Performance Xport rack - copy of Thule swingaway - any good?

[El Chupacabra]

Performance has this Xport house brand swingaway bike rack for $245, less 10% sale, with free shipping:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/....cfm?SKU=19172

It looks a lot like the Thule Trailblazer swingaway rack that sells for around $370, also available with free shipping:
http://www.rackattack.com/racks/998x...railblazer.htm

Anyone have the Xport rack? Any good? Seems to use the same sort of anti-sway fold-down arm that the Thule and Yakima racks have now.

A friend of mine has the Thule rack; very nice, very solid. There aren't any Performance stores near me where I can go see the Xport rack.

[El Chupacabra]

Bump. Anyone?

[bagtagley]

Top tube racks like that are a pain in the ass, regardless of who makes them. 4 bikes will fit, but not easily, and the more bikes, the more chance for some rubbing. Not to mention, anything that doesn't have a traditional top tube requires an adapter. Do yourself a favor and get a wheel mount rack like this:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4411

[rotorhead]

Bagtaley is right. I can barely get three bikes on my Yakima version of the same thing. The only bike I own that goes on hassle free is my roadie. If you're set on it the swingaways to offer good back door access and they make a good hasty work stand while camping.

[skiguide]

i second Bagtag's suggestion on the T2 - and i'm sure Arty50 or lph i think would chime in too - cause one or both of htem have the T2, as do I.

it's super simple and sturdy. it tilts down, vs. away, which is pretty helpful when i need to swing my disco's tailtgate open - though prob. only will work easily with 2 bikes on. 4 it wouldn't as well. and i could see how other tailgates won't work as easily with it. but i still think it's the best rack out there as far as compatibility for all bike types/sizes.

i have the 2" hitch, so I can fit 4 bikes total - just need the adapter. so, if you've got the 2, you can too - smaller ones you can't have 4 bikes on.

wait for an REI sale or coupon to get 20% off..

[El Chupacabra]

I have a top tube style rear rack now, that tilts away from the vehicle. Problem is that it interferes with the rear door on my Jeep, due to where the hitch mount is located on the Jeep -- so I can't open the rear door unless I use this goofy extender/drop bracket that I picked up somewhere. It works, it just wobbles more than I like, and I'd rather have a rack that holds the bikes w/o swaying the bikes back and forth like the current rack.

[Arty50]

i second Bagtag's suggestion on the T2 - and i'm sure Arty50 or lph i think would chime in too - cause one or both of htem have the T2, as do I.

The T2 is the shit. I have the 2 bike and lph has the adapters to carry four. It's just really well thought out all around. The design is really simple, but perfect. Your bikes won't shake around at all. Plus the ability to swing it down is great. The 2 bike will swing down easily on any vehicle. If you have 4 bikes, it might be a bit heavy to swing it back up. Plus you may need a taller car to get it to swing fully down. But the design of your rear hatch/tailgate comes into play too. It just varies by car for the 4 bike. Also, when you're not using it, you can swing it up out of the way.

My only critique is the locks on the new Thule version (Thule bought the Sportworks design). I wouldn't really trust them to defend against a determined thief. Instead of getting the Thule locks, buy a good cable lock. The MasterLock Python is perfect, especially if you get the 15' cable. But this isn't really a nit, since you'll need a good cable lock for any hitch rack.