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. The well-designed wheel trays have a narrow groove in the middle to hold skinny tires securely and can easily fit fat bike tires. while Yakima claims the Dr. Tray comes in at just 34 lb. British Columbia-based North Shore Racks is known for being one of the original companies to offer high-capacity hanging models that are worthy of shuttle days and rough roads. Placing the main body of the rack into the receiver on your vehicle is a good way to approach attaching the wheel trays, it's like having an extra set of hands to hold it steady for you. Type: HangingWeight: 14 lbs.Number of bikes: 2Weight capacity per bike: 40 lbs.What we like: Smart mix of weight, strength, and features.What we dont: Only offered in a two-bike capacity. Transfer V2 3 Bike Hitch Rack. There are two main receiver hitch sizes1.25-inch and 2-inchand it goes without saying that you should verify which one you have on your vehicle prior to purchasing a rack. It does have padded arms, but those only help so much, and frame scuffs are inevitable. While traversing bumpy roads and uphill inclines, our RockyMounts bike racks will keep your two-wheeled friend secure all the way to your final destination. The clamp itself is easy to tighten down onto your wheel and just as easy to release with the large blue lever on the handle. What do you give up by saving with the Kuat? To start, platform racks like the Kuat NV 2.0, Thule T2, Yakima Dr.Tray, and 1Up are not impacted by this because they only come in contact with the bikes tires or wheels. While not necessarily inexpensive, a quality hanging rack like the Yakima RidgeBack 2 comes in at about half the price of a platform model with the same capacity. But its hard to ignore the RidgeBacks track record of reliable performance, which makes it our top hanging hitch rack.See the Yakima RidgeBack 4. 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. Compare RockyMounts MonoRail vs Yakima HoldUp Bike | etrailer.com Select Make RockyMounts MonoRail Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount Mouseover to zoom. If youre able to spend up, we recommend the $449 Kuat Transfer v2 2 above, which addresses most of these issues.See the Swagman XC2. Yakima. Top Tube Adapters The latest version of the Transfer also is adjustable enough to fit a wide range of bike types and wheel sizes (from 18-29 in.) It's lower profile than many other racks, but it still takes up quite a bit of space in your storage area. How can we improve GearLab? ), 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. Ultimately I just need a two bike rack to hold my commuter 29er hardtail and the wife's beach cruiser but would be nice on those yearly trips when we head to CO to see family and be able to take two mtb and the beach cruiser(s) without having to borrow a rack from a buddy or throw one of the mtbs on my roof rack (Kuat Trio). That said, if you wont be using your rack all that often or will need to remove it by yourself with some regularity, a lightweight design like the Beta is a perfectly reasonable choice. I can't wrap my head around spending $600 for rack (I'm cheap!). Its when you get to the extreme ends of the spectrum with 12- to 24-inch kids bikes or fat bikes with 4- to 5-inch tires that problems can crop up. Securing your precious cargo is a concern for many cyclists and RockyMounts has a made a solid effort to provide the user with security features on the MonoRail. Out of the box and ready for assembly. What the Helium is lacking, however, is versatility. Yakimas Dr.Tray has no problem accommodating fat bike tires up to 5 inches, but is unable to fit a wheel size smaller than 26 inches (and no adapters are available). But for e-bike owners who want an integrated and deployable rampand others who dont want to lift heavy bikes on and off their rackthe Thule EasyFold XT 2 is the best option available. A quick check of our list above will show that most of the hanging-style racks have ended up at or near the bottom of our rankings. A RockyMounts MonoRail rack bike carrier is as simple to use as most modern bike racks, with a ratcheting arm that holds the front wheel stable and a ratchet strap to secure the rear wheel. Change begins by doing something different. After shopping others that secured bikes in a similar way, I just went by price at the time and got the 4-timer at 20% off. As a result, we experienced scuffing and wear after some drives on rough forest service roads (the good news is that we were able to resolve the issue by adding foam spacers). For the price, the Rocky Mounts Monorail seems to be the best price, next closest is going to be between the Thule X2/Yakima Hold-up 2 and the 1Up QuikRack. item 2 8002446 Yakima HoldUp Plus 2 Bike add-on for 2" Receiver Hitch 8002446 Yakima HoldUp Plus 2 Bike add-on for 2" Receiver Hitch . 