1UP Bicycle Rack Question
 

I am looking at getting a 1UP bicycle rack and they have the original Quik Rack 1.25"

https://www.1up-usa.com/product/quik-rack-single/

and the Equip-D Single 1.25"

https://www.1up-usa.com/product/equip-d-single/

I watched the videos on how to use them and the original Quik Rack seems simpler to use. On the Equip-D there is a red pin that has to be removed to rotate the rack(and another pin that sits beside the red pin). It seems to me the non-red pin might be jarred out of place. On the Quik Rack just pull a handle. Anyone have experience with both?

Don't bother with 1.25". Just get a 2"hitch receiver and get the real racks. I have their 2"single rack and am very happy.

They sure provide quality, but 2"is just inherently better. Especially with more weight, higher speeds etc.

Cry once... a 1up rack will last a life time.

I have a 1.25" hitch now and do not want to go to the expense of switching that out now on a 2009 vehicle. I have an old style rack that holds the bicycles by the top tube and seems to do fine(for two), it sways some. I am only usually transporting one bicycle.

Get an expander to hold the 2 inch rack, they sell one, but way over priced. I found one at the where I had my the 1.25" rack I installed on an old CRV way back in the day. They are about $20 to $30 or so. The 1 Up is a fantastic rack, will not be disappointed, I was very happy when I decided to move to theirs from my 12 yr old Yakima.

Edit: Found this one:

Ignore those guys and get the 1.25. Running an adapter just extends your rack out further, increases the leverage on the hitch, lowers your max tongue weight, and adds more places to wiggle.
I've never seen a D in person but yeah watching that video doesn't seem like that great of an update. The tilt on the old one which I have is a bit of a pain but not that big of a deal, becomes more of an issue the more trays you add on since you have to reach further under the rack. The pain part is the lever kinda jams a bit and you may have to wiggle it or the rack to get it to move every now and again.

Don't worry about it. I have never folded up my quick rack single. It doesnt help with clearance. I can undersand folding the 2 bike model if you don't have a bike on it.

At the parking lot yesterday a small SUV had the 1.25” and I got to look and try to wiggle it. It was rock solid. I ordered the 1.25” original when I got back home from my ride😎

2” is definitely better, but only if you have a 2” receiver.

If you have a 1.25” receiver, using an extender to stick a 2” in a 1.25” reciever completely defeats the purpose of having a 2” rack, and will be LESS stable than a 1.25” rack.

One nice thing about 1Up is that (at least on the standard rack) you can replace the 1-1/4” hitch piece with a 2” one down the road. That part is the only difference between the 1.25” and 2” versions of the basic rack.

Not a reason to avoid a 2" rack. Just get a 1.25 - 2" converter. That's what I did on my Subaru. Use an anti-rattle clamp (look it up) between the 1.25 receiver and the 2" adapter and it will be rock solid. Even without the anti rattle clamp, it still works fine, just makes noise and has a bit more movement. Just don't be an idiot and think it actually turns the capacity of your vehicle into that of a 2" receiver. But a bike rack is the same whether it's on a 1.25 or 2" receiver (allowing for a slight difference in torque and therefore carrying capacity because of the extension...irrelevant for the weight of a bike rack).

It is just as stable as it is on my 2" receiver. People who think it's less stable because of the adapter are plain wrong.

You can't use their bike lock on the Quick Rack single because there aren't any holes in the tire arms...although you could drill your own. Also the mechanism to lower the rack if you want to open the hatch door or truck is bad design. The Equip D has a nice pull handle on the front to lower the rack. That handle should be on all of their racks IMO.

If there is no difference in the stability of a 1.25” connection vs a 2” connection, than what is the point of getting the 2” version of the rack to begin with?

My reply above might be taken as being opposed to the 1.25 option. Based on prior experience with a 1.25" rack, I don't believe there's any stability issue. I do not have any knowledge about the 1.25 options the OP was talking about and if the 2" version actually provides features that the 1.25" model does not.

I was just trying to make the point that having a 1.25" receiver on a vehicle should not be considered a barrier to getting a 2" rack. If the OP's 2" option has features that the 1.25 does not, go with the 2". The adapters - especially with an anti-rattle clamp - are as stable and quiet as if they weren't there. I did acknowledge that the adapter does extend the receiver therefore increasing torque of the load and that needs to be taken into consideration. This needs to be considered for heavy loads like the tongue weight of a trailer, or a receiver hitch cargo carrier. But not for a bike rack (IMHO). Maybe not if the user had two heavy e-bikes? But for normal road or mountain bikes, I don't think weight is an issue.

Anyway, I had several personal reasons to get the 2", not in order, but it wasn't based on stability, per se. My rack is a Yakima. I like to have the option of using it on my 2" receiver (truck) and the possibility of adding 2 more bikes (total 4) which the 2" Yakima has an option for, but not the 1.25 (which I wouldn't do if it was on the 2" adapter car). Second, the 2" was available locally where the 1.25 would have required shipping expense - not insignificant where I live. Finally, I already had a 2" adapter in place for a small utility trailer I tow regularly. Factors which likely don't apply very often to others!

