# 1
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I own a 2005 Jeep Wrangler X with 31x10.5x15 oversized tires and wheels. I installed B6196001 HighRock 4x4 Oversize Tire Carrier by Bestop to carry larger spare tire. I needed a bike carrier that would carry our two crusier bikes and clear my spare tire. After measuring, I ordered: -> S64650 - Swagman 2-bike carrier -> 80300 - 7" Hitch Adapter 2" to 1-1/4" Trailer Hitch Receiver -> RM-061 - Roadmaster Quiet Hitch for 2" Trailer Hitches Our order arrived very quickly, etrailer.com upgraded the shipping. All these products arrived well packaged and without damage. In 15 minutes I had every thing assembled, installed on my Jeep and bikes loaded. The bike carrier is very well constructed, finish is excellent and easy to adjust. When adjusting wheel loops and loading bikes, make sure you pay attention to bike pedal position. I chose this extension because I did not want to use the adapter that comes with the bike carrier, I wanted as few parts as possible to keep rattles to a minimum and gives me more options for towing. The anti-rattle bolt/pin firmly secures the bike carrier to the extension and the Roadmaster Quiet Hitch keeps the extension adapter from rattling in the receiver. Road tested approximately 25 miles over rough city roads ( including railroad tracks ), county roads and highway. Bikes traveled very well without any rattles. I can remove my complete setup quickly, fold and put in rear of Jeep if desired. I am very well pleased with my purchase. Note to etrailer: Please consider offering Roadmaster Quiet Hitch in black to match receiver and accessories. Paul In the Land of Oz . . . Just South of the Yellow Brick Road!
It works great! Easy, quick, you know. One needs to screw in the hitch bolt, for some reason, before latching it. Other than that, it makes going bike riding way easier.
# 2
Thule Passage Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Hanging Style
Ordered online, it shipped the same day. Received it 3 days later. There is a little assembly, but, pretty simple. It took me less than 15 minutes to install and no tools were needed. It is adjustable to be used on many different auto types, but, the instructions were very clear about how to adjust it to fit my 2011 Ford Edge. I have used it twice so far to transport my bike. There are a couple of items that are inherent in the design, not a flaw, but, you need to be aware of them. First, you can't use rear window wipers. Second, the back-up alarm goes nuts because it registers a bike less than 6 inches behind you (I tolerate it for the few seconds it takes to back out of my driveway or out of a parking lot). Third, there is a little flexibility, it is held on with straps and clamps, not bolts, so, it bounces a little when you go over bumps or make sharp turns, however, it holds the bike fast to the frame and stays on the car. I use mine to transport my bike on short trips around town to bike trails. On a long trip I would suggest checking that the straps remain tight from time to time during the drive.
Positive: The product is well thought out and works for a wide range of automotive vehicles. It comes with interesting dampers that i think work. Instructions seem to be translated from another language, but are quite good, accompanying pictures make installation straightforward. A test drive over speed bumps shows that the rack will support the bike for all travel needs. It can be disassembled , collapsed and stored in the trunk. Downside: The rack is made for the classic triangular shaped frame: horizontal cross bar, "male" bike. For bikes without the horizontal bar, mounting is a little less satisfactory. Such a bike can only be mounted on the outside mounts. Cannot use the damper on one side. Picture shows the mounting. as to a design solution, maybe brackets could be replaced with smaller profile, some adjustability? however, as it is, vibration control is good and adjustability with smaller profile would have vibration concerns.
# 3
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
First-time rack buyer / owner / installer. The rack arrived in a timely fashion, maybe a day or 2 ahead of schedule. It was well packaged. I’m LOVING this bike rack. It was easy to put together and to mount on my new Honda Passport. Thus far, no squeaks in my 2” receiver. Hardest part of initial set-up is figuring out the best way to position two bikes. Trial & error and some patience. The directions weren’t clear as to where the 2 left-over screws went. I found the answer in another review and have posted a pic in case others have the same problem (photo with pen pointing at screw). These screws go in the underneath side of both of the folding arms. They appear to keep the wheel wells from sliding off in case in you drive with an empty, un-folded rack, and forgot to tighten down the wheel wells. The folding arm push / pull pins can be difficult at times. I coated the tips with some lube. That and a little jiggling seems to solve that issue. I guess it’s better for the pins to be snug vs popping right out. I added a small Master lock to the hitch pin (in lieu of the provided cotter pin) as a theft deterrent. I read that a 3/16 shackle lock will fit into the bike clamp down arms to also act as a deterrent. I had an old 3/16 lock that did snugly fit and appeared to be locked. HOWEVER, I yanked on the lock and it came open as there isn’t quite enough clearance for the shackle to lock. I discovered that longer 3/16 shackle locks are hard to find. Have attached a photo of the lock that actually fits and works (Ace Hardware). One lock on the upper clamp down arm will secure both arms as the lower arm can’t be removed without removing the upper arm. The clamp down arms appear to be coated to prevent damage to your bike. I’ve tried a simple rag and ultimately settled on pool noodle pieces as a precautionary measure. I CAN NOT open my tailgate (regardless of whether or not the rack is fold up and in the bike carry position). If that’s a concern for you, then spring for the more costly titling version. My back-up camera still functions.
