Hitch Mounted Bike Rack

[schneiderrd]

I am looking at a Hitch Mounted Bike Rack. The one that has gotten my attention is the one by 1 Up USA. Does anyone on the forum have any experience with this bike rack?

[basso1]

Bought it. Love it, Nothing else in the market is anywhere close to this rack. Fit and finish impeccable, light easy to use, fits road and mountain with no adjustments. Aluminum and anodized fasteners. Every time I use it others ask about it and lust for it. If you can afford it you will never look back. It is worth every cent. I have never made a better purchase. As you may have guessed, I am very happy. And my bike is secure when I cruise the freeways at 75 mph.

[godfrey1112000]

I have driven coast to coast with the Yakima hitch system, 3-4 bikes on the back of a Yukon Denali

no problems, use bungee cords to secure the front wheels and keep everything steady,

90 mph in the desert
50 mph winds over mountain passes
rain
snow

all bikes accounted for

I would not feel as comfortable with a roof rack

next time I would buy the flip down system,

[InspectorGadget]

Thule T2.

I have the T2 on all three household vehicles and couldn't be happier.

http://www.thule.com/~/media/Images/Thule/ProductImages/ProductImage.ashx?12&mh=555&mw=860&ext=%5cClassification_1_root%5cImage_Hierarchy%5cI mageFolder_5111%5cImageFolder_176141%5c916xtr_main 1.jpg

[AngryScientist]

IMO, the only good hitch racks support the bike in "tray" style, not gripping the top tube. that said, all of the top manufacturers make one like this, and they all work good.

[InspectorGadget]

P.S.

Just my opinion, but having used hitch racks similar to the one pictured below with less than satisfactory results, I would steer you away from this type of rack unless you only carry one bike at a time.

http://assets.yakima.com/image/product/buckhorn-4/size/large/sequence/1

[Gummee]

P.S.

Just my opinion, but having used hitch racks similar to the one pictured below with less than satisfactory results, I would steer you away from this type of rack unless you only carry one bike at a time.

http://assets.yakima.com/image/product/buckhorn-4/size/large/sequence/1
...and nothing but a bike with a level top tube

M

[VTCaraco]

We've been cross-country and back with a T2. Put the bikes on and forget about 'em until you need 'em. Absolutely bulletproof (though we did get rear-ended by someone not paying attention as we pulled into a National Park one time ~ trays slid, but no real damage to the bikes).
With that said, it is NOT light. Removing and hanging is a job that my wife can't do.
Strong, confident, stable ~~ absolutely!
Light and easy to remove and store ~~ Nope!

For us, the T2 made more sense given the price and availability; though the 1 Up USA was the other that we almost bought (for me, I wanted to see it before buying and I simply couldn't find one).

[troymac]

We used 2 of these in our RAAM race this year they worked great. They hold bikes like nobodys business. They are easy to work with and tuff.

[veloduffer]

+1 on the Thule T2. After 25 yrs of using roof racks (both Yakima and Thule), I put a hitch receiver on our Highlander and got the T2. Solid, easy to take on & off (not light, but not like picking up an air conditioner), and supereasy to mount the bikes. Moreover, it handles kids bikes, full suspension mtbs, etc. The carrying kind of racks may need accessories for severe sloping downtubes like mtbs and small compact road bikes.

[Smiley]

Hollywood racks for this captain :)

[ORMojo]

Another vote (actually two, from wife & I) for the Thule T2.

Since my wife & I are often taking solo road trips, joint biking trips, and full-fledged family trips with bikes, we have two Thule setups, both expandable to 4 bikes per rack. Seriously secure, racks lock to hitch, bikes lock in rack. Easy to load & unload, and even fully loaded with 4 bikes, rack just tilts down to allow car's rear hatch to open.

We've been using the racks for about 5 years, with no problems whatsoever.

[bikerboy337]

have had great results with the saris thelma.. have a thelma 3 on my car, works great... i've heard there are issues with 29er wheels, but it works great on my road bike...

agreed that you dont want a hitch rack that hangs the bikes... get a tray style hitch... if you like your bikes at all... otherwise you'll end up with dings/scratches over time....

[KF9YR]

Another T2 vote. I also have the extension that lets you carry 4 bikes.

If I'm taking the kids on a trip I add the 2nd tray but most of the time I just use the 2 bike setup.

As mentioned previously in this thread the bikes are held securely and the frame doesn't rub against the rack.

If you need to tow a trailer at the same time a rooftop carrier would be my second choice but I would still use the same style of bike retention (Yakima makes a very similar rack as well).

[daylate$short]

I bought a uset Thule T2 from a guy that was buying a 1 UP. He couldn't be happier. His main reason is that he only carried 1 bike 90% of the time, and the 1 UP single bike module is much smaller and lighter on the back of his Honda. Seems to be extremely well built too.
My only complaints with the T2 are that it is not easy to fold up (for my wife), it rattles when there are bikes on it, and you have to fiddle a bit to get the hook over a 2.4" 29er tire. Still think it is a great rack.

[bdavis999]

Imagine if Paul Components mad a hitch rack -- this would be it.

I was pretty sceptical about buying one without having seen it up close or testing it, but there are a ton of reviews on mtbr.com -- virtually all positive.

I've been very impressed with fit/finish quality, ease of use, and it fits a broad range of bikes.

I do find the visual/design elements of Thule/Yakima are much more refined than the 1up... this is more industrial (i.e., a Paul's Powerglide derailleurs vs. Shimano or Campy)

We had been sedan/wagon people, and I honestly preferred roof racks, but our latest car is a (baby) SUV -- I just felt it was too risky getting the bikes up and down with the higher roofline.

I looked at several tray-style hitch racks -- the Thules and Yakimas are all very good -- some a bit heavy.

Ultimately, it was the simple, very functional operation, bomb-proof descriptions, and flexibility of the 1up that won me over.

Cheers!
Braden

[ultratoad]

Take a look at the Raxter--simple, perfect, can be configured in 1,2,3 or 4 bikes. Easy to adjust bikes from side to side to avoid bar/seat conflicts. I would buy this rack again.... www.raxterracks.com