Per its name, the Yakima FourTimer was the only rack in the test that came standard ready to carry four bikes but the RockyMounts Split Rail and Thule T2 the 2 inch hitch version can be expanded to carry up to four bikes with the purchase of extra parts. This criteria also looked at the kinds of bikes that can be carried, specifically fat bikes.
The Thule and RockyMounts racks took fat bikes as sold while Kuat, Yakima and Rhino sell separate fat bike kits of various sorts. As with many products, features can run the gamut and often overlap with a few of our other test criteria.
Nevertheless, this is where the RockyMounts SplitRail nudged ahead with features like a built-in lock system, interchangeable lock cores to match your other RockyMounts products, and a hanging bracket for when the rack is being stored in the garage. While other racks had one or two of these features, or maybe had a feature unique to them, the features of the SplitRail proved to be the most practical. Hitch-mount tray-rack bike carriers, like any other bike rack, have their pros and cons.
First and foremost, it needs to be determined how many bikes will be carried on the rack and what types of bikes will be transported. Most hitch-mount racks can accommodate most types from a road bike to cruiser, to a mountain bike and fat tire bike. Some racks do require an adapter kit to hold the fat tire bikes. Another top consideration is whether your bikes can tolerate frame contact or if they have fenders.
For testing, these bike carriers were built from the box they came in, mounted and removed multiple times for trips to the local bike park, trail heads and used on extended road trips. Tray-style hitch-mounted racks are one of the most accessible bike carriers available. They are one of the biggest styles of bike racks available and take up a lot of room in the garage or shed when not mounted to the vehicle.
They can also be cumbersome to attach and remove from the vehicle though, the RockyMounts SplitRail is challenging that. Most tray style racks use a swing arm to clamp down on the front tire and a ratchet strap for the rear wheel, though there are exceptions, like the frame style clamp of the Yakima FourTimer.
Review Year. Best in Class. Overall Rating. Best in Class Setup 7. Stability 8. Ease of Use 9. Versatility 7. Features 8. Setup 6. Stability 7. Ease of Use 7. Versatility 6. Features 7. Competitive Cyclist. Setup 5. Ease of Use 6. Stability 6. Features 6. Eastern Mountain Sports. Stability 4. Ease of Use 5. Carthryn Company. Review Results Setup Most of the racks were fairly easy to set up and each manufacturer provided good instructions for the process.
Ease of Use This is the criteria where the old guard of Yakima, Thule and Rhino Rack lost out to the newer and more innovative companies with racks that were simpler to handle and set up. Versatility This criteria stands out depending on the range of bike types and how many bikes can be carried on a rack. Ladies and kids bikes commonly use a step-through style frame.
When attaching one of these bikes to a rack, it is often necessary to use a bike adapter bar. With a carbon fiber bike frame, it is best to avoid making actual contact with the frame when transporting your bikes. Our TRS racks are best for these types of bikes. It can be tough to decide between a hanging rack or a platform rack if both options work for your bike, so here are some of the top features and notes to keep in mind between the two.
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They are easier to load and to unload your bikes. Guided by the philosophy -Ride, Paddle, Explore, Seek your adventure- Swagman is among the most reliable brands when it comes to bike transportation. This manufacturer has all sorts of bike racks ranging from single arm 2-bike carriers to heavy-duty dual arms 5-bike transporters.
I think this is quite important especially if you wish to use it on 2 or more vehicles with different size hitch receivers. Swagman XC slides into a 2-inch receiver easily. Expectedly, there should be a slight play. Fortunately, Swagman has included a threaded pin that eliminates all the wobbling.
The package does not bring any tool to tighten the pin-down. You could still maneuver the pin with your hand and tighten it. This rack consists of 3 movable arms joined into a center bracket by 3 easily removable pins. Swagman XC Cross-Country 2-bike rack accommodates bikes with a total of 70 pounds. It is a platform type of bike carrier.
This means that it holds your bikes by the wheels. This rack has 2 pairs of wheel pools. The wheel trays easily move back and forth on the arm by loosening their independent turn knobs. What I also like about the wheel pools is that there is no form of bike-to-bike contact. Each of your bikes is held on either side of the center arm. Besides the wheel trays, Swagman XC Cross Country bike rack also has 2 ratcheting hooks that move up and down the center arm.
There is a hook for each bike. Their role is to hold your bikes by the frame and push them down to lock the wheels in place in the wheel wells. You do this pressing a button and pulling the bracket up. The center arm through which these hooks slide has grooves so that the brackets have a vice-grip.
This is one of the ways of securing your bike onto the rack. You might also consider throwing an old sock or foam between the hook and the frame if you like. As such, you might want to purchase a bike security cable and tie them down to the arm.
Lastly, the 2 arms that lie diagonally can fold up for compact driving and parking. The center arm also folds down by pulling a pin out. The XR has adjustable wheel trays to fit even those fat tires, this is definitely a plus as far as adaptability goes. It also features a frame attachment system that allows for a tighter grip for less shaking during travel. This means that the XR can carry a wide range of bikes, from size to type, to make life that much easier for you.
The XR folds up against the vehicle when not in use, convenient but be sure to check if extra padding or cloth is needed to stop unnecessary scratches to your vehicle. The upper frame connector fully secures and protects your bike and adheres to a wide variety of tube sizes and shapes.
To top it off, the XR includes individual tie-down cradles as well as still allowing access to the trunk, which is quite phenomenal as far as convenience goes. Variety is the spice of life. The K2 includes an anti-wobble system to prevent that pesky problem from either scratching your vehicle or dropping the bikes while you travel. It also contains a quick-tilt system that allows access to rear cargo and includes a folding mechanism for easy storage when not in use.
