59cm Clem barely fits in car, thus will be caried on the outside. I like the 1UP rack, but what about others...?

[LeRoy]

As detailed in a recent post (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rbw-owners-bunch/BMwnMT8KlG4), my be-fendered 59cm Clem is an awkwardly tight fit in my recently-acquired Jeep Cherokee. As a result, I'm hitch-mounted bike-rack shopping (and hitch shopping as well!). My requirements in a rack are:

1) must securely accommodate a 40+ lb. 59cm Clem with its fenders and front (Nitto Mini 32F) and rear (Pletscher Clem) racks

2) must be readily removable without much fuss and knuckle-skinning

3) prefer a rack that supports the bike under its wheels rather than hanging it off the top tube

4) as of now, I only anticipate the need to carry a single bike; expandability, however, would be a nice virtue

Digging around in the archives uncovered enthusiastic recommendations for the 1UP hitch-mounted rack. This looks like a very good combination of sturdiness, good design and reasonable price. It ticks all the above boxes and would be about $400 delivered to my door.

I could pull that trigger but thought I'd first ask whether anyone could suggest an even better alternative with respect to price, value, function, etc. (Or, maybe you have one for sale!) Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Have you looked at Saris? Made in the USA (Wisconsin, I think) and dead useful. I have the Freedom 4 bike rack, but it also comes in a 2. It has trays, so great for fenders. Easy on/off, and fully adjustable. My husband’s awkward ebike fits fine!

[Joe Bernard]

Hey Leah, how is it to carry that rack for taking off the car? I've been thinking about installing a hitch on the Impala so I can use a tray rack for my eClemenetine, but I would need to walk it back and forth from parking to apartment and I have that arthritis bugger. It's not something I would want staying on the car all the time.

[PaulS]

About 7 years ago, I purchased a Kuat NV from REI on a Black Friday sale. It was 25% off so $300 or so. It’s been a great rack. Comes on and off easily. Has a built in cable lock to lock up the bikes. Even a work stand in case you need to do a quick tune up when out at the trail head. The would buy one again.

But whatever you decide to buy, be sure to get a 2” hitch and rack. Much more stable.

[Dorothy C]

We have an older Thule 2-bike carrier, similar to the Doubletrack the we have had for about 6 years. We usually carry an ebike and one of my Rivendells on it. It has been fine, we replaced the central bar clamp mechanism this summer after the one of the plastic lock sleeves cracked. I can fit my 55cm Cheviot with 42mm tires on it, which is the longest wheelbase of all my bikes. Check the wheel wells slide far enough apart if that is the style you go for. If we were replacing it, we would go with a Kuat as they come with an optional side loading ramp for extra heavy bikes. A couple of tips to avoid damage - pad your top tube with some bar tape at the section where the clamp slides down on to it, and if you are loading two or more bikes, orient the pedals so they don't scratch the chainstays of the bike next to it. I think the newer racks give more pedal clearance than ours.
Joe, they are extremely heavy. We keep ours at the side of the house next to the garage and my wife loads it on the hitch as she is stronger than me.

[j.schwartz]

Also +1 on the Saris Freedom 2

It's not super heavy duty but rack mounted ...strong enough and made in the u.s. 

I have it on my car and have carried my Appaloosa (55cm) which require moving the adjustable wheel wells.

What is the wheelbase of the 59 Clem in inches?

Here is a photo of my Hillborne on it.

[Dorothy C]

To clarify - ours is the Thule Doubletrack 2 990XT

[Howard Hatten]

I’ve been using the one up for 2 years now. I bought it because I liked the expand ability feature. 75% of the time I only carry 1 bike, but when I need more space I add on trays. It will accommodate an old mtn bike, Cheviot, Atlantis & a 65 lb ebike without readjusting anything. I can also use my lift gate when I’m set up for 1 bike.

Howard
Livonia Mi.

[Alex Wirth- Owner, Yellow Haus Bicycles]

Take a look at the Hollywood Rack lineup.  

I used to suggest Saris to a lot of people as they have the best trunk racks IMHO and the MUSA thing.

I find their inexpensive hitch racks "floppy" and cheap feeling.  Hollywood integrates a stabilizer and uses a 2" hitch receiver making everything nice and snug.

We opted for the 2 bike tandem version so it will fit everything including our Surly big fat dummy.   I haven't tried it yet but I think our Hubbah will fit with a fork mount attachment? We also got the add-on tray that you can use with the two bike rack.  Great if you have a family and a ton of camping gear to consider.  Down the road you can also add another 2-bike section making it a 4-bike rack.

I saved a little money by ordering my hitch online and installing it myself.  It was about 2 hours and pretty sore the next day as it's awkward movements with heavy things under a car. 

Happy hunting!

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Joe - the Saris is plenty heavy. I carry it myself but never enjoy it. But it allows us to get our crazy big bikes on (if we’re hauling the ebike I use 3 and toss Baby Bear’s in the back of the van), even with all the Bosco bars and the ridiculous ebike bars. I can’t speak to the 2 bike version of the rack but the 4 bike seems sturdy to me.

Hollywood racks: I have a Hollywood 2 bike rack and it’s no good for the Clementine. The bar doesn’t lower enough to get to the swoopy top tube, so I have to load the Betty instead. Also, the bar that comes down on the top tube will mash your cable into your paint job (an ugly mar on the pretty paint job of the Betz) so put a cloth between the cable and paint.

[Joe Bernard]

Whelp, Leah just saved me a bunch of money on a hitch and rack. The thought of scratching paint on one makes me shudder so back to Plan A: It fits in the car or ride from home!

