Hitch mounted bike rack...

[Seatown]

Nv2

Another happy Kuat NV2 customer. This is my 3rd one....the last one was destroyed in a car accident (bike attached too). Super simple to use, very sturdy, looks sharp, and even has a built in mechanic's rack. Downside for me is the short built in lock that I can only use to go thru both bike's wheels. Will most likely get a long cable lock to use in the future. I've been considering selling my Kuat rack lately to pick up the NS4. I ride every weekend with up to 6 others so it would be nice to eliminate a vehicle. Like others said, the 4 bike Kuat is stupid big and heavy, otherwise I'd just pony up and get the attachment. the NV2, just like our 4Runner's have great resale value btw!! Anyways...here's a pic with just my bike loaded.

 

[Maverick]

I like the 1up the best for my use. Here's a photo of mine on this page:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...toyota-4runner-owners-picture-thread-238.html

 

[Magnetic4R]

I got the Yakima, they work well for me but there's a little play in the hitch mount that I don't like.

 

[JeremyB]

I didn't like the 1up rack, either. I bought one...it was sexy. All aluminum. Simple. My bikes were all over the place on the 1up, though. I couldn't believe how much movement there was back there. It freaked me out, so I returned it and got my money back and purchased a Kuat NV the next day. It's awesome. No regrets. Rock solid.

I have the Kuat NV and my wife has the Sherpa. My buddy has the 1UP and let me just say that the quality, look, feel, and function of the 1UP is not nearly as good as either of the Kuats. My hardtail, road bike, cross bike, full suspension and my kid's 20" stay rock solid on the Kuats. The bikes move around a lot on the 1UP. Far too much for my comfort anyway when you're talking about thousands off dollars bouncing around. They also look really cheap. With the Kuats I can open and close the lift gate without removing the bikes which for me is a big plus
.

Where does the wibble-de wobble-de in the 1up come from: The receiver to hitch interface, flex in the rack, the bike hold-down, or a combination?

I'm torn between the Kuat Sherpa, NV, and 1upusa. Sherpa is crazy light (Prius v is my daily driver), the NV has the built in stand and can expand up to 4 bikes (but that configuration is gigantic and heavy), and the 1upusa can be configured anywhere from 1 to 4 bikes (also gigantic and heavy, but maybe 3 bikes is okay?)

 

[fattire]

I'll just echo previous comments on the Kuat NV. It's a very solid rack. There's zero play/wobble when it's mounted. My previous rack was a Hollywood 2 bike that they don't make anymore. It was also extremely sturdy. I only sold it because my TT bike didn't fit due to the seat post depth. One thing I love about both of these is that no tools are required to secure the rack to the car; it can all be done by hand.

I have the two bike. It's definitely not light and I can imagine that the 4 bike version would be pretty darn heavy. That being said, you're not going to find a light 4 bike hitch rack. Even with high end road bikes it has to carry 60+ pounds of weight distributed down a fairly long lever. The last hung you want is for that sucker to bend or break and dump $10,000 in bikes on the road. Sturdy comes with a price paid in weight.

 

[1engineer]

Alright, let me be the "different" guy here. I used my last bike rack for 13 years. I wanted something that would be as durable.
First let me tell you the normal duty cycle and my specs:

1. I ride almost every day from March thru November. From December thru February I ride every other weekend down south.
2. I normally haul two bikes. I can fit another in the vehicle if need be. I don't want to be the bike hauler for the whole damn club. Me and my wife or me and my riding buddy is standard. If I have to haul four or more then somebody else is going to drive too. I don't care.
3. I take the rack off and on quite often. I use my vehicle for my job and some of the places I go it would just get torn off and I don't want to drive 1K miles with an empty bike rack on the back.
4. I am not a poser so the "latest and greatest" or coolest had no meaning or use for me.
5. I wanted light. Again, I take it on and off a lot.
6. I wanted no wobble.
7. I wanted platform for different type bikes.
8. Since I ride every day, I wanted to be able to put a bike on and off the rack in 10 seconds or less.
9. Did not want to spend a lot. Bike racks get beat on, scratched and generally look like crap after several years. I wanted something I felt I could throw away instead of taking it to the body shop because it was so expensive.
10. Had to be hitch mounted. No strapping it on the back or no roof mount. Anyone ever tried to put a bike up on the roof of a 4Runner? I'm 6'4" and I have to climb on a tire to get up there. No way am I going to spend 20 minutes mounting a bike on the roof, driving 20 minutes to the trail head and spend 10 minutes getting it down. Silly.

So what did I get?
Amazon.com : SportRack SR2901LR 2-Bike Lock and Tilt Platform Hitch Rack, Grey : Automotive Bike Racks : Sports & Outdoors
-It's fully foldable and adjustable
-It weighs less than 30 lbs.
-It locks to the vehicle and locks to the bike
-It's under $200
-No wobble
-Supports 90 lbs
-Thule owned budget brand.
-Nice power coated finish.
-Takes less than 30 seconds to fully load and secure two bikes. Same amount of time to unload them. (takes longer to put on my bike gloves)
-easy to install and remove. Takes about one minute to do both.

The only downside is it takes a 19mm socket to remove the rack from the vehicle so you must be able to operate a socket wrench. This is for the anti wobble feature. I have used it since September of 2014. Great rack for my needs and uses.

1UP and Kuat are nice expensive racks. I wanted a nice inexpensive LIGHT rack.

Here's a partial pic of it getting ready to head down to SC to ride right before Christmas.

 

[harkco]

No clips on those pedals?

Nice review, btw!

 

[1engineer]

No clips on those pedals?

Nice review, btw!

Nope. Flats. Too many surgeries on my left ankle and foot to make the twist motion to disengage. I use Grind flat pedals and ride in 5.10 shoes. No slip lol.

 

[Bootleg]

For me the cost wasn't the biggest issue. I'd rather spend $400-$500 on a bike rack that I know I can trust when I have $5000-$15000 worth of bikes on the back. Also, my Kuat NV has fantastic warranty and I know I'll keep it for more than 2-3 years.


Plus the shop I race for is a dealer so I don't pay retail. :biggrin1:

 

[fattire]

If you don't have a hookup, REI 20% off coupons can be used on the Kuat racks. They come out with those for use on one item pretty regularly. This is what I used to get mine (before finding a hookup myself :-D).

 

[1engineer]

For me the cost wasn't the biggest issue. I'd rather spend $400-$500 on a bike rack that I know I can trust when I have $5000-$15000 worth of bikes on the back. Also, my Kuat NV has fantastic warranty and I know I'll keep it for more than 2-3 years.


Plus the shop I race for is a dealer so I don't pay retail. :biggrin1:

My rack won't fail either. It has a lifetime warranty.

I have used this rack around 80 times already. It took both my bikes (Maybe $4K worth) to Florida and back three times already to ride.

I just posted a review on a lower cost alternative, nothing else. If I wanted I could probably have one hand made that would cost $5k. Wouldn't that be even better to haul your bikes?

 

[tacoma22]

Can anyone recommend any hitch mounted bike racks?
heh...this will be my first accessory on the 4runner...

Thinking about a capacity of 4 mountain bikes...

Thanks!

4/23/2011 8:20AM update...
wow, there are alot of bike racks out there. now i am wondering if i should be looking at the type where the tires are resting on the rack or the type where the rack is supporting the bike by the bike frame...

Swagman jackknife 4 bike rack. Kind of like a north shore rack but without the frame contact. Super easy to load( also multiple bikes at once. and keeps the back wheel further from the ground when exploring off road. Also adjustable for wheel sizes. Best rack ever.
Also the top section and bottom section fold in towards each other while not in use. Super solid and has no play in the hitch

 

[Jetboy]

Alright, let me be the "different" guy here. I used my last bike rack for 13 years. I wanted something that would be as durable.
First let me tell you the normal duty cycle and my specs:

1. I ride almost every day from March thru November. From December thru February I ride every other weekend down south.
2. I normally haul two bikes. I can fit another in the vehicle if need be. I don't want to be the bike hauler for the whole damn club. Me and my wife or me and my riding buddy is standard. If I have to haul four or more then somebody else is going to drive too. I don't care.
3. I take the rack off and on quite often. I use my vehicle for my job and some of the places I go it would just get torn off and I don't want to drive 1K miles with an empty bike rack on the back.
4. I am not a poser so the "latest and greatest" or coolest had no meaning or use for me.
5. I wanted light. Again, I take it on and off a lot.
6. I wanted no wobble.
7. I wanted platform for different type bikes.
8. Since I ride every day, I wanted to be able to put a bike on and off the rack in 10 seconds or less.
9. Did not want to spend a lot. Bike racks get beat on, scratched and generally look like crap after several years. I wanted something I felt I could throw away instead of taking it to the body shop because it was so expensive.
10. Had to be hitch mounted. No strapping it on the back or no roof mount. Anyone ever tried to put a bike up on the roof of a 4Runner? I'm 6'4" and I have to climb on a tire to get up there. No way am I going to spend 20 minutes mounting a bike on the roof, driving 20 minutes to the trail head and spend 10 minutes getting it down. Silly.

So what did I get?
Amazon.com : SportRack SR2901LR 2-Bike Lock and Tilt Platform Hitch Rack, Grey : Automotive Bike Racks : Sports & Outdoors
-It's fully foldable and adjustable
-It weighs less than 30 lbs.
-It locks to the vehicle and locks to the bike
-It's under $200
-No wobble
-Supports 90 lbs
-Thule owned budget brand.
-Nice power coated finish.
-Takes less than 30 seconds to fully load and secure two bikes. Same amount of time to unload them. (takes longer to put on my bike gloves)
-easy to install and remove. Takes about one minute to do both.

The only downside is it takes a 19mm socket to remove the rack from the vehicle so you must be able to operate a socket wrench. This is for the anti wobble feature. I have used it since September of 2014. Great rack for my needs and uses.

1UP and Kuat are nice expensive racks. I wanted a nice inexpensive LIGHT rack.

Here's a partial pic of it getting ready to head down to SC to ride right before Christmas.

I have the Thule version of the same rack. I've learned to dislike the adjusting top bar clamp on the post. They don't work very well with my MTB due to the slope of the top tube - it's a stumpjumper FSR with a pretty steep angle. Also they have become sticky after a few years. Otherwise I really like it. I have no intention of replacing it unless something breaks. All of the plastic parts have been completely reliable so far. It's well made.

I used the anti-wobble setup once. Then I put it in the drill press with a 3/4" bit and solved that problem. I like the idea - but I also like easy on/off because I can't fit in my garage with the rack on. And I probably go on and off 2-3 times a week in the summer.

I'll never own another rack that is on top or requires removing the front tire.

I will at some point cut it up and make it a swing out. I just haven't had time to get around to it.

 

[Paui4m]

X2
This looks exactly like my Swagman and its rock solid.
The need to have a socket is more than made up for by having something this solid imo.

Alright, let me be the "different" guy here. I used my last bike rack for 13 years. I wanted something that would be as durable.
First let me tell you the normal duty cycle and my specs:

1. I ride almost every day from March thru November. From December thru February I ride every other weekend down south.
2. I normally haul two bikes. I can fit another in the vehicle if need be. I don't want to be the bike hauler for the whole damn club. Me and my wife or me and my riding buddy is standard. If I have to haul four or more then somebody else is going to drive too. I don't care.
3. I take the rack off and on quite often. I use my vehicle for my job and some of the places I go it would just get torn off and I don't want to drive 1K miles with an empty bike rack on the back.
4. I am not a poser so the "latest and greatest" or coolest had no meaning or use for me.
5. I wanted light. Again, I take it on and off a lot.
6. I wanted no wobble.
7. I wanted platform for different type bikes.
8. Since I ride every day, I wanted to be able to put a bike on and off the rack in 10 seconds or less.
9. Did not want to spend a lot. Bike racks get beat on, scratched and generally look like crap after several years. I wanted something I felt I could throw away instead of taking it to the body shop because it was so expensive.
10. Had to be hitch mounted. No strapping it on the back or no roof mount. Anyone ever tried to put a bike up on the roof of a 4Runner? I'm 6'4" and I have to climb on a tire to get up there. No way am I going to spend 20 minutes mounting a bike on the roof, driving 20 minutes to the trail head and spend 10 minutes getting it down. Silly.

So what did I get?
Amazon.com : SportRack SR2901LR 2-Bike Lock and Tilt Platform Hitch Rack, Grey : Automotive Bike Racks : Sports & Outdoors
-It's fully foldable and adjustable
-It weighs less than 30 lbs.
-It locks to the vehicle and locks to the bike
-It's under $200
-No wobble
-Supports 90 lbs
-Thule owned budget brand.
-Nice power coated finish.
-Takes less than 30 seconds to fully load and secure two bikes. Same amount of time to unload them. (takes longer to put on my bike gloves)
-easy to install and remove. Takes about one minute to do both.

The only downside is it takes a 19mm socket to remove the rack from the vehicle so you must be able to operate a socket wrench. This is for the anti wobble feature. I have used it since September of 2014. Great rack for my needs and uses.

1UP and Kuat are nice expensive racks. I wanted a nice inexpensive LIGHT rack.

Here's a partial pic of it getting ready to head down to SC to ride right before Christmas.

 

[esto70]

I'm not sure that I could say definitively where the movement in the 1Up came from. All I know is that when I would look back at my bike(s) on the way to the trailhead, there was way too much bouncing and swaying for my taste.

My history: I've owned 3 higher-end hitch racks. A Thule T2 (actually the original sportworks version). That rack, which I still own, was super solid but SUPER heavy and a pain to mount/dismount.

I did my research and bought the 1upUSA a couple years ago. It was very light, but I didn't like it (see previous posts) and returned it.

I immediately bought a Kuat NV. It's weight is in between the 1Up and T2. Very easy to mount, and just as solid as the T2. So far, my favorite.

Where does the wibble-de wobble-de in the 1up come from: The receiver to hitch interface, flex in the rack, the bike hold-down, or a combination?

I'm torn between the Kuat Sherpa, NV, and 1upusa. Sherpa is crazy light (Prius v is my daily driver), the NV has the built in stand and can expand up to 4 bikes (but that configuration is gigantic and heavy), and the 1upusa can be configured anywhere from 1 to 4 bikes (also gigantic and heavy, but maybe 3 bikes is okay?)

 

[Bootleg]

Where does the wibble-de wobble-de in the 1up come from: The receiver to hitch interface, flex in the rack, the bike hold-down, or a combination?

I think its a combination of the rack itself and the way the rack holds the bikes. The arms on the 1UP just don't hold the bikes tight enough for my liking. The arms on the Kuat, many Yakima and Thule racks actually go between the fork and tire which makes it a lot more secure than just using a small potion of the tires and tension like the 1UP. I want something holding my bikes down, not squeezing the tires. It looks and feels like something made by a kid in China.

 

[Maverick]

I have had a variety of racks over the last 25 years and my last 3 racks have been 1up. The rack to hitch interface is solid. There is no movement if you put it on correctly. The rack itself is very solid and definitely doesn't look like it was made by a kid in China. The rack holds the bike in a variety of positions fore and aft so it makes the best solution for holding multiple bikes of different sizes to prevent bikes hitting etc. There is a bit of movement of the bike toward the front of the car and back of the car, but we are talking 1-2" max. It is super solid. Read this very long thread on mtbr about the 1up rack if you want a ton of reviews:

1up Quick Rack Quick Review.- Mtbr.com

 

[m85476585]

I have a 1upusa rack. I have the 1 1/4" version since I needed it for my last car, and two add-on trays for a total of 3 bike capacity.

