounting bracket, I did not do that. After cutting a notch in the metal rail to accept the pin, the pin barely flushes out to secure the rack. A 1/4" longer pin would take care of this problem. One other thing that was not addressed in the install instructions was if you have a full size pick-up bed you are likely to attach the passenger side fork mount (Fig 2) to the right of the extension tube locking mechanism. The extension tube is a smaller diameter, so you will have resize the fork tube clamp (Fig 1) for the smaller tube. I can't explain how to do it other than it's a Chinese puzzle.
# 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
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.
I am disappointed that they don’t hold my bikes better than they do. I still have to strap them down so they don’t fall out. They are pretty expensive for what you get. I need to modify them so they will actually work. Not really what I was expecting to do, but I need to so my bikes are secured.
# 4
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.
# 5
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.
# 6
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.
I've been using this bike rack alongside a trailer hitch I got here for my small car (chevy bolt ev) and it was exactly what I was looking to get to haul around my fat tire mountain bike bike. Sometimes I throw two bikes on there (either an e-bike, slightly heavier at 60 lbs, or a 2nd mountain bike) and it's perfect.
# 7
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
# 8
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.
# 9
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.
# 10
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.
# 11
Hollywood Racks Destination Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
Used it twice so far, it meets my expectations based on other reviews. It's easy to load the bikes (8 minutes or so for 4 bikes) and to move up or down. Glad I bought this "lighter" platform rack rather than the swagman because while it's not hard to get into the hitch, neither is it "light". Anything heavier would definitely be a pain. Hopefully straps etc are durable over the long haul. No problem getting 2 adult and 2 kids bikes on. Glad I went with a platform rack over a bar. My sister has the bar rack and says it's impossible to get 4 bikes on.
Ok so I I was going to buy a safari rack which ended up being about $100 more once you tacked on taxes and shipping from another website. This was on sale and had really good reviews. I bought this and have used it long enough to leave an honest review. It’s a really good rack, quality built, and If anything should break on the rack etrailer has all the replacement parts for very cheap prices. I have used this racks for shuttle duties and held 4 big enduros bikes several times. You don’t need to use the extra red straps sent with the rack for the bikes to be very secure. As someone stated before in the reviews long wheelbase bikes like size L or XL frame enduro or DH bikes might only be able to strap one wheel and frame attachment (the one wheel will be too long to get a good strap on), but all you need to do is drill a hole and move the clamp outboard about 2” and you’ll be good as gold. This rack is awesome and was a heck of a deal. Would recommend and buy again if I ever needed 2 racks? Also not to mention (not that I really care), but the rack was packaged really nice and didn’t come all damaged from shipping, it was really nicely formed foam that was glued in place and not just some hack job some guy tossed in a box. 10/10 !
# 12
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.
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