The best bike hitch racks we tested
Best bike hitch rack: 1Up Super Duty
A bike hitch rack can unlock a new world of riding, for both mountain bikers and other cyclists who want to avoid busy roadways or ride on trails far away. That’s why a bike hitch rack is one of our favorite bike accessories: It easily and safely transports your trusty steed from your home to your favorite dirt ribbon. And, it doesn’t trash the back of your car in the process.
There are several bike rack styles, but one of the most popular is hitch racks, the type that attach to a hitch on the back of your car. That’s why we spent the last two months testing six different bike hitch racks while transporting our wheels around Colorado’s Western Slope and southern Utah. I’m personally training for a big mountain bike race this summer, so I used this testing as an opportunity to voyage to as many singletrack trails as possible. In doing so, I compared the stability, durability, ease of use and all-around value, eventually arriving at the best bike hitch rack of 2024. Here’s what I found.
The newly redesigned Super Duty hitch rack is the burliest and most durable bike rack in our test. It also has the best stability on 4x4 roads and can carry various tire widths and sizes. With a max weight of 100 pounds per tray, it is also e-bike compatible.?
Best bike hitch rack: 1Up Super Duty
I live in the Colorado Rockies and you can’t throw a stick without hitting a 1Up Super Duty bike rack. They’re everywhere because they’re nearly indestructible — but that ruggedness came with a few flaws in the initial model designed some 10 years ago. However, 1Up tackled those issues in this redesigned Super Duty bike rack that launched in April 2024. Not only is the new hitch bike rack built for the long haul, but it’s also easy to use, with a one-handed push-button system, and versatile enough that it can accommodate nearly any bike configuration you want to haul.
Sure, the 1Up Super Duty isn’t sleek in design or aesthetics — that award goes to the Kuat Piston Pro. However, the Super Duty is fully built with corrosion-resistant aluminum, meaning there are no cheaper plastic pieces that are likely to break. We’ve only had the Super Duty for a couple of months, but it shows zero sign of wear or tear — and that’s after hauling a duo of mountain bikes into the backcountry of Colorado’s Little Book Cliffs and Utah’s San Rafael Swell region.
Durability is important, but bike hitch racks are only useful if they are easy to use daily. Fortunately, 1Up improved this redesigned rack with a one-hand, push-button system. In reality, it can be used in two ways. If you have two hands to spare, you can press the button, lift the arm, load the bike and ratchet the arm back down on the tire like normal. However, if you’re down to one hand because you’re hanging onto your bike with it, there’s another option. Push the red button and slide the casing upwards, disengaging the ratchet system. This allows you to use your free hand to move the arm however you need before loading your bike. While this isn’t the easiest loading system in our test — again, the Kuat Piston Pro takes the top spot — it’s definitely in the top three. As a bonus, the 1Up staggers the bike trays for easier loading when you have more than one.
The 1Up Super Duty uses only the two lever arms against the tires to secure the bike to the rack — there are no plastic straps or anything else touching the frame or the fork. While this isn’t a deal breaker, it makes loading faster and you don’t have to worry about rough plastic scratching a nice paint job on your bike frame.
The Super Duty shines the brightest by far on rough 4x4 roads. It’s the only bike in our test rated for “extreme off-roading.” And while we didn’t take it rock crawling in our Jeep Wrangler, we did take it down many bumpy and pothole-laden backcountry desert roads. The 1Up’s superior stability is largely thanks to the anti-wobble corner expander ball. Once you put the rack into your hitch, you can tighten the system to expand (or contract) the ball to ensure a snugger-than-snug fit inside your hitch that eliminates bouncing on rough roads.
In testing, this system was easily the most stable, with the Saris MHS system coming in a close second. We also really liked how the rack has an “off-road” position that sits between the folded position and the horizontal, standard position. If you’re driving on a rough or bumpy road, you raise the rack to this in-between position, giving the entire rack more ground clearance than you’d typically have.
Finally, versatility reigns supreme with the Super Duty. These days, it’s normal for families to have a variety of bikes, including road bikes, mountain bikes with various tire sizes or widths, gravel bikes or even electric bikes. The Super Duty can carry ‘em all. Depending on the configuration you purchase, the rack can carry up to four bikes with tire sizes ranging from 16 to 29 inches and widths of up to 5 inches. It’s burly enough to withstand the load of an e-bike, too. For the first two bike trays, each tray can hold 100 pounds. After that, the third and fourth trays can each hold an additional 65 to 75 pounds.
