Hitch Racks - Recommendations needed

[Mr B]

Howdy,

I'm in the market for a trailer htich bike rack and am looking for any general recommendations. I
want a 4 bike holder that is made for a 2" hitch and doesn't need some sort of adaptor.

From what I've gathered, Thule, Saris, and Yakima seem to be the top brands. I've also seen other
brands at local stores and wanted to get input on pros and cons so I don't buy something and find my
bike behind me on the freeway.

Here are the ones I've come across recently at local stores:
Schwinn 4 bike hitch rack (Dunhams) - $119
Thule 934 (Sport Mart) $174
Saris T-Rax (Local bike shop) $169
Impact Stealth (online) $150ish
Outback HitchRack (Target) $99

I'm sure the Saris or Thule would be the highest quality but I hadn't ever seen the Schwinn one
before and was told it was relatively new at the SportMart I was at.

If anyone has firsthand experience with these or would recommend one over the other, please let me
know. The rack would probably only be used a couple times per year so I'm leaning towards the
cheaper ones but a open to other info.

Thanks.

 

[Mr B]

On Sat, 08 May 2004 23:39:48 GMT, Mr B <[email protected]> wrote:

>Howdy,
>
>I'm in the market for a trailer htich bike rack and am looking for any general recommendations. I
>want a 4 bike holder that is made for a 2" hitch and doesn't need some sort of adaptor.
>
>From what I've gathered, Thule, Saris, and Yakima seem to be the top brands. I've also seen other
>brands at local stores and wanted to get input on pros and cons so I don't buy something and find my
>bike behind me on the freeway.
>
>Here are the ones I've come across recently at local stores:
>Schwinn 4 bike hitch rack (Dunhams) - $119
>Thule 934 (Sport Mart) $174
>Saris T-Rax (Local bike shop) $169
>Impact Stealth (online) $150ish
>Outback HitchRack (Target) $99
>
>I'm sure the Saris or Thule would be the highest quality but I hadn't ever seen the Schwinn one
>before and was told it was relatively new at the SportMart I was at.
>
>If anyone has firsthand experience with these or would recommend one over the other, please let me
>know. The rack would probably only be used a couple times per year so I'm leaning towards the
>cheaper ones but a open to other info.
>
>Thanks.

Anyone?

 

[Gene]

Mr B <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Sat, 08 May 2004 23:39:48 GMT, Mr B <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Howdy,
> >
> >I'm in the market for a trailer htich bike rack and am looking for any general recommendations. I
> >want a 4 bike holder that is made for a 2" hitch and doesn't need some sort of adaptor.
> >
> >From what I've gathered, Thule, Saris, and Yakima seem to be the top brands. I've also seen other
> >brands at local stores and wanted to get input on pros and cons so I don't buy something and find my
> >bike behind me on the freeway.
> >
> >Here are the ones I've come across recently at local stores:
> >Schwinn 4 bike hitch rack (Dunhams) - $119
> >Thule 934 (Sport Mart) $174
> >Saris T-Rax (Local bike shop) $169
> >Impact Stealth (online) $150ish
> >Outback HitchRack (Target) $99
> >
> >I'm sure the Saris or Thule would be the highest quality but I hadn't ever seen the Schwinn one
> >before and was told it was relatively new at the SportMart I was at.
> >
> >If anyone has firsthand experience with these or would recommend one over the other, please let me
> >know. The rack would probably only be used a couple times per year so I'm leaning towards the
> >cheaper ones but a open to other info.
> >
> >Thanks.
>
> Anyone?

Check usenet news with google. www.mtbr.com reviews.

I posted recently re: a GM hitch rack purchase. Such a price! Seems
hitch racks are widely available at competitive prices right now. I
do not recall seeing the same choices five years ago.

My hitch rack was a Yakima Roc-4. It was strong (enough) and easy to
use. Carried top tubes bars in either of two trays... the main
difference being the straps (rubber vs. ratchet). The Roc-2 or Roc-4
came with an arm to stabilize the bike... attached to the down tube.
Using the rack with bungy cords for the front wheel was simple.
Carried four bikes a lot. $160 on sale (obsolete?).

