it's finally getting warm here and i'm teaching my wife mountain biking and i'd like to get a bike rack or hitch soon for our two bikes, but i know nothing about them or which one is better....here are my thoughts. any suggestions on type or brand would greatly help !


rack:
- good:
* out of the way in the back and have easy access to trunk

- bad:
* can't park in garage with bike on top
* hard to lift bike up that high? easy to scratch paint?
* can't use my thule cargo box at the same time
* have to remove front bike tire


hitch:
- good:
* easy on/off of bikes
* no need to remove front bike tire

- bad:
* stability?
* extrudes out the back too far?
* can't open back door


or maybe will it just fit in the back cargo area? i'd hate to risk scratching the interior

 

Yotabozo-

I went through that dilemma and ultimately went with the Yakima ROC4 receiver hitch rack. It has the ability to fold down so that I can open the hatch.

I can't tell you how many people I know personally that on atleast one occasion forgot the bikes were on top of the car and drove in the garage. It ends up being a very expensive mistake with damage to the bikes, house and vehicle.

 

IMO always carry bikes on the roof. After racing bikes for several years w/ both types of carriers I lost one bike from the roof (taco bell drive through) and 2 to thieves off a hitch mount several friends also lost thiers from the hitch.

As for the front wheel issue I believe Yakima and thule both have roof mounts that do not require front wheel removal. And depending on the width of your crossbars and size of cargo box you may still be able to use both.

 

well unfortunately i have the Thule Evo 1800, it's about as wide as my roof rack...

i am absent minded sometimes so i probably would forget it's on top, and crash it right in my garage

and did I mention I have scrawny arms so i'm sure i'll scratch the truck while lifting the bikes up there...

any cheap places for bike hitches? I guess I'm leaning towards the hitches

oh, it is safe to drive on the highway the two bikes on the hitch going say 80mph?

 

Here's another option, I saw on this forum awhile back which works well for me.
I carry ours inside the cargo area. I mounted Thule front wheel mounts on the portion of the back seat that lays flat. I fold the seat down, remove the front tire, mount the front fork to the wheel mount and strap the bike in tight to the rear seat locks on the rear pillar and to the cargo tie downs.
I put a bike on each side which leaves the middle open for coolers, tires, etc.
I like this option because the bikes are safe from the weather & locked in the truck.

A blanket over the cargo area protects the floor from bike chain grease, dirt, etc.

 

I have driven down the highway at 80+ with 4-bikes on back and they stayed steady the entire time. I'd advise using shock cords to hold the pedal/cranks in place otherwise they have a tendancy to spin and scratch the other bikes.

Check out http://www.rackzone.com/rackzone/ind...=[referer]

I have no experience buying from them, but I did alot of my research using their site.

 

yeah i think i just came across that one, it looks like a really neat idea...
however, my wife is anal and she just told me she doesn't want the bike anywhere inside the truck since she wants to keep the interior spanking new

plus she wants the cargo room for other stuff....girls...

 

thanks for the experience....i probably don't care about the scratching part since my bikes are not worth but $20 each

just read through a couple of other threads on rack vs. hitch.

I see Yakima ROC4, Sportworks, Sportsrack, and Thule 998 mentioned...
any difference between the clamp down on top tube kind vs. the kind you just rest the tires on? I think i prefer the former

 

www.rackattack.com is quite good.

You could also get two Rocky Mount bed mounts like these and mount them to a 2x6 and just put the bikes inside your 4Runner.

 

The only consideration I can speak to is frame design. I do race support for an Adventure Racing team and one of the guys has a GT with a "Y" frame design and it won't work w/ my rack...so it rides on top.

I don't have any experience with the other style.

 

This is a good point. Most exotic frames, including the thin walled tubing of race bikes and especially carbon fiber, should not be clamped on the tubing itself. So a hitch mount where the bike actually rests on its top tube would be a less than ideal.

My experience has been that top you'll have some MPG loss even with bikes off, 0.5mpg or so.

 

thanks so much thus far....

my bikes are just cheap ones so i don't really care about scratching or anything, so i don't want to spend too much on a hitch mount (hopefully $150 or less)

so i'm trying to do research at www.rackattack.com for a hitch mount balancing quality and cost, see some Yakimas for $180 .......

 

Hey Yotabozo. I actually have a bike rack that I would like to get rid of. It's the swing-down type, so you would be able to open your hatch when it is down. PM or e-mail me if you're interested in it. We absolutely never use it, got it a long time ago to carry bikes to the beach. It was used twice. Excellent condition, probably some aesthetic scratches. Let me know and I'll be sure to get you some pictures. I'm not sure where you live, but I'm in Columbia, SC. Shipping could be a biotch. Let me know!

 

White SR5 - I sent you PM. I'm in Raleigh, NC......maybe you're my solution!

 

You can also get a rack that swing to the side. I have one that you lock the rack on the tow hitch and lock the bikes to the rack. They work really well, only problems is that they are expensive.
http://www.weathertech.com/store/pro...em_group_id=18

The advantage one is the one I'm talking about.

EDIT: Hitch I mean.

 

I have the BVG Evolution Swing Away Rack. I have had it for over 4 years now, and I love it. BVG makes OEM them to Range Rover, Steel Horse, WeatherTech, and a few more.

It comes with a lock and it clamps well. It fits snuggly into your hitch and does not move. I tried Yakima's hitch rack prior to this and hated it. It rocks like a horse on the hitch.

Anyways, I highly recommend this rack.

 

One thing to add. It takes me 5 seconds (maybe faster) to mount my bike on the rack. I see people with a roof rack (yakima, thule), and they go through this ritual to mount their bike on their rack. And then I pop mine on the BVG, and I have this big smile on my face

Anyways, the rack rarely gets in the way, and it takes 1 or 2 minute to install/uninstall.

By the way, the other thing I love about it is the swing away. With 4 bikes on the rack, it still is effortless to swing it out of the way to open the hatch. I don't like the swing down especially when it is loaded with 50-100 pounds of bike. You really feel the weight. So I am a wimp

 

Good to know they all come from the same source. I'm very happy with the quality on mine. But why is the BVG $60 more than the Weathertech if they OEM?

Oh the links dont work.

 

i have 2 road bikes, and use a roof rack, mainly because I think it looks cooler, and I don't have to park in a garage. Yakima makes a good roof rack, but it can be expensive. If you want to save money go with the hitch mounted type. I htink some of the hitch mounts can actually swivel down or something liek that so you can still get into the rear if you need to, might have to do more research on that though.

 

I have mine on top with 2 Yakima Steelhead fork mount racks, and a (permanently) borrowed Yakima Spacebooster Box. I love them! I'm only 5'5" and have no problem putting them up there, you shouldn't either. However, I once had my bike on top and smashed it through the garage. $700 to fix the bike- now I have a lovely oversized (by .006") headset to correct the stretch- $40 for the car. Big OOPS.

Hitch mount racks that swing away are the BEST you can get if you dont want them up top. I used to have a Thule fold down, and I hated it. It was impossible to actually fold it down with bikes on it. However, you would be looking at $300+.

Best of luck choosing the perfect rack for you.