Others, like the RockyMounts WestSlope 3, are almost unreachable when bikes are loaded, because the handle is tucked away too close to the receiver hitch. The appeal is clear: By hanging the bikes from their handlebars verticallyand securing them below at the rear wheelyoure able to carry more bikes closer to your vehicle. The included cable has ample length to feed through two frames and two wheels. And what we like most about the SuperClamp is its minimalist and relatively lightweight build that takes up a surprisingly small amount of space behind your vehicle and is easy to store in your garage. The vertical orientation also means you have to reach up to load them, and their tall profiles take up a lot of real estate on the back of your vehicle. They feel lightweight and plastic-y, not as robust as those that come with other brands. The two-bike SplitRail base weighs in at 45 lb. Material on GearLab is copyrighted. The T2 Pro XT takes up a lot of space when stored, and moving it around on a regular basis is not all that enjoyable since it weighs 51 lbs. I had a 700c city bike on there last week and it works well with the 2" 26'er, plus bikes or fat, it's hauled them all. Anyone looking to truly secure their bikes to this rack would be wise to look into a more robust aftermarket lock. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support. Both the T2 and NV 2.0 are very user-friendly and have long-lasting builds, although we have found the Thule is a little more versatile. Type: Vertical hangingWeight: 73 lbs.Number of bikes: 4 (available in a 6-bike version)Weight capacity per bike: 37.5 lbs.What we like: Vertical hanging rack thats user-friendly and compatible with a wide range of bike types.What we dont: Insufficient padding on wheels and bars led to scuffing. And compared with traditional hanging models, you dont have to worry about issues with a bikes top tube. What are the compromises with the EasyFold's design? It has a bike weight limit of 60 lbs per bike, so it can handle any bike you've got, even heavyweight e-bikes. With generous spacing between the bikes on the . To keep the material protected, the most important thing to do is select a style that doesnt allow for any frame contact. Taking the place of the top-selling XT, the XTR adds a set of wheels at the base for easier shuttling to and from a garage, but the rest of the design remains exactly the same (which is a good thing). In addition, the tilt lever is hidden away and essentially unreachable if you have bikes already loaded up (its far easier to access without bikes). Among the options on the market, Yakimas RidgeBack is a long-time favorite: it features a durable build, reasonable price, and anti-sway design that limits bike movement while on the road. per bike for the 2-inch receiver model) and cable locks. Hitch-mounted bike rack weights vary widely, from the 14-pound Kuat Beta to the burly 63-pound RockyMounts BackStage. At the very top of Yakima's expansive hitch rack line-up is the Dr.Tray. Furthermore, the BackStage comes with many features youd expect from a premium hitch rack: a cable lock (although not integrated), the ability to carry various types of bikes and wheel sizes, sturdy ratcheting arms, and quality materials and construction overall. ), and requires an adapter for fat bikes Read in-depth reviewSee the Thule T2 Pro XTR, Type: PlatformWeight: 37 lbs.Number of bikes: 2 (3 w/add-on)Weight capacity per bike: 60 lbs.What we like: Great price for a versatile platform-style rack.What we dont: Design is less refined and feature-rich than premium alternatives. What are the shortcomings of the NSR 4-Bike? Kuat NV 2.0 - 2 Bike Rack Grey/Orange $ 849.00. Free shipping for many products! We feel the MonoRail is a solid value for a quality platform hitch rack that comes loaded with features. Kuat figured the problem was too much tire sticking out side of my small car and sent me extra wheel straps. For those planning on hauling heavier downhill mountain bikes, e-bikes, fat bikes, or cruiser models, its a good idea to verify the bike weight capacity of a given rack. Mountain bikes have come a long way in recent years, with trends like 29-inch wheelsand more recently, 27.5-inch wheelsblazing the trail for bikes that are better and more Sweden-based Thule is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of car racks and bike accessories, and the T2 Pro XTR is their core hitch-mounted offering. No sponsored content. And its worth noting that this functionality still isnt available from big hitters like Yakima or Thule. It's similar to many of the other racks in this test in terms of its width of 56", but it's compact in comparison for its height of only 26.5". Securely attaching to the receiver hitch of your vehicle, they offer unmatched versatility and ease of use. His seemed solid and he's been very happy with it. At $550 and $598 respectively, theyre clearly a big investment, costing nearly as much as the main racks themselves. As long as youre hauling regular road or mountain bikes (the rack maxes out at 40 pounds per bike and 3-inch-wide tires), the Sherpa 2.0 has a lot going for it. If youre searching for the best way to transport bikes, hitch-mounted racks are the way to go. All trademarks property of their respective owners At the risk of sounding like a broken record, its yet another reason we prefer the platform rack style. Code: RKY10004-10005 230 reviews Our Price: $739.90 Quantity: Product Specs: Hitch Bike Racks Platform Rack Tilt-Away Rack Fold-Up Rack Carbon Fiber Bikes And finally, the RockyMounts is a little limited in bike compatibility, with a max weight of 40 pounds and tire width of 3 inches. The cable is approximately 6.5 feet long and has a cable loop on one end and a metal fitting on the other. I got it from Backcountry when they had a 20% off one full priced item sale. I'm happy with my Kuat Transfer 3 rack. Its simple to operate, and the rack feels almost weightless even with heavy bikes on the trays. Most have two attachment points: a ratcheting arm that secures the front wheel, and a strap that holds the rear wheel in place. $598.95 By Yakima Yakima HoldUp EVO 2-Inch Bike Rack. Finally, wed be remiss not to mention that the NV is easily one of the better-looking racks available, especially in the Gray Metallic colorway. And those with fat bikes will need to look elsewhere, as the Helium cant accommodate anything wider than a 