General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Hitch mounted bike racks Rss Feed  
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2009-06-29 2:14 PM

Master
1384
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Brooklyn, NY
Subject: Hitch mounted bike racks
Did a search but found nothing on hitch racks. Does anyone use them? What are your exepriences/pros/cons/best prices found? Would you do it again? why?/why not?

I have a mid-size Ess-Yuu-Vee with hatch back (Nissan Murano). I'm pretty sure I would like one of those that lean back for rear door access without needing to remove all the bikes.

Thanks for any input.



2009-06-29 2:22 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Expert
715
500100100
PA
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
i have a reese outfitter model.  works great.  love it.  sturdy.
price was free from a neighbor.
i use it behind my grand caravan and for towing my camper.  only issue is keeping the brake lever from hitting the frame of the carrier and scratching the handle a little.  might tie the handlebar so the front wheel stays straight and doesnt turn back and hit the carrier.
happy hunting!
2009-06-29 2:29 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Master
1517
1000500
Raleigh
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
i have a yakima 2 bike hitch rack....it has a tilt pin in it to drop it down for access into my grand cherokee lift gate.

pros: easy access, simplicity

cons: rack wobble, if you get tapped or if u tap something, your bike's are in a direct path of damage.

i use a roofmount rack primarily
2009-06-29 2:39 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Pro
6767
500010005001001002525
the Alabama part of Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
I have a Yakima hitch mount that swings to the side (I don't think they make it anymore).  I like it a lot - easier access than roof mounted (for the SUV, anyway), hold the bikes securely without worrying about low-hanging garages or roofs, and I can see that the bikes are still there when on the road.
2009-06-29 3:30 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
I have a Pathfinder.   Option one is it rides in the back. 

If that isn't an option, or if I have two bikes to carry, I have a Yakima 4 rack, the kind that tilts down.  I like it.  I know myself - and I know that some day I would drive into a garage with my bike on the back.  You do have to remove teh bikes to safely tilt it down, but that's not much of an issue.  I can also access via the rear window

Lots of people say get the kind that the bike sits on rather than hanging, but I've carried aluminum, carbon and titanium bikes with it and haven't had a problem

2009-06-29 3:50 PM
in reply to: #2250874

Extreme Veteran
1030
100025
West Windsor, NJ
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
I have a Thule 4 bike rack that is a hitch mount for my Expedition. Main pro is the accessibility and given the height of that baby, it would be brutal to haul my bike and up and down every time. Also, I dont have my bike up there acting like a sail in windy conditions. Downsides are as noted above with getting rear ended/smacking something backing up, but I think the odds of clipping something with the bike up top are better than the rear ending issue (one other minor pet peeve is that it FREAKS out my rear sensors and I essentially lose that "parking aid". This just causes me to take the rack off if I dont have a race/ride, etc. in the near future. It takes a matter of seconds to get it on and off).


2009-06-29 6:08 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Pro
6520
50001000500
Bellingham, WA
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
I am very happy with my Softride back rack. I had trouble with other racks where the bike hangs by the frame because of the odd geometry of tri bikes. With this the bike sets in by the wheels. It also quickly adjusts to haul mountain bikes. I've actually had a jog stoller in it too. It does fold down with bikes on it if need be. Here is a link to it.

http://www.softride.com/rack-products/specifications/versa_bikerack
2009-06-29 6:17 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Veteran
231
10010025
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
We use the xport flatbed bike rack. It's fantastic. Easy to use, bikes are stable and not swinging, I can put the bikes on without the help of my husband (which I would probably need his help if we had a roof rack).

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&l...
2009-06-30 3:21 PM
in reply to: #2250874

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Extreme Veteran
582
500252525
Denver, CO
Subject: RE: Hitch mounted bike racks
We have a Honda Pilot and just got the Yakima Swing Daddy. It fits 4 bikes and hooks up to the hitch and swings out to the side..not down (the ones that swing down just worry me!). We actually got it at REI b/c they have a 20% off promo going on for Yakima..so it was a pretty good deal! We can actually still open the hatch even when the rack is in place, so it's perfect! My friends have the Thule Revolver. They really like that too, but b/c of the REI sale, we opted for the Yakima.
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