The tilting feature is available on both hanging and platform-style racks, although one key point of differentiation is that many platform models can tilt with the bikes loaded, while hanging racks require you to unload your bikes first. One of the main reasons to get a hanging-style rack is for occasional family outings, and a four- or five-bike model is often ideal for those trips. Testers found it relatively easy to move around and pick up with just one hand, making putting it on and taking it off less of a chore. They typically double the racks carrying capacityfrom two to four bikesand are available for many popular designs (including Thules T2 Pro XT Add-On and Kuats NV 2.0 Add-On). In addition, these racks are the most gentle on bikes because they typically only come in contact with the tire or wheel (and not the painted frame). Type: PlatformWeight: 52 lbs.Number of bikes: 2 (4 with add-on)Weight capacity per bike: 60 lbs.What we like: Loaded with features, well-built, and easy to use.What we dont: Expensive and a bit heavy. Our favorite lever style on a platform rack is found on Thules T2 Pro XTR, which has a large handle conveniently located at the end of the rack. If you have a truck, the simple pickup pad is a nice, affordable option, but you do lose the security of a locking hitch and it can take some work to limit bike-to-bike contact. The locks themselves don't feel especially robust, however, and can be broken off with a hammer in just seconds. One is on the hitch pin and the other is locking the cable to the rack. $55.00. Only problem with the 2-timer is that it holds via the frame instead of wheels. The big news here is the included ramps that allow you to push your bikes onto the platforms rather than having to lift them off the ground. It's seen a lot of miles, some bumpy roads, mountain highway road grime, and it appears no worse for the wear. Our third category is one thats only recently gained serious popularity. Trunk-mounted racks are cheaper but prone to causing paint damage on your vehicle if you dont take extra precautions. At 32 pounds, its a whopping 20 pounds less than the Kuat NV 2.0 above, which makes it a whole lot easier to install and remove from your vehicle. Moreover, theres no option to add an extension to the XT 2, which means that two bikes are your hard ceiling and youll need to buy another rack if you want to carry more. We independently buy, test, and rate all the products we review. For the price, the Rocky Mounts Monorail seems to be the best price, next closest is going to be between the Thule X2/Yakima Hold-up 2 and the 1Up QuikRack. Type: HangingWeight: 14 lbs.Number of bikes: 2Weight capacity per bike: 40 lbs.What we like: Smart mix of weight, strength, and features.What we dont: Only offered in a two-bike capacity. That said, theres no denying the Heliums quality and clean looks, and its a perfectly fine match for those planning to just transport standard mountain and road bikes. and can even accommodate a fat bike with an adapter (sold separately). The design is fairly simple: clamps on either end attach to your seat post and bike stem, and the rounded piece in the middle lays on top of the racks cradles. The mounting brackets for the trays are on the top of the main arm of the rack. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Most have two attachment points: a ratcheting arm that secures the front wheel, and a strap that holds the rear wheel in place. Our biggest complaint with the Beta is that Kuat doesnt offer a higher-capacity version. One thing the MonoRail has going for it is its moderate weight. 1Ups Heavy Duty Double and Recon Rack 6 are among the most expensive racks in our round-up, and both feature high-quality, all-metal constructions that have excellent lifespans. At $49 and $50 for the Yakima and Thule adapters, these are not cheap accessories and should be taken into account as youre choosing a rack style. The Dr.Tray's $599 price tag puts it among the more expensive in this grouping, but its full feature set and low weight make it an intriguing option for dedicated riders. If your bike will not fit on your hanging rack due to a heavily angled or swooping top tube, purchasing a separate top tube adapter is your best bet. RockyMounts makes a full line of bike racks and accessories. Manufacturers oftentimes have a technical drawing available of the rack in question, and you can use the measurements for assessing whether or not youll run into any fitment issues. Once the hitch pin is tight you can secure it to the vehicle with the included hitch pin lock. As expected, 2-inch receivers can handle more weight, which is a consideration if youre planning on hauling a heavy platform rack with some 50+ pound e-bikes aboard. Free shipping. On the other hand, racks like the $145 Swagman XC2 that use a lot of plastic or cheap, thin metal, will be prone to rusting out or breaking down over time. We also read a complaint online that the clamp arm didn't have adequate clearance for a user's fat bike suspension fork, something to consider if you happen to have one. The design includes two independent folding arms that contact only the tires, leaving the rest of the bike completely untoucheda task that other racks struggle to accomplish. Best Hitch Rack for Rear Cargo Access: RockyMounts BackStage Best Hitch Rack for E-Bikes: Thule EasyFold XT 2 Best Vertical Hanging Rack: 1UP Recon Rack 6 Best Overall Hitch Bike Rack 1. $5.00. The main shortcoming of the design is it that the bikes are placed very close together and it can be a pain to limit side-to-side contact. As with the Dr.Tray above, Kuats Sherpa 2.0 is a lightweight alternative in the heavy platform rack world. 