CURT 18065 Premium Trailer Hitch Bike Rack Mount, Fits 2-Inch Receiver, 5 Bicycles

If I could give it 4.5 stars I would, but I rounded up. I bought this product in anticipation of the great American road trip. We used it while traveling 2350 miles, from Colorado to Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and back through Colorado, mounted on the back of a newer model Toyota Sequoia. We are not a serious biking family, so I did not want to spend the money for a significantly more expensive product like a Thule or a Yakima, so I can't judge whether this is a better product than those pricey models. We mounted two adult mountain bikes, a "beach cruiser" type adult bike, a small mountain bike, and a BMX size bike. It did not take any serious "Jenga" effort to fit all those bikes on there, although I did need the adapter for the cruiser used on step-through frame bikes. I did have the heavier bikes closer to the vertical tube, but I think you could put 5 adult size bikes on here without any issue. I think that if all the bikes were the same style, it might even be easier. There is plenty of clearance from the vertical tube to the ends of the carrier bars to fit five bikes, and the blocks are adjustable. I really liked that you get more than enough rubber straps; I think it came with at least 18.No issues with bars bending, swaying, or any kind of black rubber residue (as was noted on the Allen Sports Premier Hitch Mounted 5-Bike Carrier, which is why I chose this one over that one). Assembly was really easy, and takes less than 20 minutes with basic tools and skills. Mounted the bottom part that attaches to the hitch with the threaded bolt which prevents sway, Then attach the vertical tube and the actual carrier part. The only thing I did not like is that the mounted bolts and pins were previously used, as you could clearly see tool marks on them. My gut instinct is that someone bought the item I have, tried it and then returned it. No marks were visible on the carrier itself though. I like that the carrier bars that the bikes rest on seem to have a slight amount of flex in them, which I believe makes them much more resistant to bending than some of the competition models. The tilt function on this carrier works very well and when it is tilted down at about a 45 degree angle, I had full access to open the back hatch on my Sequoia, and I believe most full size SUV's would not have any issues.The bikes did not really shift at all the whole trip other than some minimal movement of the blocks on the carrier bars. I will say though that life is great on the interstate, but beware of bumps on by-ways. I hit a low spot in a neighborhood going too fast and the bounce of the bikes got my attention real quickly. Even then, they did not come unsecured. The only other issue I had is just a physics problem and not an issue with the product: Five bicycles are really heavy when you have to lift the carrier from the tilted to the upright position. I'm not a huge guy (nearly 6 feet and 200 pounds) and am decently strong, but it was not an exercise I enjoyed. It also is a two person job, as it requires at least one person to lift, and another to pin the carrier back into position. So that is probably the most serious consideration for smaller than average folks with this product. Something that swings away horizontally might be a better choice for you. I will note that on my vehicle, when in the tilt position, the smaller bikes being the most rearward meant that they did not hit the ground and bare the weight of the carrier. This might not be the case with adult bikes, so you could potentially bend the wheels on the outermost bike if you are not careful. It seems to me this carrier is really designed for a family: 2 adults and three kid - sized bikes.Pros:Easy assemblyStout constructionNo sway issuesPlenty of tie down straps with no residueWill fit five full size bikes easilyTilt feature is useful on full size SUV type vehicles with hatchesCons:Used mounting hardware on my itemCarrier will still "bounce" at the upper part if you hit a serious bumpApparently bikes defy the laws of physics and gain mass while traveling: Five bikes are HEAVY to lift from tilt to uprightso Tilt feature may not be for everyone

We were able to fit all 5 bikes on here. Only real issue was that a few of the rubber straps actually broke putting them on, but it came with enough that we had extras. So it worked out

Great product! Very durable and holds our four Trek bikes very well. There were very few parts that needed assembly, so it was easy to install and use.

I bought this rack for two reasons. 1) it had the highest weight rating. 2) it's supposed to be designed for kids' bikes. I have 4 kids and an army of bikes of all different sizes. I got it set up and mounted. It seems to be built like a tank. No wobble anywhere. Then I rolled out some of the bikes. I started with my son's 16" bmx. The cradles are so enormous there simply is no way to get them through the frame. I then tried it out on my allen basic trunk rack (different car). Fit perfectly - put a narrow arm through the rear triangle and the front arm under the frame right behind the handlebars. Next: our Trek MT60 20" mountain bike. Again - the cradles were way too huge. after tilting and fighting i could get the bike on the very last set of cradles but no further. Over to the allen - 30 seconds one arm through the frame one arm under the frame. Next the 12" bmx- total joke. No way to even imagine it on there. On the allen i can go through the rear triangle and lean the handle bars into the second cradle - terrible for long distance but great for going to the neighborhood parks. Adult road bike, mtn bike, cruiser with cross bar? just fine. Finally, the 20" BMX. If i angled the cradles to their skinniest i could work this bike on - but this requires twisting the cradles one way to get the bike on and in taking care not to kill the sprocket and then repositioning them to hold the bike and for getting the next bike on - several minutes. Again on the allen, 30 seconds and the hold is much wider - more stable.I would really have liked this to work out. It really is a beast. But the idea was to make it easy to load up and take the kids to big parks around the city. This rack simply couldn't do it.If all your bikes are 24" or bigger, it might be really good.

The media could not be loaded. I was drawn to this rack because it claims to hold five bikes, but in reality, even getting four on there is a struggle. The spacing between slots is so tight that handlebars, pedals, and frames all end up clashing. I had to wrestle with the setup just to make three fit, and the fourth required a lot of awkward maneuvering. The rack itself feels sturdy, but the design seriously limits its functionality. Definitely not ideal for a family or group with full-sized bikes. I would love to see videos from the manufacturer mounting 5 full size bikes let alone 3 and 2 child bikes