Time to buy a bicycle rack and looking for input

[BonnieS]

Hi everyone:

So I just bought my first road bike, and I'm looking forward to taking it out in the spring to lovely countryside rides (it's a little too cold to ride it outside just now, in Toronto). I am having a hitch installed on my Toyota Corolla and wondered if any of you have had experiences with hitch-mounted bicycle racks that you would like to share?

I am looking at a Saris Freedom model. It has wheel trays, so you rest the wheels on them rather than hang the bike from loops. I am totally not coordinated or handy about these things - simple is better, for me!

Anyways, it's a whole new (scary) world and I'd love input! Thanks.

[Crankin]

I had a Saris Thelma, which works on a similar principle. It was really easy. That is, until I broke the car wash when I went through with it on and they banned me!
I bought a station wagon and now just put the bike in the car.

[Catrin]

I've a hitch-mount Thule rack - the kind that folds out and you set the wheels of the bike in trays like your Freedom. Just resign yourself to washing the car by hand :) I do not regret getting this style of rack though it is more expensive than some others. The wheel trays are great and easy to use!

[Trek-chick]

I just bought a Saris Freedom rack with my XMas bonus. I got it mainly because it got good reviews and the price was right. Also, I bought it at REI and get 10% rewards cash back on it and they have a GREAT return policy.

I plan to use it this Sat as we are supposed to have temps in the mid 50's :)

Almost forgot, this rack is very light...my ship weight was 23lbs. I loved that is is light and I can hook it up myself rather than always need DH to help me.

I'll post a review here after then...

[murielalex]

A co-worker has this one, loves it, and I'm thinking of getting it as well, though am still in research mode.

http://www.amazon.com/SportRack-A30901-Hitch-Platform-Bike/dp/B000UUK276

I really want one of these, but I need for two bikes, and just can't quite justify the price.

http://www.1upusa.com/bicycleracks.html

[BonnieS]

Well after a morning of research, I think I'm going to go with the Saris Freedom because the wheel trays look like something me and my Corolla can handle. Also, its what my LBS sells. I would prefer to buy it from them than a Thule or Yakima from Rack Attack, where I'm getting my hitch installed. This is because I need hand-holding. I admit it. I'm ashamed of it, but I admit it. There's no DH or significant other, so I rely on helpful salespeople to show me what to do, like when I bought my bike at the LBS, I needed a lot of hand-holding and I got it.

The thing is, I'll tell you this: I NEVER expected to pay so much for a bike rack. Well, the rack is the affordable part - about $250 - but the cost of the hitch is incredible - about $350 - maybe because they have to be shipped in from the States to Canada. I also pay for installation. I admire you ladies who are handy with tools and mechanical things! Still, I nearly fainted when I found out how much it was going to cost to drive my bike around!

One further question: Do you keep your bike rack on the car or do you take it on/take it off as need be? I get the part about never going through the carwash, thanks for that! :)

[BonnieS]

Note to murielalex: that 1Up rack looks fantastic, I'd get it in a second if it were available anywhere in Toronto!

[Catrin]

For a hitch rack I leave it on, indeed it is still on in the winter because I do drive my bike to ride when the weather is nice enough. Besides, I don't have the strength to get it on/off easily, so I just keep it well lubed to keep things from rusting/getting stiff.

[indysteel]

Like Catrin, my husband and I have the Thule rack. He only puts it on the car when we plan to use it which is generally about every other weekend. We mostly use it for long trips and for mountain biking. Most of our road biking rides are done straight from home. If it were just me, I'd leave it on like Catrin does because it's king of heavy. It sounds like the Saris Freedom rack is lighter, so in that case, it might depend on how often I planned to use it. I suppose there's some chance of theft (or does it have a locking mechanism?), so that would be a consideration, too.

[BonnieS]

Catrin, do you use something like WD40? Just spray it on?

[goldfinch]

I have a Yakima heavy duty rack that I like a lot. However, it is hard to get on and off because of the weight. It folds up nicely and stays on my car all summer. My spouse doesn't like it because it is so heavy.

Muriel, we also have a rack that looks like the rack in your first link. It is much lighter than the Yakima and I can easily use it myself. However, those center thingies that hook over the top tube of the bike are fussy. They sometimes are difficult to get up and down. The foam covering on our's moved and the metal ended up scratching my bike. At least it was my ratty hybrid. But the scratch is big and ugly. I do not like the rack other than the fact that it is light and easy to store. But my review is colored because of the scratch.

[murielalex]

I'm really torn. I'm very tempted to get the single 1UP for the exact reason you listed and buy a second section when I have more free funds, but I plan on putting fenders on my Gunnar, and from what I can tell, that would probably be a no go. Yet, I have a Kirk coming in late Spring, and the last thing I want to do is worry about the paint, and I would. Right now I have a Saris Bones, and on the very first time I put my Gunnar on, it damaged the decals on the seat tube.

[Catrin]

Catrin, do you use something like WD40? Just spray it on?

Yes, every place where there is a joint or screw. Which reminds me, it is about time to do that... It also keeps the arm moving nicely that comes up and over the bike tire. I've also noted that the bolt on the hitch needs retightening every great once in a while.

