Swagman Upright Roof Mount Bike Rack – Rooftop Upright Bike Carrier for Secure Bicycle Transport

I bought two of these so I could put our bikes on the cross bars above my truck's bed. The hardware that comes with these racks is too small for the 4" crossbars, but I don't blame the manufacturer. The kit does come with two different sized U-brackets, but neither was big enough for me. As a result, I did had to modify the racks themselves (make new and bigger holes). In the end, they are nice, sturdy bike racks for the money. Assembly is pretty straightforward. Be sure to leave all the bolts loose until you determine exactly where you're going to be mounting these. The two pieces of the tire tray slide via slotted holes for the bolts so you can line up your U-brackets.

This type of rack has been around a long time, and works well if you, like me, require a roof rack and prefer keeping the front wheel on the bike while it's being transported. The rack arm grips the bike's down-tube, holding it upright, and then a wheel strap in front and in back keeps everything in place. The knob for tightening the arm comes with a key lock, so the bike can be locked to the vehicle. Whether this is an adequate theft deterrent depends a lot on how long you leave the bike on top of the car, where you're parked, and if you can keep it in view. Remember, the rack itself does not lock to the roof, so a would-be thief just needs to remove the rack (five thumb screws) to make off with the rack and the bike. So I give the locking feature three stars. It's enough to deter an opportunist. Not enough to deter a determined thief. But on the other hand, most bike locks can be defeated in seconds or minutes with a battery powered grinder. So deterrence is probably about all you can hope for anyway. Carrying a bike: Set the bike on its wheels atop the rack's wheel tray. Then lift the arm up to the bike's down-tube, and tighten it around the down-tube. Finally, place a strap through the wheel tray in front and in back, securing each strap around the bike's wheel. It's pretty easy, and doesn't take long. Assembly: This step consists of six bolts with nuts and washers, two end caps, and a little measuring to make sure you're accommodating your car's rack correctly. It takes a half hour or so. Installation: This step consists of three U-bolts, six thumb screws with washers, and some more measuring and fiddling to get everything lined up right. This takes ten or fifteen minutes the first time. Subsequent installations should take around five to seven minutes. Comparison to "name brand" racks: This rack is sturdy enough. Maybe not quite as heavy a metal gauge as a high end rack, but strong enough and secure enough. Assembly is no fun. It's like the "ready to assemble furniture" experience but for bike racks. A name-brand rack would come further assembled, and with more refined parts. Additionally, installation takes longer than a name brand rack would since you have to screw on several U-bolts. Typically the name brand products have more convenient mounts. And of course they cost 2x to 3x as much as this rack does. One note about the rack's overall bike carrying strategy: This rack does require making contact with the bike's frame where it clamps around the down tube. For nice bikes, and particularly for carbon fiber bikes, you're probably better off with solutions that only make contact with the wheels (examples include the Yakima Front Loader and Top Loader). For steel or aluminum bikes, and bikes where you're less concerned with signs of having been rack-carried, this is fine. I have three racks on top of my car; two Front Loaders, for the nicer bikes, and this one which I use for the kid bike. You can mitigate the wear that the clamp will cause by putting a cloth around the down tube where contact is made. But I probably still wouldn't use this on a lightweight carbon fiber frame. Four stars: It is inexpensive, strong enough, and gets the job done without any fuss. It would be five if the mounting and assembly were easier.

I bought two racks and made great use of them for just over a year, until I ran my car through a car wash and broke them. It was nobody’s fault other than my own, I know you’re not supposed to run your car through the wash with these racks up top but I was being lazy whatever lesson learned. These racks worked amazing for the year I had them, and for the price I paid the value can’t be beat. They’re relatively easy to assemble and set up, and they look pretty great sitting on top of the car without a bike. Once your bike is on and strapped in, the knob has a key hole so that your bike doesn’t come loose with wind, and so no one can unload your bike if you’re parked and not near your car. The material used began to degrade and the color did fade over some time. Then again, they’re entry level, I think some people in the reviews forget they get what they pay for. I had never had a problem with these racks driving up and down California and over mountainous roads with two bikes on the roof of my car. Your bike(s) is safe so long as you assemble the unit properly and lock your bike in as well. Now, you get what you pay for; on most drives, you will hear an unsettling creaking coming from the roof. That’s the most of your worries with these racks but for the price, it is what it is. I probably won’t order these models again now that I have a bit more experience with hauling my bikes, I’ll look into moving up the model line to see what would work better this second time around.

I rarely write reviews but since I benefited from them for this purchase, here goes: Pros: - Very sturdy: I drove 300 miles thru mountains in ridiculous white out rain/wind and this brace did not budge. I was nervously looking thru the moonroof but my bike took a worse beating (luckily I had chain lube on hand). There was *some* movement when a hard gust hit but it was more of a squeaking sound and did not result in loosening at the attachment points [to the crossbars]. - Very budget friendly: My bike is not the most expensive but it was def an investment at 1500 and when I reviewed alternate rack options (Thule), it just didn't see the value add. - Low profile: be it laziness or a reluctance to re-attach the rack to my crossbars (see below), it's stayed on except when I wash my car (and then I remove the crossbars w/ rack still attached). - Relatively easy to assemble: just have the right tools and make sure you tighten bolts appropriately. The instructions could have been more thorough but the graphics were helpful supplement. Cons: - More difficult to install: I had some trouble with the upside down clamps attaching to the crossbars and I have smaller hands. On the flip side, since the bolts install below the bar it makes for good theft deterrence (since some folks commented on the lock mechanism) - I have a shorter SAV and I'm 6'-0" but on flat pavement, it can be a struggle to hoist the bike up. A chunky mountain bike probably requires 2 ppl Add'l Thoughts - I used a bungee to render the handlebars stiffer. Would definitely recommend something to limit movement. - Lock: I wouldnt consider the locking mechanism thorough by any stretch but it definitely makes it more difficult to steal. A thief would have to undo the crossbar attachments and walk off with the rack attached to the bike - it's not like they're just lifting a bike off and riding down into the sunset. If you're that concerned, secure the bike w a cable lock while away.