The Swagman XTC-2 platform bike carrier arrived very quickly from etrailer and in good shape, the actual carrier box is inside another shipper box, which I'm sure helped with its condition. Assembly was relatively quick and painless, even though the instructions could be a little more thorough. Installing the carrier on the back of our Jeep Patriot also was quick, it helps to have an extra ratchet & 3/4" socket laying around for just this purpose. Installing the bikes takes a little patience and trial and error the first time you try and put them on the carrier. It's easy enough to adjust the wheel holders to fit the wheelbase of your bikes, but for us at least, the challenge was trying to swing the vertical support bar up into position after putting on the first bike (closest to the Jeep). We couldn't angle the bike enough toward the Jeep to have the bar clear the bike. We learned that the easiest way to secure the first bike was to remove the ratcheting frame hooks altogether, put the bike in the carrier, swing up the vertical support bar, put in the pin, and then slide one of the frame hooks down on the bar. The outside bike is much easier because you can set the bike in the carrier at whatever angle you need, not being limited by the back of the vehicle. One thing we did to protect the bike frames was to use some foam pipe insulation as cushion between the frame hook and the frame (see pictures). Once you get a system for installing the bikes, it is very quick to load/unload them. The rack seems to be well made and doesn't wiggle excessively when traveling. All in all a good product for a good price, would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a platform bike carrier.
# 4
Yakima HoldUp Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount
I just installed this on Friday and we used it for a short trip to the bike shop. So far, it is not bad. I had to laugh; Yakima applied their logo upside-down! I read the directions at least 3x to be sure I didn't have them reversed...I did it right. The directions also show a logo on both, upper & lower rack. I guess they wanted to save some $$ ? Assembly was easy with just three steps. The hitch has a lock to lock it to the car, which is great, but the cover won't stay on. It takes 2 hands, one to hold the lock in place and the other to try to put the cover over the lock. It just pops off the second you release pressure. I will try again in warmer weather, then tape it on so hopefully it will mold to the lock and eventually stay put without the tape. I am not convinced of the stability of the bikes, really. Going over bumps they do shake. For safety, we are going to add straps from the luggage rack and through the bikes, just in case. I really like the cable locks to secure the bikes to the rack. With our old rack there really wasn't a way to lock the bikes to the rack, and I always worried when we were traveling and stopped for food.
As etrailer reminded me, I have had this thing for a year and it is awesome. I did a lot of research before buying and am certainly glad it steered me towards this product. My hatch just clears the rack when it is in the stowed (up) position and it just clears my handlebars in the tilted (down) position. Fits like a glove! The bolt fits snugly and makes for a very quiet ride. I love the anti-theft bolt-end but I make sure to pull on it after installing because it is hard to tell for sure if it is on. Mine was not and I drove away, losing it. They're not super expensive, but are super back-ordered rn so I had to find one from MasterLock that fits. I actually take mine on and off a fair amount because I'm hauling stuff around and loading/unloading is much easier without the rack in place even with it all folded into the stowed position. I've taken this rack across the country a few times (with and without bikes) and it has been great. I try not to exceed 90mph with a bike in the rack... Two things to know: 1. When you are only carrying one bike you have to make certain that the other spot's ratcheting arm is as ratcheted-down as possible. I once had it slip and it was dragging in the roadway before someone started flashing lights at me and I caught it. 2. I use a Voile strap (elastic cargo strap) to hold my front tire down. See attached photo. If you don't, it is possible for the front wheel to roll back a little bit and loosen the fit. I don't know why Yakima hasn't made this change themselves but it's simple and makes your bike WAY more secure especially on winding roads.
# 5
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Super sturdy and easy to use/install. Love the bolt hitch attachment, keeps the rack from swaying/wobbling. Attachment points are very solid and the anti swing clips keep your bikes from smashing into each other and the rack during fast starts and stops. I use for all types of bikes, road, mountain, cruiser, children's, etc.
