Hitch Bike Rack Basics

There are several reasons why hitch bike racks are the most common way to carry your bikes: they offer great capacity, easy waist-level loading and unloading, and they're simple to use---just slide into your factory or aftermarket trailer hitch and go. In order to help you pick the right hitch bike rack for your application, we have developed this informative guide which will cover the following topics:

Hitch Bike Rack Styles
Top 6 Considerations of Selecting a Hitch Bike Rack

Hitch Bike Rack Styles

Mast Style Hitch Bike Racks are the most affordable style of hitch bike racks. The bike rack consist of a mast or post style frame and cradles for the bikes to hang on by their frame. Most mast style bike rack frames tilt-down so you are able to access the rear of your vehicle.

SwingAway Hitch Bike Racks are very similar to mast style hitch bike racks but they feature a swing away frame. The advantage of a swing away frame is it can swing up to 180° degrees away from your vehicle, allowing you compete, clear access to the rear of your vehicle.

Wheel Mount Hitch Bike Racks are great for fitting the widest variety of bikes from wide wheel bikes to children's bikes. Wheel mount bike racks are different than mast or swingaway hitch bike racks as they feature a tray for carrying bikes by its wheels.

Top 6 Considerations of Selecting a Hitch Bike Rack

Capacity: The first factor you must consider is how many bikes do I need to carry? All hitch bike rack styles have models available that can carry up to 4 bikes. Mast style bike racks carry the most at 5 bikes while wheel mount bike racks generally carry the least amount of bikes. Most wheel mount bike racks come with a 2 bike carry capacity with the option of purchasing a 2 bike add-on accessory.

Rear vehicle access: You must also consider do I need to access the rear of my vehicle? Most hitch bike rack styles will allow you to access the rear of your vehicle with the exception of several mast style hitch bike racks. Most hitch bike racks either tilt-down or swing away, giving you the ability to open your hatch and access the rear area of your vehicle. This is an important factor to consider if you need rear vehicle access to get to your luggage or other gear.

Universal hitch fit: The next important factor your should consider is what is the size of my hitch? Most bike racks are designed to fit a 1.25" or 2" hitch receiver. However, some models offer a "universal hitch fit" which allows the rack to fit a 1.25" and a 2" hitch receiver. This is a very beneficial feature if you would like to use the bike rack on several vehicles with different hitch sizes or if you are planning to upgrade to another vehicle in the future.

Weight: Another factor to consider is the weight of the rack. Traditional hitch bike racks are made from steel but several manufacturers make their racks from aluminum, which considerably reduces the weight of the rack. For example, mast style bike racks made from steel weigh 35 lbs on average while aluminum mast style bike racks weigh as little as 16 lbs.

Ease of storage: If you don't have a lot of additional storage space, ease-of storage may be an important consideration. If the bike rack is able to fold flat, it will be much easier to store. One thing you should look for in a mast style or swing away hitch bike rack is whether or not the arms (the horizontal arms that extend out to hold the bikes) fold down. In a wheel mount hitch bike rack, check to see if the post or bike racks arms (in this case arms refer to the hook-like arm that grabs the bike's wheels) will fold flat.

Price: As with any purchase, price is an important consideration. Mast style is the most affordable hitch bike rack, followed by swingaway and then wheel mount. In order to get a better idea of how much each bike rack type costs on average as well as on a per bike basis, see the price comparison chart below. This chart was designed to compare hitch bike racks with a 4 bike capacity.


Hitch Bike Rack Style	Average Rack Cost (4 bike capacity)	Average Cost per Bike
Mast Style Hitch Bike Rack	$219.31	$54.82
Wheel Mount Hitch Bike Rack	$559.29	$139.82
Swingaway Hitch Bike Rack	$339.30	$99.82

If you have additional questions or comments, please contact one of our Rack Expert's at 1-866-403-8505 or by e-mail.