[PaulS]

I would avoid racks that use clamping system like the Hollywood rack.  Unless you like having the cinching bolt coming undone and having your bike tumbling down the freeway (nope, that wasn't a good day).

Kuat or 1Up won't touch the paint.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Paul:

1. Now I have to know what a “cinching bolt” is so I can at least identify this thing I will now add to my list of fears.

2. Please, please tell us this wasn’t a true story. Was anyone behind you? I wouldn’t want to imagine a steel bike flying through someone’s windshield.

Also a Hollywood Rack flaw: no way to u-lock the bike to it. I u-lock my bikes to the Saris, no sweat.

[Joe Bernard]

Ah, the 1UP is interesting. I didn't know about them.

[PaulS]

Bicycle Belle:
1) It’s the bolt that holds the hooks in place. Mine kept coming loose. Then the bike would rock forward and fall off (bike had a sloping TT). (2) This is what happened the first time I used it, as I was going 75mph on the freeway. Thankfully, it was late at night and no cars around. But before I could get to it, two semi trucks passed by on either side. I must have done something right that day, as my bike laid right on the double yellow. Only casualties were the rear wheel/tire, one pedal, handlebars and saddle. Lesson learned. Gave the rack to a friend (with a stern warning! And an extra bungee cord to secure the hooks), and bought the Kuat.

[David Bivins]

I was on a budget and bought this $80 3 bike rack from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QJ8BV0/

I took two Clems, fully fendered, and an REI kids bike to the Outer Banks of NC and back to Brooklyn NY without a problem. I used irish straps to lash the wheels, and I had to twist the handlebars. Very easy to install and take off. I used it on the back of my Passat wagon.

On Fri, Nov 1, 2019 at 7:40 AM PaulS <shin...@gmail.com> wrote:

About 7 years ago, I purchased a Kuat NV from REI on a Black Friday sale. It was 25% off so $300 or so. It’s been a great rack. Comes on and off easily. Has a built in cable lock to lock up the bikes. Even a work stand in case you need to do a quick tune up when out at the trail head. The would buy one again.

But whatever you decide to buy, be sure to get a 2” hitch and rack. Much more stable.

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[David Bivins]

Paul, that's hair-raising! Wow. When I first used our rack, fully-laden, I drove about a half-mile then pulled over and checked everything, recinched the straps now that we'd vibrated enough to settle a bit. Then I drove from Brooklyn through Staten Island to the first rest stop in NJ. Then I rechecked everything. I checked everything one more time when I first stopped for gas, but it was all still tight and proper. We always start our NC trip in the middle of the night (2-3am) so we can avoid all NYC traffic, so it was easy to pull off and check everything.

[maxcr]

+1 on Saris Freedom 2 EX 2-Bike Hitch Rack

I got mine at REI and easily transport my 62 Sam, 61 Hilsen or my wife’s Jones.

Great product.

Max

[Gary L]

+++1 for the 1 UP.  I've had one for about a year and it's the best rack I've ever had. Rock solid with zero sway, and it only touches the wheels and can be configured for 1 - 4 bikes, with an add-on carrier for each one. That way the pieces can be added separately and individually don't weigh much (maybe 20# each). Kind of pricy but well worth it!

[Bob Ehrenbeck]

I have a Saris Superclamp EX-2 rack. What I like about this rack is that (unlike the Freedom), the bikes are secured by ratcheting hooks that clamp down on the tires, so that nothing touches the bike's frame. Also, It's very secure, it holds my 52 Clem H, it attaches easily, and it's not really heavy. I love it!

https://www.saris.com/product/superclamp-ex-2

Bob E

Cranford, NJ

[dougP]

We have the Thule T2 Pro XT hitch rack.  Super solid, and the latch for swinging up or down is on the handle you use for lifting the rack.  The rear wheel goes into a basket & is retained by a strap.  The front wheel goes into a tray & is retained by an arm that clamps down on the front tire (a front fender might be a problem.  We entrust both our Atlantis' to it.  Downside is it weighs something over 50 lbs, so I store it close to the car.  Would not want to lug it any distance (like 20').  1UP is I believe aluminum so would be much lighter to handle.  I looked at the 1UP but the Thule was on sale at REI so about half the price.  My inherent cheapness won out over elegance.

dougP

[Bruce Baker]

The only way to go is the 1up USA. I have had Kuat, Thule, Yakima and none compare tot he ease of the 1 up

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[JAS]

I use the 1 UP rack (2-bike version) for my Clementine 55cm on my Subaru Outback and like it a lot. The rack is easy to install and remove; I can do it without help. After inserting into the receiver, there is a hex nut that tightens something against the inside of the receiver, making it rock solid. I invested in the locks, so once installed, the rack is locked to the car and I can lock the bike to the rack through the wheels. It can be tilted out of the way to access the rear door of the Outback. It’s a bit heavy; check their website on weight. They offer a 1-bike version and add-ones as well. I was pleased with the customer service response to my phone calls.

[tc]

1up. I’ve had several Thule and Yakima racks over the years and they’re all well made but are both heavier and slower to load/unload than the 1up.

Tom

[LeRoy]

Thanks to all concerned for the thoughts, descriptions and recommendations. It sounds like many are very satisfied with their rack choices and a great many really like the 1UP rack. So, that's the plan; I'm off to get one. And a receiver hitch.

Thanks again,

Bob

On Friday, November 1, 2019 at 12:00:05 AM UTC-4, LeRoy wrote: