Good bike rack to purchase?

Gave up on QuickRStuff after looking at prices, I ordered the 1Up setup and now I am waiting
I guess the back hatch area will just have to get dirty with the bike back there...

Steve

 

Great choice with 1Up! Myself and six of my buddies have 1up's with no complaints!

 

I got the Thule T2 Pro XT. I love it. It’s has locks for the bikes and a lock for the hitch to help against theft. It’s sturdy and awesome quality. Definitely worth the price in my opinion. I got mine from REI.

 

Here's what I ended up doing (temporarily).

It's a little awkward to fit through the back window, but not too bad. It beats have to spend $1k on a backordered bike rack right now........especially after an expensive mountain bike purchase.

I'll get a 1up in a year or so for convenience and longer distance travel.

 

If I’m going solo my 29er fits in the back.

If the wife is coming along then I have an old Allen rack I bought in 2001.

 

I have the one from Harbor Freight. Probably $39 with the sales. I have been using it for 2 years for 2 bikes. Works for me and the price was right.

 

Won't this scratch up the lift gate like crazy, even with a pad?

could you not fit the whole bike n the interior with the 2nd row down?

 

Bought the Thule Helium Platform 2 Bike and it broke in less than a week. The part that tilts out broke and was any witch way but loose! Talked to the tech support they swear it never happened before. They said they would send a new one and I could pitch the old one but returned it for the Kuat NV2. Awesome rack, solid and works great

 

Nope. The pad keeps it scratch free!

I have 2 car seat in the back row.......which I will not be taking in and out for any reason. Those things are a giant pain in the ass to remove/re-install.

With my situation, you could fit a bike inside the rear cargo area if the middle row seat is folded down, if you take the front tire off and have some sort of stabilizing rail for the fork.

 

I didn't feel like waiting for months for a 1up (and wasn't thrilled about paying $1300 either) so I bought a Swagman 2+2.

My impressions:
- metal gauge is heavy duty and paint work is good
- fasteners are heavy gauge and coated
- fit and finish are a little off in non-critical areas (wheel trays a bit crooked)
- instructions are shit, making an easy intuitive assembly (if you just look at it) harder than it needs to be
- keeps bicycles high off the ground (at bumper height) so you're less likely to bottom on curb cuts
- loading bikes is not as easy as the 1up but is still reasonable
- max wheelbase for bikes is 51 or 51. I have a Specialized S6 and it barely fits
- folds up nice and flat up against the rear when not in use
- allows hatch to open and close when down with no bikes on it.

At $450 (I think I got $50 off for a coupon) it is ideal. Solid construction. Not polished and fancy like the $1000+ alternatives.

Ordered on a Wed, had it Fri. That counts for something in these times of messed up supply chain.

Jason

 

Problems that I see with this solution is that you can easily scratch up your rear hatch, the rear window must always be open so driving in rain or cold weather will suck, and with the rear window open you have no protection against theft if you stop and leave your vehicle for any length of time. If you are really trying to save a few bucks for a rack, I would suggest mounting your bike on the roof using a fork mount carrier mounted to the cross-bars on your rack using something like a Yakima Horizontal Mighty Mount 23H. I did that on my FJ and it worked well for carrying my bikes on the rack (looks like you have the TRD Pro with the FJ style rack so should be similar setup to mine). I have also adapted my FJ mounts to work on my TRD OR and that works very well.

 

Does anyone know of a rack that would carry 2-3 of these 16” Stacyc e bikes

 

shameless sales pitch, selling a 1.5 month Kuat rack
https://www.4runners.com/threads/kuat-nv2-2-two-bike-rack.21138/

 

I also have the Kuat Sherpa. It’s Awsome.

 

My 1Up is 10 years old and is still going strong.

 

I have a Kuat Alpha (discontinued) which has been perfect for both my on & off road bikes.

 

Had the Kuat NV2 and sold it. They have great customer service but getting parts got old for a 2 month old rack, lock cable pulled right out then the tilt unit ended up with play in it, they replaced both parts and it may have lasted?? GF ordered a 1up awhile back and although the Kuat looks better the 1up is lighter and easier to use. That and many testimonials of 10 years plus trouble free was a keeper!

 

Big fan of the 1up! Very simplistic and stout! Five of my buddies also sporting 1up's with no issues!

 

ROCKY MOUNTS BACKSTAGE

This rack is the shiznit...does everything and swings completely outta of the way if needed...which is super duper nice when camping(keep bikes locked on there, plus it’ll hold emtbs, which we all know we want)

https://rockymounts.com/backstage/

 

Been using my Thule XTR for over 10 years. When a part breaks, Thule sends you the new and latest upgraded part free. Lifetime warranty.

However, 1ups are pretty impressive. Check what kind of warranty they have. Then make the choice.

I'd stay away from top tube/Hollywood style racks.

 

Great picture! I am 59 and have no interest in a Ebike!

 

Anyone tried something like the Veloci Rax?

Seems like a nice option if you're carrying 4 or more bikes.

https://www.velocirax.com

Yakima has something similar.

 

Funny Kuat story

3 or so years ago after debated for months I finally sacked up ready to pay $600+ for a nice bike rack setup. Decided on the Kuat 2.0 and just waited for a deal. Finally ebay had one of their % off promotions and used it to get a Kuat off a Kuat reseller on there.

Order placed and got confirmation. 2 or 3 weeks go by and no shipping. Messaged the business a couple times and nothing. 3 weeks after a Kuat box with no shipping label and basically open was sitting on my porch. Like not even taped shut, but I opened it up and it was brand new in the factory box.

Didn't think anything of it and a couple weeks after that I saw I was refunded with a note that the supplier that provided the racks couldn't fulfill inventory.

Free rack lmao

 

KUAT V2 Base or with bike mechanics stand is awesome.

 

Did you have a bad experience with a Hollywood Rack? Been looking at one. They’re always sold out too.

 

i have the yakima king pin 4 bike carrier and have had it for a few years. works great and folds down to open the rear hatch if needed...

 

1up USA! They just work. And stay working. I had a Yakima holdup for 4 years. The plastic things finally gave up the fight. Almost lost my bike on the freeway. Ponied up for a 1up. But once cry once. 6 years old and good as new. And made in the USA. If you care about such things. Darn near everything else made in China with short lived plastic stuff for the same price. For me, no brainer.

 

1up USA! Fantastic rack that appears to be indestructible, is incredibly simplistic and looks good with no plastic! I had a Yakima Holdup for 12 years which I guess is good, but it was done! Rusting and falling apart! Five of my buddies rocking 1up's with no issues as well!

 

What's up twin? Looking good across the board! How is the mtn biking in TN? I am planning a road trip this Fall from MD to UT. I hope to hit some trails in eastern and western, TN enroute to AR and onward to UT. Is that a Ripley or Ripmo? I was strongly considering a Ripley before pulling trigger on a Yeti SB130 in 2020.