Best Hitch Bike Rack for the Money
There are so many different bike racks that exist out in the market today, for that reason you need to decide what the best fit for you and your automobile, SUV or truck. Hopefully, while reading through this list you will find the best hitch bike rack for the money that fits your needs. Cost is a large factor when selecting anything, but you also want to consider quality as well. As they say — you get what you pay for. Therefore, we have carefully selected the top 13 highly rated hitch mounted bike racks. The different type of bike racks include hitch bike racks, trunk mounted or roof mounted. There are still a few factors to consider, but for the majority of the time, the best mounting option to a vehicle is a hitch mounted bike rack. The top two reasons to mount your bikes on a hitch would be for ease of loading and unloading the bike off of your car and secondly, protect your car from getting scratched or dinged while loading and unloading your bike on and off the vehicle.
If your vehicle supports a hitch, then the following is a list of the top 10 best hitch bike racks for the money. We know that many different types of hitch bike racks exist, but we want to be smart and spend our dollars wisely, hence the following is a carefully handpicked list of the best hitch bike racks.
1. Tyger Auto TG-RK4B102B Deluxe 4-Bike Carrier Rack
Tyger No-Hassle is a hitch carrier, which is capable of carrying up to four bikes on one ride. However, it does not fit on Toyota Tacoma. The rack has a restricted lifetime warranty.
It can fit all kinds of bicycles, which have a dual-arm. It is limited to the kind of vehicles one can use when using this rack. One can use it on all vehicles, which have a 1.25 or 2-inch hitch receiver.
You might find yourself in need of a hitch extender if your vehicle does not have a hitch receiver measuring the above-mentioned length. Consider knowing the length of your hitch before you get this rack.
One easily uses this TYGER No-Hassle on four bicycles since it has a handy and sturdy construction. It has a hitch pin lock as well as a bike cable lock for security purposes. After buying this rack, you are given all the keys for security reasons.
2. Allen Sports 3-Bike Hitch Mount Rack
This kind of bicycle carrier is the best for someone who needs to carry three bicycles on the vehicle for road trips or hikes. An Allen sport is easy to put together and allows someone to carry three bicycles.
The bikes are held in one place using the patented tie-down cradle system. You can tilt the rack back to assist you to access the lift-gate easily. The Allen Sports bike rack has a powder-coated finish, which is black in color. The finish helps in protecting the rack from all kinds of weather. It can be stored easily since it does not occupy a lot of space.
The Allen Sports 532RR is the best to buy since you will need to carry out some minor assembly while fixing it. It can also be folded easily when not in use since the carry arms can be folded out. The spacing of the carrier arm on this bike rack accommodates different frames of all designs and sizes.
3. Capstone Hitch Mount Two-Bike Carrier
It is designed to easily and safely transport two bicycles, which have narrow tires as well as those with fat tires measuring up to five inches. This bike carrier features some trays, which are easy to fold and is able to swing away helping one to access the doors or hatch of the vehicle and an anti-wobble fortifying system to maintain your bicycle at one position as you transport your bike.
The carrier is manufactured from great strength steel and completed in sturdy high polish power coat that lasts for years. The bike rack is simply made with a receiver-jerking bolt.
It is designed with a folding tire podium to the numerous sliding gears, allowing the one using it to customize it to fit any bicycle.
It also has some great locking knobs, which gives you a piece of mind as you travel carrying the bicycle. One does not have to cable lock the bicycle as you travel.
4. Yakima Products Hold Up Tray Style Bike Rack
The Yakima Hold Up enables you to load your bicycle easily and quickly. It has a beefed-up arm pivot, which makes it stronger. The side-to-side adjustability of this hitch rack reduces the risk of the bicycles held interfering with each other.
Yakima Hold Up has a strong arm, which is designed to protect the bicycle. The arm enables one to load the bicycles quickly despite the wheel size. If you’re looking for the best hitch bike rack for the money, then this one should be top on your list if you have two bikes that you need to transport.