1 color. (inner); 35 lbs. Once the hitch pin is tight you can secure it to the vehicle with the included hitch pin lock. To keep the material protected, the most important thing to do is select a style that doesnt allow for any frame contact. Otherwise, we feel good about the overall durability of the MonoRail but it can't match the bombproof all-metal construction of the 1Up USA, or the sturdy design of the Kuat NV 2.0. 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. For each bike, arms secure over the tires (no concerns about frame contact), and wheel straps serve as backup for hauling heavier e-bikes, models with fenders, or if you have bikes with very different wheelbases. RockyMounts WestSlope 3 combines a user-friendly tray design and generous three-bike capacity at a reasonable cost. This design shares a number of basic features with the Thule T2 above, including an attachment system that avoids frame contact and a tilting function that allows for access to the back of your vehicle. 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. *Editor's Note: "Capacity" refers to weight capacity per bike. 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. Choosing the Right Bike Rack for Your Car, the world's most carefully tested and objective gear reviews, Reasonably priced, highly versatile, solid construction, user-friendly tilt release, comes with locks, Very secure hold, no frame or fork contact, Secure hold, easy rack installation/removal, no bike frame contact, More security features than other trunk racks, comes in 2 and 3 bike versions, lightweight, folds small for transport or storage, more stable than other trunk racks, Very inexpensive, no assembly required, lightweight, folds small for storage, Sits slightly closer to vehicle than some, some assembly required, Design seems a little over-complicated, limited to vehicles with low roof height, you have to lift bike to height of roof to load, Works best on lower vehicles, harder to load bike, lock cores not included for integrated lock, Some assembly required, 33 lbs per bike weight limit, may not be compatible with all frames styles and shapes, Not adjustable, support arms may not work with all frame shapes/styles, no security features, A roof-mount rack with an exceptionally sturdy and secure hold of your bicycle with no frame contact, A quality roof-mount bike rack that is particularly easy to install and remove and works best with lower vehicles and lighter-weight bikes, A quality trunk mount rack that stands out for its security features, stability, and adjustability, A very affordable, bare-bones trunk rack for the infrequent rack user on a tight budget, Yes, 1.25" reciever, single bike add-on sold separately, T-slot compatibility with additional SmarT-Slot Kit. Type: PlatformWeight: 32 lbs.Number of bikes: 2Weight capacity per bike: 35 lbs.What we like: An inexpensive yet surprisingly reliable way to carry two bikes.What we dont: Not the most user-friendly design and the ratcheting arms scuff bike frames. The clamp arms are sturdy and articulate with just enough tension that they stay where you put them but don't move around on their own. All that said, for those who will utilize their high carrying capacity, a vertical hanging rack can be a worthwhile investment. The only boat-rocking standouts are the single-bike version and the aftermarket one-bike add-on. If neither of those options work, youll need to do some digging. Assembling this bike rack is fairly easy and will take you less than 5 . But once 29- and 27.5-inch wheels hit the market, the debate amongst bikers took off and has continued ever since. Second, the cradles make direct contact with your bikes fork crownthis leads to significant scuffing and loss of paint over time. Comparing common bike-carrying alternatives, there isnt a style that offers as much convenience, capacity, or compatibility with such a wide range of vehicles (provided you have a receiver hitch). In the end, this feature can have a huge impact on overall convenience, and we call it out whenever possible in the write-ups above. Our biggest complaint with the Beta is that Kuat doesnt offer a higher-capacity version. In addition, there are no add-ons available, so two bikes are the max you can carry (a Helium Platform 1-Bike is also offered for $500). It's highly adaptable, with well-designed wheel trays and included ladder