Bike Rack recommendations

[Scarpozzi]

My wife is getting all active, etc and we have 2 young kids soon to be 2-4 years old. There's a really nice biking/running trail 3 miles from our house that is a safe place to ride so we're looking for a good bike rack to use with our 2" receivers on our truck and SUV. When I would ride back in the old days, I'd just throw my bike in the back of my jeep and never used a rack or would travel with a friend that had a rack in the back of his truck.

The adult bikes we own are both $500-600 mtn bikes. We're looking to buy one rack for the next 10+ years...so looking for a 4 bike setup.

I've looked at the 2 styles they have these days...the hanging racks and the ones that support the wheels. Can someone give me the pros/cons of these?

http://www.amazon.com/Swagman-Cross...e=UTF8&qid=1460382164&sr=8-7&keywords=swagman

I saw another 4 bike rack from Allen on Amazon that was $99 instead of $329. Not only is it cheaper, it appears to fold up smaller.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TRTSW46/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Is it worth the extra bulk for the extra support below the bikes rather than just hanging them?

Thanks.

 

[PricklyPete]

Ok, I'll preface this by saying I have very expensive bikes, so my statements may be biased based on my interests, but the tray style rack is way more convenient and generally "better" for your bike (less contact between bikes). Much easier to get on/off. No issues with different frame designs not hanging properly. Generally more stable. It is near impossible to fit as many bikes as they claim on the hanging bike setup.

I haven't used either of the racks you have posted, so I can't speak to them. I am sure you will be fine with either, but the tray style will definitely prove to be more convenient.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Ok, I'll preface this by saying I have very expensive bikes, so my statements may be biased based on my interests, but the tray style rack is way more convenient and generally "better" for your bike (less contact between bikes). Much easier to get on/off. No issues with different frame designs not hanging properly. Generally more stable. It is near impossible to fit as many bikes as they claim on the hanging bike setup.

I haven't used either of the racks you have posted, so I can't speak to them. I am sure you will be fine with either, but the tray style will definitely prove to be more convenient.

That's helpful.

My real issue is I don't know anyone who has the tray style. The bike shop we go to locally sells 3-4 models by Swagman and I can't remember if it's Thule or Yak....but they are upwards of $400. I was hoping I could find a tray style that would convert from a 2 to a 4 bike just to keep it from sticking out so far, but not for that price point. I was hoping I could buy one on Prime and get it before the weekend coming up because my wife is doing a triathlon 120 miles from here on Sunday....

In addition to weekend trail riding nearby, we just got a timeshare and will be transporting our bikes there (5+ hours each way on the Interstate) every 6 months.

Edit: Nevermind...I just found this:
http://www.amazon.com/CURT-18086-Hi...85824&sr=1-5&keywords=4+bike+rack+hitch+mount

This looks like what I'm wanting.

My only other concern is storage space required when not on the vehicle, but I suppose I'll figure that out when I clean up my garage.

 

[PricklyPete]

Yeah, I think you will be happy with the tray. I had a Thule hanging style for many years before upgrading to a Kuat (way overpriced) tray system that makes life much easier. Finding space in the garage can be a pain, and mounting/dismounting the system is not fun, but the rest is fantastic.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'd go with one that hangs the bikes by the top tube for your needs. One that spaces them out and holds them by the wheels will extend the rear of your vehicle quite a long way to hold 4 bikes.

That said, I want to buy one of the 1up racks for hauling my mountain bike.

If you have a pickup truck there are a lot of options for bikes. I'd probably go with something that clamps the fork.

 

[thesmokingman]

My wife is getting all active, etc and we have 2 young kids soon to be 2-4 years old. There's a really nice biking/running trail 3 miles from our house that is a safe place to ride so we're looking for a good bike rack to use with our 2" receivers on our truck and SUV. When I would ride back in the old days, I'd just throw my bike in the back of my jeep and never used a rack or would travel with a friend that had a rack in the back of his truck.

The adult bikes we own are both $500-600 mtn bikes. We're looking to buy one rack for the next 10+ years...so looking for a 4 bike setup.

I've looked at the 2 styles they have these days...the hanging racks and the ones that support the wheels. Can someone give me the pros/cons of these?

http://www.amazon.com/Swagman-Cross...e=UTF8&qid=1460382164&sr=8-7&keywords=swagman

I saw another 4 bike rack from Allen on Amazon that was $99 instead of $329. Not only is it cheaper, it appears to fold up smaller.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TRTSW46/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Is it worth the extra bulk for the extra support below the bikes rather than just hanging them?

Thanks.

