hitch-mounted bike racks and what you like about them

[Joelzy]

Looking to buy a hitch-mounted bike rack for my 3rd gen but there are a million options. had planned on going roof but decided against the roof rack all together plus im a short guy and trying to get 2 bikes off the roof seems like a pain when i can just use the hitch. It wasnt a problem on my old car but the roof of the 4R is quite a bit further up. cab isn't an option with the dogs.

I'm looking at new and used trying to keep it under $200 but could spend more if needbe. It will be for 2 mountain bikes(wife's semi-fat tire 27.5 and my 29) and occasionally my fixed road 700.

What do you use and why?
:cheers:
TIA

 

[turbo8]

I have a thule t2, had it for about 5 years. I like how it is expandable, from 2 bike carrier to 4. it is kinda of expensive though.

 

[Jernik]

I have a Yakima Hold Up, and it's been pretty good. One thing I will say, I prefer the racks in which the bike sits on a platform locking the wheels in place better than the ones that leave the bike dangling by the frame. It just seems more secure and better for the bike overall.

Also, I prefer the racks that hold the bike by the wheels rather than the ones that have a bar clamping down on the frame (see Yakima Two Timer). I have a carbon road bike, and went with a friend to a ride - he had a rack that clamped down on the top tube. It created a little rub spot. It's not bad, but I know where it is and where it came from - and that was only 1 out and back trip. Repeated trips could cause more wear, I think.

Other companies make similar racks that are just as good or maybe better than the Yakima, but how the bike is held and secured to the rack is very important, IMO, to ensure bumps, vibrations, etc. while going down the highway do not create wear on the bike. It may cost more, but if you've got nice bikes it's worth a little extra to ensure they are safe and secure.

 

[Bluesky 07]

I’ve had a Yakima ROC 2 for almost 20 years and highly recommend it. While looking for a pic, I found one on eBay for $100 (+ $50 shipping) that includes the ROC Solid, which is an optional piece that enables you to strap down the wheels (kinda hard to explain but it’s definitely good to have). This type is a swing down so you can still open the hatch.

That listing says it has the 1 1/4” mount but it’s not clear whether that’s in addition to the 2” so be sure to ask if you’re interested in that particular one. You can always get the 2” mount and it’s not very expensive.

Happy to post pics of my ROC 2 on the truck if that would be helpful, or to answer any questions you have about that model.

 

[Joelzy]

Thank you all for the feedback so far!

One thing I will say, I prefer the racks in which the bike sits on a platform locking the wheels in place better than the ones that leave the bike dangling by the frame.

I am leaning that direction as well based on the fact that both of our trek bikes have a more flat top tube

Happy to post pics of my ROC 2 on the truck if that would be helpful, or to answer any questions you have about that model.

Please do! anything helps as there are a million options.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Happy to take & post some pics, give me a couple of days though.

 

[sbuttr]

I have had a Kuat Enve for about three years on mine and love it. They are expensive, but if you can find one used its a great option. From my personal experience they hold up better than Thule and Yakima.

 

[Bluesky 07]

[MENTION=221666]Joelzy[/MENTION], this has taken longer than expected but if pics would still be useful, I could post them later today. LMK.

 

[Joelzy]

sure if its not too much trouble! i havent bought one just yet

 

[Bluesky 07]

Sure, no problem. FYI, the post with the pics is worded the way it is b/c I'm going to link it from my build thread.

 

[Bluesky 07]

I have used a Yakima ROC 2 hitch-mounted rack to transport my road and mountain bikes for almost 20 years. I recently touched up a few scraped spots with Rustoleum Rust Reformer and it's ready for another 20. This model is no longer manufactured but can be found used and is a bargain IMO if it's in decent shape.

There are plenty of pros as shown below, but if I had to name any cons, the ROC 2 is hefty (b/c it's so solidly built), the shape makes it a little awkward to handle at times, and nothing folds so the size you see is the size it always is.

Ready to be loaded. Notes:
- The bike's top frame tube sits in the cradle and the rubber straps stretch around it and over the knobby things. Bike is completely secure.
- I added the red reflective tape since it protrudes out a ways from the bumper.
- The bottom piece with the straps and hooks is an accessory called the ROC Solid. The hooks go over the bike wheels and help keep the bike stable.

Hitch-mounted items that rattle around are annoying. The ROC 2's threaded pin screws into a piece inside the rack and secures it in the receiver.

You tighten it down with a 15/16" socket.

The end of the pin is specially shaped to take the Yakima pin lock. The OEM receiver's shape makes the lock a tight fit but it works at the right angle. Of course, nothing will prevent a determined thief from eventually defeating the lock but this gives piece of mind when parked at a trailhead or stopping in to a store.

