Biking is one of those hobbies or habits that can keep you healthy and fit. Several countries have bike trails dedicated to bike lovers. These trails are exciting and are a visual treat to the bikers.
Several people get together to organize road trips to uncover the beauty of such trails. And this is where the bike racks come in handy. You can simply mount your bikes on these racks either on top or behind your vehicles and enjoy your drive without having to worry about fitting your bike inside your vehicle as this is most important ever to a number of people who are well known.
What are the top three best Hitch Carrier Bike Racks?
Thule T 2 Pro X T: The most commonly preferred bike rack by the professionals for its features.
- Offers tool-free installation process
- Has an innovative simple to use lever mechanism to fold up the rack when not in use.
- Uses ratcheting arms to secure the wheels
- The basic version can carry two bikes at a time, but with additional two-inch hitch, one can carry 4 bikes at a time.
Kuat Sherpa NV 2.0: This is considered equally good as the other bike racks.
- The model is a few pounds lighter than its peers
- It has a foot assisted, pivot free lever that allows the user to get down the rack easily.
- It has a front tire ratchet to make the wheel release much easier, while there is a co-moulded ratchet for the
- back wheels.
- Let’s you access your vehicle even when two bikes are loaded at a time.
Allen Sports Delux: This can hold 4 bikes at a time.
- It has innovative tie-down systems to secure the bikes in transit.
- Has no-wobble both in the hitch that further secures the bikes.
- The rack can tilt back giving you easy access to the trunk without having to remove it.
- It comes with a lifetime warranty.
- The only drawback would be it needs tools to be mounted
Full reviews
Thule T2 Pro XT 2 Bike Rack
This Bike Rack is made to fit and mount between 2 to 4 bikes at a time for those who enjoy riding their bikes with other people or with their family, this bike racks load capacity is up to 120lbs depending if the bikes are 60lbs a piece. The shipping weight of this bike rack is 32.2lbs and the product length for this bike rack is 52x16x12 inches, this bike rack has been ranked #189 in the Bike Racks and Bags categories by customers and Avid Bike Riders.
The Thule T2 Pro is designed to be a tool free attachment with an auto attach knob making this bike rack easy to install and remove, this bike rack has a hitch switch lever as well as the ability to tilt up when not in use as well as the ability to tilt down giving those who buy this product the ability to access the rear of their vehicle. This bike rack is also designed to have a receiver lock, a bike lock to keep the bikes in place at all times while in the bike rack and is also ideal for different bike frames such as carbon frames, mountain as well as flat bikes and downhill bikes.
Some customers have stated they have had problems with the Cable locks and have described them as poor quality and not being useful when they tried using them and that the cable lacked the ability of staying in place and resulted in the cable lock breaking off. A few more things customers enjoyed with this bike rack include the bike racks ability to control the bikes while in the bike racks as well as the quality of the bike rack. As well as the company who designed this bike rack giving those who are looking for this type of bike rack the ability of choosing the dimensions and the size of the bike rack and placement of the bike racks.
Pros
- Easy to use and install
- The durability and Capability of holding bikes in place at all times
- Designed with great quality
- Giving customers the ability to choose between sizes and placement of the bike racks
Cons
- Cables locked up on some customers
- Not much protection against theft
FAQ About this Product
Q: What is the different between the Thule T2 Pro and other bike racks?
A: The difference between the Thule T2 Pro and other bike racks include the Thule T2 Pro’s ability to be quick and simple installation and use whereas other bike racks might take longer and might consist of other preparation for installing the bike rack.
Q: Where can I purchase this Thule T2 Pro bike rack?
A: You can purchase this precise bike rack either on Thule’s main website or on Amazon.
Q: Can this specific Thule T2 Pro bike rack hold electric bikes?
A: Yes, many customers have stated this bike rack has held their electric bikes in place, but this also depends on the size of the bikes and tires on your electric bike.
Yakima – Holdup Hitch Mounted Bike Rack
Designed with the ability to carry 2 bikes or 4 bikes with an optional Holdup as well as a strong arm design which gives those who purchase this bike rack the ability to load your bike quicker even if the bike wheel is a 20” or a 29”. This bike racks capacity can load up to 60lbs per bike and can be installed quick and simple for those who use or purchase this bike rack. This bike rack is ideal for those who have fat bike frame, downhill, carbon frames and mountain frames.
This specific bike rack is designed to accommodate carbon road bikes with the use of the zero contact for my type of bike frame. The only issue with this bike rack is the inability of being bought outside of the US, giving those out of the US the reason to buy a different bike rack. A few customers did not enjoy this bike rack for a few reasons such as plastic pieces being in all the wrong places and the end caps have popped out while they were driving on the road and now water gets inside the rack due to this issue with the bike rack. This bike rack has been ranked #89 in the Bicycle Car Ranks category by customers based on the quality and design of the bike rack.
