Best value hitch platform bike rack?

[Name Redacted]

I’ve never understood 1up on the roof.

It isn't preferable for sure, but she doesn't have a hitch yet and I don't need it on my truck, so either they sit in the garage another season or we have a way to transport bikes on a 40mpg car. We don't use em much because we mostly ride out of the house. She doesn't park in the garage in the summer.

[alfajores]

See, this is where you lose a little credibility IMO.
You make it sound like, "If you're lucky enough to have a bike that fits on a 1UP" when the truth is, anything under a full blown cargo bike will be just fine.

TL;DR : if you ride both super fat tire bikes AND skinny tire (time trials) or long wheelbase touring and cargo bikes, skip 1Up. You will already know that you need to get something more specialty or expensive.

I just realized it is a good thing I and a bunch of people here do not GAF about your opinion

All love and play Roxtar. Read the quote again, it might make more sense this time.

[alfajores]

I’ve never understood 1up on the roof.


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Super interesting. A buddy had a camper van and loved the flexibility of lightening the tongue load for some trips where only one bike was going (Burning Man) and egress was important. On long road trips, he often put the roof mounted tray back on a hitch rack and enjoyed the aero benefits to his fuel economy. I know some like them backdoor mounted on their Sprinters, too.

[Roxtar]

TL;DR : if you ride both super fat tire bikes AND skinny tire (time trials) or long wheelbase touring and cargo bikes, skip 1Up. You will already know that you need to get something more specialty or expensive.

I just realized it is a good thing I and a bunch of people here do not GAF about your opinion

All love and play Roxtar. Read the quote again, it might make more sense this time.

I heard you the first time. Saying the same thing two different ways doesn't change it.
Basically you said that if you have some sort of outlier bike (cargo, tandem, super-fat, etc) you need to spend almost double the 1UP price for your QuickrStuff. (skinny wheel bikes fit in a 1UP just fine)

IOW, 99.99% of the bikes out there fit perfectly fine on a 1UP (or most any decent platform rack).

Or did I miss something?

[Dromond]

I had a 1up tray on the roof briefly and actually found it pretty hard to load. I converted it to a hitch each add one. Mounted vertically on a van door would be sweet though.

[alfajores]

I heard you the first time. Saying the same thing two different ways doesn't change it.
Basically you said that if you have some sort of outlier bike (cargo, tandem, super-fat, etc) you need to spend almost double the 1UP price for your QuickrStuff. (skinny wheel bikes fit in a 1UP just fine)

IOW, 99.99% of the bikes out there fit perfectly fine on a 1UP (or most any decent platform rack).

Or did I miss something?

"1UP is good value if you find the rack that works for your bikes."

Tell me it is wrong. I am in disbelief that you want me to repeat it a third time.

"1up is a good value": You, as a 1up fanboi seem to agree?
"if you find a rack that works for your bike": you seem to disagree that 1up would be a bad value if it DOES NOT fit your bike.

Instead, you take a completely unrelated argument and allude that my point is that most bikes are irregular, long wheelbase, monster/minion bikes that will not work. I never said that. I was focused on providing the differentiating features between a much more expensive rack (QuickrStuff) and some sort of unstated hatred for 1Up. My point is simply that 1Up doesn't cover the full range of bikes on their rack. They focus on typical ranges of specs and even go so far as to give more coverage than many other racks in their range. I looked at 1Up. I even reserved a SuperDuty 4-bike rack when they were going through a huge shortage in materials! But I then had a cargo bike on the way and realized the wheelbase was going to be much more secure on something with a longer wheelbase and thus entered a much longer wait list. My wife's 48cm bike and the yuck factor on needing to reconstruct the bike for the fat tire kit and add those skinny bike tire holders was convenient to avoid, but still, I would have saved money on a 1Up and been happier with it than the Kuat NV 2.0 with all it's bells and whistles.

If you didn't ask "did I miss something?" I wouldn't have wasted time to respond. Happy that you get to read it a third time as you clearly asked to do so. At this point, I am surprised you aren't questioning why I haven't made a case against using a Kuat Sherpa to haul a kayak.

[J. Barron DeJong]

"1UP is good value if you find the rack that works for your bikes."

Tell me it is wrong. I am in disbelief that you want me to repeat it a third time.

"1up is a good value": You, as a 1up fanboi seem to agree?
"if you find a rack that works for your bike": you seem to disagree that 1up would be a bad value if it DOES NOT fit your bike.

