# 1
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Excellent and prompt customer service! When I first ordered my product it wasn’t in stock— staff were quick to let me know and offered me comparable products. I ended up waiting for my original order and shipping quick and they stayed in touch with ideas! Thule: The instructions could be a little more detailed. I ended up watching YouTube videos to help me instal. Overall it was easy, and this was the first rack I’ve ever installed and I did it by myself! I was surprised to learn the bike rack is in no way secured inside your vehicle, so.. I store it in my garage when it’s on.
Positive: The product is well thought out and works for a wide range of automotive vehicles. It comes with interesting dampers that i think work. Instructions seem to be translated from another language, but are quite good, accompanying pictures make installation straightforward. A test drive over speed bumps shows that the rack will support the bike for all travel needs. It can be disassembled , collapsed and stored in the trunk. Downside: The rack is made for the classic triangular shaped frame: horizontal cross bar, "male" bike. For bikes without the horizontal bar, mounting is a little less satisfactory. Such a bike can only be mounted on the outside mounts. Cannot use the damper on one side. Picture shows the mounting. as to a design solution, maybe brackets could be replaced with smaller profile, some adjustability? however, as it is, vibration control is good and adjustability with smaller profile would have vibration concerns.
# 2
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.
# 3
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 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.
I bought this bike rack back in April but wanted to make sure I used it to give the best review. First I want to say I did a lot of research on bike racks and found this one to be the best one to fit my needs. The best price I found was on etrailer.com, at the time it was When I called the customer service to place my order, I spoke to Dan. He was very pleasant on the phone and took the time and listened to what I needed and understood my concerns. I ordered the bike rack and also ordered the Thule Snug Tite Hitch Lock and Anti-Rattle Device and the Thule Cable Lock w/ One Key System Lock. Dan suggested I also get the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, which I never even thought of getting. Delivery was in about two business days, which was really fast and at the time of order they were running a special free delivery over $99. When I went to put it together I noticed I was missing the flat cap screw M6 x 16mm, part number #853-5787-02. I emailed Dan and within 24 hours received an email that the part was sent out and also in the email their was a link to track the order. After I received the part I did notice that the flat cap screw was actually in the 2 inch adaptor sleeve. The instructions were very easy to read, and it took me about 20 minutes to put together. I did have an issue when I positioned the stinger into the cradle, with the 8mm locking nut, it was not staying tight and when I took it off I noticed the threads inside were gone, so I ended up going out to Lowes and buying a new one and its holds perfectly fine. I also had a question about that part because it is not a locking part and was worried someone would try to steal the rack. I contacted etrailer.com to find if they make a locking device for this and they said no but I can contact Thule to double check, I'm still waiting for an answer back from Thule. The weather finally broke and we installed the rack onto my hitch, tightened it and it doesn't rattle. When I finally used the rack and put my bike on, it did sway a little but at 50 mph I was very happy with it. The trailer comes out just enough away from my car that I do not have to fold completely out and I can open my trunk with no issues. I am very happy with my purchase and had a great customer experience with Dan. Would highly recommend ordering from them to anyone.
# 4
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.
# 5
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
I did a lot of research and decided this was the rack for me. I was totally correct. First, it has all the most important features but only weighs about 14 lbs. I was concerned as a senior lady with arthritis issues. I can use it well and it performed perfectly with an adapter bar for my Electra Townie. I have had compliments from several seasoned riders and a bike shop owner here at the beach who said it was great quality and I got a great price. Also purchased a locking trailer hitch pin with bike cable from etrailer. All over satisfaction with products and etrailer who provided enough videos to help me.
This product is exactly what I wanted. The 2" post fits in the reciever perfectly, and no wiggle. I did tighten the mounting screw, but didn't have to change the hardware I have already (locks). There are two more screws to reduce the wiggles at each pivot point, and there was little to begin with. I tend to test way beyond the breaking point, and did some aggressive driving with every bump across town to the first ride. All good and I won't worry while driving with the bike attached moving forward. Only thing I wish it had was a locking mechanism, but I used a wire cable and lock. The other comparable ones with a lock were 2X the price. I can use the additional lock if I have other plans than just a trail. Service has been outstanding and I will look for any future purchases of this kind to be through etrailer.
# 6
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
This is a junk system for an rv. Have to keep redoing codes every trip Don’t waste your money
Great product, easy to set up and take down. Looking forward to taking our whole family out for a ride. Only thing to be aware of is if your using kids bikes or mountain bikes, you may need to purchase the adapters.
