Hitch mounted rack advice

[veggieburger]

We just took the dive and bought a gently used minivan. So far, so good! Beauty thing is, it has a hitch (former owner loved his ATV/guns/etc). So I'm looking at the dizzying array of hitch mounted racks and I'm not sure what to do. Bikes are carbon (so I'm guessing no TT grab), aluminum, steel, and FS MTB that doesn't have a ton of room in the triangle, but probably enough for two skinny arms to get in there.

Or do I get one of those trays that stick straight out of the hitch? Are they that great?

THX!

[jh_on_the_cape]

trays for sure.
bite the bullet and get 1upUSA.
i bought a thule t2 pro xt

[RobJ]

Based on a bunch of recommendations, reviews and roadies/MTBers I went with the 1UP. Yes more expensive, but well built, fairly light/compact to throw in the tailgate if needed and made in the USA. Two articulating arms mount onto the front/rear tires to hold the bikes in place. Have add-ons to go to 4 bikes total and a convenient locking mechanism to lock both the bikes in the rack and the rack to the vehicle.

[veloduffer]

I have a Thule T2 for quite a while now. Works well, so easy to mount to the hitch.

I didn’t know about 1Up at the time but that would be my other choice if I were in the market again.


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[Ozz]

Originally Posted by jh_on_the_cape

trays for sure.
bite the bullet and get 1upUSA.
i bought a thule t2 pro xt

+1

I have an older Thule T2 (classic)....works great...heavy, but built like a tank.

I like the look of the 1up rack, but mainly because it looks easier to carry and store....I have not examined closely enough to see how durable it might be. It has a good rep, so I assume it must be OK

[quehill]

1Up for sure. we've had our for years now and carried everything from 2.5 mtb tires to 16" wheeled kids bikes on it with ease. It's a great piece of kit.

[srcarter]

We love our Kuat racks. Have both the 4 bike rack (NV 4); and a lighter 2-bike Transfer (which also comes in a 3-bike configuration).

The 4-bike rack is a bit heavy, but really attaches to hitch well, is stable, and is easy to load.

Only downside for us was that it required adapters for children's bikes (I think wheel size 24 and below). Made the rack a bit less flexible, but now that kids have larger wheels, it is not an issue.

Also, given the weight, it is easier to install with 2 people, since I cannot see our hitch receiver while holding the rack, so need help guiding the rack.

[AngryScientist]

check this thread:

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...ighlight=hitch

[hummus_aquinas]

I bought a 1up rack about six months ago, "upgrading" from an older gen thule t2. It's definitely slick and well made and looks tight and dope but

• it's hard to operate the wheel holding system one handed, latch/release sticks and is clumsy
• locking mechanisms (?) to lock bike to rack are not slick at all (it's just skewer with a barrel lock at the end)
• rack mounts into receiver with an expanding ball/wedge (hitch pin that actually goes through hitch and rack ala thule t2 is way better and feels more secure)
• the "fail-safe" to secure above system is a velcro strap

I'd pass.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by Ozz

+1

I have an older Thule T2 (classic)....works great...heavy, but built like a tank.

^^This

I got mine for a song on CL (they pop up quite a bit so look there first) and Ozz is right......they're built like a tank........and they fit on tanks!!

[sooshi]

I have a 1up and love it, no issues whatsoever. There was a thread on one of the MTB forums touting this company. Guess it's the guy who started 1up and now he's started this new company. Supposedly fixed the little quirks that people were finding with the 1up and it's cheaper.

https://www.quikrack.com

[trener1]

Invest in a trey style hitch rack, you won't regret it, bikes off all sizes go on and off in literally 5 seconds.
I use mine for Road bike, CX bikes and full suspension 29er MTB.
I have the Swagman Semi 2.0, it comes with a locking hitch pin and integrated bike locks. https://www.swagman.net/product/semi-2-0/

[vqdriver]

tray rack for sure. only downside is their size, but functionally they have no equal.

these threads inevitably end up with either 1up or kuat
i have a kuat sherpa. my buddy has a 1up. whenever we ride together, we end up ogling the other's. i admire the 1up's industrial singleminded focus. he bemoans the finger-lopping scissor action and inconvenience of adjusting for wheel sizes. we both carry our family's bikes on these so tire sizes range from 24" to 29" fatties.
fwiw, he rides a lot (like a lot) and the 1up is essentially al on al, which over time has worked grooves into itself. one recent complaint is that it takes more and more cleaning and lubing to keep the action smooth.
i haven't any such issues with the kuat but again, his 1up gets far more use than mine

[Spdntrxi]

Kuat 2.0

[Ralph]

I won't try to convince anyone my 1 UP is better than the rack you have.

I will say my 1 UP folds up and stores more easily in the corner of my garage than others I have seen. Or even in my car. That's big to me.