Instead, you take a completely unrelated argument and allude that my point is that most bikes are irregular, long wheelbase, monster/minion bikes that will not work. I never said that. I was focused on providing the differentiating features between a much more expensive rack (QuickrStuff) and some sort of unstated hatred for 1Up. My point is simply that 1Up doesn't cover the full range of bikes on their rack. They focus on typical ranges of specs and even go so far as to give more coverage than many other racks in their range. I looked at 1Up. I even reserved a SuperDuty 4-bike rack when they were going through a huge shortage in materials! But I then had a cargo bike on the way and realized the wheelbase was going to be much more secure on something with a longer wheelbase and thus entered a much longer wait list. My wife's 48cm bike and the yuck factor on needing to reconstruct the bike for the fat tire kit and add those skinny bike tire holders was convenient to avoid, but still, I would have saved money on a 1Up and been happier with it than the Kuat NV 2.0 with all it's bells and whistles.

If you didn't ask "did I miss something?" I wouldn't have wasted time to respond. Happy that you get to read it a third time as you clearly asked to do so. At this point, I am surprised you aren't questioning why I haven't made a case against using a Kuat Sherpa to haul a kayak.

Just regarding the ‘skinny tire’ 1up holders: you definitely don’t need two of them, and can probably get away without them at all.

I have one that I put on the front only. The back doesn’t move at all without one. I’ve also gone without it on the front too, and while the wheel might wiggle a little, it still seems pretty secure.

[alfajores]

Just regarding the ‘skinny tire’ 1up holders: you definitely don’t need two of them, and can probably get away without them at all.

I have one that I put on the front only. The back doesn’t move at all without one. I’ve also gone without it on the front too, and while the wheel might wiggle a little, it still seems pretty secure.

Great to know! I haven't seen anyone set it up with only 1, but it makes sense. Do you have the fatbike kit installed, too? I know that brings the arms away a little and increases the play a very small amount. I know that 1Up also sells the wheel chocks that you can attach to the inner side of your front wheel for more security and suspect there aren't too many people using those over a voile or velcro strap. Do you strap as well?

[Roxtar]

"1UP is good value if you find the rack that works for your bikes."

Tell me it is wrong. I am in disbelief that you want me to repeat it a third time.

"1up is a good value": You, as a 1up fanboi seem to agree?
"if you find a rack that works for your bike": you seem to disagree that 1up would be a bad value if it DOES NOT fit your bike.

Instead, you take a completely unrelated argument and allude that my point is that most bikes are irregular, long wheelbase, monster/minion bikes that will not work. I never said that. I was focused on providing the differentiating features between a much more expensive rack (QuickrStuff) and some sort of unstated hatred for 1Up. My point is simply that 1Up doesn't cover the full range of bikes on their rack. They focus on typical ranges of specs and even go so far as to give more coverage than many other racks in their range. I looked at 1Up. I even reserved a SuperDuty 4-bike rack when they were going through a huge shortage in materials! But I then had a cargo bike on the way and realized the wheelbase was going to be much more secure on something with a longer wheelbase and thus entered a much longer wait list. My wife's 48cm bike and the yuck factor on needing to reconstruct the bike for the fat tire kit and add those skinny bike tire holders was convenient to avoid, but still, I would have saved money on a 1Up and been happier with it than the Kuat NV 2.0 with all it's bells and whistles.

If you didn't ask "did I miss something?" I wouldn't have wasted time to respond. Happy that you get to read it a third time as you clearly asked to do so. At this point, I am surprised you aren't questioning why I haven't made a case against using a Kuat Sherpa to haul a kayak.

Dude, I was just pointing out that you're playing semantic games.
Here are two statements:

"It will work if you can find one that fits your bike."
"It will work on 99.99% of all bikes."

Are both of these statements saying the same thing? Actually, yes.
Are they conveying the same message? No.

That's Marketing 101 shit.
One statement makes it sound like finding the right rack will likely be a problem. The other says probably not.

THAT'S what you did and that's what I took issue with.

Ok, I think we've c****d up this thread enough.

[J. Barron DeJong]

Great to know! I haven't seen anyone set it up with only 1, but it makes sense. Do you have the fatbike kit installed, too? I know that brings the arms away a little and increases the play a very small amount. I know that 1Up also sells the wheel chocks that you can attach to the inner side of your front wheel for more security and suspect there aren't too many people using those over a voile or velcro strap. Do you strap as well?

No, no straps. No fat bike kit installed.

[alfajores]

No, no straps. No fat bike kit installed.

