We dont think its worth the extra cost or the extra weight for most people. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. And shortening the height of the vertical post (and raising it again to mount bikes) is a two-wrench process. Overall, we liked the four-bike version of the Yakima RidgeBack. This hanging-style, two-bike hitch rack costs less than our top pick. When the Sherpa 2.0 is not on the vehicle, its also nicely balanced, so it stands on its own, without needing additional support. Adjusting the arms is easy with the locking knobs. The Velocirax tilts back so that you can roll each bikes front wheel into its wheel loop. And if you tend to carry the same bikes all the time, you probably have to sort out the positioning only once. In all, putting the Transfer and the add-on rack together took less than an hour. That's why we were intrigued by the much more reasonably priced Transfer, a platform hitch model that costs less than half of their high-end models. Finding one thats right for you will depend on your vehicle, bike, budget, riding style, and personal priorities. Once all of the bikes are situated, press and heft the rack back to its vertical position, attach the wheel straps, and youre ready to go. This is the type of rack you can attach to your vehicle and leave it there between uses so it's always ready when you need it. The RockyMounts SplitRail LS is simple to load bikes onto. Thats a big win. Best MTB Gear | We plan to take a closer look. We also recommend that you remove any debris between the rubber feet and your bumper to avoid scratches. Our chart shows the pros and cons of the different kinds of racks: tray hitch, hanging hitch, trunk, roof, and truck bed. There are many types of bike racks, each with its own pros and cons. And when youre done biking, the Bones EX folds up tightly for storage. To get power to the lift, your vehicle needs a 7-pin trailer electrical connector. (It even comes with wheels and a handle.) Instead of hanging the bikes by their front wheels, the HangTight turns the bikes around and holds them vertically by their handlebars. The EasyFold XT 2 comes with a ramp that unfolds out of a center storage area and snaps onto the end of the platforms. When its not carrying bikes, the EasyFold XT can be folded up vertically. Theres a foot-activated pedal under the rack. The Kat Trio is similar in design to the RockyMounts SwitchHitter. The Kat Pivot is another swing-away adapter, but the one we tested was not as well made as the Yakima BackSwing. Its still heavy and pricey, however.). On cars with trunks, the racks set angle allows the bike to contact the cars rear (which it did on our VW Jetta). As long as your vehicle has a trailer hitch, this lightweight model is one of the easiest to mount on your vehicle and is simple to load bikes onto. Overall, however, it wasnt as easy or convenient to use as the Yakima HighRoad. The Saris SuperClamp EX 4-Bike easily tilts or folds up with a simple push of a handle at the rear. This rack comes completely disassembled, so prepare yourself for a solid 30-45 minutes putting it together before you can start using it. Thules hitch-locking system makes this hitch rack simpler to secure than most: Just slide the rack into a 1- or 2-inch receiver, close a pinch arm into the receivers hole, turn the tension knob to cinch it down, and use a key to lock the knob. And the price is reasonable, especially for the larger versions (at the time of writing, the four-bike version is $860, and the seven-bike version is $985). And for style-conscious riders, the Sherpa 2.0 looks great, with its metallic powder-coated finish and anodized accents. And as with all roof racks, the Yakima needs to be mounted on a crossbar system. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support, Affordable for hitch mount, lightweight, no frame contact, low profile design, fits both 1.25" and 2" receivers. At least three of our testers separately had the handle snap back and pinch their fingers against the racks frame as they used itouch! But the Beta is solidly constructed and holds bikes securely. Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links in this article. This rack is lighter than other heavy-duty models, and when not in use, it folds up to the size of a large airline carry-on bag. It does come with easy to follow instructions and all of the tools you'll need to complete the process, it's just a bit more involved than bolting a couple of trays to a support arm. To fold it back down, you just step on a convenient foot release. This two-bike tray rack incorporates an electric lift that lowers it to the ground for loadingyou just roll the bikes onto it. With a third bike, it was very difficult to thread one of the straps between the reflector and the cables. This rack is available for 1-inch and 2-inch hitch receivers. And then the bike wouldnt hang securely in the racks handlebar cradle because its handlebars had a slight rise. Agreed on thatvery light and easy to swing up. Its still light and secure; it just wont fit on as many cars.) With the Bones rack, we grabbed the straps, gave them a couple of good yanks, and voilthe rack was on straight and tight. But we reiterate that these racks are mainly for those who regularly do large group rides. Still, if you already own a 2-inch hitch rack and want the capability of swinging it 90 degrees to the side, the BackSwing is the better of the two weve tested. Worse, of the four bikes we used for testing, the HangTight couldnt hold two of them at allone bike due to its simple handlebar reflector and the other because the brake and shifter cables interfered with the straps needed to secure the bikes. We contacted Thule, and a representative said the straps are designed for the beefier frame dimensions of modern mountain bikes. The Thule GateMate Pro is another tailgate pad that works much like the Yakima GateKeeper. The Yakima FourTimer was the least expensive four-bike tray rack weve tested, and it could be a good choice if saving money is a top priority. We previously recommended the Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike rack, and we still think its a good choice for people who want to spend less than $60. Just like the 1UP USA Heavy Duty Double, the 1UP USA Quik Rack Single (its lighter sibling) is a beautifully crafted rack. It has a low loading height and it secures the bikes by the wheel with no frame contact making easy to load. The initial installation took a little longer than with other pickup racks we tried, because it took some measuring to get the grippers in the right