So I needed a rack this year and had some experience(s) with a few of the usual suspects....some I bought....some I borrowed....some were owned by friends:
(1) I borrowed a cheap hitch mount hanging (non platform) style rack from a friend for awhile....it magnified my insecurities.....highway driving fuhgetaboutit....ditched this idea fast. Given a few more days with this rack I would have scratched and marred my bike a lot....not to mention the back of my car.....and that is only if the bike remained on the car/rack at all.
(2) I used my friend's Thule XTR T2 platform style rack. I liked this rack overall BUT: It is big and heavy...difficult to store it away....takes muscle to move it around and install. The biggest problem is that this style of rack does NOT work well if you have fenders or a bike with a headlamp mounted on the fork. Also....to really ensure that your bike is secure....you must place the arm directly adjacent and touching your fork. Not ideal. I'm surprised this one is so darn popular for that reason. If you want to leave this on your car for the summer months....it will wear and weather and look worse for it. For the right bicycles....I can see the virtues of this rack.
(3) Thule EasyFold....this solves the problem for those with fenders or lights mounted near your fork. Compared to the XTR T2 this rack feels cheap and plastic. I wanted to love this rack on paper....but it is a royal pain in the ass to load and unload bikes. You must remember precisely how to configure the clamps and direction(s) for each bike. This rack might work better with lightweight non ebikes.....but I can't imagine trying to get TWO ebikes on this rack together at the same time....one bike is difficult enough! Between the tightening (and un-tightening of the claws.....the tight fit (both front to back and wheel-base).....and the construction quality....very disappointing altogether. This rack might make sense for some with fender cladded ebikes....but it is a royal pain in the butt to use. The amount of time required to load/unload is insane. There is no way that this expensive rack could survive being left on a car for a couple of summers. No way.
(4) Thule T1: I found an old Thule T1 used but new/never used. This is a discontinued rack. It reminds me of a lightweight version of the XTR T2 but for a single bike carrier. It has all of the issues of the XTR T2 and its clamp/arm is not quite as sophisticated as the XTR T2....BUT it is lightweight and easy to install/uninstall. It isn't as big/deep as the XTR T2 obviously given that it is a single bike carrier.....but it is just as wide....and requires storage space when not in use too. I liked this rack overall for what it is.....I was feeling fairly safe/secure using this rack with my non fender cladded bicycle. I gave this T1 to my dad for his birthday and he likes it too. Solid bike carrier if you have an appropriate bike.
(5) 1UP-USA Super Duty Single: I freaking love this rack. All aluminum....no plastic....no rust. Utilitarian. It folds into a small box for easy storage in my garage. Easy to leave on the car when not carrying a bike and takes up very little space. SOLID as a rock when installed on the car. Easy-peasy security allen wrench hitch attachment and virtually no 'play' when tightened down. Comes with a hitch lock. My bike is SUPER stable on this rack and for the first time I actually forget that I am carrying a bicycle on my car. Lightweight and compact. NOTHING touches my bike frame when using this rack. Mounting and un-mounting could not be easier (despite the video of the idiot on YouTube stupidly demonstrating otherwise). This rack will not work if your bike has fenders that FULLY cover the tires, however, if the fenders are 'partial' this rack should work well. There are occasions (rare) that I need to carry 2 bikes and the "add on" is available for this rack should I decide to buy it in the future. The rack isn't cheap....but compared to the other racks it is not expensive.....and after using it I feel like it is a bargain. It took me at least 4 other racks to finally land on the 1UP. I shouldn't be surprised that I see so few of these on the road given the cumulative brain-power that I am seeing around me lately.....but THIS RACK is completely awesome. The ONLY gripe that I have about this rack is the spring loaded handle that allows the rack to drop into place or fold away can be difficult to depress and may require some jiggling to engage. Some may feel that the 1UP's lack of ability to lock the bike to the rack via OEM means is a deal-breaker.....but this is not an issue for me....and the Thule/Yakima or other OEM bike "locks" are near worthless in real world use(s) imo.