Yakima Hold Up does not meet with the frame of the bicycle. Accommodates disc brakes as well as carbon road bicycles, through the full suspension and the bicycles axles.
The hitch rack weighs forty-nine pounds but can carry a load, which weighs up to sixty pounds per bike. You can think of using if you have two one or two bicycles the best hitch rack. It supports up to two bicycles safely without any damage.
5. Swagman Chinook Hitch Bike Racks
It is a style carrier with adjustable, embellished hooks that accommodate two bicycles on the top tubes. The sliding wheel structure accommodates bicycles of all lengths. It has some rack tilts, which enables one to access the cargo area and is capable of unfolding when one wants to store something on the tilts.
The chinook rack has an adapter sleeve, which can be removed to convert the rack when one wants to use it with one or more hitches.
It has a compact steel construction, which has a black color coat. The finish is durable, rust-resistant and very strong such that it is hard to replace it within a short period.
The hitch lock has a threaded pin, which works as an anti-wobble tool to lessen the clatter in the hitch. Hence, it protects the rack of the car.
Swagman Chinook has levers, which are loaded with spring to let you fold the rack up or tilt it down.
6. Yakima LongHaul RV-4 bike carrier
The Yakima Long bike carrier is a locking, RV approved rack, which carries up to four bicycles at the same time. It has a strong steel that is designed to remain stable, durable and secure at the back of the vehicle. It has some arms, which are foldable with four pairs of fixed spot SuperCush rubberized supports to protect the bicycles.
The Yakima hike bike carrier has two parallel arms to hold the bikes by their upper tube. The bicycle frames are held in a rubberized SuperCush frame that is positioned in place with the bike arms.
It is advisable for one to use a bike rack that is designed to be used in an RV. Avoid using bike racks that are not designed to be used in RVs on the rear of the vehicle or any travel trailer. The Yakima Long Carriers have a well-designed LongHaul bolted together at the base to survive the force that is felt at the back of a vehicle.
7. Yakima DrTray 2 Bike Hitch Rack
DrTray is the best tray rack for the hitch. It looks huge but has a weight of only 34 lbs, when most hitch racks of its competition weigh more than 50 lbs. It has Black powder coating which protects it from rust.
Yakima DrTary is made of aluminum. Any tire size can fit on this hitch rack. It is not approved that one can use heavy bicycles on Yakima DrTary since it’s maximum capacity is 40 lbs for each bicycle.
The best thing about this hitch rack is that its trays are able to move from side to side and back to front in order to make sure there is no interference of the bikes carried. It can carry up to three bikes at once.
While installing the Yakima DrTray on the hitch, you do not have to use any tools neither do you need the tools while removing it from the car. It is easy to store the rack when not in use since it folds up easily.
8. BUZZ RACK Entourage Bike Platform Hitch Rack
Buzz Rack is well matched with 2” receiver hitches. It is capable of carrying no more than four bicycles at once while traveling. It has a lower level, which makes it easy to load your bicycles saving time and energy.
The lower platform helps one in lifting the bicycle easily since you do not have to overhead while lifting. One does not have to remove the wheels of the bicycles while carrying them since it accommodates bicycles with any wheel size and frame design.
It has some flexible wheel trays with ratcheting belts and an expanded frame locks for securing the bicycles as you travel. Your bikes cannot get in contact with each other when using Buzz Rack.
The rack is able to tilt downwards with the bicycles attached to it, allowing easy access to your car. You can fold it flat against the car whenever you are not using.
9. BV Bike Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack Carrier for Car Truck SUV
BV Bike Carrier provides the easiest way of transporting bicycles. It has a tilt backward design, which enables the user to easily open the rear gates by not removing the hitch back. Every bicycle carried by BV bike carrier is well secured by three-point joining system. There are two arms, which have a tray design at the bottom of the rack to protect the bicycles, and another vertical arm, which is positioned on top of the rack.
BV Bike Hitch has a fold-up design, which enables the user to store the rack safely. One can fold the rack when not in use and place it in a safe place for later use. It saves the storage space since the fold-up design makes it look small when it is not in use.