While it is our favorite bike rack in this test, the Super Duty isn’t perfect. At $900 for a double-tray system, it’s not cheap.?That $900 doesn’t include additional items like the Wheel Lock or Wheel Chock that minimizes tire movement on rocky roads. However, this is a “buy once, cry once” situation. Once you invest in the 1Up Super Duty, we’re confident you’ll have this bike rack for the rest of your riding days. If you want to save some cash and don’t mind a few less-durable plastic parts, the Thule T2 Pro XTR is a great value. It’s not as stable on 4x4 roads as the 1Up, but if you don’t need top-tier burliness, it would be our choice.
How we tested
To determine the best bike hitch rack, we objectively tested a bunch of variables like the ease of installation, versatility and all-around stability. We also factored in the price tag because hitch bike racks are not cheap. Then, we divided the testing into seven categories: ease of installation, versatility and capacity of bike carrying, ease of use, ease of storage, stability while driving, durability and ease of build. From there, we directly compared each bike rack with a series of field tests and standardized tests. Here’s the complete breakdown.
Ease of install
- Setup time: We used a timer to assess how long it takes to fully install each bike rack.
Versatility and carrying capacity
- Capacity: How many bikes can it carry and in what configurations?
- Versatility: What tire sizes and widths can it hold? How much weight can it carry per bike?
Ease of use
- Loading: How easy is it to load the bikes?
- Carrying ease: When there is more than one bike, do they easily fit or is it a jumble of handlebars?
Storage
- Space: How bulky is it to store?
- Foldable: Does it fold up to make it easier to store?
Stability while driving
- Paved roads: How do the bikes look while driving at high speeds on pavement?
- Dirt/off-road: Are the bikes stable while bouncing down a backcountry road?
Ease of build
- Timed build: We timed how long it took to fully build each rack.
- Observational: Were the instructions easy to follow or confusing? Could we do it by ourselves?
Durability
- Materials: Are there any weak points made from plastic?
- Dings and scratches: Did we see any signs of wear and tear after testing? Were there significant dings or something that would severely impact the rack’s structure and design?
Everything you need to know about bike hitch racks
Purchasing your first bike hitch rack can be overwhelming. There are so many types at various price points, with a lot of language that is likely confusing. Here are some essential factors to consider to help you in the process.
First, decide on the type you want. Sure, we’re reviewing hitch bike racks, so you probably already know that you want a rack that attaches to your vehicle via the hitch. But there are still various types that boast different styles of carrying bicycles. In this test, we only reviewed platform hitch bike racks. These racks have a platform or tray you rest the bike on and secure with an arm. Compared to other racks, these usually are the easiest to load, since they have the lowest height, making them more reachable.
Hanging bike racks are a little messier, as they usually have a pair of support arms that hold the bikes by the frame so they are secure yet dangling. Hanging bike racks are often cheaper, but they are known to possibly damage the bike frame since it has direct contact with the plastic straps.
The last type of hitch bike rack is a vertical bike rack, designed to carry a large quantity of bikes. These are easy to spot since the bikes hang with their front tires near the top of the vehicle and their rear tire at the bottom of the car — completely vertical. These are ideal if you have a large family or know you’ll be shuttling upwards of five to six bikes at a time. However, they cost more money and are heavy and bulky, making them tough to store in the offseason.
Once you know what type of rack you want, consider the number of bikes you’ll need to carry. Most bike racks carry anywhere from two to six bikes, but you’ll spend more as that number increases. Remember: You can carry fewer bikes than your rack allows, but you cannot carry more. Platform bike racks are often sold with a starting capacity of two, and then you can add on more trays that are typically solid individually or as another pair.
Versatility is a huge factor with bike racks, especially since there are so many types of bikes. First, look at the weight capacity of your bike rack. Most bike racks can easily handle a bike weight of 60 pounds, which is quite hefty — e-bikes usually weigh around 50 pounds. In addition to weight, you’ll also want to consider tire size and width. Mountain bikes typically have tires that are either 27.5 inches or 29 inches, while road bikes are usually a 700c size. If you need to cart children’s bikes around, those can be as small as 16- or 20-inch tires. Depending on the bikes you want to lug, be sure the rack can accommodate your needs.
