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Do you have a nice rack?


Zephyr

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A bike rack I mean.

Been looking for a new trailer hitch bike rack for our bikes.  Need to carry 2 bikes, and looking at the wheel lock types as our frames are cf.. Looking at several, and not yet decided.

What do you have, what are your likes/ dislikes about them.

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https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/accessories/racks/hitch-mount-bike-racks/nashbar-shadow-2-bike-hitch-rack-bn-shdw2-base

This rack is sold from many sources.  It's either the same or a clone of the Hollywood Trail Rider rack.  Everything is adjustable to fit any sized bike.  I bring the top hooks down till they just barely touch the top tube and they are padded with foam rubber like pipe insulators.  There are velcro straps to lock the wheels down in the wheel trays.  The lower portion folds up vertically quite easily.

The only disadvantage comes if, as on my hatchback, the hatch interferes with the rack as it opens.  On my car, a gentle tug to the rear allows about 1/8" of space to open.

If that is a problem or if you are mounting it on an SUV, the slightly more expensive Hollywood Racks Sport Rider also folds down and away from the rear hatch/door for clearance.

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I have this one, only it holds 4 bikes.  It's very nice and stable.  Holds bikes well.  Downsides?  It's very heavy and it doesn't fold up when not in use.  My truck is crew cab so it's already obnoxiously long.  When you add the rack on the back it's almost humorous.

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40 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

I have this one, only it holds 4 bikes.  It's very nice and stable.  Holds bikes well.  Downsides?  It's very heavy and it doesn't fold up when not in use.  My truck is crew cab so it's already obnoxiously long.  When you add the rack on the back it's almost humorous.

Did you see a couple of years ago when I posted a pic of this rack on a Scion IQ?  It looked like it would tip over backwards at any moment.  I don't think I have that pic any more, but it's here in the archives somewhere.

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22 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

Did you see a couple of years ago when I posted a pic of this rack on a Scion IQ?  It looked like it would tip over backwards at any moment.  I don't think I have that pic any more, but it's here in the archives somewhere.

Ha!  No, I missed that one.  Sounds reasonable though.  

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8 hours ago, Zephyr said:

A bike rack I mean.

Been looking for a new trailer hitch bike rack for our bikes.  Need to carry 2 bikes, and looking at the wheel lock types as our frames are cf.. Looking at several, and not yet decided.

What do you have, what are your likes/ dislikes about them.

I have the Saris Bones 3 bike trunk rack and I like it.  It's easy to put on or take off and holds the bikes securely.  The straps go over the top tube but they won't mar the finish and the rack keeps the bikes properly spaced so they won't bang together.

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1 hour ago, JerrySTL said:

If you need to carry 2 bikes, get a rack for 3. Less chance that the bikes will  bang against each other plus some flexability if you need to carry a third bike.

This is what I did. I don't think I'll ever rack 3 bikes but the added space for 2 is a plus.

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I have the SportWorks version of this Thule rack. (Thule bought SportWorks). Has held everything I’ve thrown at it, including a short wheelbase recumbent. (Had to buy the wider tray for the fatbike tire). Loads securely in about thirty seconds. Fairly idiotproof idiot resistant. Pretty much bombproof - someone backed into me in a parking lot (no bikes) and all it did was bend the rack a little. 

The only drawback is that it weighs quite a bit - makes it a little hard to put on and take off, but nothing really bothersome.

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Don't have a trailer hitch rack. When I had a Ford Taurus, I used an up-to-three-bikes Yakima Super Joe 3 rack, which fits over a sedan's trunk as below and also can be configured for hanging on the back hatch of an SUV or crossover. I got it from Dick's Sporting Goods for a song because it was a demo and they didn't even have the original box or instructions. It's been relegated to storage since I got my Honda Fit, haven't had to do more than 2 bikes, and they fit completely inside my car.

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I have a four bike one like that, but we do the odd long trip with our bikes on the back and from what I have read, the long haul with a carbon fibre hanging from the top tube is not the best for it so I was looking at other types.  I also have a roof top one, but after one long drive and dead bugs on my bike, that one went up on a shelf

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17 hours ago, Zephyr said:

The T2 is one that I was looking at, except the PRO instead of the classic.  I heard they are heavy but it is not something that will always be on the vehicle, and will only be used a couple times a year

Mine is old enough that it dates back to the pre-Thule days and still works fine. It’s been left on, rained on, backed into and has no issues. I replaced the bolts with stainless a while ago, when it started to get creaky when folding, but that probably wasn’t necessary. It’s a bit of a beast to pick up, shove in the receiver and get the bolt lined up, and it’s awkward as hell to store.

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