rear hitch bike rack

Need a rear hitch bike rack. Was thinking of a Yakima ROC 2
for $112 USD. The link is below. I just need a two bike rack
and want something good but reasonable to carry my $3000
road bike.

http://www.outdoorsports.com/osc/crd/item.asp?dept_id=29&pr-
oduct_id=8002573

Thanks for any help, Curt

 

Guess no one has a bike rack for their car out there. Any
links to places that may be of help would be great.

Curt

"curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Need a rear hitch bike rack. Was thinking of a Yakima ROC
> 2 for $112 USD. The link is below. I just need a two bike
> rack and want something good
but
> reasonable to carry my $3000 road bike.
>
>
http://www.outdoorsports.com/osc/crd/item.asp?dept_id=29&pr-
oduct_id=8002573
>
> Thanks for any help, Curt

 

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 17:19:03 GMT, "curt" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Guess no one has a bike rack for their car out there. Any
>links to places that may be of help would be great. "curt"
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>> Need a rear hitch bike rack. Was thinking of a Yakima ROC
>> 2 for $112 USD.

It's been discussed so much lately that nobody wanted to
repeat themselves yet again. Read posts dating as far back
as last week for all the information you want. Go to
groups.google.com to read old posts. You can also search for
relevant messages, and that will give you more information
than you can handle.
--
Rick Onanian

 

Sorry I must have missed that. I have not been here that
long. I looked on google and came up with a few things, but
no much really. I did get an interesting answer on
rec.bicycles.racing though. A guy told me this....

Go to www.cabelas.com and look for the link to
automotive/ATV, then look for cargo carriers/bike racks.
ignore their bike rack selection, and check out the 48"
hitch haul carrier. mount a couple of truck bed mounts like
you can get from Performance or from any yakima dealer on
the side rails (you'll have to figure out the spacing
yourself, as well as drill holes) and voila', a two-bike
carrier that can be used for LOT's of other uses, too. Less
than $100 total.

I thought it was an outstanding idea! Curt

"Rick Onanian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 17:19:03 GMT, "curt"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Guess no one has a bike rack for their car out there. Any
> >links to
places
> >that may be of help would be great. "curt"
> ><[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> Need a rear hitch bike rack. Was thinking of a Yakima
> >> ROC 2 for $112
USD.
>
> It's been discussed so much lately that nobody wanted to
> repeat themselves yet again. Read posts dating as far back
> as last week for all the information you want. Go to
> groups.google.com to read old posts. You can also search
> for relevant messages, and that will give you more
> information than you can handle.
> --
> Rick Onanian

 

"curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sorry I must have missed that. I have not been here that
> long. I looked
on
> google and came up with a few things, but no much really.
> I did get an interesting answer on rec.bicycles.racing
> though. A guy told me this....
>
> Go to www.cabelas.com and look for the link to
> automotive/ATV, then look for cargo carriers/bike racks.
> ignore their bike rack selection, and check out the 48"
> hitch haul carrier. mount a couple of truck bed mounts
> like you can get from Performance or from any yakima
> dealer on the side rails (you'll have to figure out the
> spacing yourself, as well as drill holes) and voila', a
> two-bike carrier that can be used for LOT's of other uses,
> too. Less than $100 total.
>
> I thought it was an outstanding idea!

Suprising and encouraging news. When I followed r.b.racing
you would have been called a dumb-ass fred. Glad you got the
info you were looking for.

Matthew

 

"curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sorry I must have missed that. I have not been here that
> long. I looked
on
> google and came up with a few things, but no much really.
> I did get an interesting answer on rec.bicycles.racing
> though. A guy told me this....
>
> Go to www.cabelas.com and look for the link to
> automotive/ATV, then look for cargo carriers/bike racks.
> ignore their bike rack selection, and check out the 48"
> hitch haul carrier. mount a couple of truck bed mounts
> like you can get from Performance or from any yakima
> dealer on the side rails (you'll have to figure out the
> spacing yourself, as well as drill holes) and voila', a
> two-bike carrier that can be used for LOT's of other uses,
> too. Less than $100 total.
>
> I thought it was an outstanding idea! Curt
>
Meant to add, if I had a $3000 bike it would go in the
vehicle. If you go the Cabela route, I'd get locking mounts.