Loading bikes onto the rack needs to be simple, too. The goal of a hitch bike rack is to make your life easier, but a clunky rack will do the opposite. Some bikes have a one-handed load model, which means you can hang onto your bike with one hand while working the bike rack with the other. Similarly, many bike racks have a tilt mechanism that lowers the bike rack toward the ground. This makes the process easier for taller vehicles or families with several bikes to load, since you won’t be desperately reaching for that back tray.
Security is another concern. There will be plenty of times when you need to run into the grocery store or gas station while the bikes are on your car, so you may want to look at a locking system. Some hitch bike racks include a locking mechanism, but other brands offer it as an additional purchase. Pay attention and choose accordingly.
Finally, don’t forget to look at your hitch size. You will often see hitch bike racks available in a 1.25- or a 2-inch size, so make sure you select the one that fits the hitch on your vehicle. These sizes are very different and not interchangeable — if you have a 2-inch hitch, the smaller size won’t work. Most vehicles end up with a 2-inch hitch as it’s more stable and can handle more weight. If you use your vehicle to tow a trailer in any capacity, it’s likely a 2-inch hitch.
Other bike hitch racks we tested
This rack was the easiest to use out of all we tested but it didn't have the same off-road stability as the 1Up.
The Kuat Piston Pro is easily the sleekest and most user-friendly bike rack in this test. The one-tap hydropneumatic arms pop up on their own, making this an easy rack to load with one hand. It folds up against your car when not in use, and the easy-to-reach foot pedal is intuitive when you need to pop it back down again. The all-metal construction is durable, too, so it’s likely to last the long haul. Tradeoff: It doesn’t have the same stability on 4x4 roads as the 1Up, and it costs a bit more money (it’s the most expensive in our test). But, if pavement and ease of use are your priority, it’s tough to beat.
The Saris is a nifty modular system, but it was harder to use in general than our winner.
If you’re the sort who is always carrying something somewhere and needs the versatility to switch it all around at a moment’s notice, the Modular Hitch System (MHS) should be on your radar. Not only is it approved for use on RVs and trailers, but it can carry a variety of bike sizes, weights and widths. And if you know you’ll need to dump the bikes and carry a load of gear, you can swap out the bike trays for a cargo box that holds up to 200 pounds of gear. However, the bike rack itself is a little cumbersome and the plastic straps that ratchet onto the bike tires are a little clunky — we needed two hands to secure them, and even then, it wasn’t always easy.
A close runner-up to our top pick, this rack was simple to use but not as stable on 4x4 roads as the 1Up. But considering the price, it could be a great pick.
The key with anything Thule is value. Platform hitch bike racks aren’t cheap, but the Thule takes the crown for the most affordable in our test. We enjoyed the push-button lever that allows you to move the hitch up for storage or tilt it down for loading — it rivaled the Kuat Piston Pro for the easiest we tested. And we fully appreciated the integrated wheels that made it easy to move this rack from our garage to the vehicle.
However, it only has a max weight of 60 pounds per bike, which is far less than the 1Up. And while it’s plenty stable on traditional highways and paved roads, it didn’t hold a candle to the durability and stability we saw in the 1Up, especially on 4x4 roads. Bottom line: If you need to save some cash and know you’ll be spending most of your time on highways, the Thule is worth a look.
With less tire compatibility and stability, the Yakima couldn't quite compare to the 1Up.
The Yakima Stage Two has a similar design to the Thule, as it features two arms to lock down the tires and a plastic strap to secure the back tire. It’s easy to use with a tilt-down mechanism and folds up during storage or when not in use. However, the StageTwo weighs a chunk more than the Thule, but doesn’t have nearly the same stability as the 1Up. And it can only hold tire widths of up to 3.25 inches unless you purchase a separate accessory — the 1Up can accommodate up to 5-inch tires.
The RockyMounts is a solid rack but it doesn't have as high of a weight rating as the 1Up.
The RockyMounts GuideRail takes a cue from the 1Up rack with a contactless load: Nothing touches the frame, rim or fork. The bikes also load in an asymmetrical placement, which makes it easier to avoid a junk show of handlebars and drop seats colliding.
However, the rack can only accommodate tire widths of up to 3 inches, which could be problematic for some users with fat bikes. Each tray can hold up to 60 pounds (lower than the 1Up), but that number drops to 45 pounds if you have more than two bike trays. It’s a great rack and nice to use, but there are limitations, such as its higher price tag.
