Hitch mounted bike racks

Airmapper

Inactive Member
I've seen it mentioned already in this thread, but I've been through a few bike racks and finally broke down and got a 1UP. I also got the license plate bracket for long trips out of state. I don't use it around home though. Even made me a cord to plug in 2 bolt lights up to the trailer hitch plug to illuminate it, but I'm a nerd over such things and even I'd say I might have went overboard.

I love my 1UP rack though, best rack I've seen. I have the super duty single, I think the standard one is a bit sketchy, the super duty lets you lock it in the receiver with a locking pin and even if that tension ball works loose it can't walk all the way out of the hitch before you notice it.

It folds up to a easily manageable size, it's not overly heavy, and so easy to install and remove I regularly swap it from one vehicle to the other during the week if I decided to switch up.

I've even been off road with it on there, bike included, and it did awesome on a 4x4 trail. I was worried I'd drag it the whole time but it actually gives a lot better departure angle than you would expect and it never touched the ground.

It's also the easiest rack to load and unload the bike from I've seen, with my other rack I'd load my bike the night before so I wouldn't have to fool with it on my way to work, with the 1UP I throw it on there as I leave, takes me longer to put the cable lock on. I really like it only grabs the tires, holds the bike really snug and any movement it does make is cushioned by the tires.

I can't recommend it highly enough, but it isn't cheap. It's been worth it to me so far considering some weeks I may ride 2-3 times and I take my bike to work, so it gets a lot of use, bike spends a lot of time in it, and the no fuss starts to add up.

I also really like the wheel locks, I use them traveling so I don't need to weave a chain all thought the bike. Bothe wheels with a pin through them and then a Kryptonite chain through the frame and looped around the tow hitch, it's not impossible to get but it would take a skilled thief, it's not a snip and go while I run in to get lunch.
 

nitro_rat

Lunchbox Lockers
I know a guy who runs a hitch mounted cargo carrier to purposely "conceal" his plate. He has had it for years and travels cross country frequently. He hasn't been stopped for it yet AFAIK...
 

MANUCHAO

Aventurero
make your own mount and use your fave bike tray..
i have gone through a few changes as needed....
20180527_143547.jpg20170716_154221.jpgIMAG2205.jpg

1572734081328.png
 
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nyyankees588

Active member
make your own mount and use your fave bike tray..
i have gone through a few changes as needed....
View attachment 545950View attachment 545951View attachment 545952
you have any additional close-up photos of your third setup (vertically mounted to fork mount)? That's exactly what I'm planning on doing on my van and I'm just trying to iron out the details of how to best do it. Is your bike thru axel or QR? That's the only thing still sketching me out is that the fork could wiggle out of the QR clamp.
 

MANUCHAO

Aventurero
you have any additional close-up photos of your third setup (vertically mounted to fork mount)?
This is all i could find...
Inner rig was a through axle.... outter rig was a QR axle... most if not all the weight was on the rear tire... countless dirt roads nothing ever came loose....IMAG1796.jpgIMAG1822.jpg
 

ricardo

Observer
this pictures are old, now the licence plate seats (when I'm towing motos) at the top of the bike stand right in front of anything I'm carring

One bad thing, the brake lights are hard to see but i have not bother fixing them


These just blow me away. Completely blocking the tail/turn/brake lights
Just WOW at the stupidity..... and lack of enforcement.


Relax dude, I have a Swiss citizenship but I will never be able live there because I can not stand the "Squareness" and their self policing tendencies..

Ps: Unless you have the money to get a UNICAT the accepted option to carry a motorcycle around is very similar to the rack I made, just search around they are millions of them running around with "All the LIGHTs block off"
 
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Steve_382

Active member
We use one of these for our road bikes and they have a license plate bracket as well as LED turn/brake lights also. I have been pulled over a couple of times for having the bike rack block the plates on other rigs, so this solutions solves those issues. Also, it keeps the bikes out of the weather, etc.

 

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