I used to have it on a Honda Civic. There was a lot of flex in the hitch itself (it only had 3 bolts securing it to the car), and after a few extended road trips with the rack fully loaded, either the hitch or the "frame" of the car were noticeably bent down. There were a few time where I would hit a medium bump a bit too fast and it looked like the entire thing would snap off. The "frame" of the car was basically just boxed sheet metal since it was a unibody. 3 bikes it too much for the rear suspension, anyway, and it sagged so much that the hitch would often scrape the ground. If anyone out there is considering getting a hitch for a small car, check out Torklift EcoHitch. It has a lot more reinforcement and contact area, and it's available in 2" even for small cars. I never got one because I replaced the car with a 4runner, but I was considering it if I would have kept the car. Torklift Central - EcoHitch® |Chevrolet Volt|Nissan Leaf|Mitsubishi I-Miev|Subaru Outback|Toyota Prius|Prius V|Prius C|Hitch|Seattle|Kent|Auburn|Puyallup|Tacoma|Renton|Covington|Sumner|Bellevue|Burien|Enumclaw|WA

When I first fit the 1upusa rack on a 4runner, I had to file down one or two of the corners of the adapter to make it fit. I think I only filed the 1 1/4" - 2" adapter, so the rack is undamaged. The problem is that the inside of the 4runner hitch has rounded corners, but the corners of the rack are relatively square. Contact with the flat surfaces holds it, so the corners are not necessary. If you are thinking of buying one, ask 1upusa to do additional rounding on the corners for you.

There's no movement between the hitch and the rack. It has a ball that presses against the inside of the hitch for a solid connection, and I haven't managed to overtorque the mechanism yet!

There is some flex in the rack, but it's hard to tell where. The whole thing flexes just a little.

Most of the movement with bikes attached is from the way it holds the wheels. It holds them solidly, but the front wheel is able to turn slightly, so the top of the bike can move side to side a bit. I've never had a problem with a bike coming loose. Overall it's much better on a 4runner than on a Civic. I would recommend it, but with a 2" hitch there are probably better racks for the money. I bought it because it's the only one I could find that's tray type and carries 3 bikes on a 1 1/4" hitch without exceeding the weight rating and folds up to fit inside a small car.

FYI, check the weight before you buy a 4 bike tray rack setup. I think some of them are over 100lbs, and the +2 extension does not come off quickly. My 3 bike 1up rack is 55lbs, and it's barely manageable because there's it's so awkward to carry. I don't like to leave it on if I'm not using it because it makes it more difficult to get in the trunk.

 

[Cobalt Anubis]

Yakima FULLSWING (4) Bike Rack

Swing Baby Swing

• Swings away from car with bikes loaded to provide easy access to rear of vehicle
• Quick and easy assembly
• Tool-free installation with locking SpeedKnob
• AutoPin automatically positions and secures rack to the hitch and receiver
• Zero-hassle ZipStrips quickly secure bike to rack
• Fully padded arms for the ultimate in bike protection
• Arms fold down when not in use
• SKS Locks included; locks racks and bikes
• Carries up to 4 bikes
• 4 bikes. Total weight, 150 lbs. Maximum bike weight 40 lbs each.

• The ease of operations make it worth every penny. NO EXTRA PARTS ARE NEEDED!!!

 

[JeremyB]

Where does the wibble-de wobble-de in the 1up come from: The receiver to hitch interface, flex in the rack, the bike hold-down, or a combination?

I'm torn between the Kuat Sherpa, NV, and 1upusa. Sherpa is crazy light (Prius v is my daily driver), the NV has the built in stand and can expand up to 4 bikes (but that configuration is gigantic and heavy), and the 1upusa can be configured anywhere from 1 to 4 bikes (also gigantic and heavy, but maybe 3 bikes is okay?)

Ended up getting a 1UPUSA Super Duty with an add-on.

None of my bikes have an excessive play. Looks just fine while I drive.

I got the 1UP because I wanted the option of a 3rd bike, without the mass/bigness of a 4-rack setup. Had I only wanted 2 bikes, I would have gotten the Kuat Sherpa.