Favorite Hitch Racks?

[BillG]

We are finally going to put a hitch on our Fit and buy a hitch rack. The rack doesn't need to be able to hold more than three bikes. Any favorites for a reasonable price?

[zandrrr]

I believe the 1up USA rack is the best rack money can buy. Whether you consider the price "reasonable" is another matter.

[Andrewlcox]

I have a Saris that grabs only the tires and does a great job but is super heavy to pick up and carry after using it. It's great but heavy.

[sevencyclist]

I love my Thule hitch rack.

[Unpredictable]

Get a 1up. super well made rack and very light weight.

[BCS]

After reading tons of reviews and looking at a Thule T2, I bought the 1upUSA

[dnades]

I went with 1up also. Expensive but I like well made and well designed stuff.
Made in USA and all that jazz but a phenomenal rack.

[dustyrider]

A friend of mine has had one of these for a few years now:
Link (http://www.hollywoodracks.com/bike-racks/hitch-racks/sportrider-hitch-rack-SE2.htm)

He drives his car like he's a rally driver pretty much everywhere he goes, and regularly carries 40 pound downhill MTBs with it. About the only down side to it is that the top tube protection they provide you with wears out quickly. He replaced it with some clear plastic tubing from the hardware store, combined with an old rag, kept in the trunk, in an attempt to prevent any paint wear.

Personally if I was on a budget, and looking for a hitch rack. it would be the one I'd consider, since I know it can take a huge amount of abuse, and it's light, and compact. Though I'd be more inclined to save up a little more money, and go for a hitch rack that grabs the tires, since there is no worry about bike wear.

[benc]

I've been using a Yakima holdup for a couple of years and I'm very pleased. No issues with carbon wheeled road or 2.4 ardens. Kinda heavy, expensive, only holds 2 bikes. It folds up real nice too.

I'd recommended going with a 2'' hitch rather than 1 1/4. You'll have more options now and in the future.

[Andrewlcox]

I just watched a video showing off the 1up USA rack and think I like it more already compared to my Saris CycleOn Pro. I had never heard of the 1up before. Thanks for the recommendation. Anyone want to buy a used Saris CycleOn?

Andy

[woolly]

If you ever try a 1-Up, you'll never want anything else. I have the 1.25" hitch 3-bike modular setup on my 2007 Fit, and it's absolutely perfect. So nice to not have the bikes wobbling around back there. So quick & easy to mount it to the car, and the bikes to the rack. Awesomeness.

[slidey]

Wow, the 1UP's are so expensive though! :eek:

I was in a sort of a hurry a couple of days back and didn't have a hitch, so had to go for a spare tyre rack...used it a couple of times with just 1 bike, wobbles yes, but it stayed on! :banana:

I was thinking of doing it right by ordering a hitch, etc but can't afford the 1UP option at all.

[jazznap]

I've had a Thule T2 for a number of years and while I like it, it's very heavy to haul out to the car and attach whenever I want to use it. I'm looking seriously at the 1up thanks to this thread.

[BillG]

Just ordered a 1Up. Thanks everyone.

[crossjunkee]

Just ordered a 1Up. Thanks everyone.

Solid choice. I've owned Yakima, Thule, and even Hollywood. My 1up is the best yet. You will be amazed how easy it is to install and use.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

I was happy with my Saris Thelma, but after less than 2 years on the back of my car the plastic was all faded and kinda brittle. I still use the rack on occasion but wouldn't buy another.

[happycampyer]

This thread was very informative for me:

Hitch-Mounted Rack (
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=105442)

Before reading that thread, I had never heard of Kuat, and was familiar with 1Up's trainers and rollers, but not their bike racks. I recently ended up getting the Kuat NV hitch-mount rack, mainly because the SUV with the hitch-mount is my wife's, and the Kuat isn't as industrial looking as the 1Up. The Kuat is a fantastic piece of equipment.

For the roof rack on my car, I got a 1Up roof tray, and I have to say that it is the Chris King of bike racks. If I had a hitch mount, I probably would've gone with the 1Up just based on the construction quality of the roof tray.

[neaux]

I've got a Kuat Sherpa that's several years old, maybe 3. It's basically falling apart. A trip last week to Kentucky and back to NOLA seems to be the straw that broke the Sherpa's back so to speak. We'll see if lifetime warranty really means lifetime warranty. I'm waiting to hear back from them now.

Edited to add: Now that I'm in the market for a new rack. It looks like you can't use the 1up with fenders. Has anyone found a way to work around this?

[woolly]

I've got a Kuat Sherpa that's several years old, maybe 3. It's basically falling apart. A trip last week to Kentucky and back to NOLA seems to be the straw that broke the Sherpa's back so to speak. We'll see if lifetime warranty really means lifetime warranty. I'm waiting to hear back from them now.

Edited to add: Now that I'm in the market for a new rack. It looks like you can't use the 1up with fenders. Has anyone found a way to work around this?

I've had success with using the front retention arm (normally), and a toe strap to secure the rear wheel to the tray. I then move the rear arm close to the rear wheel/fender as a fail-safe. This is basically the approach my old SportWorks rack used (though the rear wheel used a rotating ring instead of a toe strap). I do think fendered bikes present this challenge for all racks in this genre.

Disclaimer - this approach works for my bikes, but I do tend to trim the front edge of my fenders. I still get a secure "bite" on the front tire. I don't tend to transport my fendered bikes very often, so wrapping the toe strap is not that big of a deal (to me). Still much better than the old hang-from-the-top-tube Yakima that sits in the garage.

As always, YMMV.

[neaux]

I didn't have any trouble with the front fender on the Sherpa with the arm placed next to the fender. The rear wheel straps to the base, or it did until the plastic fell apart, so I didn't have to contend with the rear fender with it.

I emailed 1up yesterday and they responded with a quickness. They said people use plumbing insulation foam to protect the fenders with no issues. I should have thought of that myself. But I'm also pretty sure I could come up with some added creative "engineering" for peace of mind on longer trips.

I've only got one bike with fenders right now, but it's my do all bike so it tends to go everywhere with me. And since it's got wooden fenders it presents an extra challenge because I don't want to crack them. It was a dumb idea to put wooden fenders on a bike meant for abuse.

I've had success with using the front retention arm (normally), and a toe strap to secure the rear wheel to the tray. I then move the rear arm close to the rear wheel/fender as a fail-safe. This is basically the approach my old SportWorks rack used (though the rear wheel used a rotating ring instead of a toe strap). I do think fendered bikes present this challenge for all racks in this genre.

Disclaimer - this approach works for my bikes, but I do tend to trim the front edge of my fenders. I still get a secure "bite" on the front tire. I don't tend to transport my fendered bikes very often, so wrapping the toe strap is not that big of a deal (to me). Still much better than the old hang-from-the-top-tube Yakima that sits in the garage.

As always, YMMV.

[BillG]

The 1Up rack is amazing. A different league than the other racks I've seen/used. Thanks to everyone for their input on this thread!

[cento1]

do they charge tax even if ship to different state?

Solid choice. I've owned Yakima, Thule, and even Hollywood. My 1up is the best yet. You will be amazed how easy it is to install and use.