There's also a cable lock that extends out of the rack...

wraps around the top tube...

and locks onto a pin in the same way the hitch pin lock works.

You remove this pin to tilt the rack down and access the hatch.

Tilted. It's obviously a lot easier to do if you don't have bikes loaded.

Had to go back to my Xterra days to find a pic of my bike on the rack. This is from 2006.

General Notes:
- There is a ROC 4 model that carries 4 bikes if you need that capability.
- Try to find one with the hitch pin lock and bike lock. Can't recall whether those were standard or I bought them separately.
- You may find a "Quarter ROC 2" - that just means the tongue is sized for a 1 1/4" receiver instead of a 2". If the price is right, you can buy it and swap out the tongue as the 2" version is available and not very expensive.

That's it. Fire away with any questions.

 

[Joelzy]

General Notes:

- There is a ROC 4 model that carries 4 bikes if you need that capability.

- Try to find one with the hitch pin lock and bike lock. Can't recall whether those were standard or I bought them separately.

- You may find a "Quarter ROC 2" - that just means the tongue is sized for a 1 1/4" receiver instead of a 2". If the price is right, you can buy it and swap out the tongue as the 2" version is available and not very expensive.



That's it. Fire away with any questions.

Dude, thank you thats super helpful!

So i said i didnt buy a rack yet but i sort of lied.



I bought a yakima swing out rack from the local classifieds for 30 bucks. It had a bike rack but i mainly bought it for the hinge and lock because i want to use it to build a swing out spare carrier. Buuuttt when i picked it up it was a bit more legit of a bike rack than i previously thought and might actually work well if not only for the time being. So it has the same top tube supports and threaded slip inside the frame as yours but no wheel holders. Thinking this is an older less optioned version of yours.
It seemed to move a bit on the hitch but i didnt use the threaded slip yet. It has a touch of surface rust so i'll be cleaning it up before i do anything but i might just have to give it a go knowing that people seem to really like these.



Biggest thing is how the more flat uppter tubes of my treks fit on the cradle.


Update: Tried it out and the anti rattle thing didnt do much, still got a lot of movement but ill probably buy one of the updated antirattle kits.

Still have to wirewheel and rust coat this but its a start and the bike frame fits on there a whole lot better than i expected.

Probably chop out the swingout for the other project and weld the hitch mount back to the upright with some supports. I dont think i’ll need in the hatch much when the rack is on but i’ll cross that bridge when/if i get there or i’ll build the hitch into the swing out maybe. I’ve seen a few like that and it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Bluesky 07]

That looks like it's the ROC 2 carrier I have, just on a swing out mount. The swing mount itself sells for $300 new so you got a steal for $30. Glad it worked out for you.

 

[DavidR1]

1Up makes the best rack, hands down.

The build quality is superior to anything else out there. It also holds the bike much more securely. Customer service is stellar if you ever have issues, their warranty is top notch as well. Great company, great product and all made in the US.

My only issue with this rack is the need to use external cables to lock the bikes onto the rack.

 

[samsquantch]

This setup looks nice. A lot of the ones I've seen have a 90* bend and departure angle suffers.

 

[Joelzy]

That looks like it's the ROC 2 carrier I have, just on a swing out mount. The swing mount itself sells for $300 new so you got a steal for $30. Glad it worked out for you.

literally the only reason i got it. definitely going to use the swing out for a tire carrier eventually but for now i might as well use it for the bike i suppose.

 

[L8Shift]

I also have a Thule T2 for many years. The type with the tray for the wheels. I can get the MTB on/off in under ~15 seconds. No need to worry about your bike cables to get in the way of how it attaches to the rack like those that support the top tube, and have cables underneath the top tube..

It expands to 4 bikes, though it does weigh a ton and a half.

Thule Warranty office is customer oriented.

 

[maxmus]

IDK if you guys know this, but signing up @ expertvoice.com will net you 40% discount yearly from Yakima and many others.

You need to be an "expert" in some field, but they aren't very picky so make one up.

I got my Yakima holdup 2 3-bike setup for 40% off.... fyi.

GL!

 

[Killer Squirrel]

My wife and I got a Kuat Sherpa when they first came out. It's an exceptional design and sturdy as all hell. They have tweaked it over the years so I'm sure it's got some upgraded bits from the one I have. It's NOT cheap, but my motto is buy it once and do it right. Loads of research went into deciding on it and I'm glad we did. Expandable to 4 bikes, we also got the detachable trail dr thing that you can clamp and hold the bike frame to work on it. I don'teven know if they sell that anymore.

 

[SeaDug]

Anyone had experience with hitch mounted racks while having a tire on a swingout bumper? is this possible?