Tray Style Bike Racks - What do you run?

Hey Folks/ DH Guys/Fatbikers/Roadies,
Just seeing how many of you guys with canopies run tray style hitch racks and what your experiences have been with them? How do they hold up on bumpy roads, any ground clearance issues, customer service/warranty issues, etc. I just realize as I draw up plans for a sleeping platform inside my canopy I will limit my ability to carry more than one bike, most of the time when I ride or shuttle there's 3-5 people in the crew.

A really neat feature of the Kuat is the integrated repair stand attached to the end of the rack for trail side adjustments and repairs!

I am thinking of either the Kuat NV 4 Bike rack or the Yakima HoldUp 4 Bike rack.

http://www.yakima.com/shop/bike/hitch/holdup2in


http://kuatracks.com/en/products/hitch/nv-add-on/

 

i run an older thule t2 rack. it holds my DH bike (big old BMW racelink) securely as well as another dh bike. its fine at speed on the highway don't have any experience with it off road except for some gravel roads.

check out 1up.com i don't have any experience with them but the look trick and made in the USA.

also check out www.tufrack.com and buddy runs one and its pretty burly

 

I too like 1up but it's pricey. Tufrack looks awesome but doesn't fold up or down, to access your bed with a cover, PITA! I got an acient sportworks which Thule bought the design and added their locks and now is the T2, love mine. Don't know what kind of offroad you're doing but dirt roads, gravel and such, works great. I imagine if you're crawling or doing technical stuff your departure angle would suck in tight quarters. There's also Softride racks, hangs 5 bikes vertically

 

That Kuat rack is pretty nice. the standard is the thule t2, but if your looking to haul more than 4 bikes a northshore rack is pretty nice. The flat tray style bike racks, 4 bikes will sometimes bottom out on steep driveways but may not be too bad if you have a lift too.

I would look at ones with integrated locks like the T2. I know 1up doesnt have a lock and the northshore rack pry doesnt either.

 

I use a Thule T2. It works great and I've used it a LOT! Charged down a few rough roads with it and no issues. It's also not as expensive as the Kuat.

 

I've had the T2 and the NV. The Kuat NV is a much nicer and higher quality rack but the locking system is just stupid. Much better locking systems on the Thule and Yakima racks but I still wouldn't let that be a deal breaker. Kuat is finally offering them in black, so I had to make the switch and I'm glad I did. I haul my road bike, and my mountain bike equally. Does great for both.

 

1up is INCREDIBLE!

I bought one for my wife's 350RX so I could put it on and leave it on for the 1 bike setup and she could still fit in the garage and open her back door without interference when not carrying a bike. I also bought an add-a-bike extension for it so if we were going together I could slap the extension tray on and off we went.

They're expensive, but you probably can't find somebody who was disappointed with the purchase.

She even had a little "issue" at a car wash where it got bent - this was a couple years after we bought it. She emailed 1up, they said send it in and we'll send you a replacement - no charge cept shipping.

 

A great option is the North shore rack;

 

Is that Rocky Mtn Altitude yours? I've been drooling over one for a while!!!

 

I've got the 1upUsa rack and I really like it. It folds up tight to the bumper when not in use. My bike also stays close to my truck when on the rack. Its well made (made in USA) and all aluminum and stainless. Its also rock solid when attached to the hitch receiver.



I had the Yakima Holdup before the 1up and I would NOT recommend it. Its wobbly when installed and cheaply made. After a couple of year there were rust spots all over and most of the plastic parts were faded and chalky. It also sticks out pretty far when folded up or down. The worse part is that it doesn't work for 29ers. It would hold my mtb in place but when I started using it I also started getting a lot of pinch flats. I thought it was my tire pressure, then my tubes or tires, then my wheels. After going thru and replacing all those I finally noticed one day that the plastic cup part on the rack doesn't let a 29er tire sit down as low as it should. I figured out that the front wheel was actually rolling out of the tray when I was driving. It would roll right back (my bike never came out) and it was pinching the tires and causing all these flats.

Inno and Raxter both make tray style racks that I considered but I wanted something that I didn't have to replace in a few years so I spent the money on the 1up. Its been great so far.