Pros
- Built and Designed well and fits bikes securely without any movements
- Easy to mount without any tools
- Easy to assemble and use
- Great Security features
Cons
- Some customers had to add tape to the hitch pin to make it more snug
- The locks have a tendency of snapping off if tightened too much
- The rear wheel basket not being high enough for some customer’s cars.
FAQ About this Product
Q: How well is the bike rack’s ability to mount and unmount from your car?
A: This bike rack is designed to give customers the ability to easily mount and unmount the rack without any hassle or being time consuming to do so.
Q: What’s the Yamika’s weight limit, if I have a heavier bike?
A: This Yamkia bike rack is designed to hold up to 120lbs, 60lbs per bike.
Q: Do you have to purchase a locking hitch bolt separately or is this included?
A: The specific bike rack comes with a locking hitch, so you won’t need to purchase the locking hitch bolt separately.
Thule T2 Classic Hitch Mount Bike Carrier
Designed to give customers the ability to access to the rear of their vehicle even if their bikes are loaded as well as being built with the HitchSwitch lever to tilt away from their vehicle. Built for bikes with frames such as carbon frames, downhill, mountain and fat bikes, as well as other bike frames with the tire sizes between 20 and 29” wheels.
Built with the ability to secure bikes properly and securely without any frame contact and is designed with a frame free ratcheting arm preventing bike frames from being scratched or damaged while in use. This product comes with a receiver lock, bike lock as well as a tilt function even with the bikes still mounted. This bike rack cannot be used or installed on trailers, any other towed vehicles or with any bike that has tire fenders, as well as not intended to be used on tandems or recumbents.
The reason why this bike rack cannot be used with any bike that has or includes tire fenders is to prevent any snug hook grip on the bike’s tires, just as a safety precaution. This specific bike rack was ranked as #133 in Bicycle Car Racks by customers based on the sturdiness of the bike rack with and without bikes being mounted in place and the ability to be used easily and assemble easily.
Pros
- Designed to be durable and heavy
- Easy to load and unload bikes
- Easy to assemble and take apart
Cons
- The coating of the bike rack is thin and shows signs of early rust after a few uses
- The pricing of this bike rack
FAQ About this Product
Q: Will this bike rake have the ability to work with a Fat tire bike?
A: Depending on the tire size on the Fat tire bike this specific bike rack is designed to hold bikes with different bike frames which does include Fat tire bikes with a tire size up to 5”.
Q: How will I be able to get this bike frame off my vehicle?
A: Built to be easily mounted and unmounted, there is a know at the bottom of the bike rack, you have to turn the know left if your wanting to get the bike rack off after unlocking the bike rack and bikes.
Kuat Transfer 2 Bike Rack
Designed to fit up to 2 bikes, has the adapter included to fit 1.25” of 2” hitch receiver, also includes a threaded hitch pin. Also includes security cables that can be integrated into the rack but is also sold separately. Built with the durability and capability of holding up to 90lbs, 45lbs per bike mounted in this bike rack. A few customers have said this bike rack lacks proper assembly instructions and did not let the customers know this product doesn’t include some features they were specifically looking for in this bike rack such as locking cables.
Pros
- Designed with good quality
- Easy to load and unload bikes
- Easy to mount and unmount
- Sturdy and durable
- Fits an array of vehicles
Cons
- Lacks the proper instructions for customers
- Having the manually adjust the rear tire cradles where the bold threads into
- Obstructing back up cameras on some vehicles
FAQ About this Product
Q: Is this specific bike rack adjustable for bikes with different wheel bases?
A: Yes, this bike rack has a max distance hub to hub of up to 54’ even though the wheel holders do not move very much, this also makes it very easy to load bikes and ensuring the bikes are stable enough to travel with.
Q: What types of vehicles can this bike rack be mounted on?
A: Almost any type of vehicle but the vehicle width and length still needs to be measured just to make sure this bike rack will fit.
Q: Does this bike rack come assembled?
A: No, but this bike rack is designed to be easy to assembled as well as all of the tools you’ll need to assemble this bike rack are included.
Hollywood Racks – 2 Bike Hitch Mounted Rack
Designed to fit both 1 1/4” and 2” hitches, this bike racks max capacity is 45lbs per bikes, and as a whole is up to 90lbs. This bike rack can hold kids bikes, some mountain bikes and ladies frame bikes. Built with locking bike frame hooks to prevent theft, as well as including a keyed alike locking hitch pin and foldable wheel support tubes giving customer the ability to store this bike rake easily in their garage.