Matthew

 

I was called a dumb-ass fred by a couple of people there.
There are lots of bike snobs there, but some are cool. I
thought that was a pretty good idea. I could put the
bicycle inside, but it takes up quite a bit of room and I
have a big dog.

Curt

"Matthew" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Sorry I must have missed that. I have not been here that
> > long. I
looked
> on
> > google and came up with a few things, but no much
> > really. I did get an interesting answer on
> > rec.bicycles.racing though. A guy told me
this....
> >
> > Go to www.cabelas.com and look for the link to
> > automotive/ATV, then look for cargo carriers/bike racks.
> > ignore their bike rack selection, and check out the 48"
> > hitch haul carrier. mount a couple of truck bed mounts
> > like you can get from Performance or from any yakima
> > dealer on the side rails (you'll have to figure out the
> > spacing yourself, as well as drill holes) and voila', a
> > two-bike carrier that can be used for LOT's of other
> > uses, too. Less than $100 total.
> >
> > I thought it was an outstanding idea!
>
> Suprising and encouraging news. When I followed r.b.racing
> you would have been called a dumb-ass fred. Glad you got
> the info you were looking for.
>
> Matthew

 

"curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:bGG[email protected]...
> Guess no one has a bike rack for their car out there. Any
> links to places that may be of help would be great.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=4178&dept=41-
25&product_id=1242569&path=0%3A4125%3A4178%3A49043

or

http://tinyurl.com/2umoc

I have an older model of the Rhode Gear hitch mount 2 bike
rack and I've been satisfied with it. It mounts firmly into
the receiver so it doesn't rattle around. They also make a 4
bike model. I gave a tire mount one to a friend and she has
been satisfied with it as well. I just bungee the front
wheel to the big chainring (after moving the chain to the
little ring) so the front wheel & bars won't bang on my car.

The only problem I have with it right now is I have to swing
it (down*) on my Explorer to open the rear window. On my
Expedition this wasn't a problem...or my Ranger either.

Mine (and hers) allow the arms to pivot downward, out of the
way, when there's no bikes to be carried.

*If you look closely at the pic you can see a pin just
above the horizontal bar that comes out of the hitch. Pull
that pin and the entire thing will pivot downward and you
can open the liftgate on the vehicle. I've actually done
this with bikes attached (and bungeed to the vertical post
on the rack) and it swung down and back up with no problem.
You could probably do it without the bungee and allow the
bike to rotate as the rack swings downward allowing the
tires to hit the ground. I dont' worry about such niceties
with my MTB.

I believe someone makes one that will swing horizontally
sort of like rear spare carriers.

Also, give www.epinions.com and
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Bike_Rack a look for more
information.

All that said, I'm sure there are nicer, more expensive
racks, but I've been happy with mine.

a.

 

Great information!

I did some digging and found another rack that is right
up my alley.

roductId=3023559&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-
1&color=&img=/largeimages/647318.jpg&view=large

This is really what I am looking for and then some.

