| When it comes to transporting your bike from point A to point B there are more choices than ever so it can be a little overwhelming trying to decide which bike rack is best for you. The main thing to figure out is if you want a roof, hitch or trunk mount rack and then you can narrow down what features and brand you want to purchase. There are many big name rack manufacturers out there such as Thule, Yakima and Saris and they all make some good products so price and features may be what determines what brand and model you select. Saris has been around for since 1974 and their products are made in the USA. They also include a lifetime warranty so their products should be something you consider when making your choice. |
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If you are going for a hitch type rack and want to go all out then you should consider the Saris Cycle On Pro. The Cycle On Pro is one of their top of the line hitch racks and comes with a price tag of around $439 depending on where you get it. The Cycle On will hold anything from road bikes to downhill mountain bikes so no matter what your riding type, you should be covered. It comes in a 1 1/4” and 2” version to accommodate most hitches. The rack itself will hold 2 bikes up to 60 pounds each and there is an add-on available which will add the capability to carry 2 additional bikes for $319. If you get the add-on then you will need to use the 2” version of the rack. It will also fold up when not in use so if you like to keep your rack on your car you should be good to go and not have to worry about it sticking out too far.
The rack works by using 2 rotating wheel trays to hold each side of the front tire and a rear tray to hold the back tire. Then you rotate the adjustable arm up to the front tire and clamp it down securely and the rear is held in place by a ratcheting arm that clamps down on the rear rim. Saris claims it will hold bikes with wheels from 20 inches to 29 inches which should cover just about anything.
Since there is no contact with the frame of the bike you don't need to worry about it getting scratched up and the rear wheel clamp even has a rubber pad to avoid scratching your rim. You also get a lock to secure the rack to the hitch and a cable lock to secure the bikes to the rack. When not in use you can fold the rack up so it doesn't stick out as far on your car.
We were able to try a Cycle On Pro rack and were fairly impressed by its performance. It was pretty easy to put together even though the instructions were basically pictures rather than text explaining how to do it. The front trays have different mounting points making it easy to accommodate your bike's wheelbase. One thing we noticed is that this rack is pretty heavy so if you are going to be putting it on and taking it off on a regular basis it will take some muscle to hold it up to get it in the receiver. We imagine after time it will get easier to do with some practice. One thing that would make the rack better is if the bar that goes into the receiver was solid rather than hollow. This would make it stronger and hopefully more stable. We would also like to see the second hole threaded so you can use the bolt that came with it in that position as well.
One thing we didn't like was that the rear tire didn't sit all the way down in the rear tray making us a little uncomfortable driving it around. The tire on the test bike was a 26x2.3 so it was on the wider side. We contacted Saris and they said that's normal and will be fine sitting as far in as it did. You may also be able to bend the rear tray out a little to widen it up. The front bar and rear clamp felt pretty secure and the bike stayed in place during the drive and the rack didn't bounce around too much but seemed to bounce more with 2 bikes on it. This will of course vary depending on your car, road conditions and driving style! One issue we had was that we only got a couple of clicks when locking in the wider front tire even though it was only a 26 inch wheel. We contacted Saris and they sent us some different arms that had a different angle which allowed us to get many more clicks to secure the front wheel with much more confidence.
The rack's construction seems very solid and the finish is nice as well. Since the front tire trays are plastic they may wear out after serious abuse but Saris should take care of you if you have any issues. People say their support is really good and if something breaks they will send you out a replacement part no questions asked.
Overall the Saris Cycle On Pro appears to be a quality hitch mount rack and should do just fine for most riders. Similar racks from other manufacturers include the Thule T2 and Yakima Holdup.