strap extenders that can accommodate everything from narrow road tires to 5-inch fat bike behemoths. Weve found the arm that locks over the front tire is prone to sticking, and our rack has developed a fair amount of squeaking over time (granted, we keep it on our vehicle year-round). As such, on certain platform racks, there can be wheelbase compatibility issues. Privacy | Cookies | Terms. For more information, see our hitch rack comparison table and buying advice below the picks. Not surprisingly, the Thule comes with a steep $800 price tag. What sets the design apart is its versatility and ease of use: Unlike the North Shore Racks below, the HangTight is compatible with drop bar bikes, which is a great feature for those that mix disciplines (note: a max of three drop bar bikes can be loaded at a time on the HangTight 4). In general, platform-style racks can carry anywhere from one to four bikes (if you invest in an extension), while hanging-style racks range from two to five total bikes. Moreover, theres no option to add an extension to the XT 2, which means that two bikes are your hard ceiling and youll need to buy another rack if you want to carry more. 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. Failing to verify this can lead to myriad issuesexamples include your vans rear doors cant open more than a couple inches because the rack sits too close, your bikes handlebars come into contact with the back of an SUV when bikes are loaded, or a pickups tailgate cannot be lowered. $379.95. If you don't want to spend a small fortune on a well-designed, user-friendly, versatile, and secure bike rack, we think this an excellent option to consider. ROCKY MOUNTS Fork Mount Tray Bike Rack w/ Lock & Hdw - Fit Yakima & Thule Bars. As with any product, there are bound to be compromises. At $550 and $598 respectively, theyre clearly a big investment, costing nearly as much as the main racks themselves. I'm happy with my Kuat Transfer 3 rack. They've been steadily improving their designs and product offerings, and the MonoRail is one of several hitch mount platform racks in their line. and can even accommodate a fat bike with an adapter (sold separately). The solo also has the added versatility of allowing for both 1.25" and 2" hitches out of the box. It loses a little ground in this metric due to its standard threaded hitch pin which must be tightened with a wrench. 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. Read more about us. 1 color . RockyMounts MonoRail Rack 1-Bike Extension $ 199.95. The main shortcoming of the design is it that the bikes are placed very close together and it can be a pain to limit side-to-side contact. Most have two attachment points: a ratcheting arm that secures the front wheel, and a strap that holds the rear wheel in place. And compared with traditional hanging models, you dont have to worry about issues with a bikes top tube. Type: Vertical hangingWeight: 104 lbs.Number of bikes: 6 (available in 5-bike version)Weight capacity per bike: 45 lbs.What we like: The most secure and easiest way to carry six bikes.What we dont: Very heavy and very expensive. We much prefer the lighter weight racks anytime we have to move them by hand as they are far less cumbersome than heavier models like the Thule T2 Pro at 51 lbs, or the Kuat NV 2.0 which weighs a whopping 57 lbs 10 oz. For reference, purchasing both Kuat adapters isnt costly at around $20, but they are separate pieces that youll need to store when not in use. Finally, everything about the Thule has a high-end look and feel to it, from the easy-to-use tilt lever to the metal trays and built-in cable locks. And with rapidly changing technology and an ever-growing Not long ago, mountain bikers didnt have a choice when it came to wheel sizes26 inches was the only option. 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. The saying you get what you pay for rings very true in the hitch-mounted bike rack world. Even with the few issues that popped up, at the end of the day the $439 HoldUp 2 is still a great rack. Needless to say, its worth the time to verify you have proper clearance. Featuring moveable tray platforms, an easy-to-use tilt-down lever that resembles the one on Thules T2 Pro above, and a total weight that undercuts our top picks by 10 to 15 pounds, the rack has a lot going for it. The second accessory lock is for the receiver hitch, which typically is found on the hitch pin or integrated into the bottom of the rack. * Editor 's Note: `` capacity '' refers to weight capacity per bike on certain platform racks, those. 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