Best value hitch platform bike rack?

**sethschmautz** · 05-28-2017, 02:56 PM

I've been borrowing a rack for a year or two but my buddy needs it back. What is the best value for a hitch mount platform bike rack? Would like a minimum of 2 bikes with the option to add 2 more later.

Carrying road bikes and 29er and 26er mountain bikes. No fat bikes (yet) and can throw the kids bikes in the bed of the truck.

The 1up looks amazing but I can't justify the price. Northshore style not an option because I'm often carrying boats on the roof rack so stuck with platform hitch mount.

What is working well? What should I stay away from?

Seth

**gravitylover** · 05-28-2017, 06:18 PM

Brand new, should start shipping end of this coming week - http://www.swagman.net/product/sitkka-2/

I've been using one for two weeks now and it kicks ass. Easy to use, stout, ya know all the things you want it to be. Best of all <> $299 <> 3 bike is $425. Oh and it fits every bike you have and some you don't (yet

) from kids 20" to 29 fat.

**reckless toboggan** · 05-28-2017, 07:56 PM

Ditch the boats and get a North Shore. It's worth it.

**smmokan** · 05-28-2017, 09:18 PM

Other than the Swagman rack that gravitylover mentioned above, they're all about the same price.

Trust me, the 1up rack is TOTALLY worth it. After using one, I'll never go back to anything else.

**sethschmautz** · 05-28-2017, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by reckless toboggan

Ditch the boats and get a North Shore. It's worth it.

Ha.

**sethschmautz** · 05-28-2017, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by smmokan

Trust me, the 1up rack is TOTALLY worth it. After using one, I'll never go back to anything else.

I'm sure those things are awesome, but I'd honestly have to choose between my kids skiing next year and getting that bike rack.

**grskier** · 05-28-2017, 09:50 PM

Sportrack has some cheap stuff on amazon

**smmokan** · 05-28-2017, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by sethschmautz

I'm sure those things are awesome, but I'd honestly have to choose between my kids skiing next year and getting that bike rack.

Am I missing something? They're $529, including shipping... just about every 2-bike rack is $500 these days.

**reckless toboggan** · 05-28-2017, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by smmokan

Am I missing something? They're $529, including shipping... just about every 2-bike rack is $500 these days.

Yup. And the extra 2 bike add on extensions Seth mused about in the op run about another $400, regardless of brand.

**thewestisthefuture** · 05-29-2017, 12:07 AM

What am I missing? I found thishttp://m.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDi...VAXGgLhjfD_BwE after about 8 seconds on google. Who the hell is paying $900 for the ability to carry 4 bikes on a hitch? "Just because we're bereaved doesn't make us saps!" -Walter

**bagtagley** · 05-29-2017, 07:43 AM

Requires lots of strapping. Janky wheel loops that look pretty limited as far as width. I'd like to see it holding 4 adult mtn bikes without some bike yoga. Doesn't fold up. What am I missing?

**sethschmautz** · 05-29-2017, 08:16 AM

I think it may just be sticker shock in general, but it looks like you can get Thule T2 classic for about $350 for two bikes. 1up is $530. That's a $200 spread between base units. 2 bike add on for the Thule is $250. 1up send to be more than $250 per bike. I'm not arguing that it isn't a great rack, but it's out of my price range. :-/

**ticketchecker** · 05-29-2017, 08:37 AM

Love the functionality of this one, no idea what the quality will be. https://www.rockymounts.com/products...orm-hitch-rack

**jm2e** · 05-29-2017, 08:40 AM

http://www.performancebike.com/webap...2106_-1_catNav

OR

http://www.performancebike.com/webap...2138_-1_catNav

I'd try one of these solely because of Performance's generous return policy. Entry level hitch racks are all about buyers remorse.

**El Chupacabra** · 05-29-2017, 08:44 AM

Any Thule or Yakima one will be available at 20% off from one of REI sale. There also Active Junky discount for other retailers. There's always Craigslist for used ones too.

I haven't owned a 1up rack, but in fiddling with them, I'm not that impressed. My favorite remains the North Shore Rack, but I also have a 2-bike Kuat for my car. I don't really like the length of the tray racks when they are set up for 4 bikes.

**Name Redacted** · 05-29-2017, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Any Thule or Yakima one will be available at 20% off from one of REI sale. There also Active Junky discount for other retailers. There's always Craigslist for used ones too.