(1) I borrowed a cheap hitch mount hanging (non platform) style rack from a friend for awhile....it magnified my insecurities.....highway driving fuhgetaboutit....ditched this idea fast. Given a few more days with this rack I would have scratched and marred my bike a lot....not to mention the back of my car.....and that is only if the bike remained on the car/rack at all.
(2) I used my friend's Thule XTR T2 platform style rack. I liked this rack overall BUT: It is big and heavy...difficult to store it away....takes muscle to move it around and install. The biggest problem is that this style of rack does NOT work well if you have fenders or a bike with a headlamp mounted on the fork. Also....to really ensure that your bike is secure....you must place the arm directly adjacent and touching your fork. Not ideal. I'm surprised this one is so darn popular for that reason. If you want to leave this on your car for the summer months....it will wear and weather and look worse for it. For the right bicycles....I can see the virtues of this rack.
(3) Thule EasyFold....this solves the problem for those with fenders or lights mounted near your fork. Compared to the XTR T2 this rack feels cheap and plastic. I wanted to love this rack on paper....but it is a royal pain in the ass to load and unload bikes. You must remember precisely how to configure the clamps and direction(s) for each bike. This rack might work better with lightweight non ebikes.....but I can't imagine trying to get TWO ebikes on this rack together at the same time....one bike is difficult enough! Between the tightening (and un-tightening of the claws.....the tight fit (both front to back and wheel-base).....and the construction quality....very disappointing altogether. This rack might make sense for some with fender cladded ebikes....but it is a royal pain in the butt to use. The amount of time required to load/unload is insane. There is no way that this expensive rack could survive being left on a car for a couple of summers. No way.
(4) Thule T1: I found an old Thule T1 used but new/never used. This is a discontinued rack. It reminds me of a lightweight version of the XTR T2 but for a single bike carrier. It has all of the issues of the XTR T2 and its clamp/arm is not quite as sophisticated as the XTR T2....BUT it is lightweight and easy to install/uninstall. It isn't as big/deep as the XTR T2 obviously given that it is a single bike carrier.....but it is just as wide....and requires storage space when not in use too. I liked this rack overall for what it is.....I was feeling fairly safe/secure using this rack with my non fender cladded bicycle. I gave this T1 to my dad for his birthday and he likes it too. Solid bike carrier if you have an appropriate bike.
(5) 1UP-USA Super Duty Single: I freaking love this rack. All aluminum....no plastic....no rust. Utilitarian. It folds into a small box for easy storage in my garage. Easy to leave on the car when not carrying a bike and takes up very little space. SOLID as a rock when installed on the car. Easy-peasy security allen wrench hitch attachment and virtually no 'play' when tightened down. Comes with a hitch lock. My bike is SUPER stable on this rack and for the first time I actually forget that I am carrying a bicycle on my car. Lightweight and compact. NOTHING touches my bike frame when using this rack. Mounting and un-mounting could not be easier (despite the video of the idiot on YouTube stupidly demonstrating otherwise). This rack will not work if your bike has fenders that FULLY cover the tires, however, if the fenders are 'partial' this rack should work well. There are occasions (rare) that I need to carry 2 bikes and the "add on" is available for this rack should I decide to buy it in the future. The rack isn't cheap....but compared to the other racks it is not expensive.....and after using it I feel like it is a bargain. It took me at least 4 other racks to finally land on the 1UP. I shouldn't be surprised that I see so few of these on the road given the cumulative brain-power that I am seeing around me lately.....but THIS RACK is completely awesome. The ONLY gripe that I have about this rack is the spring loaded handle that allows the rack to drop into place or fold away can be difficult to depress and may require some jiggling to engage. Some may feel that the 1UP's lack of ability to lock the bike to the rack via OEM means is a deal-breaker.....but this is not an issue for me....and the Thule/Yakima or other OEM bike "locks" are near worthless in real world use(s) imo.
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