Last year I purchased a Thule parkway 4 bike hitch for a 2" hitch. I use this on a mini-van that has a 2" hitch to carry up to 4 bikes. Sometimes I would like to leave the mini-van at home and use my Mazda 3 for short trips with only 2 bikes max. Unfortunately I can't get a 2" hitch for a Mazda 3, so I either need to get a 1-1/4" hitch and use and adapter or maybe get a trunk mount rack.
Any options on these options?
Thule makes a rack that includes the adapter, (a slide on piece converting 1-14" to 2" right from the box, the Roadway 914,
http://www.thuleracks.com/product.asp?dept_id=8&sku=914.
this is the model I purchased this spring and paid the extra for this single feature. Actually received good deal via Amazon and caught free S/H so whole package was < $199. (IIRC)
PS: the ratings on these is 40#s / per, 160# max. The extra length of conventional adapter puts serious stress on the 1-1/4" receiver and car's suspension, the Thule's design eliminates the length, yet would give 2nd thoughts adding bikes 3 and 4 on a car type setup.