Recommendations Hitch Bike Rack

[bob armani]

@Alaskan I only have a need to carry 1 bike (my own) and I paid $350 for my 1up rack. I'm actually waiting for the new Quik Rack Mach 2s to be produced (made by the original designer of the quik rack), which will hold a 70 lb ebike and his price for black anodized is $269 or thereabouts. He made a bunch of changes to the original design and he's been able to apply for new patents. I'm not spending $600 on a bike rack...not when I don't need to carry 2 bikes and can have a good solution for half that or less.

My 2 cents-Yeah, I could not understand why the Thule was so expensive, when you could find other racks in the similar category for a lot less. I also spotted some questionable reviews about Thule C/S not responding to customer complaints with a few of their racks that had poor build quality. Hope they have resolved these issues with them.
I personally have the older version of the 2 bike Sport Rack SR2901LR with hoops that hold the tires in place. Very solid and a very reasonable price point.

 

[bob armani]

@bob armani , Would love to see a picture of this, please & thanks!

Here you go:
Update:
Forgot to mention that I added a custom piece that connects the two hoops in the middle so the front tire can roll across it and seat the front tire into the second hoop.

 

[bob armani]

@Ed D

Racks like that will not work with fenders. However, if you don't mind dealing with straps, you can pick up a motorcycle/scooter rack (with ramp) for less than a hundred bucks https://www.ebay.com/i/322747278723?chn=ps

Personally, I went with the Yakima TwoTimer for $263 (used-like new) at Amazon: https://www.yakima.com/twotimer. My car will support only 1.25" hitch. The Yakima will support 2 45lb bikes. My bike is 46lb without battery == hoping I will be ok. Still waiting for delivery

This looks like a very nice alternative if it has durable build quality. For the pricing, it is worth the try instead of spending 100s of dollars on an E-bike specific rack. With the mix of straps and bungees, it looks like it would work fine IMHO. Nice option indeed.

 

[Falcan]

How exact are the weight limits for bike racks? If one says it supports up to 60 pound bikes how worried would I need to be if I put a 62 pound bike on it? If one holds four bikes up to 45 pounds each can it hold one 62 pound bike?

 

[Sunkmail`]

I Picked up a slightly used Thule Easyfold 9032 (The original one) from a local rack shop and am very happy with it.

Short version - It works for me, but I can see where it isn't for everyone.


The easy of install, and the ability to fold it up (Including the main support -stem?) when not in use makes it easy to remove when not needed.
- A huge plus, as I don't need it too often.

Removing it does make tight parallel parking a lot easier, plus it doesn't get in the way of my backup camera.

It's currently in the back seat of my car (I needed the trunk for other stuff). I can't see that being easy to do with the motorbike racks. Though, the price was still pretty steep.​

The ramp does seem a little flimsy on the early model - not sure how the new ones are - but I can still lift my bike, so I haven't even tried out the ramp yet.

 

[kiltym]

We use this. Works great so far. We have fenders on our Haibike trekking bikes.

https://hollywoodracks.com/products/sport-rider-electric-bike-hitch-rack?variant=15862468102

We actually use the non ebike version since our ebikes are <50 lbs with battery removed. Was by far the most economical when I was looking for a rack.

 

[christob]

We use this. Works great so far. We have fenders on our Haibike trekking bikes.

https://hollywoodracks.com/products/sport-rider-electric-bike-hitch-rack?variant=15862468102

We actually use the non ebike version since our ebikes are <50 lbs with battery removed. Was by far the most economical when I was looking for a rack.

I was excited to look into this... but they (Hollywood Racks) confirmed I must use a Class 2 hitch -- the Prius I have (if I pay to add a hitch, since one was not standard) will be a Class 1 hitch

 

[J.R.]

I posted about seeing this rack a year ago, then $127, now $160 and out of stock. You can get instock notifications. Specs look good, 3 - 60lb ebikes. As I've never personally seen it, I cannot attest to it's quality.

