Not always but 2 for sure. With me and my younger son both having road bikes now two is bare minimum. Mom doesn't always ride with us so I will probably just buy the 2 rack at first to ease the purchase pain then get the add on later for mom when I can save up some OT money for it. After looking at racks for hours and hours and hours I just think this thing is a tank, will last me forever and is worth the cost. I really like the wheel attachment part not using any frame for securement. That I hate about my hanging rack!