# 1
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
etrailer has the best pre- and post-sales customer service I've ever seen! I started out not knowing anything about hitch-mounted racks. So I wrote to etrailer telling them about my car and type of hitch I was about to have installed. Samuel wrote back with lots of great information tailored specifically to my car. He even included a photo that looked just like my 2017 white VW GTI with a hitch and rack installed. Okay something of a coincidence. But the rest of the assistance I got from the crew at etrailer was just as prophetic. I went into this a novice and came out knowing lots more about hitches and racks and finding the rack best suited to my situation. I have a small car, a class 1 hitch and a heavy mountain bike. I got exactly what I needed. As to the Swagman rack itself, it works fine. If I had a different situation I would probably buy a platform rack as they are easier to load. There's no reason to buy a bike rack anywhere else.
First off, thanks to Jason T. or "Troop". The exemplary customer service he provided is rare these days. Troop made several calls to the various manufacturers to ascertain which bike rack would afford me the most ground clearance as my new VW Golf sits low to the ground and my old bike rack frequently scraped the ground when I went up even a slight up hill grade. His efforts paid off as he found me the best bike rack for my car, the Swagman Trailhead 2 Bike Carrier. It sits up off the ground just high enough that it doesn't scrape on my driveway. It is also sturdy and holds my bikes securely. And, the delivery was amazingly fast. I had my rack in about 2 days! Note to Troop, see my Pittsburgh Pirates Logo on my bumper in the attached pictures? Pirate Fans persevere! The Bucco's will be coming after your Cardinals this year! Thanks again Troop!
# 2
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.
# 3
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.
# 4
Rola Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
Decent 4-bike rack for the price. Stable side-to-side with the screw-in hitch pin (2 inch receiver version). Gets some fore-aft rocking over bumps at speed (inherent to the tilting design). Bikes need bungee cords to keep them from swinging (typical for this style of rack). I used this with two bikes, and really struggle to see how four full-size bikes could be added. Maybe if seats were removed? I added bumpers and some padding for the vertical post, and will probably relocate the retainer pin lanyard so the rack can be completely collapsed for storage. A few design improvements for 5 star rating would be: 1 - Add some bumpers for the fully lowered position, 2 -Add some padding on the vertical post for bike contact or accidental vehicle hatch lifting when in the raised position, 3 - Mount the retainer pin lanyard to one of the through-bolts or move the lanyard hole - collapsing this rack chews up the retaining lanyard. etrailer.com service was great - well packaged, and quickly shipped!
Excellent service and fast shipping by etrailer. Bike rack itself was easy to put together and install. It came in with a few scratches. It works well with large bikes. Slight problems started with the smaller bikes. The rack's arms are wide enough to accommodate the bikes, but the slides are not designed for smaller frames. If you have smaller bikes you might have to purchase the bike frame adapter bar for each bike. It's not a huge problem for us since the kids are growing up fast and soon they will have to graduate to the large frame bikes. In the mean time I will have to use extra straps to hold them together.
# 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
Thule OutWay Trunk Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - Adjustable Arms
Ordered for a 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid and it fits perfectly. Carrier feels solid and was easy to put together and mount on vehicle.
The rack is great just what I was looking for. The only issue I see is the straps are plastic so after using them for a little bit they broke. I had to order replacements. Let’s see how much time they last!
# 7
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.
# 8
Saris Bones EX 3 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Great product so far! Easy to install and adjust. A little tricky to load 2 large handlebar mountain bikes and a third smaller bike, but we just turned them sideways with the front wheels taken off. We had racks on bikes which were probably the impediment. We got them on though! Love how it folds up easy for quick storage. Works great on 2014 Subaru Outback.
Fits great on my Lexus NX but I’m worried about the bottom legs. Instructions doesn’t say if the bottom feet should be on the rear bumper or trunklid. I placed it on the top rear bumper but because of the limited space, the feet is not fully set in. I didn’t place it on the trunklid because I didn’t feel like the trunklid was strong enough to withhold the rack and bikes without possibly making a dent. Also, I searched everywhere but my saris came missing one of the bottom hooks. Had to use side hooks instead because I had to get the huggers for the top and side straps.
# 9
Yakima HangOver Bike Rack for 6 Mountain Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
The Yakima Hangover 6 made it about 2 months before a rubber strap broke that holds the bike from flying off the rack. I discovered the tear after a 250 mile trip and was thankful I didn't lose a bike. I inspected the other 5 and contacted Yakima. The wait time for my warranty issue to be addressed was ridiculous. I ordered a new strap from etrailer as my hopes for Yakima to come through were not high. 6 months later, Yakima responded to my claim and did sent 6 complete strap assemblies. However, the assembly included bolts that were too small? So to utilize a new rubber strap, I have to disassemble both assemblies and reassemble. The rack does the job. I use a device to stop it from swaying on the hitch as much as it does. There are better designs out there and sort of wish I spent some more money for a better design.
I would strongly recommend NOT dealing with this company. My bike rack arrived very late and after delivery I realized it was not compatible with my bikes. I was looking for a six bike rack that could hold my family's bikes (2 adult + 4 small children's bikes) and this rack is very specific for ADULT MOUNTAIN BIKES ONLY. I did not realize this and called the customer service to initiate a return after having a hitch put onto my car. I was told I could not return. I was out over $1k and ended up giving this rack away on my local free cycle as it was NO value to me and took up space in my garage. I am not a bike expert just a mom with 4 small kiddos looking for ways to enable them to play outdoors, I would have appreciated a better product explanation up front so I understood this would not be a fit for my needs. I would have benefitted from better customer service. Suggest passing on this product/company.
# 10
Hollywood Racks Destination Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
I’ve ordered multiple products from etrailer and the service is always attentive and delivery is fast. This bike rack installed easily and holds our four bikes securely (we have two adult and two kids bikes).
I have used this rack a lot in the past year and am happy with it. I have had zero issues. The price can not be beat. It holds 4 bikes easily for me but it helps to have a mix of sizes to offset the handlebars a little (I carry small and medium size bikes). I also found orienting the pedals up and down work better than front to back. Loading and unloading is quick once you get the hang of how to align the pedals. Where it differs from a rack 4X the price, this does strap around the frame so I have taped my bike frames to prevent paint damage. It bolts into the receiver, so it does take a wrench to install (it's not hard but an extra step). For the price this is a very solid rack and gets the job done.
# 11
Curt Bike Rack for 5 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
It was obvious that we received a product that was returned by someone else when the box was overly taped shut, a support collar was broken, and most of the pieces were out of their ripped plastic bags. However, it was a great price to hold 5, 26" and/or 27" Trek bikes. I used a piece of the broken collar and went ahead and assembled the rack. Due to the weight of the 5 bikes it did not wobble that much when driving, as one of the bike tires was up against my car. I can only imagine that if we received an untampered product that this review would have been 5 stars. The picture is a little hard to see, but there are 5 Trek bikes on the rack on my 2020 Toyota Seinna.
We received a damaged box, damaged items, no instructions, the nuts and bolts are completely stripped and not inside a bag. This was obviously used, returned, not checked for quality and sent out. We are extremely upset.
What our customers are saying:
"Everyone that bought before me was right! I got my rack in time for my next days off and putting it together was fast too. And I'm a grandma!! Thank you for being fast and honest! You beat anyone in my town hands down!"