I haven't owned a 1up rack, but in fiddling with them, I'm not that impressed. My favorite remains the North Shore Rack, but I also have a 2-bike Kuat for my car. I don't really like the length of the tray racks when they are set up for 4 bikes.

^^ This, got my T2 for about $250 and it had been used once. Check the used market in your area for sure. Cheap racks are just that. You can't put bikes that are worth $1-2k+ on a cheap ass rack. If your bikes are cheaper, then disregard and just get a cheap rack.

FWIW, the T2 I have gets a lot of use and very few problems.

**sethschmautz** · 05-29-2017, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by jm2e

Entry level hitch racks are all about buyers remorse.

This is a fair statement. :-) I typically feel that you get what you pay for, but there are exceptions and you can end up spending a lot more than you need to.

Thanks for the reminder.

Seth

**smmokan** · 05-29-2017, 09:25 AM

It might not be an issue with two bikes, but I absolutely cannot stand putting four bikes on any rack that's not a 1-up.

I love it when I see a few $5,000 bikes on a total POS rack. Oh, the irony.

**Dee Hubbs** · 05-29-2017, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by smmokan

I love it when I see a few $5,000 bikes on a total POS rack. Oh, the irony.

I've been putting $10,000 worth of bikes on a cheap $150 Sportrack hitch for almost 10 years now. Not a single issue, or scratch on any of the bikes.
I use if for on road transport to trail heads or city to city transport. If I needed a rack for bombing up logging roads and shuttling I would go for a different rack.

**bodywhomper** · 05-29-2017, 11:37 AM

I've been dreaming about these racks. http://www.isi-carriers.com/products.html

(They've been weird dreams)

**jono** · 05-29-2017, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Dee Hubbs

I've been putting $10,000 worth of bikes on a cheap $150 Sportrack hitch for almost 10 years now. Not a single issue, or scratch on any of the bikes.
I use if for on road transport to trail heads or city to city transport. If I needed a rack for bombing up logging roads and shuttling I would go for a different rack.

I bought that 2-bike rack with the X-sport name on it from Performance 10 years ago and use it mainly for carrying bikes for 12-18 hours at 85 mph, a half dozen trips on the nasty roads of Southern Utah and home again. It's probably seen 15 of those trips and 50-75 short jaunts up fire roads close to home. It's a little rattley now but I can't find any signs of impending failure.

I'm likely to shim the joint for the central post to stop the movement, but I'm not terribly worried. I can't see a few thousands dollars worth of toys representing a significant portion of the risk if a rack fails on the freeway, though, so if you are carrying an irrational connection to that investment you should probably spend at least 10-15% of the price of a bike so you will feel better about it. Or you could rationalize it the other way: heavy guage steel is cheap so there's no incentive to make a cheap rack unsafe.

**NuMexJoe** · 05-30-2017, 08:47 AM

I've had the predecessor to this rack for several years now. Same arm design. It's plenty stout, and priced well under similar racks from Yakima or Thule. It doesn't operate as smoothly as the spendier options, but it works just fine, and doesn't rub on the top tube like the Performance hitch racks that I had before.

Originally Posted by gravitylover

Brand new, should start shipping end of this coming week - http://www.swagman.net/product/sitkka-2/

I've been using one for two weeks now and it kicks ass. Easy to use, stout, ya know all the things you want it to be. Best of all <> $299 <> 3 bike is $425. Oh and it fits every bike you have and some you don't (yet

) from kids 20" to 29 fat.

SB · 05-30-2017, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by reckless toboggan

Ditch the boats and get a North Shore. It's worth it.

AFAIK does not work with road bikes but buy once cry once.

**sethschmautz** · 05-30-2017, 09:27 AM

Right now, the front runners are the Thule T2 classic, the Yakima holdup, and the Kuat NV 2.0 base. I've found great deals on the latter two, otherwise they wouldn't be in the running.

I like the Swagman and looked at other, similar options from saris and even rockymounts monorail but have four bikes between my wife and I, not to mention the kids. We are carrying four bikes a lot of places.

Thanks for the feedback. If anybody has any pros/cons on the models listed above, I'd appreciate the insight.

Seth

**jackstraw** · 05-30-2017, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by gravitylover

Brand new, should start shipping end of this coming week - http://www.swagman.net/product/sitkka-2/

I've been using one for two weeks now and it kicks ass. Easy to use, stout, ya know all the things you want it to be. Best of all <> $299 <> 3 bike is $425. Oh and it fits every bike you have and some you don't (yet

) from kids 20" to 29 fat.

very similar to the thule isn't it?