How to and how many - bikes on hitch

says its about 40 lbs?

Thank you. Will male and female framed bikes go on it ?

 

You'll be able to put men's frames on just fine, but most women's frames will be really hard to fit unless you run a top bar adapter. So if you have some of those to put on, factor that into your cost. The "tray" or "platform" style racks make loading all bikes a lot easier (people have posted on the 1up, Thule T2, I use the Saris Freedom SuperClamp) of which there are a lot of varieties, but their cost typically is higher.

 

I have a single 1-up and I love it. The tailgate can still come down completely with the 1-up folded up. Not sure of the two or 4 system allows that.

 

If you park in a garage, something to consider is the additional length of your truck from the hitch rack. Had a Thule T2 Pro for a few months and loved it but it was such a pain in the butt installing/removing in order to park in the garage. Defeated the whole convenience factor.

But if you do have room in your garage or park outside... do it!

 

Also, if you do decide to put this on your 3rd gen... your backup camera could be partially blocked.

 

If you are going to carry more than 2 bikes I would highly recommend at least taking a look at https://www.northshoreracks.com. I have a Thule T2 as well as the North Shore 6-bike. The T2 is an awesome rack, but with 4 bikes it hangs behind the truck ridiculously far and turns your off-road worthy vehicle into a prius that bottoms out with the slightest incline. North Shore Racks keep up to 6 bikes tucked snuggly to the back of the truck. They're definitely a bit expensive, but I believe comparable to 1up. For 2 bikes any of the tray style racks are great, any more than that opt for a vertical carry! Happy trails.

 

1) I have this Thule Aluminum 2-bike rack

2) Slides right in, adjusts for hitch size.

3) Yes, releases to an angled position that will allow the gate to clear. Tough to do with bikes mounted on it unless you've been working out...

4) Thule has larger capacity racks, as well.

5) Look here: http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-helium-aero-2-bike-hitch-rack-9042.html

$3-400 plus

 

I've had a T2 for....almost 10yrs. It's what I recommend before anything else. My only grump about 1up is how they secure to the hitch itself. Granted, I have never used one, so I don't have first hand experience. I don't tend to recommend racks that hold the toptube unless someone wants to save some money. Even then I cringe. Not really. It's just not how I prefer to roll.

The T2 releases downward, but that's not exactly easy to do (especially when you have bikes on the rack).

Wife has a Yakima Hold-Up. Has a little more rust on it than I'd like to see. Our racks don't come off, though. It also releases downward.

 

The rack wouldn't come off
It would stay on

 

I have a rack from Kuat & REALLY like it.
http://kuatracks.com/
I've also used a cheap 4 bike rack from Amazon with good results. ~$100
Good luck

 

Bumping this thread as I want to order.

There seems to be some in the $100-$200 range. Any thoughts on these two?

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-Racks/Toyota/Tacoma/2001/63124.html



OR

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-Racks/Toyota/Tacoma/2001/TH934XTR.html

 

Here's a pic of my Thule aluminum rack:

Another:

Very stout 2-bike rack. More like $400. It swings down and allows the tailgate to fully drop.

 

Perfect

Do you know model number ?

Do they take young kids bikes and adult bikes ? Because I can’t figure out before ordering whether they take all size bikes since kids bike and adult bikes don’t have same size in the middle bar area

 

Mine is a 2-bike rack, excuse me... Here is a 4-bike rack from Thule: http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-9025-apex-4-bike-hitch-rack.html
ORSRack is the place I ordered the Thule from. They have just about everything you will need, like an adjustable bar for bikes without the upper bar (female bikes). Just measured the support bars on mine: 9 1/4" center to center.
The aluminum racks are more expensive than the regular racks; Thule calls them "Heliums."

 

Thank you kindly

 

The rack looks good but seems a little long. do you find yourself scraping the pavement when driving on an incline such as your driveway?

 

Haven’t had issues

 

I personally like the racks with wheel mounts, instead of the frame mounts. With so many bikes having different frame geometries, you end up with goofy setups and those dumb bar things that attach to the seat/stem.

The wheel mounts (track system) can fit really *any* bike, from kids' bikes to fatties, leg shaver bikes to DH bikes.

The other benefit is that with the low rack, it usually doesn't get in the way of the tailgate (the bikes are what interferes with the tailgate, not the rack).

Something like this:

YAKIMA - FourTimer Hitch Mount Tray Bike Rack, 4 Bike Capacity

https://www.amazon.com/Yakima-FourT...726070&sr=8-45&keywords=hitch+mount+bike+rack

There are extenders you can get to move the rack farther away from the bumper so the bikes/rack doesn't interfere with the tailgate, but our trucks are long enough, you put a 4 bike rack with a hitch extender on there, and your truck will be as long as a school bus!

Although, I gotta say, a lot of the racks nowadays cost an arm and a leg and seem overly bulky (because of all the plastic crap). The rack I had back in the day was a good, cheap steel rack. It folded up, could hold 4 bikes with an expansion rack, Only got rid of it when I sold my 4Runner and got a pickup. But I kinda regret it, even a decade+ later...


When I was lurking on Amazon for racks, I saw this:

$235 Tow Tuff 62" Steel Cargo Carrier with Bike Rack, 500 lb Capacity, Black - 2-in-1 Rear Hitch Mount for Car, Truck or SUV with 2" Receiver, Hauls Up to 4 Bikes, Tie-Down Strap Included

https://www.amazon.com/Tow-Tuff-TTF...726271&sr=8-15&keywords=hitch+mount+bike+rack

Kinda peaked my interest. It would take some customizing to get it right, but for the price, $30 in steel and a few hours work, you got yourself a truly universal rack system.

 

$450 for a bike rack is pretty expensive.

Because the bikes I transport to the beach, TOTAL 4 costs $650.

My expensive bikes, I don't transport via truck.