Thanks for the research material, Curt

news:%[email protected]...
> "curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Guess no one has a bike rack for their car out there.
> > Any links to
places
> > that may be of help would be great.
>
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=4178&dept=41-
25&product_id=1242569&path=0%3A4125%3A4178%3A49043
>
> or
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2umoc
>
> I have an older model of the Rhode Gear hitch mount 2 bike
> rack and I've been satisfied with it. It mounts firmly
> into the receiver so it doesn't rattle around. They also
> make a 4 bike model. I gave a tire mount one to
a
> friend and she has been satisfied with it as well. I just
> bungee the
front
> wheel to the big chainring (after moving the chain to
> the little ring) so the front wheel & bars won't bang
> on my car.
>
> The only problem I have with it right now is I have to
> swing it (down*) on my Explorer to open the rear
> window. On my Expedition this wasn't a problem...or my
> Ranger either.
>
> Mine (and hers) allow the arms to pivot downward, out of
> the way, when there's no bikes to be carried.
>
> *If you look closely at the pic you can see a pin just
> above the
horizontal
> bar that comes out of the hitch. Pull that pin and the
> entire thing will pivot downward and you can open the
> liftgate on the vehicle. I've
actually
> done this with bikes attached (and bungeed to the vertical
> post on the
rack)
> and it swung down and back up with no problem. You could
> probably do it without the bungee and allow the bike to
> rotate as the rack swings
downward
> allowing the tires to hit the ground. I dont' worry about
> such niceties with my MTB.
>
> I believe someone makes one that will swing horizontally
> sort of like rear spare carriers.
>
> Also, give www.epinions.com and
> http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Bike_Rack a
look
> for more information.
>
> All that said, I'm sure there are nicer, more expensive
> racks, but I've
been
> happy with mine.
>
> a.

 

"curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Need a rear hitch bike rack. Was thinking of a Yakima ROC
> 2 for $112 USD. The link is below. I just need a two bike
> rack and want something good
but
> reasonable to carry my $3000 road bike.
>
>
http://www.outdoorsports.com/osc/crd/item.asp?dept_id=29&pr-
oduct_id=8002573

Curt:

The place for advice on rear hitch racks is:
http://nordicgroup.us/rack.htm

What to Look for in a Hitch Rack

-Spread. If the rack holds the top tube with two arms, how
far apart are the arms? You want them far apart enough to
provide good support, but close together enough so that
short frame bicycles can be carried. Avoid hitch racks where
the frame is held by a narrow clamp of six inches or less;
they have compromised the design to avoid the cost of two
separate arms.

-Do the arms fold? When you park, or if you keep the rack
attached all the time (a bad idea), you'll want to be able
to not have the arm(s) sticking several feet out toward the
back of your vehicle. An injury could invite a nasty
lawsuit. Thule's, Rhodegear's Interstate series, and
Yakima's RimRoc all have folding arms.

-Rear access. Does the rack fold down or pivot out far
enough for you to open the back of your van or SUV. The more
expensive racks that pivot let you gain access to the rear
even with bicycles on the rack while the fold down racks
require that you remove the bicycles first. The cheapest
ones neither pivot or fold down.

-Spare tire clearance. If you have a vehicle with a spare
tire mounted on the back be sure that the rack clears it.

-Wobble. If you use a standard hitch pin to secure the rack
then it will wobble and rattle. There are several systems
designed to eliminate wobble, from a collar with set screws
to the use of a threaded bolt that secures the rack to the
hitch rather than a pin.

-Hold Downs. Some of the cheaper racks just have some hooks,
you have to use bungee cords or other tie-downs to hold the
bike. The better ones have cushioned rubber pads with
straps. Unfortunately the only ones that have integral
locking are the poorly designed single arm racks; with the
others you have to use a cable lock.

-Security. How is the rack locked to the hitch? How are the
bikes locked to the rack? The advantage of the single arm
racks with a solid mounting hold down plate over the top
tube is that it it make the rack lockable, but the
disadvantage of the single arm rack is so great that I would
not use one just for this reason; you can just use a heavy
cable lock.

-Swinging. On the racks that hold the bike by the top tube,
the bike can swing back and forth while on the car. Some of
the more expensive top tube mount racks have a bottom
support bar sticking out down near the wheels for you to
secure the bottom of the bike.

-Removeability. How fast and easy is it to remove the whole
rack? Some of the RhodeGear racks are easy to partially
remove but they leave the base sticking out beyond the
bumper which is a very bad idea.

-Storeability. How easy is it to store. The racks with arms
that don't fold down, and/or masts that don't fold, are a
pain to store because you can't store them flat. The
pivoting masts are also a pain to store, but you gain the
advantage of easier access to the rear of the vehicle.

-Odd frames and Children's Frames. A lot of the hitch racks
that hold the bikes by the top tube have a problem with odd
frames, mixte ("ladies") frames, and children's frames. The
racks that hold the bike by the wheels and crankarm will be
easier to use with these. There are attachments to create a
fake top-tube to use the top tube racks with mixte frames.
On the top tube racks with dual arms you may be able to put
children's bikes on them by hanging the bike by the wheels.