Ok. I have heard that the extra gap from the fat bike kit and the tire spindles that you replace in the arms make the support for skinny bike tires worse and necessitate the adapters, but I can see only using one on the front wheel as you indicated. I have seen some 3d printer friendly 1Up accessories and can totally see printing some items like the skinny tire adapter out. Let me know if you are in need of any extras in the future of have ideas on how to improve upon that design.

[S.B.]

For the hitch/rack experts out there:
I'm trying to figure out a hitch rack setup for my '14 VW Jetta to get my bikes across the country. I thought I had everything figured out, I was going to get a class 1 hitch installed at UHaul (class 2 receivers don't seem to exist for my car) then pick up a 1.25in Yakima Holdup Evo on prodeal. However, Yakima says that you need at least a class 2 receiver for this specific rack. I have a carbon Enduro bike and an aluminum DH bike, so I can't use any of the options that grip the frame or hang the bike by the frame. Since class 2 receivers aren't available for my car, I'm kind of at a dead end. I'm usually a roof rack guy, but I can't fit 2 bikes on the crossbars with the roof box that I have. Any suggestions?

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[J. Barron DeJong]

For the hitch/rack experts out there:
I'm trying to figure out a hitch rack setup for my '14 VW Jetta to get my bikes across the country. I thought I had everything figured out, I was going to get a class 1 hitch installed at UHaul (class 2 receivers don't seem to exist for my car) then pick up a 1.25in Yakima Holdup Evo on prodeal. However, Yakima says that you need at least a class 2 receiver for this specific rack. I have a carbon Enduro bike and an aluminum DH bike, so I can't use any of the options that grip the frame or hang the bike by the frame. Since class 2 receivers aren't available for my car, I'm kind of at a dead end. I'm usually a roof rack guy, but I can't fit 2 bikes on the crossbars with the roof box that I have. Any suggestions?

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Our CX-3 only has 1.25” receiver. The amount of movement when carrying two mountain bikes (32-35 lbs.) on a 1up scared the shit out of me, so I won’t do it anymore. Pretty sure sooner or later it was going to damage the car itself. And the 1up‘s don’t hang the bikes too far off the back compared to lots of other racks.

So, I’ll still carry one bike on it, and would carry two road bikes, but two mountain bikes go on the van with 2.5” receiver.

[S.B.]

Our CX-3 only has 1.25” receiver. The amount of movement when carrying two mountain bikes (32-35 lbs.) on a 1up scared the shit out of me, so I won’t do it anymore. Pretty sure sooner or later it was going to damage the car itself. And the 1up‘s don’t hang the bikes too far off the back compared to lots of other racks.

So, I’ll still carry one bike on it, and would carry two road bikes, but two mountain bikes go on the van with 2.5” receiver.

Good info. I have 1 roof rack so I could get a single hitch rack possibly. Unfortunately 1up isn't on my prodeal, if they were I'd definitely consider getting a single quik rack

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[1000-oaks]

Haven't read the thread, but am digging the new Thule T2 Pro XTR. Picked up a fat tire bike and had to update from my older black Yakima Holdup 2" (not the Evo). The Holdup is more compact when folded, but the T2 is much easier to tip down the rack with bikes loaded (thanks to release handle location) when you want to access the back hatch of an SUV.

T2 doesn't have a threaded hole in the hitch insert tube, which was a nice theft deterrent with the HoldUp. Tighten a big 1/2" socket head bolt in the there (instead of the Yakima thru-bolt with rotating handle), and no one is going to be able to unscrew it unless they happen to have a set of huge Allen keys, which no one does. The T2 does have a keyed cinch knob, but that wouldn't slow down a thief much.

[evdog]

Back in the day I had an Audi A3. I got a Class 1 hitch from e-trailer and had it installed. It was solid with the old Thule T2 which fit the car pretty much perfectly.

1up didn't exist yet but I don't think it would have fit without an adaptor to extend it further back to clear the bumper. That's something to look at for any hitch/rack combo on a car. On my Audi the hitch was pretty well hidden up under the bumper.

[Mustonen]

I have an Audi allroad with a 1 1/4” (and what I assume is a class 1). I use a Yakima Dr Tray with the third tray added. I’ve had 3 big enduro bikes on it and it doesn’t make me nervous. Maybe it should, but everything has always been smooth sailing with the setup. It moves around mininally, but it’s supposed to. Bikes aren’t in danger of hitting the car or each other.

I have 2 more trays for the roof rack and frequently cart 5 bikes around when kids join me on bike rides.