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
# 6
Swagman Titan Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
One of the few racks that will clear my Jeep's large rear mounted spare tire without using an extender. The other is the Allen which doesn't have the nice features the Swagman Titan has. Tips enough to allow partial opening of Jeep rear door, but enough to open the soft top rear window. The vertical portion of rack tips slightly toward vehicle (at least it does on mine). Would be better if the horizontal "S" shaped piece could be turned around to dip down, moving it further from the spare tire, but there are only holes drilled to mount it as shown. Can't attest to the durability yet, but it doesn't wobble even a tiny bit. Have to compliment everyone I spoke with at etrailer. very nice and extremely helpful.
eTrailer.com had my new Swagman Titan bike rack delivered super fast. I received the right amout of email communication informing me of the status of my order, plus I could track my delivery directly from the eTrailer website. Awesome! As for the hitch, I am so happy with it. I was tired of taking the front wheel off my bike and cramming it into the back of my small Corolla, it never really fit right, was always a struggle, and then I had no room for anything else in my car. Now, I just hang my bike onto the rack and strap it in, takes less than 60 seconds and I have all the extra room in my car and don't have to fold down the back seats. The other feature I really like is that this bike rack has an integrated locking cable, once your bike is on the rack, you attach the locking cable so now your bike is locked onto the rack. Someone can't take your bike off the rack and walk away with it when you aren't looking. I also got the Swagman bike rack locking pin, that attaches the bike rack to the car hitch. I've used the bike rack twice so far and it makes my life so much easier. Solidly built bike rack that is well worth it. Thank you eTrailer, you rock!
# 7
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Quick and reliable shipping and was able to take to my mechanic to get it installed and it works perfectly with my bike rack!
This is a very solid product! I have used it for over a year now and love it! I have had up to 3 bikes on this without a problem and have traveled over 8 hours in the car one way with absolutely no issues. Many other bike racks like this one that I see on other cars look unstable this is not unstable in anyway. I did have to file some of the paint off of the rack to get it to fit in my 1 and 1/4" hitch but once that was done it has been perfect. I also bought the locking hitch bolt which is awesome too.
# 8
Malone Hanger Trunk Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - Adjustable Arms
2019 Mazda CX-5. 1st you’ll want to get protective pads for the hooks. They sell them [online]. The hooks are coated with a rubberized material but I didn’t want to risk getting scratches as some other reviews said. As far as the actual rack it took a bit to get it adjusted so the bottom crank on my bike wouldn’t hit it. Top bar should be right in the middle of the rear window. Once I got it on & everything seemed secure I took off. 50 min trip 40 mins on the freeway. Unfortunately 20 min in the top hook came undone. I had to pull over on the emergency lane to re adjust it. Luckily 4 of the 6 straps were still tight enough to hold my bike on but I almost lost it. After I got it secured again I made it to my destination with no other issues. Definitely watched it thru my rear view tho. On my way back I knotted all the excess strap around the rack to secure it even more. I added a picture for an example. It seemed to help. I had no issues on the way back. I would suggest if you need to go on the freeway keep your speed below 60mph. Once I got home & took my bike off I did notice the red cradles did get some wear from the shifting cables & hydraulic brake hoses. Also the padding in anti sway cages came off (Added a picture below) & left a few scratches on the bike frame. I’ll have to figure out a way to protect the frame for the next trip. Overall it’s not an ok rack. Definitely more for short trips under 30mph. You shouldn’t have any issues. If you have to do some short Freeway trips really secure it & knot the excess strap. Keep your speed under 60/65mph & add something where the anti sway cage is to prevent scratches on your frame. Avoid anything longer then 40 mins. I’ll probably look into another rack for my 50 min trip & use this only for short city trips under 30mph. Also avoid leaving your bike unattended. This has a cable lock but someone could easily clip it. I’d suggested getting a 2nd chain lock for added security if you need to park. Stay close & don’t leave it for more then a few mins. And remember to take it off before getting on the road again.
The Malone rack adjusts to fit my 2017 Trax really snugly and securely. Once we learned how to configure the bikes for best fit, everything traveled without movement. The only downside is that this system seems designed for narrow road bikes rather than the mountain and hybrid bikes we own. Although the anti-sway cradles are sufficiently wide for mountain tires, the close proximity of the individual bike setups sometimes cause a strap to pull loose during travel, so we keep the bikes cabled to the rack frame. We are able to make it work. For narrower bikes, I would recommend this rack without reservation.
