Opinions on this bike rack, please

[Baba Booey]

I am in the market for a four-bike rack, and I came across this one at Cabela's. I am not a serious biker, but my family does go on the occassional camping trip, and it would be nice to be able to bring the bikes along - especially now that the kids (7 and 4 years old) have learned to ride.

The thing I found interesting about this particular rack is that it has an extended ball-mount, which enables a trailer of up to 2,000 lbs. to be towed while the rack is in use. I do have a small aluminum fishing boat, and so this may be something I would want to do in the future.

I have never owned a bike rack, so all opinions and advice are welcome. I am wondering whether the rubber cam and strap mounting system is a secure one.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cabela's Bike Rack

 

[Iron Clad Lou]

looks pretty slick...yes, the rubber strap system works...very well...one thing I might add is dont plan on tilting that thing with bikes on it...I like the ball mount idea...and it looks like the top folds down...slick..dont plan on putting any sort of rear suspension bikes on that type of rack...only bikes with a straight frame from seat to handle bars will work...my 2 cents...

 

[toybox]

Looks pretty good and you probably won't beat that price for a 4 bike carrier. Not that I would know but I haven't seen a hitch rack also able to still tow something. So since you tow also and only occasionally bring bikes it seems to fit your needs well.

 

[HRD2PLZ]

I have a Thule rack that folds down in order to gain access to the tailgate. The arms also fold down when there is no bikes on it. I really do like the rubber strap system. Keeps the bikes secure, especially with the anti-sway option I got with mine.

For the hitch in question, the ability to pull a trailer is definitely a nice optiont to have.

 

[sketch1]

My only problem with the looks of that bike rack is the fact that it looks very lightweight. Hitch mounts are good for bikes, but roof mounts are superior because hitch mounts tend to sway and bounce a lot which can jar the bike and potentially break things over time. The thicker the hitch mount rack the less it is going to bounce and sway. I just don't think the arms on that rack look beefy enough to do a good job holding a bike still. But who knows, it might.

 

[toybox]

Hitch mounts are good for bikes, but roof mounts are superior because hitch mounts tend to sway and bounce a lot which can jar the bike and potentially break things over time.

I might say that about the type of hitch carrier being discussed in this thread (where they hang from the top tube) but my Sportsworks hitch carrier is awesome and ROCK solid and oh so easy and quick to get my bike on and off. I'll never go back to carrying stuff on my roof. It was a big PITA but until the type I had came out it was the most secure place to put them.

 

[Baba Booey]

I am still up in the air about this rack, and I appreciate everyone's input. I have also been looking at the Yakima Fullswing 4 and the Thule Trailblazer 4. The Cabela's rack is about $160, while the Thule is about $360 and the Yakima is right around $400 (money is always an object ).

The thing I like best about the Cabela's rack is the price and the fact that you can still tow a 2,000 lb. trailer with the hitch in place. I really need to decide whether this feature is vitally important to me or just "nice to have." The Yakima and Thule are designed to handle more styles of bikes (women's, full-suspension, etc.) without the use of some type of top-tube adapter, so this may somewhat offset the price advantage of the Cabela's rack because I may need to buy a few adapters at about $30 each.

sketch1,

Judging by your avatar, it appears that you may know a thing or two about bikes and accessories.

 

[mtnracer]

Yakima and Thule definitely make nice carriers but the towing option is cool to have.

Not sure if you care about the paint on your bikes but I have found that these type of carriers (from any manufacturer) will scratch the frame and sometimes take off big pieces of paint. That is why I got the Hook-Up 2 by Yakima for the hitch (does not touch the bike frame).

If you have an expensive bike that you care about, either get a rooftop carrier or the Hookup - type hitch carrier.

 

[sketch1]

If you are considering the full swing I would say go for it, a fellow employee purchased that for his car and he loved it. He has a $5,000ish dollar Look road bike and I know he wouldn't mount that on anything he thought would hurt it. The fullswing is a beast and I would highly reccomend it.

 

[mtnracer]

If you are considering the full swing I would say go for it, a fellow employee purchased that for his car and he loved it. He has a $5,000ish dollar Look road bike and I know he wouldn't mount that on anything he thought would hurt it. The fullswing is a beast and I would highly reccomend it.

You are right if you are only mounting one or maybe two bikes. However, if you plan on mounting 3-4 bikes for a family outing you WILL scratch the frames most defininitely.

 

[Baba Booey]

I am not a serious biker. I am a "recreational" rider just looking to make a few family outings per year (aside from riding around town). I have a Cannondale F400 mountain bike that cost me about $600. My seven year old son has a 16" Schwinn that cost about $120, but he will be getting a larger (and probably a little more expensive) bike for his eigth birthday next year. My soon-to-be four year old daughter may inherit her older brother's Schwinn, and my wife wants a bike for Christmas (any suggestions? I'm thinking about a Trek Sole Ride or Navigator or an Electra Townie).

I understand that the roof mount is probably superior, but my wife would likely have trouble loading the bikes if I wasn't around to do it. In addition, when we vacation or go camping, I will have a soft rooftop cargo carrier on the roofrack.

I wouldn't care about a few scratches, but I would be worried that somebody may rear-end me and damage the bikes.

Can the Yakima Hook-Up be had in a 4 bike model? Can you open the rear gate with the rack in place?

 

[mole177]

i just picked up a thule 4 bike, hitch connect

it swings out so i can access the trunk.

 

[mtnracer]

I am not a serious biker. I am a "recreational" rider just looking to make a few family outings per year (aside from riding around town). I have a Cannondale F400 mountain bike that cost me about $600. My seven year old son has a 16" Schwinn that cost about $120, but he will be getting a larger (and probably a little more expensive) bike for his eigth birthday next year. My soon-to-be four year old daughter may inherit her older brother's Schwinn, and my wife wants a bike for Christmas (any suggestions? I'm thinking about a Trek Sole Ride or Navigator or an Electra Townie).

I understand that the roof mount is probably superior, but my wife would likely have trouble loading the bikes if I wasn't around to do it. In addition, when we vacation or go camping, I will have a soft rooftop cargo carrier on the roofrack.

I wouldn't care about a few scratches, but I would be worried that somebody may rear-end me and damage the bikes.

Can the Yakima Hook-Up be had in a 4 bike model? Can you open the rear gate with the rack in place?

My wife has the same problem loading bikes on the roof (she's 5'5") and that is one of the reasons we bought the Hook-Up. It is VERY easy to load the bikes and secure them.

The Hook-up can be expanded to hold 4 bikes by using the Hookup Plus 2.

Make sure you buy a long cable lock to lock the bikes.