SUV

Hi
im here to get your opinions and any suggestions and advice which bike rack is best to be hitch mounted on a SUV
thanks
catz

Tomm Willians

While there will be considerable debate on “best” I can say that our Kuat has been flawless, exceedingly pleased with it.

pdlamb

You'll have as good an answer (maybe better) going to see what your LBS has. They'll have to deal with a substantial number of customers, so it's in their best interest to sell quality products. What you get here is a collection of "what I bought" stories. Most of us only buy one (my Yakima rack is 15 years old -- and it works great!).

Cyclist0108

Kuat and One-up are two options worth considering, if you want a good rack that doesn't touch the bike frame (only the wheels). One-Up seems the most popular around here. I have the Kuat Sherpa 2.0, which has the merit of being reasonably light-weight, and a locking pin to the trailer hitch. Ground clearance for me is quite poor (on Rav4 2017).

I'm pretty sure One-Up is something you order from them directly, rather than a LBS. REI has a good collection of racks.

If you need to install a hitch receiver, https://www.etrailer.com

JanMM

Got a Yakima Two Timer tray mount rack in 2019 to use on a Mazda 5 wagon. (2013) Have used it to carry a Trek Verve+ e-assist bike (minus battery) and either of my two short wheelbase recumbent bikes. One long trip and many shorter trips. Works well.

veganbikes

If you want best Küat NV 2.0 or Thule EasyFold XT ATMO.

The Küat is nice for many reasons but my top three are wheel attachment so any and all frames can work (though tiny wheel bikes need adaptors), Expandability to either 4 or 3 bikes and back down to 2 without much fuss, and the ability to use the Trail Doc to work on a bike or wash it off or something at trailhead in case something happens. Also lifetime warranty and really good looks are nice. Though I will say it can be a bit of a pain to put together not absolutely terrible but just a bit of a pain unless you have good arm strength.

The Thule EasyFold is an excellent rack as well. It does use the frame to mount so it can be a bit fiddly on some bikes but is fairly lightweight can hold two e-bikes and folds up for easy storage and moving (on its wheels). One trick I recommend and will eliminate a lot of issues that people think they have is to rock the rack back and forth a little as you are tightening, that way it finds center and doesn't wobble. It also locks with the same key for all the locks and the arms to tighten to the frame have built in torque sensing so it will give and audible click when it is properly tightened so no guessing and potentially causing damage. This one is already together just need to take off packaging and unfold. If you visit Europe you can purchase a 3 bike version but sadly they do not allow sales of them in the U.S. and believe me we have tried. A lot of our staff own these and have had excellent success with them along with a ton of our customers.

If you are having issues with clearance you might try the Hi/Lo Adaptor from Küat.

sean.hwy

+1

https://www.kuatracks.com/product/sherpa-2-0/

I have been very happy with my Kuat Sherpa 2.0

By far the best upgrade.

jaxgtr

I been using a Yakima Hold Up 2 for a while and I really like it, but I plan to get a 1up soon as I find I am more often than not, hauling 1 bike, so no need for a 2 bike rack all the time. With the 1up, I can add the 2nd bike rack as needed and remove it when I dont. It's a nice deal and so much lighter to put on and off the hitch.

Gresp15C

Everything depends on the bikes. For instance old fashioned steel and aluminum frame bikes, hybrids, cruisers, etc., can be hung from their top tube. Other bikes don't have a good way to hang onto them, or are delicate racing bikes, and have to be held by the wheels. Of course those are generalizations. It does help to look at a rack up close and decide if you're happy with how to load it, and how it hangs onto your bike.

My family's bikes are strictly in the first category, and so we can get away with a rack that hangs the bikes from their top tubes, a Thule Parkway, which looks like it isn't made any more. It was relatively inexpensive, and doesn't take up a lot of space when it's off the car.

A drawback is that the new car doesn't like it. The back up camera complains.

As mentioned above, I've been happy with 2 hitch receivers from eTrailer so far. It was a lot cheaper than having one installed, and I didn't pay for the ball or the trailer wiring package, which we won't ever use. Figure out which receiver size you need for the rack that you choose. Next, read the actual instructions and watch the installation videos before buying anything, to decide if it's a job that you really want to tackle. If they have more than one kind of receiver for your car, each one will have its own particulars, such as whether you have to drill extra holes in the car, modify the bumper, etc. A shop will also have to do those things if they use the same hitch. On our latest car I chose the particular hitch that didn't require me to cut the bumper or drill the frame of the car.

A hitch receiver is heavy, so it might be a two person job. I got them installed myself by lifting them into place with a couple of car jacks. Again, read the instructions and satisfy yourself that you can do the installation safely before ordering.

biker128pedal

For the money and if you don’t mind hanging from the top tube, Allen racks are good. I’ve had mine more about 10 years. It’s the cheapest 3 bike rack so the height is not adjustable. There have others that are adjustable. Also they offer 1-1/4 and 2 inch hitch size. I have 1-1/4 and if using in a 2 inch use the adapter. Last they have an anti sway bolt doohickey to bolt the rack down. I use this and it keeps the honest people honest.

In the future I may get tray rack or roof rack. That is when I get a new mountain bike.

blakcloud

The best rack is the one that fits your needs and carries the types of bikes you own. For me the best was the Thule Helium Platform Pro because it can carry the different kind of bikes I own and was light enough to get on and off my sedan when I am not using it and this was important to me.

The 1UP seems to check a lot of boxes but it is heavy and you may not need such a rack if you are carrying sub 20 lb carbon bikes. It can accommodate almost any bike and has optional accessories such as license plate holder and lighting system if you want. Made in the US if that matters to you. The drawbacks for me, availability is limited, the shipping was astronomical to Canada and then I would have to pay my Canadian tax 13% plus brokerage fees by the carrier. Plus the conversion on the dollar (33%). If I had a bigger disposable income this would be the rack to buy. This would last a lifetime.

Second choice is the Kuats that have been recommend above. Not as versatile to carry different kinds of bikes but if they carry what you want they would be hard to beat. Much lighter to take on and off and aesthetically they certainly are the best looking in my eyes. They wouldn't work for me with one of my bikes that has a front basket and rack and so the front wheel clamp would not fit.

There are others Rocky Mounts and Yakimas and they offer great value that you should look at.

Bottom line the best rack is the one that can carry the types of bikes you own, the price you are comfortable with, features that you may need such as lighting systems, the ease of putting on and taking off the rack and the security of the rack, you don't want it stolen.

Because you have the vehicle for it make sure to future proof any rack by making sure your hitch is 2". I didn't have that luxury for my car.

Lots to chose from, first look at your needs then ask the question "what is the best hitch rack for my needs at a price I want to pay" and that will help narrow things down. Good luck on your search.

Moe Zhoost

I have a Rockymounts Splitrail rack and it's worked out great for me after thousands of miles. I recommend that you visit the etrailer.com web site because they have excellent videos showing all of the features of the bike racks they offer. The videos include road tests showing how the loaded rack performs.