-Other accessories. Many hitch racks have attachments
available for skis.

Weeding out the Junk and Making an Intelligent Choice

-The reality is that most of the hitch racks are not well
designed and it's easy to weed out the bad ones. IMVAIO, on
the hitch racks with top tube mounts you should look for:

* Dual fold-down arms
* Pivot-out or fold-down mast
* Anti-wobble device included
* Integral locking of the rack to the hitch
* Rubber Hold-downs with straps that don't come off to
lose
* Bottom support bar to prevent bikes from swinging
* Comes with bicycle locking mechanism (standard)

For a 4 bike, 2" hitch model, this would narrow down the
choices to:

1. Hollywood Road Runner 4 (note that some older ones are
subject to a recall)
2. Thule 994 Expressway Hitch Carrier

 

curt wrote:
>
> Need a rear hitch bike rack. Was thinking of a Yakima ROC
> 2 for $112 USD. The link is below. I just need a two bike
> rack and want something good but reasonable to carry my
> $3000 road bike.
>
> http://www.outdoorsports.com/osc/crd/item.asp?dept_id=29&-
> product_id=8002573
>
> Thanks for any help, Curt

Try a Drawtite rack, they're pretty good.
<http://www.drawtite.com/bike%20carrier%20page.htm>.

I recently purchased the towable rack for two bikes
<http://www.drawtite.com/bike%207981.htm> because I have a
small trailer I tow, as well. It works great!

Of course, ymmw

Sky hmardis "aht" uiuc "daught" edu

 

"curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> I was called a dumb-ass fred by a couple of people there.
> There are lots
of
> bike snobs there, but some are cool. I thought that was a
> pretty good
idea.

I wouldn't say they are snobs. First off, a query on bike
racks really is OT for the racing group. A lot of it is good-
natured "trash talking" and you should expect it. Anyone
talking about their $3000 bike is bound to be called a Fred
in that group and justifiably so IMHO. If you can't compete
no one really gives a damn how much your bike cost. Actually
even if you can race none of the regulars in that group care
about your bike. It's not about the bike; it's about the
cyclist. That said, it's folks like you and me that keep the
bike industry alive in America.

It's a good group of very knowledgeable people, but it's
best to lurk and learn or not be hyper-sensitive if you do
post because ignorance just is not tolerated by many in the
group. Not much discussion on mountain bike or cyclocross
racing though so it got pretty obnoxious in the winter. Now
that road racing season is here I think I'll go back and
lurk a bit.

 

I didn't post how much my bike costs over there. I have no
idea why I mentioned it here. My bicycle is 10 years old and
I plan on riding it into the ground, so I am not really one
who spends tons of money.

It is kind of off-topic, but it is certainly related
to cycling.

The group is ok. I like the name fred.

Curt

"El Paisano" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "curt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news[email protected]...
> > I was called a dumb-ass fred by a couple of people
> > there. There are
lots
> of
> > bike snobs there, but some are cool. I thought that was
> > a pretty good
> idea.
>
> I wouldn't say they are snobs. First off, a query on bike
> racks really is
OT
> for the racing group. A lot of it is good-natured "trash
> talking" and you should expect it. Anyone talking about
> their $3000 bike is bound to be called a Fred in that
> group and justifiably so IMHO. If you can't compete
no
> one really gives a damn how much your bike cost. Actually
> even if you can race none of the regulars in that group
> care about your bike. It's not
about
> the bike; it's about the cyclist. That said, it's folks
> like you and me
that
> keep the bike industry alive in America.
>
> It's a good group of very knowledgeable people, but it's
> best to lurk and learn or not be hyper-sensitive if you do
> post because ignorance just is
not
> tolerated by many in the group. Not much discussion on
> mountain bike or cyclocross racing though so it got pretty
> obnoxious in the winter. Now
that
> road racing season is here I think I'll go back and
> lurk a bit.