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.

 

[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]

.

 

[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?