Opinions on Bike Rack Attachments (Hitch Type)

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03RoadRunner

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Anyone have opinions about Bike Rack Attachments (Hitch Type)?

Just wondering the adv/disadvantages over the swing away type and such.

TIA
Mitch
 
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personally, i've never been a big fan of the hitch mount racks. i hate leaving my bike in the back for some one to hit when they're not paying attention. from what i've seen, the thule and yakama hitch racks look pretty good. they seem well built and the hinges on the part that swings away looks strong. just remember, that more moving parts means more to break though. hitch racks have the advantage that you don't have to climb up on the truck to load your bikes on the roof, but i feel safer with my bikes out of the reach of rear-enders. of course you have to worry about running into the garage with your bikes on the roof. i've used thule roof racks for years and found the construction to be great quality. i'm not a big fan of the plastic thumb screws they use, after a few winters they become brittle and break, but they're easily replaced. i'm not as familiar with yakima, but they appear to be equivalent quality to thule. i would imagine that the hitch racks are built to the same quality standars as the roof racks.

mike
 
I like my Yakima bike rack. It is extremely sturdy. It does wobble in the hitch reciver though. Yakima provides a 'spacer' to place between the rack and receiver, I find it useless.
 
I have 2 hitch racks. The first is a Grabber which I think is now made by Saris. It's a 2 bike rack, but I also use it to haul a 7' tandem. :)

The second is a Sportworks with 2 trays that I use to haul a short wheelbase recumbent and an upright. It's a pricey rack but is extremely well built.

The only problem that I have on my '03 is that the safety loops get in the way of threading in the cinch bolt for the rack. I've never seen a more poorly designed hitch, as far as ease of use goes.
 
I have the Hollywood Team rider. It is awesome. Very secure. Doesn't rock at all. The bike sits on a rail, and attaches via the seatpost, and straps the tires down to the rails. THis is excellent in that you can use it for any frame type, it does not scratch the frame, and best of all, you do not have to remove the tires to mount the bike on the rack.
You can see reviews of many different bike racks at www.mtbr.com
This is a great site for trail reviews,component reviews, etc...I did a lot of research, and the Hollywood Team rider rack seemed to fit my needs the best...Good luck.
 
I've had Yakima & Saris (Graber) roof racks for almost 15 years on many vehicles. 5 years ago we bought a Thule receiver rack for the 1990 4Runner. It also works on our 2000 just fine. It's similar to the 938 - Rak-N-Loc Classic in that it uses the same mount/base that lowers to allow the hatchback to open. But it seems Thule doesn't have it on their website.

What I like about it...
..swingaway feature to get in the back of the 4runner.
...uses standard roof trays or Rocky Mounts roof trays.
...the lowest point of the bike is roughly 3 feet above the road. Unless a truck rear ends me the bikes will be safe.
...The bikes ride behind the 4Runner. They are pretty clean when I get to a race unless there's miles of dusty dirt roads involved. They also are less drag so mpg isn't affected. Also significantly less wind noise than a roof system. I have a roof system for the 2000 and even with the rack-fairing it's still noisey.
...my 5'4" wife can load the bikes. Not a chance of that happening with the roof system.




What I didn't like about it but changed...
...the loadbars were too short to mount two mountain bikes with front wheels. I removed the stock load bars and bolted on longer bars. I can easily carry up to 3 bikes and 4 wheels.
...no brake light. I bought a cheap receiver hitch light and attached it to the rack. The wiring plugs into the trailer plug socket.

If you want I can take some pictures and post them or email them. I've seen similar racks but they carry the bikes at bumper level.
 
I just got a new Thule Swing Away Hitch Bike Rack and it's great. I understand the concern about the post about damaging it, but if you think about it, if they are going to hit you, I rather them damage the bike and the rack, and that may just save from any damage occuring to the car.

But I used it the few times I rode before I got sick this past month and it's so easy to install. Storing is a pain, so right now I have it on the ground on one of those blankets you find in UHaul trucks. Other than that, I give it my full recommendation.

There are just to many pains that come with storing your bike on the roof, and hitch inserts are always a sinch.
 
iman, i agree with you about saving the truck if you get rearended, however my bike is worth more than my truck :) so i'd rather not have the bike get hit :).

mike
 
Iman74 said:
There are just to many pains that come with storing your bike on the roof, and hitch inserts are always a sinch.
Click to expand...

I carried bikes several times a week, year around, on roof racks, a Pre-Alpina and then a Yakima, since 1982 and until 2000 when I bought my first hitch rack. Hitch racks are just too simple to use. My wife can load any of our tandems, singles, or recumbents by herself with no trouble.
 
That seems like the conscensus so far....Hitch mount bike racks are the way to go...The Thule does look nice.

My deciding factors in order are:

1:Versatility
2:Security
3:Rattling Factor

Thanks everyone for all your opinions...it has definitely helped narrow my choices down.

MK
 
Thought you might like these to look at. Sorry it's dark but I work during the day.
 

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Has anyone had problems with the spare tire getting in the way of hitch-mounted racks? I thought I read somewhere that a guy had to trim the post on his Yakima because it was hitting the spare. I've got a 2004 with the factory hitch. Thanks!
 
Yes. I own two racks, a Graber and a Sportsworks. The Graber doesn't hit the spare tire, but the Sportswork does. I have just enough room to get the cinch bolt in if I put weight against the rack as I put the bolt in. I've done this enough times that it isn't as much trouble as it was when the SR5 was new. I've probably got a hole worn in my spare tire. :D
 
mswscco said:
Has anyone had problems with the spare tire getting in the way of hitch-mounted racks? I thought I read somewhere that a guy had to trim the post on his Yakima because it was hitting the spare. I've got a 2004 with the factory hitch. Thanks!
Click to expand...

YUP!!!

I took my sleeve that I was using on my Passport for my 4 Runner, but like you said, it hit the tire before the holes could line up. So at first I was going to get a drill bit and use my father in-laws drill press and drill a new hole, then I was just going to use my Dewalt handrill, then I changed my mind again and was going to use my mitter saw but couldn't find the right blade. So in the end I just wipped out my reciprocating saw and in about 30secs I took off enough at the end it slid in perfectly. But being that I used a reciprocating saw the cut was really slanted and messy, but effective.

But Toyota provides a sleeve that fits perfectly, and any good parts store will be more than willing to put the ball on for you. Also I have bought a step insert, and a bike rack that both had multiple holes and fit in perfectly without me needing to cut the ends off.
 
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