[radam]

For the hitch/rack experts out there:
I'm trying to figure out a hitch rack setup for my '14 VW Jetta to get my bikes across the country. I thought I had everything figured out, I was going to get a class 1 hitch installed at UHaul (class 2 receivers don't seem to exist for my car) then pick up a 1.25in Yakima Holdup Evo on prodeal. However, Yakima says that you need at least a class 2 receiver for this specific rack. I have a carbon Enduro bike and an aluminum DH bike, so I can't use any of the options that grip the frame or hang the bike by the frame. Since class 2 receivers aren't available for my car, I'm kind of at a dead end. I'm usually a roof rack guy, but I can't fit 2 bikes on the crossbars with the roof box that I have. Any suggestions?

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EcoHitch makes 2" hitches for a variety of VWs if you want to go that route.

[El Chupacabra]

For the hitch/rack experts out there:
I'm trying to figure out a hitch rack setup for my '14 VW Jetta to get my bikes across the country. I thought I had everything figured out, I was going to get a class 1 hitch installed at UHaul (class 2 receivers don't seem to exist for my car) then pick up a 1.25in Yakima Holdup Evo on prodeal. However, Yakima says that you need at least a class 2 receiver....

Are you moving cross country or just a road trip?

I've had 1 1/4" receivers on a couple of cars,all for using bike racks only, not for towing. I won't use a bike rack on a 1 1/4" receiver any more. Too much flex, in both the hitch and in the rack - usually in the rack insert itself. The tubing is just too small.

[adrenalated]

Ecohitch is the way. Yes they're expensive, yes they're worth it.

I don't necessarily think that a 1.25" hitch is inherently too small but most of them are just not built well enough to hold up to the amount of leverage that a bike rack puts on it. I had a 1.25" Curt on my Bolt and the entire hitch ended up bending. Put a 2" Ecohitch on and it was rock solid.

[alfajores]

Good info. I have 1 roof rack so I could get a single hitch rack possibly. Unfortunately 1up isn't on my prodeal, if they were I'd definitely consider getting a single quik rack

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I think you should be able to set up a rack that will hold those bikes without too much concern. If you do see a lot of wobble, you can use some tiedowns and stabilize the sides of the rack to your tow hook on the Jetta rear bumper (min 2:15) If you have any tow tiedown spots for flatbed, those would be the best places to secure tiedowns to increase your stability.

Our LBS owner has a C5 Corvette that he attaches SeaSucker bike racks to the Targa top and rear glass. If you are overwhelmed or run out of time for installing the hitch, those are cheap and work well enough to attach bikes at the rear of your roof line and setting the rear tires on your trunk or back glass. This is not a great permanent solution, but you will get a ton of looks and photos on the trip and look like a bit crazy.

[S.B.]

EcoHitch makes 2" hitches for a variety of VWs if you want to go that route.

Yeah I found those yesterday, seems like thats the only option. $360 for a 2in receiver is pricy but the reviews say the receiver is much better than the Curt/Drawtite 1.25in options. It seems like its easy to install but I don't have many tools at my disposal right now so I might have to pay for installation too.

Are you moving cross country or just a road trip?

I've had 1 1/4" receivers on a couple of cars,all for using bike racks only, not for towing. I won't use a bike rack on a 1 1/4" receiver any more. Too much flex, in both the hitch and in the rack - usually in the rack insert itself. The tubing is just too small.

I'll be moving back to VT from NV at the end of the summer. I did the drive out with one bike on the roof (it was loud and my mileage went from ~35 to ~28), then I got a great deal on a DH bike that I want to bring home.

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[El Chupacabra]

Bikeflights.com?

[S.B.]

Bikeflights.com?

Also a good option. I'm probably going to be moving around a decent amount in the next few years (just out of college, perhaps going to grad school on the west coast) so I'm willing to pay to have a good setup for the future
The hitch and rack setup is probably going to cost as much as the DH bike that started all of this haha

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[alfajores]

Bikeflights.com?

Don't pay for the insurance. They lie and told me straight up on a claim that it was not insurance and they will do the least possible. Had a downtube completely wrecked on a new steel touring bike I sold and they wanted video of me packing it and putting it in the box. The fact the box looked like a bulldozer drove over it didn't matter. They gave me $300 on a $3600 bike and I had to have a bike builder cut out the downtube, weld in a new one and try to paint match. Huge value loss there on a frame they could have just replaced, but instead we danced for months and I am sure they spent a grand on payroll dealing with my claim instead of just paying out.