The K2 supports 2 bikes up to 60lb each using a durable powder coating to add to corrosion resistance. It also comes with padded clamps and locking know and hitch pin, as well as a rear reflector to increase visibility. The K2 also comes with a limited lifetime warranty that covers a variety of mishaps or performance issues. Swagman XC2 is super easy to assemble since it involves inserting a few pins through the arms. This bike rack fits into a class III 2-inch hitch receiver.
Swagman Traveler is as solid as it looks. Its metallic arms also have a black powder paint to prevent them from rusting.
This is a platform-style type of bike rack. It uses 2 wheel trays to hold your bike. You could be through with loading your 2 bikes on this in under 60 seconds. The wheel trays with this model are wide enough to accommodate wheels ranging from 20 inches through 29 inches. Again, each of these wheel cradles adjusts independently along the arm by turning a knob. Worth mentioning, each set of the wheel pools has been positioned on one side of the main mast.
This helps in minimizing the bike to bike contact. Besides the wheel pools, Swagman Traveler XC2 Bike Rack also has 2 hooks that press the bikes firmly into the cradles. These hooks are designed to accommodate all sorts of bike frames- wide and narrow. These hooks move up and down the mast by pressing a lever. Do know that the role of these hooks is to press the bikes down. This might be a little bit inconvenient. By the same vein, the cradles fold up for storage.
You can also drive with the rack in its folded position without any nuisance. This ease of folding also makes storing easy since the rack does not take much space. If you are prepared to spend a bit more to get one of the absolute best bike racks on the market, the HR Sports Rider SE is for you.
This bike rack takes things to the next level by giving you everything you need from a hitch rack and more. Started in in California, Hollywood Racks has earned a great reputation by offering its clients what they need: good quality bike racks that are simple, strong, and secure.
The Hollywood Racks HR does not shy away an inch from this. Hollywood Racks HR is among the priciest models in our hitch rack review. The HR is an example of a solidly built hitch mounted bike rack. This unit has strong steel construction and a black powder painting to prevent it from rusting.
Given the strong gauge of metal used on it, the entire rack weighs over 70 pounds. As such, most users might require a hand while attaching and detaching it from the receiver.
However, you could still do it alone since it can be separated into 2 units holding 2 bikes each. The shank gets into the receiver easily. This locking pin also has a lock and key that ensures the rack is safe on the vehicle. Hollywood HR is a platform-style type of rack. These trays are adjustable along the arm.
The arms and wheel trays are strong enough to support bikes with a total of up to pounds of weight. There are also 2 masts that are designed to stand upright. These masts have 2 padded hooks that push down your bikes into the wheel trays. Again, the hooks are compatible with a wide array of bike frame styles including hybrid and dual suspensor bikes.
To secure your bikes further onto the rack, the wheel trays have Velcro straps that hold each of the wheels. You also get a 9-foot security cable to lock all the bikes onto the bike rack. This means that you can fix the rack to ferry just 2 bikes or add the second attachment to ferry 2 more bikes. This process is easy and simple and does not require any tool too. You only need to remove a pin that joins the 2 attachments at the middle and loosen another lever at the rear-most end to loosen it.
This lever is also used to reduce wobbling in the second carrier. It boasts a nice rise from the point it attaches to the main rack all the way to its rearmost point. Precisely, the outermost point is about 21 inches from the ground. This is enough clearance to help you navigate different roads without your bikes hitting the ground. Hollywood HR tilts downwards to let you access the tailgate. However, those that open downwards will require being held halfway to prevent them from falling onto the bikes.
It still offers enough room to access the trunk and get your stuff out. This rack adds around You can either fold the entire rack vertically against the vehicle or simply fold the diagonal arms upwards. Allen Sports Deluxe 4 is one of the best examples of a great hitch mounted bike rack on the market. In fact, this rack is currently the best-seller in its category on Amazon today. Dick Allen had just lost his job working on Apollo mission aerospace technology.
As a cyclist enthusiast and an inventor, Dick used to take his family of bike lovers for some riding escapades at Cape Cod and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. If you have a family of biking enthusiasts, then this bike is worth checking out.
As its name suggests, Allen Deluxe is crafted to hold 4 adult-size bikes securely. This is a hanging-style rack that holds your bikes by the frame.
Allen Sports Deluxe has 2 arms each measuring 22 inches. It also allows enough space to carry 4 bikes while allowing each bike enough space to prevent too much knocking. The 2 arms have 4 pairs of top plates. Loading and unloading your bicycles is incredibly easy. Worth pointing out, these top plates are made of rubber. This makes them flexible so they can accommodate bikes with wider frames. We would also like to note the level of protection that Allen Sports Deluxe offers your bikes.
A closer look at the individual cradles reveals some raised teeth-like details. Again, each of the cradles has rubber straps that you use to tie down the bikes like a backpack strap.
Again, the nylon straps hold the frames tightly eliminating any unwanted movements. Allen Sports Deluxe 4-bike rack is made of super-strong steel.
This bike rack is designed to support 4 bikes weighing up to pounds. Again, it has a black powder coat finish. So we expect it to hold up quite fine in the weather. To cement its long-lasting design, Allen Sports goes ahead to back it up with a lifetime warranty. This is probably the easiest thing with this rack. Allen Sports Deluxe has a heavy solid feel. However, you could assemble and install this thing all alone. Mind you, you need not be a super DIYer to do this.
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