place on the truck bed. The Saris Bones Hitch 2-Bike is basically a hanger-style hitch version of the companys Bones trunk rack, and its one of the lowest-priced hitch racks weve tested. The Saris Solo is a single-bike trunk rack thats very light and inexpensive. Terms | Privacy. This handy, magnetic cable is removable. The Transfer is Kuats entry-level hitch rack at a great price, and it features Kuat engineering and quality. At 35lbs and 8oz, the Transfer is on the lighter end of the weight spectrum for platform hitch mount racks. We found that constraint too limiting for anyone other than mountain-bike shuttle operators, and we didnt test it. However, it swayed more than the Kat Highline or the Saris Bones, likely due to a lack of side straps. It held our bike securely in the bedand off to the side, where it didnt interfere with our rear vision while we were driving. When its time to hit the road, throwing bikes on the rack is easy. This rack has a beautiful finish, with a metallic powder-coated frame. The wheel trays and wheel clamps themselves are made from plastic which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the way they interface feels poorly designed. https://www.roadbikerider.com/kuat-transfer-hitch-bicycle-rack-review/. After 30-plus hours of research and testing, we think the Delta Cycle Michelangelo Gravity Standis the best bike rack for storing bikes in limited-space homes. Unfortunately, the add-on cannot be used on the 2-bike rack to make a rack for three bikes. Throw the bikes up, pull the hoops over the wheels and ratchet them down one-handed, and youre done. Its also easy to use: After inserting a simple, smooth, lockable pin through the receiver tube, you simply turn a knob to tighten the rack in the receiver hitch. To stabilize the rack, the SuperClamp comes with a U-shaped tensioner that fits inside the hitch shank. Even with bikes loaded, it easily tilts down so you can open your vehicles rear hatch or trunk. If all that sounds like what you need, the Velocirax could be just the thing. I have no doubt that because of its solid construction it will outlast most of its buyers. The Pivot does exactly what it says and is simple to use. We tested four of these single-bike racks, and the Transfer was the lightest, least expensive, and best overall. This upgraded model offers a versatile design, sturdy construction, and light weight at an affordable price, making it a great value. Be sure to measure your bed and bike before buying. The Yakima HangTight is a vertical-hanging hitch rack that is an alternative to the Velocirax lineup. The Talon is easy to attach and remove, and it was very stable and secure while we were driving. (Several other models left our bike wobbling left to right over bumps and around curves.) At 63 pounds, the SuperClamp is one of the lightest four-bike tray racks available, so its easier to get on and off of the vehicle than its competitors. The foot pedal tilt release is a great feature, it does get harder to reach when there are 2 bikes on the rack or when the rack is in the tilted down position. Kuat is well known for their quality, and often very expensive, bike racks. During assembly, we noted whether the necessary tools were included and how easy the instructions were to follow (most directions needed improvement). The bikes also wobbled a lot during our test drive. Although theyre more expensive than trunk racks and not as easy to use as hitch racks, roof racks allow you unimpeded access to a vehicles cargo area, and theyre the only option for some car designs. Its holding up quite well so far. The regular Bones racks curved arms let it fit over most trunk spoilers; the Bones EX (not shown) fits over even more. Swapping out the fork skewer mount for a thru-axle is pretty easy, and this rack has a cutout for a disc brake caliper. It can adjust to fit almost any vehicle (except for pickup trucks), and the new EX design is even more versatile, able to reach over most factory trunk or hatchback rear spoilers. We surveyed the members of more than 20 bike clubs across the country to see what they wanted (and didnt want) in a bike rack. He is the author of the most recent edition of this guide. While tightening a threaded hitch pin with a wrench is quite easy, racks like the Thule T2 Pro XT make this process even easier with their tool-free stinger pin and tightening knob design. Although the HoldUp tilts down, the rear door of our Toyota 4Runner still hit the handlebars of the inside bike, preventing us from opening the door all the way. It isn't especially difficult, it just takes a bit of time and making sure you follow the instructions. The Kat Betas arms fold down when not in use, and the rack folds flat for storage. Yes, the rack pivots upwards when not in use, and downwards in use. It does not feel as rugged or quality as its much higher-priced siblings, nor does it come with security features of any kind, sacrifices made to keep the price of this model down. This rack can hold bikes up to 45 pounds, which is the upper limit for most roof racks. At the time of writing, the price starts at a steep $1,400, and this rack is on backorder pretty much everywhere as of spring 2022. This foot pedal is quite easy to press when the rack is in the vertical position, it is a bit out of the way, however, when the rack is in the horizontal position or when it's loaded with bikes. Id recommend it to anyone looking for a hitch mount rack. And the newer model, RT202, is designed for use with the C-channel bed-rail systems that are available for some Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota, and other pickups. But the hitch shank still doesnt fold flat against the vertical post. The Transfer scores quite well for its versatility. You can lock the rack to your vehicle with a hitch-pin lock, but theres no integrated lock for the bikes. (Weve seen a few truly giant oneson the Subaru WRX STI sedan, for instancethat even the Bones EX still might not fit over.) The rack folds up from the sides, just as the Thule EasyFold XT 2 does. You can also carry a second bike with Kats add-on extension. The Yakima FullSwing is another swing-away design, but its usefulness is hampered by its 62-pound weight (its 17 pounds heavier than the Thule). As with the Sherpa 2.0, the Beta is available for 1-inch and 2-inch hitch receivers. Thankfully, the assembly was simpler than many Ikea pieces that I have built before. When we tested an earlier version of the two-bike SuperClamp, the Freedom SuperClamp, the clamps on the rear wheels of both bikes loosened, so we had to retighten them.