3-inch tire. It is solid and well built. Choosing a Hitch Rack for Carbon Fiber Bikes, Back to Our Hitch Bike Rack Comparison Table. For riders who want a premium design and typically carry traditional road and mountain bikes, 1Up's Heavy Duty Double is a great choice. The ramps are quick to deploy, do a nice job guiding the bikes up and down, and store easily on the rack while driving. One listing to hone in on is the distance from center of the hitch pin to the first tray, as this shows how close the rack will be to the rear of the vehicle. The tubing and trays have a durable metal construction, though there is a fair amount of plastic on this rack. The extra design complexity and materials do add weight and costRockyMounts BackStage is 10 to 20 pounds heavier than a non-swing-away alternativebut are worth it for those that prioritize the feature. Like 1Ups Heavy Duty above, the Kuat goes head-to-head with our top-rated Thule T2 Pro XTR. If you can score a coupon, it makes these more reasonable. And a final pitfall of the hanging rack is how it secures bikes to the rack: it holds them in place by rubber or plastic straps that wrap around the frame. If, like most cyclists, you plan to keep your rack on your vehicle for extended periods of time or just want to retain access to your rear cargo area, youll want to get a hitch rack with a tilt feature. Number of bikes: 2 (4 with add-on) Weight capacity per bike: 60 lbs. Along with sturdy materials and a very intuitive instruction manual (a rarity on the market), theres a lot to like with the mid-range WestSlope. 1 color. Saris may not be as popular as Yakima and Thule, but theyve carved out a nice segment of the market with their competitive prices and creative designs. Plus, a 1-Bike Add-On is available for a reasonable $159 to provide even more carrying abilities. The majority of riders stick with the two-bike design, but families or those that anticipate carrying bikes for group rides should consider getting a higher-capacity hanging model or one of the platform add-ons to start. And as mentioned above, all of the components on the Thule are extremely well-made, which makes the investment worth it over time. Type: PlatformWeight: 45 lbs.Number of bikes: 2Weight capacity per bike: 65 lbs.What we like: Integrated ramps for loading and unloading e-bikes.What we dont: Very expensive. If, however, youre considering a hanging rack, take a close look at the shape of the top tube of your bikes frame. Sure, you can flip the bikes around and hang them by their handlebars, but North Shore Racks doesnt recommend this tactic. 1 color. Either way, the MonoRail is still a fairly awkward shape to deal with when it comes to storage. Got feedback? Kuat requires you to pick up adapters to haul fat bikes and 20- to 24-inch wheels (something the Thule can do out of the box), and the tilt mechanism on the T2 Pro is a bit easier to access. In short, it can't match the sheer number of useful features included with the Thule T2 Pro above. It's quite user-friendly and loading bikes is simple and easy thanks to its low loading height and intuitive design. Reflecting the growing popularity of heavy e-bikes and large fat bikes, Thule released the EasyFold XT 2. One of the reasons that the Thule T2 Pro XTR took the top spot on our list is its ability to fit so many bike styles straight out of the box. It's the 2.0. Another easy way is to physically check the wheelbase of your bike by measuring the distance from the center of the front and rear axles. Solid! The design includes two independent folding arms that contact only the tires, leaving the rest of the bike completely untoucheda task that other racks struggle to accomplish. In addition, the tilt feature is all but unreachable with loaded bikesthe lever is hidden away under the rack. The process is relatively straightforward and easy, and it took us around 15-20 minutes to complete. With a load capacity of 130 pounds (between two bikes), the EasyFold checks all the boxes for a heavy hauler. Been looking at the Monorail as well, I am cheap and that seems like the best option plus it has the capability of adding more bikes. Considering even a budget-friendly design is often $200 or more, this is a sensible addition. Their ability to safely carry up to six mountain bikes, while still offering enough ground clearance for waterbars, made them an instant favorite among downhill-oriented riders. And after about 500 miles of use, which did include many miles of dusty gravel roads, the padded frame cradles managed to rub the paint completely off one of our bikes. or Best Offer. Most notably is price: At $650, the NSR above is one of the cheapest options out there (Recon Racks premium designs start at $1,200, while the Yakima HangTight 4 is $899). Type: PlatformWeight: 63 lbs.Number of bikes: 4 (available in a 2-bike version)Weight capacity per bike: 60 lbs. Colorado-based RockyMounts has been producing quality bike racks since the early 90's. The tire cradles themselves are well designed with a curved shape and a narrow groove down the center that holds skinny road bike tires all the way up to 5" wide fat bike treads. But the extensions are convenient to use, easy to install or remove, and come with the security of the platform design. Out of the box the MonoRail family has the widest carrying capacity of our line up, due to their ability to fit up to a 5" fat bike tire. The trays come mostly assembled, putting the pieces together is relatively intuitive, and the included instructions are simple to follow. Hanging racks are much lighter and more compact, which is a plus for those that plan to remove the rack with some regularity. We also read a complaint online that the clamp arm didn't have adequate clearance for a user's fat bike suspension fork, something to consider if you happen to have one. It loses a little ground in this metric due to its standard threaded hitch pin which must be tightened with a wrench. RockyMounts claims the SplitRail is the lightest expandable hitch rack available, although Yakima says the same of their even newer Dr. Tray rack. If your mountain biking gear budget has been stretched thin and youre tempted to skimp on the helmet, dont. Easy on and off. A great example is the Kuat Beta, which comes in at a scant 14 pounds and can be easily tucked away in the corner of your garage when not in use. 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