08-09-2018, 02:33 AM
Winston wrote:
We have a Thule four bike hanging-rack hitch mounted carrier. I've never figured out how to prevent the rack from wearing on the bikes' paint where the bike sits on the rack. The bikes swing back and forth a little, however much I try to tie them in place. A platform rack would keep the bikes from getting wear spots. (There is probably something I could do with padding, but so far I've not succeeded, and no one else in the family will make the effort.)...
ps: I also like the idea of a swing-away mount, but haven't looked at any to see how useful the swing-away feature is. Our drop down hitch allows us to open our minvan's rear hatch, but the bikes are still in the way of any major loading and unloading. So for a big trip the bikes go on last.
I had an earlier Yakima hanging swing-down rack and I did have a similar bike-swinging issue to you, though this was limited by strapping the bikes to the stabilizer bar that extended out from halfway up the main upright post. However, the higher quality newer hanging racks have mounts that hold both the top and seat tubes of the bikes. I ride with a friend who has one of these (either a Thule or Yakima, can't remember which) and it is very secure. My bikes have very fancy paint too, so I'm very wary of paint damage. It's also a swing-away, which is fantastic because we can easily get into the back of the car even when fully loaded. Also, it doesn't weigh almost 100 lbs like the 4-bike platform racks.