1 color. Further, the Recons burly build is extremely heavy (the two boxes that ship to you exceed 100 pounds total), which makes it difficult to set up and remove. or Best Offer. This euro-cool design puts an emphasis on everyday simplicity with easy-to-secure From smooth and flowy post-work rides to rough and rowdy all-day backcountry epics, the trail mountain biking category covers a wide range. The latest version of the Transfer also is adjustable enough to fit a wide range of bike types and wheel sizes (from 18-29 in.) The MonoRail, like most excellent platform racks, holds the bike by the wheels, so there is no frame contact. What do you give up by saving with the Kuat? 1 color. Colorado-based RockyMounts has been producing quality bike racks since the early 90's. The RockyMounts MonoRail Solo holds a single bike with tires up to 5 and overall weight up to 60 lbs. Simply put, this rack does it all. A quick check of our list above will show that most of the hanging-style racks have ended up at or near the bottom of our rankings. Finally, wed be remiss not to mention that the NV is easily one of the better-looking racks available, especially in the Gray Metallic colorway. RockyMounts 1.25" MonoRail Bike Rack, new, unopened, returned. A versatile hitch-mount rack that provides a high price to performance ratio, Sits slightly closer to vehicle than some. Read more about us. Further, we think Yakima has the best cradle system, which includes ratchet-style straps to securely hold the bikes top tube to the rack. Kuat Sherpa 2.0 - Pearl/Silver - 2 Hitch $ 599.00. Carbon fiber bikes are dream machines for many riders and come with premium price tags, so its no surprise that a common question is how to transport them safely. We also like the EZ+1 extension, which allows you to expand its carrying capacity to three bikes with only a 9-pound weight penalty (for an additional $259). Failing to verify this can lead to myriad issuesexamples include your vans rear doors cant open more than a couple inches because the rack sits too close, your bikes handlebars come into contact with the back of an SUV when bikes are loaded, or a pickups tailgate cannot be lowered. Reflecting the growing popularity of heavy e-bikes and large fat bikes, Thule released the EasyFold XT 2. Its worth noting that these add-ons are usually only compatible with the 2-inch receiver version of the racks due to the low maximum tongue weight of 1.25-inch receivers. Change begins by doing something different. Both wheel holsters can accommodate anything from smaller kids' bikes to fat bike tires, and wheelbase measurements from 36 to 50 in length. This gives you uninterrupted access to the rear cargo areaall without having to unload your bikes. The tilt release handle is simple and well designed, adding to the user-friendliness of the Monorail. Free shipping for many products! They've been steadily improving their designs and product offerings, and the MonoRail is one of several hitch mount platform racks in their line. Attractively priced at $449 and weighing a reasonable 37 pounds, theres a whole lot to like about the Transfer v2. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Similar to racks like the Thule T2 Classic and the Yakima HoldUp, the Monorail has plastic wheel cradles and some clamp arm components. $499.95 (5) Kuat. Platform racks dominate this round-up, and in our opinion, are the best way to transport your bikes. No sponsored content. $380.00. The well-sorted design is compatible with both 1.25- and 2-inch receivers (a big plus for swapping between vehicles), very secure with arms that quickly lock over the tires, and light enough to move in and out of a garage without too much effort. It's lower profile than many other racks, but it still takes up quite a bit of space in your storage area. Compare RockyMounts MonoRail vs Yakima HoldUp Bike | etrailer.com Select Year Select Make Select Model RockyMounts MonoRail Bike Rack for 3 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount Mouseover to zoom. Yakimas Dr.Tray has no problem accommodating fat bike tires up to 5 inches, but is unable to fit a wheel size smaller than 26 inches (and no adapters are available). The second accessory lock is for the receiver hitch, which typically is found on the hitch pin or integrated into the bottom of the rack. For reference, purchasing both Kuat adapters isnt costly at around $20, but they are separate pieces that youll need to store when not in use. Thule recently updated their popular T2 Pro, but the latest model retains its title as our favorite hitch-mounted rack thanks to its complete feature set and premium build. Read our full review below for all the details! Perhaps best of all, the low 32-pound weight is easy to remove and install, and the small footprint takes up minimal space when off your vehicle. No matter where you wander off to, setting your vehicle up with a car . What are the downsides of the Recon R6? The plastic parts used on the Monorail do appear to be highly durable, though plastic tends to break down over time. This cable isn't permanently attached to the rack in any way so it's quite easy to loop it through your bike frames. It's highly adaptable, with well-designed wheel trays and included ladder strap extenders that can accommodate everything from narrow road tires to 5-inch fat bike behemoths. In testing, weve found that weight-saving models like the Yakima Dr.Tray and Kuat Sherpa 2.0 have their fair share of compromises in carrying ability and longevity. I'm happy with my Kuat Transfer 3 rack. HoldUp Bike Rack - 2in. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. With generous spacing between the bikes on the . This lock style is similar to that found on the Kuat Sherpa and we feel it is a good system that seems to add the most security. Top Tube Adapters Type: PlatformWeight: 32 lbs.Number of bikes: 2Weight capacity per bike: 35 lbs.What we like: An inexpensive yet surprisingly reliable way to carry two bikes.What we dont: Not the most user-friendly design and the ratcheting arms scuff bike frames. The MonoRail also comes with two small hitch pin locks, keyed the same, that attach to the end of the hitch pin to prevent anyone from simply unscrewing it and making away with your entire bike rack. The Superclamp 2 is very easy to use. And with the exception of some truly cheap options, nearly all hitch-mounted bike racks have this functionality. The Monorail is well suited for transporting bikes of course. Securing your precious cargo is a concern for many cyclists and RockyMounts has a made a solid effort to provide the user with security features on the MonoRail. Racks that include a separate cable lock that you need to store in your vehicle are less appealing, and in those cases, we prefer to purchase our own metal U-lock. It has a bike weight limit of 60 lbs per bike, so it can handle any bike you've got, even heavyweight e-bikes. Rooftop racks have a lower maximum capacity (usually two bikes), are more of a pain to load and unload, and can impact gas mileage or create a whistling sound on the highway. The final potential bike compatibility pitfall is related to the shape and style of your bikes frame. Further, as we touched on above, there are limitations with the arm design if youll be hauling bikes with different wheelbases (for example, a long-travel adult mountain bike and a kids bike). Moreover, there is very little space between the bikes when theyre loaded, which can lead to rubbing and damage to the paint. Bike racks in general have very similar feature sets, and one common upgrade that you see on mid-range and premium designs are locks. Type: PlatformWeight: 63 lbs.Number of bikes: 2Weight capacity per bike: 60 lbs.What we like: Built-in swing feature provides easy access to the rear of your vehicle.What we dont: Its the heaviest two-bike rack on this list. Yakima HoldUp 2 Bike Rack $ 569.00. $648.95 Rating: Color: Black . When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support. And finally, weve seen some major issues with rust appearing in as little as one year of use. Finally, the focus on trimming weight means the rack has more of a tendency to wobble on bumpy roads, although the bike attachment system is reliable in general. In addition, the bikes are closer together than on a platform rack and are more prone to swaying and coming into contact with one another while driving. Further, while theyre fairly easy to use, putting them on and taking them off every time you go biking will inevitably become annoying. Thules latest addition to their platform hitch collection is the high-end Helium. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. For downsides, we were disappointed to find that Yakima didnt utilize enough padding on the straps for both the bars and wheels. Finally, everything about the Thule has a high-end look and feel to it, from the easy-to-use tilt lever to the metal trays and built-in cable locks. The rear wheel cradles are also on pivots and they self-adjust depending on the wheelbase of your bike. For a cheaper but less refined e-bike-ready alternative, check out Yakimas $729 OnRamp.See the Thule EasyFold XT 2. There can be big differencesfor example, the Kuat Sherpa 2.0s max wheelbase is a fairly short 47 inches, while the 1Ups Heavy Duty Doubles max capacity is 54 inches. One final note: Thule recently released the T2 Pro X ($650), which features a similar construction as the XTR but lacks the built-in wheels, has a lower max bike capacity (50 lbs. This design shares a number of basic features with the Thule T2 above, including an attachment system that avoids frame contact and a tilting function that allows for access to the back of your vehicle. Was planning on waiting for the Quik-Rack Mach 2 but he has had some material delay issues and just haven't gotten around to spending the money on the 1Up QuikRack (OG version). I just made a deal on a slightly used, but fairly new Sherpa! Considering even a budget-friendly design is often $200 or more, this is a sensible addition. It's a relatively simple process, the hardest part is making sure you put the right tray in the right bracket, the one with the RockyMounts logo goes on the outside. In short, it can't match the sheer number of useful features included with the Thule T2 Pro above. With a weight capacity of only 37.5 pounds per bike, you wont be able to haul electric models or some heavier cruisers. RockyMounts Splitrail LS Review RATING: Exceptional MSRP : $599 BEST FOR: Garage with minimal floor space. Another method is to contact the manufacturer directly, and weve had good luck in getting reliable recommendations as to whether or not the rack were looking at will fit our vehicle. This rack is solid, user-friendly, fits a large range of tire sizes, and comes with a cable lock and a locking hitch pin. I had a 700c city bike on there last week and it works well with the 2" 26'er, plus bikes or fat, it's hauled them all. This means youll want to avoid the standard hanging rack category, as models like the Yakima Ridgeback secure the bike with straps directly over the top tube. Placing the main body of the rack into the receiver on your vehicle is a good way to approach attaching the wheel trays, it's like having an extra set of hands to hold it steady for you. And we found the design to be well made overall with sturdy components, user friendly with a functional foot-operated tilt lever, and secure with its reliable cradles and ratcheting system. 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