Hollywood Racks also fits a vast majority of bikes with the capability of using a padded universal frame clamp to securely hold any bike being used in the bike rack. Customer recommend this bike rack for a few reasons, one of the main reasons include this bike rack being light weight, sturdy as well and durable. However this bike rack cannot me used or attached and mounted on any trailer, towed vehicles or fifth wheel vehicles, this bike rack will not mount properly.
Pros
- Easy to Assemble
- Heavy Duty
- Built with a Center Bar
- Includes Velcro Straps
- Easy to mount and unmount
Cons
- Having to unlatch and fold down the rack with each use
- Product might eventually rust over time
- Some wheel tubes might not fit depending on sizes
FAQ About this Product
Q: Does the hitch pin included come with a lock?
A: Yes, in all of the bike rack made by Hollywood Racks come included with hitch pin locks, as well as a locking threaded hitch pin.
Q: Does this bike rack have the capability of being up and mounted during the winter?
A: It’s highly recommended to take the bike rack off during the winter or not be in use while there’s snow in the area especially where theirs salt on the roads. But if you live in a dry climate with no presence of snow you c an keep your bike rack mounted on your car, the snow will over time cause your bike rack to rust.
Q: Does this bike rack have the ability to be tilted away from the vehicle even if bikes are on it?
A: Yes, this bike rack gives you the ability to easily access the rear of the vehicle with the tilting mechanism even if bikes are on it.
Kuat Racks NY 2.0 Bike Rack
Built with a re-designed pivot with an optional foot assist, a Trail Doc is also included as well as an Adjustable front tire cradle system to ensure bikes will stay in place. The Pivot system gives customers the ability of being able to lower the bike rack without having to lean their bikes on anything or against anything while loading their bikes onto the bike rack. Front tire ratchet is also included along with an intuitive release mechanism for removing the bike rack.
This bike rack is also built with a Fully integrated cable locks for safety and security for bikes. Best described as a no tool installation for this specific bike rake which also comes with a hand tight hitch cam system made with a premium gloss metallic powder. Customers have rated this specific bike rack a 4.8 out of 5 stars based on the strength and durability of this bike rack while they used it and how well this bike rack held their bikes in place while in use.
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to use
- Easy to load and unload bikes
- Built to be durable and heavy duty for each use
Cons
- A heavier bike rack weight
- Might end up blocking license plates when folded
- Some straps might not fit for certain bike frames and tire sizes
FAQ About this Product
Q: What is the weight of the bike rack itself?
A: This bike rack is approximately 50lbs or so.
Q: How is this specific bike rack different from anu other models made by Kuat?
A: Some of the models are similar but this specific bike rack has been redesigned with a newer regulator as well as an improvement with the lever botons on the bike racks.
Q: Does this bike rack block the ability of getting into your truck bed?
A: No, this bike rack is designed to be lowered down for additional clearance but with some types of vehicles you might have to take the bikes off the racks.
Buyer’s Guide
Athletes and those individuals who are into bike riding or bike marathons as well as those who just enjoy riding a bike for either a hobby or for exercise are those who mainly purchase Hitch Mount Bike Racks and put those to great use. The main these bike enthusiasts purchase Hitch Mount Bike Racks for their vehicles or SUVs to make their bike accessible and portable for any trip they go on, as well as making their training periods for marathons easier and more accessible when they go on any trips.
These Hitch Mount Bike Racks give those individuals who purchase this product two different options to choose from which include over roof bike rakes as well as trunk mounted bike racks, these racks also give them a large variety of sizes to choose from. The most important part of choosing the right Hitch Mount Bike Rack is by double checking the length of your vehicle. As well as the width of your vehicle to ensure their bike doesn’t come unhinged from their vehicle while they’re traveling on the highway or on the road as well as giving the individual easy access to loading and unloading their bikes.
What are the different types of Bike Racks?
- Roof Mounted racks — ideal for Sedans and Hatch-backs
- Truck Mounted Racks — Vans and SUV’s
- Hitch Carrier Racks — ideal for RV’s, Motorhomes, Trucks, and Vans
- Truck Bed Bike Mounts — ideal for pickups.
Since we are focusing on trucks, for now, let’s look into Hitch Carrier Racks in more depth
What are Hitch Carrier Bike Racks and their advantages?
Hitch Carrier Bike Racks slides into the receiver of trailer hitch of a truck or a car. The advantages it has over other types of bike racks are as follows.
- There are a lot more varieties and styles to choose from.
- Easier to load and unload bikes.
- More secure than trunk mounted racks.
- Goes well with lots more vehicle models.
- Relatively more aerodynamic than other carries.
From across the web, we have gathered reviews and feedbacks for each of these bike racks. Another type of Bike rack would be to use the Truck bed Bike racks if you already own a Pickup truck.