# 9
Thule Gateway Pro 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Exactly as advertised, transported 2 Trek bikes on on the back of my 2016 Toyota Avalon without issue - travelling from Boston MA to Green Bay WI. Outstanding price buying this item as open-box. etrailer's website is the best I could find on the web with name brand racks, automated compatibility vehicle check, and they they shipped overnight.
The delivery was quicker than I expected, but apparently the item was not checked before shipping. There was a key strap missing. I called customer service and they said they would send me a replacement part. If that goes well, I would move my rating to four stars from two.
# 10
Yakima OnRamp Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Frame Mount
Excellent bike rack. I had a very small issue trying to hook up the hitch part, but all went well. Also, I received excellent customer service from Sara. She was very helpful and extremely friendly. It was a pleasure receiving great customer service from Sara.
We purchased this rack for our fifth wheel based on etrailer’s video and description that stated the rack’s load capacity was 66 pounds per bike. However, when we received the package, Yakima’s literature stated that the load capacity was only 40 pounds when installed on an RV. We called Dan at etrailer. He was very helpful in securing a return with a prepaid shipping label. Great customer service, just an unacceptable product for our needs.
# 11
Saris Bones 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
While getting a bike rack for a sports car isn't ideal, I really wanted to transfer my bike with my own car instead of borrowing my friend's pickup truck. After hours of trying to find a bike rack that would be good for my 07 Mustang, I decided to give this one a try and I gotta say, it has been pretty good so far. It fits very well over the factory spoiler. One of my biggest concerns I was worried about when ordering a rack for my Mustang was ruining the paint, but the feet on the legs haven't left one scratch. I have used this to transfer my bike at freeway speeds (up to 80 mph) on car rides that typically last an hour and my bike was perfectly secure throughout each ride. For extra security, I wrapped both bike wheels with a ratchet strap so the wheels and pedals wouldn't shift in transit. So far, I am very pleased with this bike rack for the price and quality. I would highly recommend this if you want a rack that is affordable and durable.
Seemingly well-constructed and supported bike rack. It fits my 2018 Toyota Camry SE just fine and I haven't had any issues with sway or even feeling my bike while driving. I've only carried one bike on it and have used it a limited number of times, so I cannot speak on durability and longevity. Although you shouldn't open your trunk while the rack is attached, I have been able to do so with no issue (without the bike attached).
# 12
Kuat NV 2.0 Base Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount - Matte Black
I've taken this rack all over New England on the front of my Dodge Ram 3500 pick up truck with a truck camper. I had no idea it was possible to love a bike rack so much. After one drive I didn't ever worry about it again. So nice that it locks up when I am camping or taking a quick stop for food on the road. So glad I bought it from etrailer. They totally help me pick the perfect rack for my challenging set up.
Still very new, but what an awesome bike rack! Assembly was a snap and the rack is rock-solid when you secure it to the hitch receiver. etrailer was amazing too - excellent communication, price and fast, free delivery. Overall I am extremely happy with the rack and service!
# 13
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I have a Dirty Sixer 36" wheel bike and my wife has an electric bike. This rack handles them both very easy. This is one of the only bikes racks the 36er will fit on. We are extremely happy with the purchase and will more than likely be purchasing another one in the near future. Assembly was very easy!!
This bike rack works great for our 2 Lectric 2.0 e-bikes. We mount it on our 2019 Honda Ridgeline. It folds up nicely when it’s on the truck and we are using our bikes. The locking mechanisms work well also. I contacted support for a smaller hook arm to clamp B over the bike frame. They knew exactly what I needed and shipped it - no problem.
# 14
Thule Gateway Pro 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Hyundai ElantraStill working great on my Hyundai Elantra sedan! It's used mostly to carry one bike, but have used it with three bikes with no problems. Easy to put on the car, and easy to store it in the car when not in use.
I did my research to make sure this 3 bike rack would fit my car. Unfortunately when it’s properly attached to my Honda Accord, the 3rd bikes petals rub up against my license plate and trunk therefore scratching my paint. Contacted etrailer and sent them pics. Very unhappy that they would suggest that I only use 2 bikes so it doesn’t damage my car. Defeats spending more $ on a 3 bike rack
What our customers are saying:
"great experience!!! I've been looking for a hitch. With the experience I just had with the bike rack, I;kk definitely come back and order the hitch when I have a little more $$$. delivery was quick! the product was awesome!!! Frank"