General Cycling Discussion - Anyone have a recommendation or discouragement for a hitch mount bike rack?

I have a Chevy Equinox and a Ford F-150. I want to purchase a hitch mount bike rack for my bike carrying needs. I'll usually be carrying road bikes or mountain bikes with an occasional children's bike.

Any suggestions pro or con for bike racks? I don't want to start any slam fests or anything. I'm just looking for helpful advice.

Thanks in advance!!!!

I have the Thule 2 Platform style Hitch rack, and I LOVE it. It's a bit expensive but solidly built and so easy to use.

http://www.rackwarehouse.com/thule-916xtr-917xtr-t2-platform-style-2-bike-hitch-mounted-bicycle-rack.html

Ciao

I have a Chevy Equinox and a Ford F-150. I want to purchase a hitch mount bike rack for my bike carrying needs. I'll usually be carrying road bikes or mountain bikes with an occasional children's bike.

Any suggestions pro or con for bike racks? I don't want to start any slam fests or anything. I'm just looking for helpful advice.

Thanks in advance!!!!

We have a Thule 4-bike hitch rack - the kind you hang the bikes from arms. Works fine, except that when you have frames of vastly different geometries ( like a combination of adult bikes and kids bikes ) getting them placed so that you don't end up with pedals hitting the spokes of bikes next to them, etc, is a major PITA. Platform type racks seem to have less of a problem with that.

I've had a Graber (now called Saris) for over 20 years. I've needed parts, called the 800 #, recieved my parts in the mail N/C in a few days. excellent customer service after the sale.

I use the X-Port two bike tray style hitch rack from Performance. I read somewhere that hanging a carbon bike from its top tube isn't recommended. True or false, the tray style works for me. The only con with a hitch mounted rack, particularly with a tray style, is that if a car taps the rack (it can happen when parking) it could go a bit out of alignment (easily fixed) making it temporarily more difficult, but not impossible, to use.

Get the Hitch on the car part well welded on the Car, I picked the entire families bundle of bikes
off the causeway Highway when the rack's receiver hitch gave way.

I have a ALLEN 3 bike 2 inch hitch on the back of my Saturn VUE, this is a sturdy piece of steel, compared to my previous trunk hitches this works well, I carry 2 bikes and it gives plenty of room.

Get the Hitch on the car part well welded on the Car, I picked the entire families bundle of bikes
off the causeway Highway when the rack's receiver hitch gave way.

Or just get it installed by a qualified person. I and my family have towed many boats for years weighing many thousands of pounds and have never welded the receiver or hitch to the truck frame.

..... I picked the entire families bundle of bikes
off the causeway Highway when the rack's receiver hitch gave way.

Tall Cool One, not sure what happened to fietsbob's load but his experience reminds me that you must be sure to not overload your hitch by exceeding the Max. Tongue Weight. Some hitches actually list two max tongue weights, a carrying weight and a weight distribution weight.

The max. tongue weight on the Class II hitch on our Camry is only 300#. I imagine you have Class III hitches on your vehicles and they often range around 500# for carrying weight.

As far as rack style is concerned, I personally prefer the racks with wheel trays. They keep the bikes apart from each other and quite stable.

Good hunting!!

Or just get it installed by a qualified person. I and my family have towed many boats for years weighing many thousands of pounds and have never welded the receiver or hitch to the truck frame.

Heck yes. One of our cars, a Civic, has the hitch installed via bolt on to the rear tow hook, not via frame/body bolts like you'll have on a vehicle that was actually designed for a hitch, and it doesn't budge a fraction even with me jumping up and down on it with all my weight. I can't imagine what sort of installation job would allow one to come loose.

I don't know how many bikes you haul so this may or may not work for you. I use the X-Port two bike tray style hitch rack and really like it, the draw back of this type of carrier is how many bikes I can mount in it, If I do have to haul more then 2 bikes, then the rest have to go in to the bed of the truck