SarisFreedom 2-Bike Hitch Rack – Universal Fit for All Bike Types, 1¼" & 2" Receivers, 120 lb Capacity, Compact Design, Secure Ratcheting Straps

We recently purchased a 53 lb "commuter" ebike with a step through frame and fenders. Our existing rack can not carry such a bike so I went looking for a new one. I have many requirements.1. Support for both a 1.25" and 2" hitches (I have vehicles with both)2. Support for the e-bike with the weight, step through frame and fenders being notable challenges3. Support for carbon fiber frames4. Support for a few other bikes I haveI spent hours doing research and was nearly convinced that a rack that could do everything I wanted did not exist. Then I ran across this Saris. I'm happy to say that everything on my wishlist is fulfilled!Of course no rack is perfect and this one has its own pros and cons:Pros:1. Sturdy. Loaded up with the ebike and another bike, this rack is solid. There is some axial movement when going over bumps but it's not worrying to me.2. Bikes are held very securely but also gently. I really like the tire straps and the fact that most of the bikes weight is supported by it's tires. The holders are nicely designed and interface the bike with soft surfaces.3. Lightweight. At only 21 lbs, this rack is easy to install and carry around. My 1.25" hitch is only class 1 (100 lbs max weight) so the 21lbs avoids cutting too much into the weight budget for that hitch..Cons:1. Getting the heavy ebike into the (recommended) back position requires some strength. I fold down the center bar which helps a lot but still I'd say any bike being put in the back position will need to be held at chest height for 30 seconds to a minute or more.2. It was quite a puzzle getting everything to fit the first time. The tire holders need to be slid into the best positions and the center support is too short to reach the horizontal bar of my road bike. The tire holders are also a bit close to the center bar and to each other, meaning that there are possible interference issues with the center bar and the bikes. I was able to puzzle through it all and have a satisfactory solution. Now that everything is where I decided to put it, the bikes go on very quickly.3. The shape of the rack makes it a bit awkward to store. I put up some storage hooks that are getting the job done but I wouldn't call it a tidy package when off the car.Overall, I'm very satisfied with this rack.

This rack was easy to adjust and fit in my trailer hitch. It was everything I was looking for and well engineered and built. The alignment tape was a great thought and very useful. Collapsibility of the rack without bikes allows the back up camera to view although it’s light and easy enough to remove when not in use and carry into the house or apt.NOTE: The rack is loose in the trailer hitch until the locking bolt is fully tightened at which point it becomes very solid. This is not a complaint just a note to users to tighten the both fully. If the rack was tight in the hitch it would be very difficult to get on/off. This is a solid design with good tolerances.

The strap that comes in the down tube cradle is not long enough for my Aventon Pace 500.3 Step-Through E-bike. I mean, if I remove the bike's battery, remove the rubbery cushion thing that comes wrapped around the strap, position the cradle OVER my down tube (instead of under it), and really pull on (and struggle with) the strap, I can get it to the second ratchet notch (see red circle in photo), and that just didn't seem secure enough for my first drive, so I supplemented the strap with a large black plastic twisty tie (seen in another photo) that I happened to have. The straps that come with the wheel trays are long enough, but somehow these plastic ratchet straps fail to inspire confidence, even when they are long enough, so I guess I'm going to have to find better straps for all three points (the two wheel trays and the down tube cradle).The rack's vertical bar must be locked in the vertical position when transporting a bike, and common sense dictates that the down tube cradle should be as high as possible on that bar (to maximize bike stability), so the position of your bike's down tube will determine where the wheel trays end up. Even with the rack's down tube cradle on top of my down tube (instead of under it), my bike cannot be centered with my car; instead, it needs to be several inches to the right (starboard from my car's perspective). Oh well.The price of the rack seemed competitive, and it's not too heavy for this old man to move around, so that's all good. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the rack, or will be when I find straps I really like, and it might very well be the only bike rack I ever own.I recommend purchasing the optional Locking Hitch-Tite (threaded hitch pin with a lock). I also got a Fioracl Hitch Wall Mount 2-inch Receiver so I don't have to keep the rack on my garage floor when it's not on the car.

I bought this bike rack for my wife's new ebike. On the plus side, the rack is easy to use and assemble and I was initially very happy with it. After about the 4th or 5th time she used it, the clamping mechanism at the top became unbolted to the vertical bar. The clamp did not fail, it was the bolt holding the clamp to the vertical bar. It was then I discovered that the bolt had no type of locking mechanism. The nut was not a locking nut and there was no Loctite or other type of adhesive keeping the bolt from vibrating loose. It was only a matter of time before the bolt would come loose. The bike basically fell but was still clamped at the bottom and got dragged a ways before my wife realized there was something wrong. Luckily, it wasn't at highway speeds.I contacted Saris support via their website about 6 weeks ago and still have not heard back. The lower clamping mechanism (pictured) broke when the bike was dragged.If you have one, invest in some Loctite or other thread locker. I would also use a bungee cord to secure the top just in case.