SportRack 4 Bike Towable Hitch Rack
3
5
5
5
Had to replan our trip.
A back story, which should be kept in mind when reading this review is that I drive a Ford Focus Wagon, which has a 11/4" reciever, so I had to get a 2" adapter to fit this rack.
Leading up to our trip I had a plan to borrow a trailer and purchase this bike rack. After installing it on my car and loading a bike on it for a test ride around the block. I decided that for safety reasons it was best not to use this rack at all.
My reasoning went like this. The male end reciever fit into the 2" adapter I was using with alot of "play". The amount that the extension of the hitch wobbled around was, in my opinion, very unsafe. Putting a trailer on the end of this had me concerned that this would have been a recipe for disaster. The last thing we needed on our trip!
I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make if you have a 2" reciever already. With the one less connection there may be a bit of a difference. Its up to you to make the decision of if it is worth giving it a try.
The rack didn't make the trip, & I returned it after we got back.
September 15, 2011
Perfect Choice!
I believed most hitch-mounted racks would prevent you from using the hitch and the bike rack at the same time. But this is not the case, this rack is perfect! You can tow a small boat or utility trailer at the same time and have your bikes on tow hitch at the same time. Perfect for camping, gives you option to have a boat and bike ride on same weekend!
Easy to use, very sturdy, good quality, easy to move stripes so I add an fifth bike, also fork type rack allows you to hold the skies and snowboard in the winter, (already tried, it works!!!) You do not need extra rack for that just few extra stripes. It is good idea to have extra stripes to hold tight whole bike rack to your vehicle just to prevent damages, especially if you have extra bike like I do. All Pros!!! 5/5!!!
June 21, 2011
Poor Quality
Description says it fits any bike frames, but that is not 100% true, it fits the traditional "male" style bike that has the straight top cross piece, but other styles of frames are very difficult.
Claims to be able to hold 4 bikes and up to 180 pounds, but after our first trip (800 km) carrying 2 adult bikes and 2 kids bikes the pivot pin bolts and straight pins were showing severe wear and the rack was tilting considerably backwards. Very low quality steel used in its construction.
The rubber straps are hard to fasten and they are able to slide on the top rack after fastening so the bikes are not held firmly to the rack.
I wish I could get my $200 back for this mistake.
August 13, 2010
sturdy rack
Bought last year, took from Ontario to South Carolina and back. Handy that the rack lowers to allow access to the rear of the vehicle. With 4 bikes you may need help letting it down and getting it back up. It keeps the bikes out of the wind and the rain, minimizes drag on the vehicle and doesnt move around much at all. The rubber strapping system is excellent and holds the bikes well. They can be difficult to work with depending on the bike fit, but an easy rubber strap would also mean it would be an easy fall off as well. Nice feature that you can also add a ball to the rack and still tow a small trailer.
When lifting it back into place with four bikes on it, make sure you have someone designated to put the pin in.
September 17, 2008
Ok rack, but straps are extremely hard to use.
Bought this rack on sale for $!50.
Initially bought the Thule 4 bike rack, but return it due to Thule's arms does not fold down. Thule's bike rack does look sturdier.
So far I have taken a 3 hour trip and several short trips with the rack and is happy with the rack.
For bikes without crossbars, it is still a struggle to fit them onto the rack, I think this is a generic problem for those type of bikes. (unless you fork out $40 for one of those steel bar)
Pros:
-Easy to install and remove.
Cons:
-The straps are hard to use, really hurts your hand. My older son has a lot of problems using the straps.
-My wife is not able to fasten or release the straps.
-The rack is installed to a Curt Hitch. There is some lateral play, the rack will sway a bit from side to side. I think this is due to the rack using a pin instead of nut/bolt to fasten to receiver. Using a pin makes it easy to remove and install.
September 10, 2008
