At $800, the T2 Pro certainly isnt cheap, nor is it particularly light at over 50 pounds, but its sturdy, long-lasting design is ideal for committed riders. 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. Its when you get to the extreme ends of the spectrum with 12- to 24-inch kids bikes or fat bikes with 4- to 5-inch tires that problems can crop up. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. You also miss out on niceties like a padded strap to limit scuffs on the rear wheel, plus the simplistic design doesnt allow as much side-to-side adjustability to minimize potential contact between bikes. In addition to the 2 bike version of the Monorail we tested, they also make a one bike version called the MonoRail Solo which retails for $280. I have and love the Thule T2 Pro XT. Weve also been impressed with the Heliums build: even loaded down with two 30+ pound mountain bikes on very bumpy forest service roads, the rack and bikes stayed in place with only minimal movement. In the end, dedicated cyclists will be better off with the higher-end Thule, but if youre willing to make a few compromises, the Kuat offers a whole lot of bang for your buck.See the Kuat Transfer v2 2. Overall, we prefer the platform style for its ease of loading and superior all-around stability, but high-capacity hanging models are the clear leaders in terms of value. We independently buy, test, and rate all the products we review. As with any hanging-style hitch rack, theres no avoiding the fact that the FullSwing 4 makes direct contact with your bikes frame. Other racks share this attachment style and it isn't especially challenging to use, though the tool-free knob designs on the Thule T2 Pro and the Yakima Dr. Tray are much quicker and more user-friendly. Kuat Sherpa 2.0 - Pearl/Silver - 2 Hitch $ 599.00. 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. The premium vertical hanging rack market has seen a major uptick recently, and Yakima has thrown their hat into the ring with a couple models. 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. per bike for the 2-inch receiver model) and cable locks. The MonoRail is a quality platform hitch rack from RockyMounts. Despite the complaints, the HangTights ability to carry various bike stylesas well as its all-around solid buildearn it a spot on our list Read in-depth reviewSee the Yakima HangTight 4. As the name indicates, tilting racks can be leaned over by pulling a lever that moves the rack far enough down to allow you to open the rear hatch or tailgate of your vehicle. Change begins by doing something different. But if these complaints arent deal-breakers, the WestSlope is a desirable option for families and group rides.See the RockyMounts WestSlope 3. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. But were willing to deal with the added weight because of the benefits of a sturdier construction that carries bikes more securely and lasts longer. In addition, Kuat included extras like integrated cable and receiver locks and a unique bike stand for quick repairs at the trailhead (note: this piece is not locked to the rest of the rack, so we often stored the stand inside our vehicle). The process is relatively straightforward and easy, and it took us around 15-20 minutes to complete. Both the T2 and NV 2.0 are very user-friendly and have long-lasting builds, although we have found the Thule is a little more versatile. 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. The included locks are certainly a good theft deterrent, but not much more than that. Most notably is price: At $650, the NSR above is one of the cheapest options out there (Recon Racks premium designs start at $1,200, while the Yakima HangTight 4 is $899). One listing to hone in on is the distance from center of the hitch pin to the first tray, as this shows how close the rack will be to the rear of the vehicle. 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. Kuat is a leader in the platform rack market, and their signature product is the NV 2.0. Along with sturdy materials and a very intuitive instruction manual (a rarity on the market), theres a lot to like with the mid-range WestSlope. And a final note: many hanging racks come with an adapter, so they can work with either hitch size. That said, if you wont be using your rack all that often or will need to remove it by yourself with some regularity, a lightweight design like the Beta is a perfectly reasonable choice. The final potential bike compatibility pitfall is related to the shape and style of your bikes frame. Note: The Helium is discounted at the time of publishing, as an updated Helium Platform XT has been released. Thule. Comparing common bike-carrying alternatives, there isnt a style that offers as much convenience, capacity, or compatibility with such a wide range of vehicles (provided you have a receiver hitch). Since there is no frame contact to secure the bikes in the rack it can hold any style of bike and won't damage your frame's paint in any way. 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. 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. Saris may not be as popular as Yakima and Thule, but theyve carved out a nice segment of the market with their competitive prices and creative designs. First, the upper cradles that hold bikes in place are not compatible with road or cyclocross-style bikes, which limits its appeal. And were happy to see that the Beta hasnt skimped on too many features: the rack tilts for rear vehicle access, its arms fold down when not in use, and it has same wobble-free hitch attachment mechanism thats found on Kuats premium offerings. One is on the hitch pin and the other is locking the cable to the rack. And its worth noting that this functionality still isnt available from big hitters like Yakima or Thule. Rockymounts Monorail Solo can be adjusted to fit various bike sizes. Given the low price point, there are bound to be shortcomings, and the Swagman XC2 has its fair share. As stated above, these wheel size and tire width issues wont be a problem for a lot of ridersits often easier to store a small kids bike inside the vehicle, for examplebut its a good thing to have in mind as youre narrowing your rack search. While not a perfect deterrenta solid set of bolt cutters will make quick work of themthey do provide a degree of security while parking your car (we like to back them up with a sturdier U-lock as well). Kuat Transfer Universal 2 Bike Hitch Mount, CURT Manufacturing 13316 Class 3 Trailer Hitch. 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. Expandable to 2 bikes up to 45 lbs per tray, with Add-On. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If your mountain biking gear budget has been stretched thin and youre tempted to skimp on the helmet, dont. Further, you get included bike locks, a receiver lock, and its secure strap system is one of the best in the business. The reason is simple: theyre unable to accommodate irregularly-shaped bike framesincluding many full-suspension mountain bikes, kids bikes, and step-through bikeswithout purchasing a top tube adapter. Only problem with the 2-timer is that it holds via the frame instead of wheels. But if youll only be carrying standard mountain or road bikes, a 1.25-inch receiver will work great. 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. The tilted-down position of the MonoRail makes it possible to open a truck tailgate or the back hatch of a station wagon or SUV with bikes on the rack. 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. To keep the material protected, the most important thing to do is select a style that doesnt allow for any frame contact. And while hanging racks often resemble one another in how they workunload the bikes, fold the arms down, and then pull a lever to lower the rackplatform models can vary widely. $599.00 (2 . One of our favorite things about the MonoRail is the tilt release handle. If youre going to be close to the maximum weight or a little over, we recommend upgrading to a sturdier modelits not worth the risk of breaking your rack while driving or voiding your warranty. 1 color. The MonoRail, like most excellent platform racks, holds the bike by the wheels, so there is no frame contact. 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). We much prefer the lighter weight racks anytime we have to move them by hand as they are far less cumbersome than heavier models like the Thule T2 Pro at 51 lbs, or the Kuat NV 2.0 which weighs a whopping 57 lbs 10 oz. Other competitors are much taller. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support. Attractively priced at $449 and weighing a reasonable 37 pounds, theres a whole lot to like about the Transfer v2. 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). Platform Racks It is solid and well built. Yakima HoldUp 2 Bike Rack $ 569.00. Ending Jun 30 at 11:33AM PDT 5d 2h. This cable isn't permanently attached to the rack in any way so it's quite easy to loop it through your bike frames. Once the hitch pin is tight you can secure it to the vehicle with the included hitch pin lock. 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. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. 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. Transfer V2 3 Bike Hitch Rack. The clamp itself is easy to tighten down onto your wheel and just as easy to release with the large blue lever on the handle. As such, on certain platform racks, there can be wheelbase compatibility issues. Free shipping for many products! Unfortunately, these straps often can lead to scuffing and scraping over timefor those that love their bikes, this is a deal breaker. Others, like the RockyMounts WestSlope 3, are almost unreachable when bikes are loaded, because the handle is tucked away too close to the receiver hitch. The easiest way to check clearance is to do an actual test fit, but thats often not an option. It tips the scales at 44lbs 2oz, putting it right around average for the hitch mount platform racks we tested. That said, just because a rack is made up of a lot of plastic doesnt necessarily mean that its not durable. Thules latest addition to their platform hitch collection is the high-end Helium. 1 color. 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). For reference, most standard mountain bikes and road bikes are under 35 pounds, but e-bikes can easily exceed 50 pounds. The saying you get what you pay for rings very true in the hitch-mounted bike rack world. When the RockyMounts BackStage was released, the rack created quite a stir in the industry. Type: PlatformWeight: 52 lbs.Number of bikes: 2 (4 with add-on)Weight capacity per bike: 60 lbs.What we like: Sleek design and sturdy ratcheting arms.What we dont: Pricier than the Thule T2 above without enough to show for it. Furthermore, the BackStage comes with many features youd expect from a premium hitch rack: a cable lock (although not integrated), the ability to carry various types of bikes and wheel sizes, sturdy ratcheting arms, and quality materials and construction overall. No ads. 15-20 minutes later and you're ready to go. First, you need to purchase separate adapters to carry fat bikes, and cable locks are not included with the rack (a hitch bar lock does comes with it). And as mentioned above, all of the components on the Thule are extremely well-made, which makes the investment worth it over time. Due to the fact that the wheel cradles on the rack are fixed in place, however, we did notice that there is a limited wheelbase range. The trays come mostly assembled, putting the pieces together is relatively intuitive, and the included instructions are simple to follow. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. Tack on a considerable $49 difference in cost, and despite the NVs smooth styling and extras like the aforementioned repair stand, the T2 Pro gets the slight edge Read in-depth reviewSee the Kuat NV 2.0 Rack. Its worth noting that if the rack youre purchasing doesnt include a receiver lock, every manufacturer on our list above offers one as an accessory. Their ability to safely carry up to six mountain bikes, while still offering enough ground clearance for waterbars, made them an instant favorite among downhill-oriented riders. But despite a growing number of competitors in this categoryincluding Yakimas HangTight, Lolo Racks, and North Shore Racks' NSRthe 1UP's combination of build quality, ease of use, and compatibility with a wide range of bike styles makes it our favorite vertical hanging rack.See the 1UP Recon Rack 6. How can we improve GearLab? The mounting brackets for the trays are on the top of the main arm of the rack. Mountain bikes have come a long way in recent years, with trends like 29-inch wheelsand more recently, 27.5-inch wheelsblazing the trail for bikes that are better and more Sweden-based Thule is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of car racks and bike accessories, and the T2 Pro XTR is their core hitch-mounted offering. Another quibble we have is that the lock is not integrated into the rack, which is a handy feature that we appreciate on the Thule T2 Pro above and Yakima Dr.Tray below. Home / Bike Racks / Hitch Bike Racks / Yakima OnRamp . 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