 

[PowerMe]

I saw this company, RockyMounts, and emailed them just for curiosity sake to ask the weight maximum for each bike tray. 60lbs, which will work for most ebikes. They have a single bike rack called the Monorail Solo, which is $279 and will fit either 1.25" or 2" hitch receivers. They also have other racks to hold 2 or more bikes.

HOWEVER, the design of their rack arm is such that is comes down over top of the front tire to secure the bike, and they told me if you have a front fender on your bike you'll need to remove that fender. If you have an ebike without fenders, you might like their product.

 

[bob armani]

I Picked up a slightly used Thule Easyfold 9032 (The original one) from a local rack shop and am very happy with it.

Short version - It works for me, but I can see where it isn't for everyone.


The easy of install, and the ability to fold it up (Including the main support -stem?) when not in use makes it easy to remove when not needed.
- A huge plus, as I don't need it too often.

Removing it does make tight parallel parking a lot easier, plus it doesn't get in the way of my backup camera.​

​

It's currently in the back seat of my car (I needed the trunk for other stuff). I can't see that being easy to do with the motorbike racks. Though, the price was still pretty steep.​

The ramp does seem a little flimsy on the early model - not sure how the new ones are - but I can still lift my bike, so I haven't even tried out the ramp yet.

I have seen the same complaints regarding the stability of the ramps. So flimsy. Not sure why the company would make them like that knowing full well you are walking a 60lb bike up it. I believe there are ways to reinforce/fortify the ramp using additional materials found at you local big box hardware stores: (ie: gutter hardware or sheet metal pieces).

 

[Sunkmail`]

I have seen the same complaints regarding the stability of the ramps. So flimsy. Not sure why the company would make them like that knowing full well you are walking a 60lb bike up it. I believe there are ways to reinforce/fortify the ramp using additional materials found at you local big box hardware stores: (ie: gutter hardware or sheet metal pieces).

From my understanding, the new model has a much beefier ramp, at least compared to my older model.

The new model also has storage for the ramp inside the carrier itself, whereas the older model (mine) requires it to be transported separately (inside the car cabin or truck).

 

[Alaskan]

The new ramp seems well built and it does stow in the middle section below the platform (you have to tilt it back to access it.) I used it once and it works just fine but I just lift the bike on to the rack. The day may come when I will use the rack more often. I do take off the bags, lock and battery and put them in the cargo area of our Subaru Tribeca to lighten the load, not so much for lifting but for carrying.

 

[PowerMe]

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the 1up ramp looks like that @Ed D will be getting with his order. This is something 1Up doesn't have as a standard product offered on their website. Especially for women, seniors, or anyone who has limited upper body strength, lifting a 50+ lb bike onto a bike rack is a P.I.A. A ramp seems like a no-brainer / requirement if a bike rack company wants to capture the growing eBike market, which if they're smart, they should. I always remove the battery, which cuts the weight down by 6lbs. I don't remove the rack bag since it's velcro'd on tightly and a hassle to remove/install.

 

[bob armani]

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the 1up ramp looks like that @Ed D will be getting with his order. This is something 1Up doesn't have as a standard product offered on their website. Especially for women, seniors, or anyone who has limited upper body strength, lifting a 50+ lb bike onto a bike rack is a P.I.A. A ramp seems like a no-brainer / requirement if a bike rack company wants to capture the growing eBike market, which if they're smart, they should. I always remove the battery, which cuts the weight down by 6lbs. I don't remove the rack bag since it's velcro'd on tightly and a hassle to remove/install.

Yes, I was also wanting to see the newer design. I also believe this should be offered as standard equipment or an option when purchasing any E-bike specific ramp. I personally threw out my back for a period of time, and was in dire need of a ramp, so I sat down, and jimmy rigged it and worked fine. For future use, I would rather opt for the 1Up version if it holds up to moderate use.

