In nature, cycling is great way to exercise, particularly if you’re surrounded by beautiful scenery on adventurous pathways.
However, although not everyone has the luxury of living near a nature reserve, bike racks make carrying your bicycle to or from the trails much more convenient, safer, and secure.
There are a wide variety of bike racks available, but vertical hitch bike racks are the most common by far.
Vertical hitch bike racks link to the hitch on the back of your car and hang bikes vertically from the front wheel or fork crown. They are available in a variety of sizes and styles.
Vertical hitch bike racks may be found in a variety of styles and designs. These racks differ in terms of price point, capacity, quality, brand, style, materials and other characteristics.
Listed below are our top selections for the best vertical hitch bike racks to help you narrow down your options even more. Using this information, you’ll be able to decide which of these racks is best for you.
1. Best Overall – Yakima Hangover
The Hangover, Yakima’s 1st vertical bike rack, does not disappoint as the company’s debut product. A single rack or trailer is all that is needed to transport up to six trail bikes, making it perfect for tour operators, groups, and large families. In spite of its 33kg weight, it’s composed of solid steel and can be installed quickly.
The Yakima Hangover incorporates a foot-operated tilting mechanism that shifts the rack position to make loading and unloading bikes more easier. When the bicycles are unloaded, it folds down and is out of the way, making it simpler to get into your trunk. The rack is both practical and supportive to use, thanks to the soft cushioning on the fork crown, the rotating wheel cup that accommodates bikes with a variety of wheelbases, and the three different mast angles that prevent bike-tire contact with the car.
The capacity to transport up to six bicycles safely and securely is the most significant feature with this vertical hitch bike rack. In addition, users like being able to enter the rear of their cars whilst bikes are still mounted to the rack. This is really handy for them. In addition, several customers have appreciated the step release feature, which they say makes the device well worth the increased price.
On the downside, some customers advised buying backup bike straps since the ones that come with the bike have been reported to rip. The rack, according to some, is more difficult to install and operate than other models, but as they were familiar with the device, the procedure became less difficult to manage.
There are those who are put off by the price of this bike rack because of its capacity, safety, and convenience features, but you get what you pay for.
2. Best Value – Thule Camber Hitch Bike Rack
In addition to those seeking a premium vertical hitch bike rack from a well-known brand but without the need for a greater bicycle capacity, the Thule Camber is strongly recommended as an excellent option. It has the capacity to transport up to four bicycles and delivers greater bike steadiness and fit. The rack’s compact design accommodates a broad range of bicycle sizes and frame designs, and its ratcheting straps allow riders to swiftly connect and secure their bicycles to the rack.
One of the most useful characteristics of such a vertical hitch bike rack is that it can be tilted down to provide access to the back of the car. Furthermore, the bike arms can be folded down when the device is not in use, offering a practical bike rack to have mounted to your car—even if you are not transporting a large number of bicycles around the city.
The incredible steadiness of this rack, on the other hand, is maybe what people like the most about it. When not in use, an inbuilt anti-sway cradle avoids bike-to-bike contact by simply ‘disappearing’ into the bike frame. The Thule is also less expensive than the previously discussed Yakima Hangover, offering a more affordable option for individuals who don’t need to transport many bicycles at the same time.
One of the stated drawbacks of this item is the difficulty in putting it together. Prepare yourself by reading up on assembly before you begin, and enlist the assistance of a buddy or two to assist you.
Overall, this vertical hitch bike rack is a popular choice among consumers, with the vast majority of customers applauding its security, convenience and safety features.
3. Cheapest – Allen Sports Deluxe 4Bike Hitch Mount Rack
If you’re on a limited budget, Allen Sports Deluxe 4Bike Hitch Mount Rack is the ideal choice. It’s the cheapest of the three bike racks we looked at, but it can also accommodate four bikes safely and reliably.
Allen’s innovative tie down mechanism secures bicycles on the rack’s 22-inch-long carry arms, while the carry arms fold away fast when the rack is not in use. With its broad variety of frame designs and sizes, the carry arm allows you to safely transport your child-sized mountain bike, an adult road bike, or any other kind of bicycle in between.
Aside from its minimal price, the quickness with which this bike rack can be assembled and installed is one of its most appealing features. In addition, the “no wobble bolt,” which is supplied, is designed to keep the rack in place in the receiver hitch.
If you don’t already have a 2″ trailer hitch installed, this rack won’t work for you. These vertical hitch bike racks cannot be used unless you have a Class III or IV 2 inch hitch properly fitted on your car. As a consequence, before to making a purchase, you should factor in this additional expense.
Since the bicycles must be housed so close together, some wear and tear is reported by consumers after transferring them.
Thule and Yakima are unmatched in terms of craftsmanship and materials, but for people who don’t require maximum bike carrying capacity, the Allen Sports Deluxe is quite enough. It’s a product that’s well worth considering because of how durable and long-lasting it is.
5 Reasons To Buy A Vertical Hitch Bike Rack
When compared to other kinds of bike carriers on the market, vertical hitch racks provide a broad variety of advantages to riders. Let’s take a look at these benefits one by one.
1. Increased load-carrying ability
Vertical hitch bike racks are perfect for large families or individuals who routinely travel many bikes at a time, since they can hold up to six bikes. For individuals who don’t need the maximum carrying capacity, they are also available in 4-bike variants.
2. Improved gas mileage.
Aerodynamic disturbance caused by roof racks, in particular, may lead to large increases in fuel consumption. In contrast, since they are out of the way of the air, rear racks use less gasoline.
3. More storage may be freed up as a result of this
When you use a vertically hitch bike rack, you can keep your bikes in the back of your car, freeing up space on your roof for other items. This is especially useful when traveling on a vacation or camping trip.
4. Intuitive set-up and backwards compatibility
Using a vehicle’s back hitch, vertical hitch bike racks are among the simplest to install. Installation takes as little as 10 minutes for certain models. Hitch-mounted bike racks may be used with a broad variety of cars due to the fact that they are universally available on many different automobile models.
5. It’s easy to use.
Other vehicle bike racks can’t match to the convenience of use of vertical hitch bike racks, which is one of its primary selling points. Like a roof bike rack, you don’t have to hoist the bikes up onto the top of your car. Instead, bikes may simply be hoisted a small distance away from the ground and fastened to the rear vertical hitch attachment with no additional effort. On the highway, roof-mounted bike racks may make a whistling sound, whilst trunk-mounted racks are more likely to harm the paint on the front of your vehicle if you don’t take additional safety precautions.
Final Thoughts
Vertical hitch bike racks offer a broad variety of advantages for bicycle riders, including increased load-carrying ability, intuitive set-up, and backwards compatibility. These racks are perfect for families or individuals who travel with many bikes at a time. If you frequently transport your bikes on the back of your car, a vertical hitch bike rack is an excellent investment.
