xenabr549

Any recommendation on bike rack?,, hitch fit for my pickup,, both mens and womens bikes.

THANKS

Koyote

If you read up, you'll find that the top three choices are the cradle-style hitch-mounted racks from Thule (T2 pro xt2, I think it's called), Kuat Sherpa 2.0, and the 1up models.

They are all relatively costly, and pretty great. I've got the Thule, and no complaints.

twowheeldesign

I have a Kuat NV Base 2.0, went with it over the Sherpa since you can add an attachment to make it a 4-bike rack.

I like it, it is slick to load a variety of styles/sizes of bikes. The one knock on it I saw when purchasing was that some of the components are plastic and may not last in the sun after a few years, but it sounds like they have good customer service to help with that. If you want the most robust option, everyone raves about the 1up, but I couldn't pony up for that at the time.

As Koyote said, any of the top models people mention are pretty great. One that wasn't mentioned was Rocky Mounts. I was intrigued by them when I was buying a rack, as they looked slick and were slightly cheaper than others, but unfortunately that meant I couldn't find one in stock anywhere!

Koyote

You can do that with the Thule that I mentioned, too.

Your Kuat is pricey, but I believe it now comes standard with the built-in workstand attachment. I wouldn't see myself using that often, but it would be handy feature occasionally, I imagine.

To the OP: I spent years schlepping my bikes inside my vehicle; bought a rack this past spring, and within a month I was wishing I had done it years ago.

themp

I am cheap so I went with:
https://allen.bike/collections/hitch-racks

sarhog

One Up USA, hands down the best rack, and the best value.

xenabr549

Thanks for the reply, I will check them out..

Korina

Check out etrailer.com; they have good prices.

Koyote

Not so good if you ever transport a fendered bike.

Paul Barnard

Why don't you transport them in the bed of your truck rather than use them for a bumper?

Phil_gretz

I'm a fan of tray-type carriers, as they can adapt to many different styles of bicycles. However, I don't use one anymore, I prefer the Saris Bones style of ratcheting clamps, especially with a third clamp for the seat tube.

Kapusta

This^^*^

Doable, but a bit of a hassle to reconfigure the arms for them, and I still need to strap down the rear wheel. I only transport fendered bikes a couple times a year, so it is not so bad, but if a fendered bike was in my regular rotation, I’d get a different rack for sure.

Kapusta

What you are showing here is the biggest selling point of the rack for me:

With a single tray mounted, when not in use, it can fold up against the bumper and be completely out of the way of the rear hatch.

So much attention is given to how rasy a rack is when loading and unloading. But what makes a bigger difference to me is how convenient is it all of the time I DON’T have bikes on the rack.

Koyote

I use the Thule xt pro. The rear wheel straps down onto a tray, and then the front wheel clamps down over the fender. I put a bit of pipe insulation under the fender, i.e., between the tire and fender, so that the clamp doesn't bend the fender.

Still, if I transported fendered bikes a lot, I would have an entirely different type of rack.

Edited to add: Kapusta does identify a huge advantage of the 1up rack. I do get tired of swinging my Thule rack downward to open the rear hatch on my SUV. On the other hand, since getting the rack, I've not gotten a single bill in the mail from our turnpike system -- the camera can't read my rear license plate with the rack in the way, and we don't have front plates. So, that's an advantage. If I drive the turnpike enough, this rack will pay for itself eventually.

sarhog

I leave my rack on for trips to states with toll roads for this purpose.

blakcloud

As long as you don't have fenders the Thule Helium Platform 2 is another option. It is a copy of the 1UP but it is cheaper, lighter and available. It takes less than thirty seconds to load a bike. I have been using mine for about a month and so far I have no regrets.

The rack I needed had to be able to carry bikes with front baskets and a carbon fiber bike which preclude front wheel clamping systems and frame clamping systems. The Thule fits my needs perfectly.

Kapusta

Can you adjust the height of the part that clamps the on the wheel?

blakcloud

No, that is where the 1UP shines. It can handle heavier bikes and different wheel sizes including kid sized bikes. Thule does 559-622 mm sized wheels.

coffeesnob

get a van. nice to be able to lock the van and bikes up when needed.

Koyote

That might be a bit more costly than a bike rack.

Mojo31

I’ve been happy with the Kuat Transport 2. Less expensive, and very solid. Does not touch the frames of the bikes just like others mentioned. A bit more compact for storage when not in use. Lighter than the bigger Kuat and Thule racks, so easier to handle when off the vehicle.

Paul Barnard

This is what I use for my truck. https://www.swagman.net/product.htm?...8211&cat=40495

dedhed

Because work tools, camping gear, any number of things already taking up that space.

Paul Barnard

I have transported my bikes with a bed full of assorted gear and junk. The back wheel of the bicycle rests nicely atop anything from suitcases, to ice chests, to bags of garbage from the camp. There is no way I am using my bikes for a bumper when there are better options. Bikes can even be carried on top of a tonneau cover with a fork block and something simple to immobilize the back wheel. I think we are talking to ourselves though. The OP seems to be yet another low post noob who starts a discussion and stays out of it.

GlennR

I've seen pickups with a bar that spans side to side of the bed with quick release stations. You remove the front wheels and clip the bike in to each station.. That way nothing is hanging past the bumper.

Sort of like a roof rack, but in the bed.