Bike Rack

[turp]

I've owned many bike racks over the years (yakima, thule, etc), using them on the receiver hitch of my vehicles (haven't gotten an escape yet, coming in Jan 2017). By far the best bike rack I've ever had (and my current one for the last two years) is made by Kuat Racks. A little pricey, but bikes lock solid at the wheels (so no paint issues), integrated bike lock, and they go on or off quickly and easily. The model I have is the NV.

 

[Donna D.]

By far the best bike rack I've ever had (and my current one for the last two years) is made by Kuat Racks. A little pricey, but bikes lock solid at the wheels (so no paint issues), integrated bike lock, and they go on or off quickly and easily. The model I have is the NV.

Direct link: Products | Küat Racks

 

[Jim Bennett]

Kuat makes great racks, and in fact was what I was going to buy before I came across the 1UP. I have a friend with one, and I have used it going out mountain biking. It has a bike stand, which can be handy if you need to do maintenance on your bike. While it is a great rack, side by side with the 1UP, the strength of the build, and the simplicity of the design are obviously better with the 1UP.

 

[Rossue2]

FAQ | Küat Racks

 

[skiman-ESC]

FAQ | Küat Racks

Per FAQ,

Not recommended for RV

Not recommended for use with cover.

 

[Dave Walter]

I still prefer to carry my bikes on my truck rather than on the back of my trailer. I like to be able to leave the trailer at a campsite and take the bikes to wherever I need to, without switching over from the trailer to the truck. With the bikes on the truck roof, I can see them in my rear view mirrors and know they are still there, if they fall off of the back of my trailer, it could be many miles later that it is noticed.


For my roof top bike carrier, I went simple and set up my FJ stock rack to carry three bikes. I used Yakima Mighty Mount cross-bar clamps with Rocky Mounts truck bed mounts. The rear wheels sit on a cross-bar of the rack and are held down with bungies. So far, this solution has been very solid. Only downside is that the roof on the FJ is quite high and it is nearly a two person job to load the bikes. But, with towing a trailer and not wanting bikes on the back of the trailer, there are not too many other options. The components look kind of like this:

 

[Klem]

Cover for 1 UP two bikes??

Any recommendations for 1 Up bike covers for two bikes?

I found that "Old Skool" likes a Formosa he got on Amazon. Couldn't spot any more.

Thanks!

 

[thoer]

I'm with Dave W - we carry our bikes on the top. With the Tacoma we had Yakima racks on the topper and now will be using them on the Highlander. Besides Dave's points, in city traffic especially, I have enough trouble knowing exactly where the back of the trailer is and having bikes hanging off the back would make that even worse for me. (In the wise words of Donna -YMMV.)

 

[skiman-ESC]

Any recommendations for 1 Up bike covers for two bikes?

I found that "Old Skool" likes a Formosa he got on Amazon. Couldn't spot any more.

Thanks!

I used the Formosa on recent trip to Florida and back. Worked really nice for $45. Per the instructions, i did use a couple of additional bungies to tighten up the cover. Suggested in instructions for long trips. 1up and Formosa worked together for two bikes on the 21' like a dream. We used the 1Up on the pickup to run around to different bike paths in the Port Charlotte and Fort Myers area.

 

[Eddys]

We have used the Kuat from VT to BC, from BC back to VT via CO and KS, then up to Nova Scotia back to VT and now down to Fl where we presently are. No problem! Love the integrated bike lock. We were interested in the 1 UP, but found that it would not work with our bike's rear mounted racks. It's made like a brick poop house and not difficult to put together. I use it with a Hitchrider Hitch lock and it doesn't budge in the receiver ( integrated Kuat hitch lock not as sturdy). We are really pleased. Ian

 

[Eddys]

Oh, additional thoughts… It will flip up empty even with spare tire - to avoid punching hole in spare tire cover, inside bike has right pedal removed for travel and remounted when ready to use again. Ian

 

[Jim Bennett]

Waves to Ian and Jenny. HI!

I was hoping you would pipe in with your experience with the Kuat. My friend has had his for about 3 years now, he still likes it a lot, and it is still going strong. He has not used it on a trailer though.

 

[padlin]

I'm not up to reading this whole thread but I have a question on the 1UP or the Kuat bike racks. Got to bite the bullet and find an easier to use, rv compatible rack then mine. Does the spare tire on the back of the Escapes get in the way? Don't want to use an extension tube.

 

[BCnomad]

My 1up works great with the (first) bike with the rear tire on the driver's side.

 

[jamie beers]

my 1up works great. can carry 2 bikes, the combination of bikes loaded changes. but i always find that the inside pedal that's next to the spare tire cover just has to be positioned to the side of the spare cover.

 

[padlin]

Great, thanks folks.