Bike racks for mountain bikes

[KentState]

Family of three with two adult mountain bikes and a kids. I have a Trek Fuel EX 9.8 and my wife has a Trek X-Caliber 8. We are getting a hitch put on the Y which has a vertical load rating of 180lbs.

Looking at these two racks right now:

NV™ 2.0

The Kuat NV 2.0 2-bike hitch rack is a premium hitch rack for your car, truck, or SUV that’s thoughtfully designed with unmatched features and value.

www.kuat.com

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NV™ 2.0 Add-On

Expand your Kuat NV 2.0 to a 3-bike or 4-bike hitch rack and increase your carrying capacity in less time than it takes to decide who gets to sit up front.

www.kuat.com

Or

Thule T2 Pro XTR | Thule | United States

Thule T2 Pro XTR - Thule T2 Pro XTR is a premium bike rack for demanding bike enthusiasts. With time-tested durability and award-winning design, this robust bike rack is ready for a wide variety of bike styles, including e-bikes.

www.thule.com

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Best Bike Rack Accessories for Your Cycling Adventures | Thule | United States

Find the best bike rack accessories at Thule. Shop now for a wide range of bike rack parts and accessories to enhance your cycling experience.

www.thule.com

Of the two, I like the Kuat a little more since it can expand by 1. The Thule has a nice feature of being able to roll it on wheels and locking pin is integrated. However, the add-on is 2 so extra weight, though maybe some help with spacing. Has anyone recently purchased a platform rack and looked at either of these?

 

[thedarkwolf]

The big 2 brands that everybody fan boys over when it comes to bike racks are kuat and 1up usa. I'm personally in the 1up group but you really can't go wrong with kuat either

 

[KentState]

I like the 1up racks, but everything on their site is out of stock. I assume you purchased direct?

 

[thedarkwolf]

Yup

 

[heymrdj]

I just got my NV2.0 about a month ago. Love it. Very smooth operation, stays out of the way when I sue the liftgate. Keeps the bikes very secure, hardly any bounce with the hitch cam.

 

[KentState]

I just got my NV2.0 about a month ago. Love it. Very smooth operation, stays out of the way when I sue the liftgate. Keeps the bikes very secure, hardly any bounce with the hitch cam.

Do you have the one with the Trail Doc and how handy is it? Seems like a no-brainer for a little more. Have had a crank fall off on the trail and it would have been nice to service it with something holding the bike.

 

[heymrdj]

Do you have the one with the Trail Doc and how handy is it? Seems like a no-brainer for a little more. Have had a crank fall off on the trail and it would have been nice to service it with something holding the bike.

Yeah I got the version with the trail doc. Like you said, seemed like a no brained. Super easy to use. If I ended up going through water (because our trail system loves to have standing water near the rivers), I put it on the stand and wipe it down. I don’t have to do my pre-ride inspection on the ground. Even just using it in my garage to air the tires and lube the chain. I find it very handy. I would say it’s actual trail use might be limited. If I’m 25 miles into a 50 mile ride, the bike probably isn’t making it back to the car. But I’ve found plenty of uses for it.