Recommendation for Carrying 3 Bikes on 2015 Honda Fit

Question:

I recently purchased the Draw-Tite trailer hitch for my 2015 Honda Fit. After I had it installed, I realized that Class I trailer hitches are limited to carrying only 2 bikes. I need to carry 3 bikes for my family. How can this be done when my hitch can only accommodate 2 bikes? I'd rather not have to put my daughter's bike inside the car.

asked by: Nan

Expert Reply:

Even though all 3 bike cannot be carried on the hitch, there are a couple of ways to carry 3 bikes on your 2015 Honda Fit without having to put the 3rd bike in the car.

One option is to go with a 3-bike trunk mount carrier, like the Thule Gateway XT3-Bike Rack # TH9007XT. I really like this bike rack because it offers anti-sway cradles to prevent bike-to-bike contact, grooved cradles to accommodate lines ran on the outside of your bike's frame, and narrowly spaced arms that are 12 inches apart to help make loading bikes easier while still an economical price. I've attached a review video of this rack for you.

If you prefer to use the Draw-Tite hitch you've already installed, the option I recommend is a roof rack with a roof bike carrier.

A roof rack will allow you to carry 2 bikes at the hitch and the 3rd bike on the roof, better distributing the weight of the bikes over the vehicle. A great roof rack option that also comes with an economical price tag is the Inno Square Bar Roof Rack # INB127, # INSUT, # INK876. This rack will offer a custom fit for your vehicle and will work well to carry one of your bikes.

If your bikes don't have quick-release front wheels, we offer a number of bike racks that will not require the front wheel to be removed, such as the Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier # Y02103. All of the roof-mount bike rack can be seen at the link on this page.

Since your hitch is a Class I trailer hitch, you will want to make sure the hitch bike rack you choose is compatible with Class I hitches. One of my favorite compatible racks is the Kuat Beta 2-Bike Rack # B202-114. This rack is make of aluminum for a durable, yet very lightweight construction. This bike rack will only take up less than 13 pounds of your tongue weight capacity. I have attached a review video of this rack for you.

For bikes such as a child's bike with a smaller frame, or women's bikes that have alternative frames, a Bike Adapter Bar # UB01 is a great solution. This bar will provide more space to allow you to load the bikes easier and so the bikes can be carried more level.

I understand these solutions are not as ideal as being able to carry all of the bikes on the hitch. However these options will allow you to carry the bikes more safely. Since you'd rather not put the bike in the vehicle, there are other options that could work for you.