# 7
Curt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
It was obvious that we received a product that was returned by someone else when the box was overly taped shut, a support collar was broken, and most of the pieces were out of their ripped plastic bags. However, it was a great price to hold 5, 26" and/or 27" Trek bikes. I used a piece of the broken collar and went ahead and assembled the rack. Due to the weight of the 5 bikes it did not wobble that much when driving, as one of the bike tires was up against my car. I can only imagine that if we received an untampered product that this review would have been 5 stars. The picture is a little hard to see, but there are 5 Trek bikes on the rack on my 2020 Toyota Seinna.
We received a damaged box, damaged items, no instructions, the nuts and bolts are completely stripped and not inside a bag. This was obviously used, returned, not checked for quality and sent out. We are extremely upset.
# 8
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Check out my other review on the hidden hitch for a 2015 BMW 4 Series for the majority of the review, but this thing is great. Easy setup and install, does all the things it's supposed to do. Mounting and removing bikes is a snap with the included clips (big difference from some of the cheaper variants with nylon ratchet straps). Fits very snugly in my 2" receiver, and pretty solid on the highway and over bumpy roads.
The rack itself is fantastic. Not too heavy, easy to attach to hitch, and very easy setup. The only real downside is if your bicycles don't have a standard frame, you'll need to buy the Yakima Tube Top Bike Adapter Bars (~$50 each) in order to be able to mount them on the rack. I will say that smaller bikes (for my 9 year old) can be a challenge to mount with larger bikes as you'll need to finagle the handle bars and such to get them to line up but once you do it a few times you figure it out.
# 9
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Planning on bringing bikes while camping. I mounted 2 of the Swagman bike racks to my new Sportrack on my pop-up camper. The bikes fit perfectly. The racks seem sturdy enough. Not heavy duty, but for my needs they should be fine. Assembly was relatively fast and easy.
We have used the Swagman Roof Rack a number of times when we have needed the additional bike carrying capacity. It took a couple attempts to get the initial spacing of the bike rack properly balanced on the van’s roof rack as recommended by the instructions. But it was easy to do and once set was very easy and quick to put on and take off. The rack works great, the bike is easy to put into place and secure. The bike and rack are very stable and quiet and haven’t required any mid-trip adjustments. We always put the cheapest bike on the roof (lol) but do use a bit of duct tape to protect the finish just Incase. We are very satisfied with the rack and consider it quite a deal for the money.
# 10
Yakima RidgeBack Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
This two bike rack has been great for the occasional bike ride outside of our home area. I like the sturdy construction, but beware that it is a little heavier than it looks (I’m retired and a bit older so maybe not as strong). Easy to fit into the factory trailer hitch on our 5 passenger SUV and no problem securing the bikes for transport. My only complaint is, the stick on Yakima Graphic started coming apart the day we got it. Sorry, no free advertising for Yakima.
I used this product twice to go back and forth on a 700 mile trip (1400 miles total). My initial impression was that it was sturdy because it was larger than most 2 bike carriers I've seen. The strapping system is convenient and the locking system worked great. The only flaw so far is that one of the locking mechanisms actually broke off. After closer inspection, I realized that the parts are plastic. I'm not sure what actually caused it to break other than the force of hitting a pothole causing the bike to bounce on the rack. Those types of forces should be expected with normal driving however and I expected the locking mechanism to hold up. I was fairly disappointed that it happened given the asking price and the reviews I read prior to my purchase. Other than the locking mechanism on the actual bike rack, I wouldn't put to much faith in the red handled locking pin that inserts into the trailer hitch and insertion bar portion of the bike rack. It is understood that the pin does not go all the way through the insertion bar as the locking mechanism is inside and prevents further advancement. Yakima could probably improve this aspect of the product. I will be contacting Yakima to see if they will replace the broken part. One thing I did notice was that the broken bracket is screwed in and can be removed/replaced fairly easily. I have included pics of the broken bracket and working bracket for comparison. Hope this helps in your decision!
# 11
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.
First off, thanks to Jason T. or "Troop". The exemplary customer service he provided is rare these days. Troop made several calls to the various manufacturers to ascertain which bike rack would afford me the most ground clearance as my new VW Golf sits low to the ground and my old bike rack frequently scraped the ground when I went up even a slight up hill grade. His efforts paid off as he found me the best bike rack for my car, the Swagman Trailhead 2 Bike Carrier. It sits up off the ground just high enough that it doesn't scrape on my driveway. It is also sturdy and holds my bikes securely. And, the delivery was amazingly fast. I had my rack in about 2 days! Note to Troop, see my Pittsburgh Pirates Logo on my bumper in the attached pictures? Pirate Fans persevere! The Bucco's will be coming after your Cardinals this year! Thanks again Troop!
