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Hitch-mount bike racks
- Thread starter Jenny
- Start date
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
There are several different ways the bikes attach depending on the manufacturer and model. I'm a big fan of the Graber racks. I've had 2 of their trunk mount and 1 of their hitch mount racks that have held up very well (even when backed into a tree 
) I really like the ability to lock the outside bike without using a cable.....it's a really convenient feature. I have the 4 bike Hitchhiker like this one:
Beware if any of you have a funky frame style (womens, some full suspension.....). Some rack styles won't work with bikes that don't have a traditional straight cross-bar. If you have an odd frame, you'll need a rack with 2 separate arms rather than the 1 center arm. This fits on my rack without a problem:
And so does this:
The amount of sway will depend on the specific rack and how well it fits in your hitch. The fold-down option on some racks will usually accentuate any innate sway.
Always get a rack that will hold at least 1 more bike than you own.....eventually you'll want to take a friend!
Hubby made some modifications to ours to make it super easy to use. I'll try to get some pics of it tomorrow. The same modifications could be easily and cheaply done by anyone with simple welding equipment.
) I really like the ability to lock the outside bike without using a cable.....it's a really convenient feature. I have the 4 bike Hitchhiker like this one:
Beware if any of you have a funky frame style (womens, some full suspension.....). Some rack styles won't work with bikes that don't have a traditional straight cross-bar. If you have an odd frame, you'll need a rack with 2 separate arms rather than the 1 center arm. This fits on my rack without a problem:
And so does this:
The amount of sway will depend on the specific rack and how well it fits in your hitch. The fold-down option on some racks will usually accentuate any innate sway.
Always get a rack that will hold at least 1 more bike than you own.....eventually you'll want to take a friend!
Hubby made some modifications to ours to make it super easy to use. I'll try to get some pics of it tomorrow. The same modifications could be easily and cheaply done by anyone with simple welding equipment.
geargrrl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'd go for a 2" reciever if at all possible. We use a Hollywood. Getting 4 bikes on it can be kind of a puzzle, but it is very stable.
One thing people don't think of: Bike on back will block your lights. We have a set of trailer lights that we use when the rack is fully loaded, clip them onto the rack.
One thing people don't think of: Bike on back will block your lights. We have a set of trailer lights that we use when the rack is fully loaded, clip them onto the rack.
The once you have to hang your bike on can be a pain when you're loading bikes that have a non-standard frame (like virtually everything we own), so we've moved to using these on everything:
I put a 2" reciever hitch on my Element, and then you can use the extender, so I have the above rack but it holds 4 bikes. We also have 4 racks across the bed of our truck and then can use the 4 place hitch rack as well for shuttling purposes.
I've got to agree with volklgirls theory - you'll end up shuttling or traveling with others and need even more rack spaces than just for your own bikes.... Our truck last summer:
I put a 2" reciever hitch on my Element, and then you can use the extender, so I have the above rack but it holds 4 bikes. We also have 4 racks across the bed of our truck and then can use the 4 place hitch rack as well for shuttling purposes.
I've got to agree with volklgirls theory - you'll end up shuttling or traveling with others and need even more rack spaces than just for your own bikes.... Our truck last summer:
Little Lightning
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This works for odd bike frames, mtn bikes etc.
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19096&subcategory_ID=4414 Thule also makes this.
I put my road bike inside my Honda CRV. No worries about scratches, getting stolen, etc. The mtn bikes can go inside or if we need the extra room or need to carry extra bikes we have a Thule rack that attaches to the rear wheel mount.
I have yet to find a rack with straps that fully secures the bikes to the rack. I make sure the bikes are extra secure with bungie cords or straps. Newer designs make the straps more secure than the older ones but I still don't trust them.
We also have a Thule hitch rack for our Honda Civic. We couldn't find a stock hitch to fit the car so we had to have a welder make a hitch.
Also agree that you need a 2" hitch. And with a hitch mount, it's important that the rack swings away from your car so you can get into the car easily, I think they all do this to some degree.
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19096&subcategory_ID=4414 Thule also makes this.
I put my road bike inside my Honda CRV. No worries about scratches, getting stolen, etc. The mtn bikes can go inside or if we need the extra room or need to carry extra bikes we have a Thule rack that attaches to the rear wheel mount.
I have yet to find a rack with straps that fully secures the bikes to the rack. I make sure the bikes are extra secure with bungie cords or straps. Newer designs make the straps more secure than the older ones but I still don't trust them.
We also have a Thule hitch rack for our Honda Civic. We couldn't find a stock hitch to fit the car so we had to have a welder make a hitch.
Also agree that you need a 2" hitch. And with a hitch mount, it's important that the rack swings away from your car so you can get into the car easily, I think they all do this to some degree.
tradygirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Our truck last summer:
Ah....the shuttling MACHINE. It's a thing of beauty. Can't wait to get tossed around in the back this summer. :D
Gotta agree on the tray system. It's so much easier to load and unload the bikes, plus it seems to put less wear and tear on the frame since the rack doesn't touch the bike frame at all. We've got the Yakima Hook-Up with 2 trays on our Element.