[spindizzy]

I bought the 1-UP this summer and have absolutely no regrets. Easy to install. I first took short trips first with the roadie- had great fears that my bike would fall off because it was so easy to put on. Spent a lot of time checking the rearview mirror :) Travelled to Tremblant from Toronto. Bike made it unscathed. Then another long 8 hour road trip back to Ontario. Windy weather. Bike is still intact. Took rack off for the winter- again - pretty easy. I will buy the add on for travelling with 2 bikes. Love this rack!

[murielalex]

Oh, I'm so glad you posted! Are fenders out, as I suspect?

[thekarens]

We got the Kuat NV. We decided as much as we spent on our bikes it was worth spending a little more. It's nice, has an integrated bike lock and bike repair stand http://kuatracks.com/en/products/bike/the-nv/

It was a toss up between that one and the 1Up. The Kuat we could get local and a discount through our bike club so we went that direction.

[murielalex]

Hmmm. I like. Does the cable have any kind of covering on it so it wouldn't damage paint?

[thekarens]

It's not coated. Haven't had a problem with the paint so far. I suppose if I were worried I could wrap it with a towel or something....I'll be honest, that thought never crossed my mind.

[Sylvia]

I have the Saris T-bones rack (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10054_10551_1122998_-1___000000)which is very light and easy to take on and off the hitch.
Weighs about 10-15 lbs so I can easily remove it. Also comes with a stand so you can use it to store bikes inside as well.

[goldfinch]

Oh, I'm so glad you posted! Are fenders out, as I suspect?

I am not so sure. Our Yakima rack has a similar bar that goes over the wheel. My spouse puts his bike with fenders on that rack, he just doesn't force the bar down as hard as when it is directly on the wheel. Nevertheless, it seems stable. But maybe he is taking a risk, I just don't know.

[Trek-chick]

Here is a photo of the Saris Freedom Rack in action. I LOVE this rack!!!! Easy set-up and getting the bike on/off is a breeze.

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[gnat23]

Another vote for the Kuat. I have one on my Mini Cooper, and I *always* get comments about it. It's spiffy-easy to use, love the integrated lock for those emergency grocery stops, and feels good and sturdy.

-- gnat!

[indysteel]

I am not so sure. Our Yakima rack has a similar bar that goes over the wheel. My spouse puts his bike with fenders on that rack, he just doesn't force the bar down as hard as when it is directly on the wheel. Nevertheless, it seems stable. But maybe he is taking a risk, I just don't know.

We do the same thing with our Thule rack and our fendered touring bikes--but only for short trips. When we drove out to Maine this past fall (21 hours), we just removed the fenders and then put them back on when we got there. Same thing with a 5-hour drive to Saint Louis two years ago. It's not that hard to install them and it gave us a bit more peace of mind.

[spindizzy]

Oh, I'm so glad you posted! Are fenders out, as I suspect?

I think they would be. I am thinking of where that bar sits on my wheel and where fenders usually are.

I like that integrated lock on the Saris Freedom Rack! that would be the downside of the 1UP. I usually will make a stop or 2 on the way home from wherever I cycled that day. Threading a cable lock is a pain. Minor, but still a pain.

[Catrin]

My Thule has a lock on the arm that goes down over the wheel - to my mind that is better than a cable lock. There is an additional cable lock installed on the rack but it is optional - you have to purchase a lock core for it. To me the placement of it is awkward, I prefer the clock on the arm much better - much more difficult to cut.

[BonnieS]

Trek-Chick, What a great picture of your Saris Freedom! I am getting that exact rack this week. Plus a pin to keep it locked on the car. So excited. And it's several months away from outside cycling yet!

[LanterneRouge]

OP have you already bought your hitch? Is there a reason you wouldn't want to get a rear mount bike rack? I, too, was determined to get a hitch until I realized 1) how much extra it would cost, and 2) possible damage to the hitch when going over bumps in the road since my car is pretty low. My initial concern with a rear mount rack was that it would scratch the paint on my car, so I was primarily only looking at hitch racks.

I ended up getting a rear mount Thule (I think it's the Raceway series) and I have no regrets. It takes me literally 30 seconds to put it on my trunk, and it folds up easily. I can shove it in my trunk during rides if I'm concerned someone is going to attempt to steal it (even though it has a lock). My only regret is that I didn't get the model that holds 3 bikes. Mine only carries 2. There have been a number of occasions when carrying an extra bike would've come in handy. I've used it for about 2 years and there isn't a single scratch on my car.

[BonnieS]

Well thank you for all the good advice! This thread discussion lead me to choose and purchase my first bike rack, the saris freedom. Here it is on my Corolla. Haven't put a bike on it yet, but this makes me very eager to get going - as soon as the snow clears, of course! Just FYI this costs about $100 more in Canada than in the US!

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[murielalex]

I just wanted to follow up with this thread and say that I ended up getting the 1UP. I had to wait two weeks for UHaul to order my hitch, but it only took five minutes to set it up. I'm getting a hitch on my other car next week, and like how I'll be able to switch it out easy peasy. I'm quite happy with it.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l17/vstanbury/0e205bba-9252-4b23-982a-c2b12de5434f_zps533f7eeb.jpg