My previous Yakima receiver rack was 1.25 and 2" compatible. The shaft was 1.25, but it came with a very simple 2" adapter that was attached to the shaft with an allen bolt, didn't require the receiver itself to have an adapter. I wonder why this isn't routine?

People seem to be missing the part where the 1.25 - 2" Quick Rack comes with it's own 2" adapter that allows it to be used in either size receiver.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0610a0a122.png

Don't those adapters add more flex between the joints?

Structurally it is a 1.25". That adapter just makes it fit, but not as strong as 2".

A 2" hitch receiver cost almost the same as the 1.25. So I don't see the point in installing a 1.25" receiver.

They probably could, but in this situation with a 40 lb rack, and a 20 lb bike, it was a non factor. It only extended the receiver about 2 inches. I would never do that if I was looking to pull something, but for a bike rack, meh, no big deal.

Absolutely. As I and others mentioned above, you just have to be smart enough to understand this.

Some vehicles don't take a 2" receiver and/or aren't spec'd for them so installers won't install them.

As I mentioned a couple of times above, if you use an anti-rattle clamp, they're very solid. Here's one example, that doesn't require tools to put on and off. See a site like eTrailer to see the variety available.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bb3ed7678f.png


This is the sort of adapter a Yakima rack I had years ago had. It's a great way to do it.

Technically true, yet irrelevant to the question asked.

With a single bike rack such as those cited, you're nowhere near the typical 350lb tongue weight rating for a 1.25" rack and the additional capability of a 525lb rated 2" hitch gives zero functional benefit.

Also true, yet also irrelevant to the question asked..

OP already has a 1.25" hitch installed per post #3. Thus it would cost more to replace the existing 1.25" hitch than to use it.

It works very well - I have the 1.25-2" QuickRack single and switch it between two vehicles, one with a 1.25" receiver and the other with a 2" receiver. I use an AddOn for the times I carry two bicycles. My wife has the 2" SuperDuty Single for her car and thus I have experience with both and can report they're equally solid.

Sure, if someone is buying a hitch and the vehicle can accommodate a 2" receiver that'd be the way to go, but in OP's case of already having a 1.25" hitch installed the 1.25"-2" QuickRack Single is a fine choice. Just be aware it's rated to 50# per spot (up to three bike spots with AddOn's) in case thinking about ebikes.

Here is my 1UP 1.25" that I just received. It is very solid for one bicycle with the 1.25" hitch. It actually sways slightly from the front wheel pivoting while you are driving.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1fcexjeyd..._0319.jpg?dl=0

1.) It is a nice piece of engineering. Everything is milled perfectly and no scratches.
2.) First concern was what if a tire went flat on the bicycle while driving. Google searches said not to worry.
3.) Since I had a $69 dollar rack previously, I was not worried about theft. Now I am. Going to look at getting a u-lock and lock the rack to the hitch. This would also solve the concern of the post coming out. They give you a Velcro strap for this but in no way would it stop the rack from falling out. When I am traveling and staying over night at a hotel or camping I will just disconnect and put it in the back of the SUV. It is very light and compact.
4.) In using it for taking the bicycle off, you want to disconnect the front wheel first.. Otherwise, if you did the rear first, the bicycle will pivot on the front wheel and want to fall off. You can do the front wheel and them move to the rear and the bicycle stays stable.
5.) Have not tried the extension, but will in a few weeks. It is again perfectly milled and assembled with no manufacturing blemishes of any kind.
6.) I actually hated installing it the first time as I knew my older 1.25" hitch was going to mess up the nice aluminum post on the 1UP(scratches and rust marks).

I used to have a 2 inch hitch and a 1.25 rack and this was the perfect device to stop all the shaking and rattling.

i have had the original 1UP with the 1.25 on my Forester for over 4 years >>> no problems and solid :thumb:

#2 - if you wish to make absolutely sure, either use a couple of 1UP Wheel Locks or a velcro cinch strap around the bottom of each wheel similar to what came with the rack.

#3 - the strap is intended to prevent the rack from wiggling out of the receiver if it should loosen, and is plenty strong for that purpose. Just make sure it's tight. I also check that the rack is tight in the hitch receiver by giving it a wiggle as I walk by.

For brief stops while traveling I use the Hitch Bar Lock which I thought was included with the 1.25" Quick Rack now, along with a couple Wheel Locks as referenced in #2. The ability to fold the rack makes it easy to stash inside a trunk or back of an SUV for the overnight stops where you'll be taking the bike inside.

This is my low tech security device for the rack itself:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f466cd780.jpeg

Stuff I had on hand. I will likely get a more heavy duty lock and some hardened steel chain.

Yes, Hitch Bar Lock came with the rack. I ordered the wheel locks as they are on sale. Thanks for the recommendation!