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2006 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2006 Lexus RX330 we're test fitting the Thule Vertex hanging-style 4-bike rack, part number TH9029XT. This bike rack is designed to work with 1-1/4" and 2" hitches. The first thing we'll do is take a look at our bike and how it's strapped to the rack. We've got two cradles holding that bike down and then three straps, two on our frame here and one is our anti-sway strap in the back. To release those we're just going to pull down and lift up. We always want to save that anti-sway strap for last, and then when we're loading up our bike, do that first. We'll just take our bike off, set it off to the side.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2006 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2006 Lexus RX, we're test fitting the Thule Vertex Swing-Away Style 4-Bike Rack, part number TH9031XT. The first feature I want to show you is the swing-away. To do so, we'll pull out this T pin here, undo this knob in the back, pull up on the T pin, and pull the bike rack away. When it's about 90 degrees, we turn the rack itself until this bottom T pin is inserted in the hole down here, and we'll keep swinging it out until the holes line up on this bottom pin. Now, as you can see that allows us full access into that back hatch of our vehicle, so we can get anything in or out that we may need. With our hatch closed up, we'll go ahead and take a few measurements. Our closest point to the vehicle is going to be our wheel here.
Thule Hitching Post Pro Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX 330 we're going to do a test of the Thule Hitching Post Pro. This is a folding and tilting 4-bike rack. They've designed it so we can use it with 1-1/4" or 2" hitches. The part number on it is TH934XTR. Now to begin our test fit we want to slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch. We'll then line up our threaded hole with our hitch pinhole. We'll then use our provided anti-rattle bolt and we're going to thread that in.
Thule Helium Aero Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX 330 we're going to be doing a test fit on the Thule Helium Aero. Now this is a tilting and folding 2-bike rack. They've designed it so we can use it with 1-1/4" or 2" hitches. The part number on it is TH9042. Now if you need a little extra room we also have this available in a 3-bike. That part number is TH9043. We're going to hold out on the black attached pin and then simply slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch.
Saris Freedom SuperClamp Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX 330, we're going to do a test fit on the Saris Freedom SuperClamp. This is a platform style 2 bike rack, designed to hold your bike completely without making contact with the frame. Designed also for use with 1-1/4 inch or 2 inch hitches. Part number on it is SA4025. Now to begin our test fit, we want to slide the shank of the rack right into the receiver tube of our hitch. We need to slide it in far enough so that our threaded hole lines up with our hitch pin hole. With those in line, we're going to take the provided anti-rattle bolt.
Saris Bike Porter Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX 330 we're going to do a test fit on the Saris Bike Porter. This is a folding and tilting 4-bike rack. They've designed it for use with 1-1/4" or 2" hitches. The part number is SA404B. Now we also have this available in a 2-bike if you'd prefer. Part number on that: SA402B. Now to begin our test fit we're going to slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch.
Swagman Titan Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus Rx330 we're going to do a test fit on the Swagman Titan. This is a folding and tilting 4 bike rack. They've designed it for use with 1 1/4 or 2 inch hitches. The part number on it is S63410. To begin our test fit we need to slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch. We've got a threaded hole here. Line that up with our hitch pin hole, then take our anti-rattle bolt which is provided.
Yakima FullTilt Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX330 we're going to do a test fit on the Yakima FullTilt. Now this is a folding and tilting 4-bike rack. It's been designed for use with 1-1/4" or 2" hitches. The part number on it is Y02462. Now to begin our test fit what we're going to do, slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch. As we do this we want to slide it far enough for our small pin to appear in our hitch pinhole. With that in place we'll tighten the red triangle-shaped knob here at the rear.
Saris Axis Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX 330 we're going to do a test fit on the Saris Axis. This is a folding and tilting 3-bike rack. They've designed it so we can use it with 1-1/4" or 2" hitches. The part number on it SA843B. Now to begin our test fit we're going to slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch. You can see here there's a threaded pinhole. We want to line that up with our hitch pinhole.
Saris Axis Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330 SA832
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX330 we're going to do a test fit on the Saris Axis. This is a folding and tilting two bike rack. They designed it so we can use it with an inch and a quarter or two inch hitch. The part number is SA832. If you'd like this in the three bike configuration we have it as part number SA833, or in a four bike, part number SA834B. To begin our test fit we slide the shank of the rack into the receiver tube of our hitch.
Kuat NV Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2005 Lexus RX 330
Today on our 2005 Lexus RX 330 we're going to do a test fit on the Kuat NV. This is a folding and tilting 4-bike platform-style rack. As you can see, they've designed it for use in 2" hitches. In the black and chrome the part number is N105-107. We also have it available in a nice gun metal gray and orange finish; that part number is N101-103. To begin our test fit we're going to slide the shank of the rack right into the receiver tube of our hitch. We're then going to line up our pinhole with our hitch pinhole.
What our customers are saying:
"Everyone that bought before me was right! I got my rack in time for my next days off and putting it together was fast too. And I'm a grandma!! Thank you for being fast and honest! You beat anyone in my town hands down!"