 

[CatsFan]

The Kuat is a great rack but still not good for use on a bike with fenders. If you already have a rack that clamps on the tires, you need to do a work around with foam or something. Otherwise you are far better off buying a rack that is designed to clamp on to the frame. Here is a photo of the clamp on the Thule Easyfold XT2. Note the key slot on the tightening knob. When locked the knob just spins but does not loosen.
View attachment 22631

Just what I have been wondering in a step through bike with no usable down tube or top tube. With your exact setup is it possible to load a second step through E Bike? How do you like your Nevo? I have considered wheel clamp options such as the T2 Pro XT but worry about the fenders.

 

[Alaskan]

Just what I have been wondering in a step through bike with no usable down tube or top tube. With your exact setup is it possible to load a second step through E Bike? How do you like your Nevo? I have considered wheel clamp options such as the T2 Pro XT but worry about the fenders.

I have both a Nevo and now an Homage as well. My wife and i put them on the Easyfold XT2 a few days ago with no issues. The clamps go on the seat tube perfectly. You can see the clamp at the bottom of the seat tube of the Homage in the photo below. It is in a similar spot on the Nevo in the front position

The Nevo is an amazing bike, really has a unique character, solid, steady, smooth, simple yet capable. Here is a review I posted on the Nevo a few months ago https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/riese-muller-nevo-nuvinci-gh-125-mile-report.22676/

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Just what I have been wondering in a step through bike with no usable down tube or top tube. With your exact setup is it possible to load a second step through E Bike? How do you like your Nevo? I have considered wheel clamp options such as the T2 Pro XT but worry about the fenders.

We use the T2 Pro XT. Both of our bikes have fenders. The clamp has not been a problem at all with my wife's Pedego. The front fender has a fairly short extension in front of the forks, so the clamp comes right down on top of the tire without contacting the fender. On my bike, the fender extended out farther and it was a minor issue. Easily and cheaply corrected with a different fender. I'm really glad we spent the money on the Thule.

 

[Captain Slow]

I have this and it works fine with fenders. It is fairly heavy.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5021-749/XTC-4-Bike-2"-Receiver-Hitch-Rack

 

[Sunkmail`]

I have this and it works fine with fenders. It is fairly heavy.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5021-749/XTC-4-Bike-2"-Receiver-Hitch-Rack

I was looking at that one (well, the 2 bike version), but the /per bike' weight capacity was lower than I was comfortable with for hauling around a couple of ebikes.

From the MEC Q&A on the link provided: "Swagman says that the XTC 4 platform rack has a maximum weight capacity of 30 pounds per bike. "

If this were to break while driving, you may not be covered by your insurance if you've overloaded it. (Don't know for sure, but I wasn't going to risk it.)

 

[MetroDuck]

My friend turned me onto an ebike rack by Hollywood.

https://hollywoodracks.com/collecti...-electric-bike-hitch-rack?variant=15862468102

I believe it was just under $400, was quite easy to assemble and can handle two bikes up to 80 lbs each and 3" tires. If you have even bigger tires they have holders that can accommodate that. Our bikes have large fenders so the types with wheel bars were not going to work. These have a bar that drops down over the cross bar. I you have a step through you can get a adapter bar that for under $20 that will go from your seat post to handle bar during transportation. I leave mine on my truck during the summer because it fold up really easy and in that position only extends 11" or so from the hitch. It has a mechanism that tighens the rack into the hitch. This rack is rock steady which was important to me.

It is the only one that I found that is engineered to allow you to put one bike on the outermost of the two racks by itself. For one bike this thing is a cinch for me to load. I just park my bike about 10" away parallel, lift the front wheel into its holder. At this point this point the bike is rock steady. Then I go to the back and lift the back by the rack and set it in it's holder, drop the cushioned holding bar down and it is good to go. It doesn't move. takes me all of 30 seconds and I never have to lift the whole bike. Even my wife thought it was easy.

I will say that with the second bike you really do need a second person.

According to Hollywood, the reason you should never mount one of these rack to the back of a trailer is because trailers slowly osculate side to side 30-60 cycles per second. This movement, over time will cause metal fatigue and the hitch could eventually fail.