So you need to know if the bike rack can actually carry four bikes
without squishing them together. How do the bikes mount? How to keep
them from swaying? Frames and front wheels will move about. Is the
hitch receiver pin threaded? If no, then an anti-sway attachment is
needed to keep the hitch rack from clanking. Lock system? The ROc-4
included a theft deterrent (sp?) cable that went around the outer-most
bike frame. It was something anyway. Oh... $40 extra.

http://www.qbike.com
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/bikes/stores
http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=54

try froogle too.

HTH.

 

[cohenfive]

i would also suggest checking out the following two companies. if i
were getting a rack i'd go this direction..

1up usa

draftmaster

these racks are fairly expensive but get very, very high marks from
users. also in both cases the racks allow both wheels to stay on the
bike.

good luck

 

[Dion Dock]

I have a DraftMaster and it works very well. You have to take the front
wheel off though. It can be disassembled without tools and access to the
rear hatch is pretty good. It would be really nice if it had locking
skewers though.

www.draftmaster.com

I think your prices are low; most of these systems are a hitch mount and you
then purchase more pieces for each bike you want to carry.

-Dion

"Mr B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 08 May 2004 23:39:48 GMT, Mr B <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Howdy,
> >
> >I'm in the market for a trailer htich bike rack and am looking for any
general recommendations. I
> >want a 4 bike holder that is made for a 2" hitch and doesn't need some
sort of adaptor.
> >
> >From what I've gathered, Thule, Saris, and Yakima seem to be the top
brands. I've also seen other
> >brands at local stores and wanted to get input on pros and cons so I
don't buy something and find my
> >bike behind me on the freeway.
> >
> >Here are the ones I've come across recently at local stores:
> >Schwinn 4 bike hitch rack (Dunhams) - $119
> >Thule 934 (Sport Mart) $174
> >Saris T-Rax (Local bike shop) $169
> >Impact Stealth (online) $150ish
> >Outback HitchRack (Target) $99
> >
> >I'm sure the Saris or Thule would be the highest quality but I hadn't
ever seen the Schwinn one
> >before and was told it was relatively new at the SportMart I was at.
> >
> >If anyone has firsthand experience with these or would recommend one over
the other, please let me
> >know. The rack would probably only be used a couple times per year so
I'm leaning towards the
> >cheaper ones but a open to other info.
> >
> >Thanks.
>
> Anyone?

 

[name]

I got a Hidden Hitch 1 1/4" hitch (installed it myself), and a Hollywood
Engineering HR310. Hitch went on nice, I can recommend it. It took me
_way_ too long to install due to me boo-booing and knocking a bolt into
a blind hole - but if I had it to do over again it would be a 30 min
job. The HR310 I only picked up yesterday, and didn't get to try it out
yet, but read a lot of good reviews. Its nice that it has lower
stabilizer bars so the bikes can't sway.

On Sat, 08 May 2004 23:39:48 GMT, Mr B <[email protected]> wrote:

>Howdy,
>
>I'm in the market for a trailer htich bike rack and am looking for any general recommendations. I
>want a 4 bike holder that is made for a 2" hitch and doesn't need some sort of adaptor.
>
>From what I've gathered, Thule, Saris, and Yakima seem to be the top brands. I've also seen other
>brands at local stores and wanted to get input on pros and cons so I don't buy something and find my
>bike behind me on the freeway.
>
>Here are the ones I've come across recently at local stores:
>Schwinn 4 bike hitch rack (Dunhams) - $119
>Thule 934 (Sport Mart) $174
>Saris T-Rax (Local bike shop) $169
>Impact Stealth (online) $150ish
>Outback HitchRack (Target) $99
>
>I'm sure the Saris or Thule would be the highest quality but I hadn't ever seen the Schwinn one
>before and was told it was relatively new at the SportMart I was at.
>
>If anyone has firsthand experience with these or would recommend one over the other, please let me
>know. The rack would probably only be used a couple times per year so I'm leaning towards the
>cheaper ones but a open to other info.
>
>Thanks.

sp@m trap [email protected]

..