It has a safety reflector to enhance safety when driving at night. Safety reflector enables another driver to see what you are carrying on your car.
10. Hollywood Racks HR400 Road Runner 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack
Hollywood HR400 is a pre-assembled carrier with an original no-wobble hitch, which eliminates slack between the rack and the receiver hitch for better safety.
The rack has a bar, which offers extra stabilization at the bottom to prevent the bicycles from rotating around while being transported. The hitch rack is capable of carrying up to four bicycles at once easily.
Hollywood HR400 is made stable by the durable rubber cradles, which have joined anti-sway stabilizers together with the hitch jerking system. The features make this rack to be stable and not cause damage to the car.
One is able to mount this rack quickly and easily by only one person. Removing this rack from your car is also easy without using more efforts. The unit can be folded back when not in use to allow easier storage and enable one to access the trunk of the vehicle.
11. Saris Freedom 2 Bike Tray Hitch Rack
Saris Hitch bike rack carries only two bicycles. The rack is able to adjust and fit the two bicycles each with a frame size of not more than sixty lbs. The rack carries the bicycles safely without touching each other. It has some ratcheting straps, which aid in keeping all the bicycles secure regardless of their size.
It has an innovative design which can be adjusted to fit all bicycles including the small bicycles used by kids. This is attained because it has a center upright support that enables one to adjust the rack to fit any bicycle.
The tray of this rack has a low height making it easy to load the bicycles. One does struggle to lift the bicycles to a higher height when loading the bicycle or struggle to unload the bicycle. The rack is not heavy in weight; it makes it easy for someone to take it off and on the vehicle.
12. Thule T2 Classic Bike Rack
Thule rack has a hitch switch lever, which folds vertically when it is not being used. It also tilts the rack away from the car it enables one to access the rear of the car easily.
The free ratcheting frame arm protects the bicycles from frame contact while being transported. One feels safe while using the Thule classic bike rack because after the end of the journey the bicycle is safe for use.
It has some bike mounts, which are fully adjustable, which hinders bike-to-bike contact, which might cause some destruction of the bicycles.
It fits bicycles with 20” to 29” wheels and not more than 5” tires which have no adapters. Thule Rack is the best carrier to buy if you have a carbon frame, downhill, mountain, together with fat bikes.
It has a Snug Tite Lock, which is used for locking the rack together with the receiver hitch.
13. Allen Sports DELUXE HITCH MOUNTED BIKE RACK
The Allen sports deluxe hitch mounted bike rack could not be left out of this list due to its high popularity and user reviews. This bike hitch installs in seconds with the quick hitch insert and makes for a very stable arm carrier for the bikes without any sway. The great thing about it is that you don’t need any tools to install. The patented tie-down cradles on the bike rack secure the bike in place and keep it safe. The convenience of this bike racks continues with arms that fold down to keep out of the way when not in use. The rack similar to others also has a tilt back feature to allow for easy access for lift gates. This bike rack comes in many different bike sizes which can hold from 2 – 5 bikes. The Allen sports deluxe hitch mounted bike rack is the best hitch bike rack for the money that we have reviewed overall.
Conclusion
Most of the bike racks above support multiple bikes. We may have reviewed a bike rack that holds only three bikes, but that same manufacturer most likely also has the same bike rack that will hold two or four bikes.
Also, keep in mind, women bikes don’t usually have a straight bar going across thus loading them on most hitch bike racks can be slightly challenging. Most manufacturers offer adapter bars for around $15 to help install women bikes onto hitch bike racks, but nevertheless, it still is possible to load a woman’s bike onto these bike racks without the bar. The bike may just sit at an angle. You can also put the bike upside down onto the bike rack and that should eliminate the need for an adapter bar.
Overall, the top list includes a carefully handpicked selection for somebody looking for the best hitch bike rack for the money. You can go crazy spending hundreds of dollars, but you may not get a quality product.
