Hitch Mounted 4-Bike Rack Recommendation for 2011 Subaru Outback  

Question:

Expert Reply:

I agree that Thule makes great products, but the best bike rack that I think will meet your needs is the Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount # Y02443-2, because it will give you the four bike capacity you are looking for and it is a quality rack that will last years by a quality brand in Yakima. The value and functionality provided by Yakima is going to be very similar to Thule - think of comparing Nike and Adidas.

Compared to a hanging rack, a platform rack will provide easier loading of bikes. The HoldUp secures your bikes at both the wheels and the frame, so unless your bike has a very dramatic step-through or is a smaller children's bike, a frame adapter bar won't be necessary; in the event that you needed one, you would use # Y02531 .

This rack easily switches between a 2 and 4 bike carrier so that it takes up less space behind your vehicle and is more manageable when you need to move it. The great thing about a going with a Yakima bike rack is that since you already have a Yakima Cargo Box, you can match all of the lock cores to match and work with 1 key using the Yakima Same Key System # Y07204 (4 cores) or # Y07206 (6 cores) and the Cable Lock # Y07233 to secure your bikes to the rack. This rack comes with an anti rattle locking hitch that also can be matched to the Same Key System.

If you're more interested in a hanging style rack, the Yakima Ridgeback # Y02458 is going to carry 4 bikes up weighing up to 150-lbs total. It is lightweight and easy to take on and off your vehicle but the drawback to using a hanging rack would be having to use a Frame Adapter like # Y02531 in order to carry a women's or child's bike. To secure the bikes and rack you would need the Yakima HandCuff Cable Lock System # Y02466

expert reply by: Erik B

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