Recommendation for a Bike Rack to Fit a 2011 Nissan Maxima  

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Expert Reply:

For the 2011 Nissan Maxima you have two options that I recommend for bike racks.

The first would be to install a trailer receiver hitch and use a hitch mounted bike rack. For the 2011 Nissan Maxima, I recommend the Draw-Tite Class I Receiver Hitch, # 24796. This hitch has the 1-1/4 receiver opening and has a 200 lbs tongue weight capacity.

For the bike rack, the Swagman XTC-2 2 Bike Platform Rack, # S64670, will work well with the Draw-Tite hitch. This rack will allow you to carry 2 bikes weighing 35 lbs a piece. The Swagman rack uses both bike hooks and wheel cradle straps to secure bikes to the rack.

The second option and the option I recommend overall, would be the Thule Passage 2 Bike Carrier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack, # TH910XT. I prefer this style rack over the hitch mount because of its lightweight design and ease of operation. This Thule truck rack will allow you to carry two bikes up to 35 lbs per bike.

Also, installation on this rack is not as labor intensive as installing the hitch on your Maxima. Installing the hitch will require drilling into the frame of your Nissan. Installing the Thule Passage only requires the installation of mounting straps at the trunk lid of the vehicle.

If you plan on carrying any women's or alternative framed bikes without horizontal top tubes you may also be interested in purchasing a Kuat Bike Frame Adapter Bar # UB01 to provide a horizontal top tube on your bikes to provide an attachment point. I attached a review video for this product also. This will allow the bikes to be carried more level and will provide more ground clearance.

I have attached video links of the products I mentioned for you to review.

expert reply by: Jared P

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