Solution for 4 Bike Platform Rack Where Two Bikes Dont Fit Next to Each Other Together Well

Question:

I just purchased this rack, which is mounted on a 2015.5 Volvo XC60. Two issues are apparent with my first use: 1.The tilt angle of the rack is insufficient to allow me to open the tailgate when I have my 57cm road bike mounted on the inside track. Is the tilt angle adjustable, or is there some other adjustment or trick to gain some clearance? 2.It was very difficult to mount two bikes on the two inside tracks without each contacting and obstructing the other. Whether I mounted them with the bikes oriented in the same handlebar to handlebar or opposite handlebar to seat directions, the handlebars, or handlebars and seats contacted each other and made securing the bikes very difficult. I shifted the wheel tracks around as much as I could to make them fit, but in the end I could only get it done by putting the handlebar of one bike over the top bar of the other. That worked because the bikes were of different sizes but would not if they were the same size. Any ideas on how to address these issues or encountered similar complaints with this product? Thanks

asked by: Jack E

Expert Reply:

Any time you go to load multiple bikes on a rack it can sometime get difficult if the two bikes next to each other are the same size. You end up running into the issues you described. Since this is a 4 bike rack and you most likely are carrying more than 2 bikes at a time you might try having different bikes next to each other so that they would hopefully fit together better.

The tilt angle of the Yakima Platform Rack # Y02443-2 is not adjustable unfortunately.

expert reply by: Jameson C