Originally Posted by
beowulf7
Here's a quick update. I recently bought the
XPORT Flatbed 2-Bike Hitch Rack from PB and assembled it last weekend. I'm looking for a lock for it and read in one of the reviews to get the
SportRack - A30901Lhp - Hitch Pin Bolt w/ Lock. What is your opinion of it? I also need to get a 3/4" wrench to tighten the hitch bolt. The largest wrench I have is 5/8". D'oh!
Yeah, I can probably use pliers to hand-tighten it. That's what I did for another bolt that requires a 17mm wrench. (Why the manufacturer decided to mix US and metric sizes for their 2 bolts is beyond my comprehension.
)
I have a very similar Swagman carrier. Absolutely love it. It's light, easy to use, folds up quickly, stores in a small space and holds the bike securely when in use.
For locking it, you need to lock two things - the rack to the car and the bike to the rack. No experience here with the particular locking hitch pin you noted, but I would avoid it because of the wrench. That mechanism is to stop the rack from rattling. You can use something like
this locking hitch pin and
a stabilizer like this. I use that exact combo. No wrench required.
For locking the bike to the rack, I'll bet
these would work even though they say they are for the Swagman not an Xport. You can also use a chain or cable but I'd advise against that while you are driving. Just put the chain or cable on when you stop or risk much scratching of the bike frame. Word of caution, that rack can be disassembled pretty easily so anything that locks the bike to the rack is not going to stand up in a risky neighborhood for a long time.