All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Sold the Tacoma? What are you getting to replace it?

 

Nothing for now. May pick up a 1st gen tundra if the right one comes along. I have a 98 4runner I drive right now, needs a little TLC. But it has a hitch I just need a hitch rack for the bike.

 

I got the 1UP Equip D Double. Yes, it is a little more expensive, but the handle is right at the end and it has a locking hitch pin. Plus, the fat bike kit is free if you request it.

 

What made you pick it over the super duty or heavy duty?

 

The handle location, and most importantly, the locking hitch pin. The heavy and super duty have handles that are a pain to grab while this one is located at the very end and can be moved out if you got the attachments for extra bikes.

The SD and HD are only held onto the hitch by a ball bearing that's tightened in. I don't trust leaving that in a parking lot with that being my only security source, not to mention taking a 6+ hour drive with it.

Plus, like I said, the fat bike kit comes with it as long as you request it. You have to buy it with the SD and HD. We have 2 fat bikes so we needed the kit.

At the time I bought though, 1UP was pretty backed up so they were taking 10-15 business days to even process orders. It went quick after that though.

 

I wonder if there is a decent Thule or Yakima alternative?

 

That’s just uncivilized.

 

I looked at Thule and Kuat and was sold on the List over the Thule. However I didn't like the plastic parts and everyone kept saying to basically cut the crap and go with a 1UP that will last. They're a bit like Jeeps in that they keep making them the same because it's tried and true. That decision was also confirmed when I learned 1UP uses all aluminum construction and stainless steel hardware (I believe). Then I talked to a guy recently who said he had one of those other racks (I can't remember which) and he said his bolts began rusting just from driving to the trail and back.

If you get a 1UP and don't like it, they hold value very well.

 

True, and that’s all I’ve heard. Just a tough pill to swallow for a rack lol. And then waiting on it.

 

Yeah, but that's pretty much everything with biking since COVID started. That's why they're so backed up. Not so much supply as much as demand. Even my local bike shop had a 2 week wait on their already ordered Kuat racks at the time.

 

And yes, I know what you mean for price for a rack. I felt the same. But we haven't had any reason to regret it so far. I even did a little off roading with it and it was good.

 

Super Duty if you want the heaviest capacity. The newer Equip-D doesn't have a rating listed, but it certainly looks to be more refined. Not that the old design is bad, they just clearly addressed some items.
You can add an EZ pull handle to any model.

This isn't entirely accurate. My Super Duty came with a hitch lock, and its also listed on the website as standard on all racks Heavy Duty and up.

 

huge fan of my 1up rack. i have two on the bed of my truck and they have been great for 2 seasons now. when my yakima hitch rack fails, i will order the 1up hitch rack to replace it. totally worth the price and the wait.

 

In my research they considered that ball bearing to be the hitch lock because the allen wrench they used for tightening it was different than a normal one in that it had a hold in the end of it, and a pin sticking out of the bolt to prevent normal allen wrenches from getting to it.

That, and the little wire thing that they added later on which is not a full on pin. The Equip-D has an actual locking hitch pin in addition to the ball bearing.

Edit, also I believe the Equip D has a rating of about 50-60lbs per bike which is a ridiculous weight for a bike. I think even the lightest capacity for a 1UP rack was for 40lbs per bike. That only really matters if you're running an e-bike as pretty much everything else is less than that.

 

Absolutely. I was picking between the two as well, and the SD/HD is MUCH burlier. They solved the handle location with the add-on (HIGHLY recommended for any 1Up users), and you can throw in the included lock to secure it to the hitch as @backcountryj mentioned. The ED is nice though, and does look and feel like a nicer rack.

As far as Yakima/Thule options go, there are some good ones. I had dealer pricing on them so I really wanted to make those work. IMO the best option is the Yakima Dr. Tray. I ran it for a couple of years, and it was great. Pros: VERY light (35 lbs) so it's easy to take on/off. Solid construction, lasted well, no problems over two years of plenty of use. Cons: contacts the fork, plastic parts will eventually fail, nowhere near as burly, much lower bike weight capacity.

 

I can only tell you that I didn't order or request any hitch locks, and my SD came with one. Zero concerns the rack will go tumbling down the road should the ball bearing fail.

What is the new design that secures the Equip to the hitch beyond the expanding ball bearing that the other models also utilize? I recognize the language used on the website drops the term 'slotted' when referencing the hitch bar lock for the Equip. But the stock photos present a very similar hitch assembly to my eyes.

 

They must have updated the design a bit. I was just looking at their site again as well. When I was originally looking into them, the only hitch lock they offered was that special Allen key and a wire lock that went through the hitch pin location, but no physical hitch pin.

 

They did - otherwise I wasn’t going to get the super duty! I had initially committed to the equip d until I saw their design was updated with a hitch pin

since I only do one tray, I was fine with the super duty. If you’re doing 2+ bikes I think the equip D is perfect!

 

I had a GT vertigo back in the 90’s. That’s awesome.

 

@stronghammer
Can't believe I didn't look at this when I was comparing 1up racks. Would have answered several questions that I wasted their staffs time by asking.
https://www.1up-usa.com/compare-racks/