I have the Swagman 4 bike hitch mount since 2012. We use it on a 2011 Tribeca. We used it to haul the bikes everywhere from going up to Big Bear for the trails to the beach etc. It's very confidence inspiring considering the drive up the mountains and down. There's been times where I'd forgotten to use the rubber wheel tie downs but luckily the Swagman uses two lock methods so the bikes were still secure with the main lock. All the bikes we use are suspension and somewhat expensive. Mines full carbon and the kids are built up 24 inchers. The way the bikes mount, they do not move so no worries about them clanking on each other.

It also folds up which makes storing convenient, It ends up taking up very little space in the garage.

Some tips, I would go to home depot and buy some of the plumbing insulation, black foam and cut it to fit the top tubes of your bikes as extra cushion. And the assembly was pretty quick. The longest part is actually installing the hitch whereas the rack is just simple assembly.

 

[nk215]

I have this

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Series-63...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

on the back of my SUV. Works great, no issue.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I have this

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Series-63...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

on the back of my SUV. Works great, no issue.

Only problem I could see with those (and I have one similar to that) is with children's bikes or girl's bikes with either a severely sloping top tube or no top tube. You might need an adapter that goes from the stem to the seat to hang the bike from.

 

[thedarkwolf]

I have a 1upusa and it is amazing but a 4 bike version cost a fortune. I've used the swagmam/curt/clones bunch of people make that style. They can be a hassle to arrange the bikes so the handle bars/seats/junk all clear each other so they fit but once you figure it out they work fine. Make sure the rack can handle your kids bikes. I just skimmed the page and didn't see anything about minimum wheel sizes.

 

[thesmokingman]

I have a 1upusa and it is amazing but a 4 bike version cost a fortune. I've used the swagmam/curt/clones bunch of people make that style. They can be a hassle to arrange the bikes so the handle bars/seats/junk all clear each other so they fit but once you figure it out they work fine. Make sure the rack can handle your kids bikes. I just skimmed the page and didn't see anything about minimum wheel sizes.

There isnt a min size. You get two sets of claws, one large one small that will lock down to a 16in bike. The small calw is also great for severe drop top tubes. I've used our swagman from 16 to 20 to 24 now. It's not that difficult with small bikes, just stick them in front. It's like you said though, its a pain at first to get your arrangement right but once you get it down its not that hard.

 

[Meghan54]

We've owned a Saris tray hitch mount bike rack now for about 15 years and never had a problem. Love it. But, they don't make the rack we own any longer.

C'est la vie.

On another note, I worked in a shop for about a decade and sold racks....Saris, Thule, and an el cheapo line-Allen.

We sold against Swagman and honestly, from the examples we saw on vehicles that came to our shop, the construction and materials used were a notch below Thule and Saris. I must admit, I am a Saris fanboy, but their racks work damned well.

As for a specific feature, I'd look for a rack that allows it to be tilted down while it's loaded with bikes, it'll make life soooo much easier.

Saris has an excellent hitch rack that's unfortunately very expensive, but it doesn't use the frame to clamp the bike down; no frame contact at all. But it's so darned costly. It'd be worth the money if you're into carbon frames or the like. (In my case, I'd be looking at the two bike version...a lot cheaper.)

https://www.saris.com/product/superclamp-4


Or, there's this one, a step down--uses a frame clamp:

https://www.saris.com/product/freedom-4


I do like the foot pedal release for tilting the rack. A LOT more convenient than having to screw around at the receiver for a release pin. Oh, and the racks above have lifetime warranties....don't know if that makes a difference to you or not.

 

[nOOky]

Ok, I'll preface this by saying I have very expensive bikes, so my statements may be biased based on my interests, but the tray style rack is way more convenient and generally "better" for your bike (less contact between bikes). Much easier to get on/off. No issues with different frame designs not hanging properly. Generally more stable. It is near impossible to fit as many bikes as they claim on the hanging bike setup.

I haven't used either of the racks you have posted, so I can't speak to them. I am sure you will be fine with either, but the tray style will definitely prove to be more convenient.

I agree, I'd never carry my bikes by the frame, but they are rather expensive. I prefer a tray rack, no friction on the frame, easy to load, etc. Don't know if you have a fat bike but those can be a pain on some tray racks though.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Because my wife needed the rack, I pulled the trigger on the Curt based on its lower price @ $267. I went ahead and got some Ulocks, chains, and other accessories while I was at it.

Thanks for all the advice. I kind of feel like I threw away $150+ on the tray vs the hanging style, but in the long run I can always sell the tray style and recoup some of the cost. Best of all, the one I got does switch from a 2 to 4 bike configuration, so I don't have to lug 2 extra trays around until our kids need them in a few years.

 

[xaeniac]

Anything Yakima!