Cons: Sometimes doesn't want to adjust easily for different wheelbase bikes.
The Bottom Line: Good rack, easy to use and inexpensive. Thule and others may have "better" racks, but it's hard to justify spending 3 times more than the Xport costs.
adam728's Full Review: Xport Flatbed 2 Bike Hitch Rack
I purchased this rack last year on sale at a Performance Bike store in Tucson. My girlfriend had decided to get a bicycle, and we needed a convenient way for her to transport it. A roof rack was out, as she's 5'0", and dropping a bicycle down the side of a new car was something we'd like to avoid. Plus there are other downsides to roof racks. They can cause drag and lower gas mileage, even when not hauling bikes. If you forget about the bike on the roof and try pulling in a garage, or through a low drive-thru, well, bad things can happen. Bike, car, and rack damage from those forgetful incidents are quite common.
So we wanted a hitch rack. Most hang the bikes from their top tube, and that wouldn't work for us. Her bike and one of mine don't have standard top-tubes, so adapters would have to be used, adding to the overall cost. This left the option of a flatbed style rack that holds the bikes by the tires.
After searching around online for a while I found the Xport Flatbed was far cheaper than other options out there. I found out it was on sale at Performance for $139, and headed in for a first hand look. Comfortable with the quality, I purchased it. Some minor assembly was required, but it was very simple. My main concern was that it would be cheap and flimsy, based on the fact that the price tag is so low compared to other brands. This was not the case.
Once adjusted for the proper wheelbase loading and unloading is simple as turning a knob. The rack has proven reliable and problem free, carrying our bikes on some 200+ mile trips. When hitting the freeway I throw a tie-down over the bikes just in case the hold down hooks came loose (losing a bike at 75 mph would be a bad thing). We've racked up a few thousand miles and never had the hold downs loosen one bit.
If I had to nit pick and point out a weakness I would say that the wheel loops are sometimes hard to adjust. When switching between different bikes I sometimes have to move them for wheelbase differences. They sometimes bind up and need a good bit of wiggling to persuade them to slide.
Also, the rack is still available (as of 3-8-09) at Performance Bike shops and online (I noticed that it says "unavailable" next to the product here). I purchased it for a sale price of $139.
One note I did not add, this rack requires that your vehicle have a reciever hitch. My Jeep already had one, and we added one to the Passat for arund $140. So don't forget to budget for a hitch if you don't already have one. We were adding a hitch anyway for other purposes, so the added cost didn't really apply for us.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.