Tray style hitch mounted rack recommendation

tonyride

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
I'm looking to get a tray style hitch mounted bike rack and I'm hoping to get some reviews, recommendations, warning, etc. about what's available. Here are my requirements:

We have a vehicle with a 1-1/4" hitch and one with a 2" hitch so the rack must be able to fit on both vehicles (or adapted to fit both).

Carry 2 bikes. If it can carry more (or adapted to fit more) then great but not a necessity.

Rack must lock to the hitch and bikes lock to the rack.

If you have a recommendation please explain why you recommend that particular rack. Price is not an issue if by paying more is justified by the rack's quality, features, etc. I looked at racks by the following so far: Thule, Yakima, Saris, Kuat, and 1UP USA and I'm as confused as ever.
 
I have a kuat sherpa and I'm loving it. It fits 1.25 receiver and has an adapter to go 2". Max is two bikes but that's not a problem for me. My only dislike is that it uses a cable lock which is not ideal but I see all rack locks as merely a deterrent anyway. Build quality is excellent.
 
joemundi said:
I have the Thule T2.
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Same here... But they tend to rust after time in the elements. Still works really well, but gets ugly.

I also don't care for how the Thule arm hits my road bikes brakes, or the wear marks its put on my Singlespeeds front fork.
 
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rlb said:
I have a kuat sherpa and I'm loving it.
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same here..

Pros: Light, stable, ease of use, hitch pin locks.

Cons: Cable loop locks to hitch pin, can be a pain to get under car.
I don't lock or leave bikes unattented so it's a non issue.
 
1upUSA is the way to go. All aluminum, super light, won't rust, easy to get on and off the car, easy to add 2nd bike carrier, simple/stable loading and unloading of bikes and great customer service.

I don't want to sound like an advertisement but I can literally open my trunk, pull out the folded rack, insert/tighten/unfold/open the rack, and load my bike in like 2 minutes. Locking the rack to the car isn't an issue because I never leave it on (you would need the tool to remove it anyway), and when I leave the bike(s) on I run a cable through the bikes, rack, and loops on hitch.

My 2 cents...

Saris/Thule used both and neither compare (heavier doesn't mean better). No experience with Kuat.
 
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tednugent said:
my 1up is scheduled to come in on Monday.... so... you can check it out Tuesday at lunch
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Sweet. Can't wait to check it out. 1UP is on the top of my list. Then the Kuat NV Core or the Sherpa. All aluminum. I'm done with steel. Too heavy and rusts.
 
tonyride said:
Sweet. Can't wait to check it out. 1UP is on the top of my list. Then the Kuat NV Core or the Sherpa. All aluminum. I'm done with steel. Too heavy and rusts.
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Tony

from what I gather....

Their "lock" to the hitch is their fastening screw, which is a security-hex type wrench, which is not readily available.

Locking bike to carrier.... cable locks. That is what Yakima uses for their Holdup, though it is lockable itself to either the hitch-bolt or the bolt on the pivot.

I ended up ordering:
http://www.rei.com/product/490030/yakima-9-foot-security-cable

because the rest of my gear (towers, fork mount, ski carriers & roofbox) are all Yakima...
 
Yeah, I know about all that. I have a cable lock that I've been using and depending on what rack I get I'll probably keep using it.
 
I have a 1up rack.. Best rack EVER.. Handles my DH bike all season long and other bikes too..

photo22copy.jpg
 
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Just came in. It's nice now... that I don't have to worry about folding the rack down to access the trunk (compared to my old Yakima holdup)

Install is a breeze also, compared to the Yakima... and the box it came in is tiny compared to the giant Yakima box.....
 
I like the 1up a lot as well, but do have a couple of things that I wish were better about it. It's not nearly as easy to pivot into position as the T2. I don't have any issue with the retention "nut" that you have to loosen to move it, but I don't really like the use of the spring-loaded bar for locking. It's too easy to only retract one side of it while the other is still locked in and I don't like that it's located underneath the rack. I much prefer the Thule-style lever for this purpose. Also, my sliders for locking the arms in place don't slide all that smoothly anymore and sometimes make a nice screeching noise. I was advised to wipe down the rails with WD40 occasionally, but it hasn't made that much of a difference.

Overall, however, I think it's still the best rack available. Very easy to get on and off of the car, easy loading/unloading of bikes, and it doesn't block my license plate!
 
The rack arrived yesterday. I'm going to test it out with 4 different types of bikes (26er, 29er, road bike, comfort bike) and see how that goes. It all fits well then I'll get a 1 bike add-on. If I'm motivated enough I might even to a video review.... nah.
 

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Posting in a old thread but looking for recommendation for 4 bike tray rack that will fit a 2" hitch. Cost is a concern so looking at the Swagman xtc4, Semi 4.0 and Saris Freedom 4. The 1UP, Thule and Yakima which provide the option for converting 2 to 4 are all running around 800+.

Any other recommendations in the 500 to 600 dollar range?
 
dvaidya said:
Posting in a old thread but looking for recommendation for 4 bike tray rack that will fit a 2" hitch. Cost is a concern so looking at the Swagman xtc4, Semi 4.0 and Saris Freedom 4. The 1UP, Thule and Yakima which provide the option for converting 2 to 4 are all running around 800+.

Any other recommendations in the 500 to 600 dollar range?
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Kuat NV - probably more expensive.

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i'll sell you the one i have from Glenn for $50.
http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/threads/4-bike-trailer-hitch-sold-sold.31217/#post-481773

it is missing one of the tire tray pieces 🙁

it presses on the top tube rather than the tires to hold the bike.
 
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