Pros: Dirt cheap. Available more quickly than the lead time to have a hitch installed. My bike didn't fall off the one time I used it. Cons: Dirt cheap. (Like, this is what cost cutting with impunity looks like!) Excessive anxiety while in use with any decent bike. So for starters, the red contact points that clamp onto your frame are not rubber. They're hard plastic and will scratch your paint. The one time I used them I wrapped a dish rag around the frame where the clamp made contact. The red plastic parts (Jaws?) are also cut in to a "V" shape which only makes sense until you realize LOTS of bikes have square tubing. I ended up cutting it to shape with a bandsaw. You can remove them so that made it easy to put in the saw at least. There wasn't much meat left to hold onto the bike at this point though. Last complaint, my bike is a size Large. If assembled according to the instructions, the rails are too short to put those little straps around the tires. If your bike is from a department store and not a bike shop, you should be fine but in my case, I had to use use different slots and less bolts. Extra Credit complaint: I worry about a good cross wind snapping the U bolts. So, these can work in a pinch, but I can't say they're much better than a trunk mounted strap type bike carrier.

I attached this to my rhino rack square tube rack that goes over the bed of the truck. The bolts were just long enough to be able to do so. While the mechanism is pretty basic to attach with the u bolts the other rack that I own I ended up having to go to the hardware store and rigging up because it did not fit the heavy duty rhino racks that I have. It is simple to figure out and you don't need to over think it. If you lose the instructions they are pretty easy to find online (Not the case with others which is why I bought this the second time around). Mine seemed to be missing one of the red clips for the clamp. I am not sure if I lost it pulling it out of the box or if it was lost along the way as I mounted it. Regardless the second one flew off the first time I took the bike off the rack so that stinks and I will never find the other one so I am using it without them and I just added some thin rubber pads to this to replace them. So far so good, no scratching the bikes and no problems with them wiggling lose after several 2hr trips. I am not sure why Amazon asks you about security on this rack. There is none. You can remove the bolts with your hands by design. Attaching a bike is simple as a result and the screw threads are good that you are not there all day long cranking on it like my other rack. The fact that you can put the bike in the groove and then roll it back and forth to get the clamp connected is very nice. My other rack which costs more is not nearly as simple as because the bike wants to roll right off the rack once you get it out of the spots the wheels go in. I like the simple connections and the easy mounting for the bike. If you had to do this on a roof of an SUV maybe not, but on the bed of my F350 this is easy enough though a bit easier with a stool for a little better reach. The roof a my wifes car is about the same height as the bed of my truck. I am considering getting a second one to replace the other rack that I have that is more difficult to get my bike on.

I would not buy this rack again. It is the least viable solution for transporting a bicycle. The metal tray easily flexes and will bend. The tray is barely long enough for a modern mountain bike wheel base. The minimal wheel straps barely fit a moderate sized mountain bike tire (2.35). And the clamp, per the manufacturer, will not fit larger/odd shaped down tubes effectively. Add the very thin metal on the clamp arms and you get a flimsy hold. I used these for one camping trip mounted to my Space Trailer cross bars. (I had little confidence to mount them on my SUV crossbars) I watched with clenched teeth as my two bikes swayed and wobbled precariously in my rear view mirror on highway and secondary roads. These were paved roads. Per the manufacturer, the bolts did indeed need tightening. In comparison, my other bike in a Yakima Front Loader was stable the entire trip. While this is a budget option, it's not a long term, frequent use option in my opinion. I regret buying this product--I should have put my money towards a Yakima or Thule product. Even Malone has a better product for not much more.

I bought 4 of these to install on racks over the bed of my truck so I can move the entire family’s bikes while towing our camper and still use the bed for gear. They fit the function perfect and haul all of the varied sizes of bikes my family uses from my Large size frame 29” mountain bike down to my daughters 16” little kid mountain bike. I have them all set at the same length and the bikes have no issues going on and staying very secure. There only two issues both of which I am accepting because the alternative is a single Thule or Yakima rack for the price I paid for all 4 of these. Those issues are: The lock is kind shotty, which as a security device isn’t that big of a deal because I run a cable lock through all of the bikes. However the issue is that the lock is in the large hand turn nut that closes the support arm around the downtube. If this is not locked it will free spin and I lost two of those hand nut/locks while driving unloaded. I replaced them with a nylock nut and wing nut so the function still works but still a bit of a bummer. Second, the opening on the supporting arm at max opening is not quite large enough to fit the downtube of my my Scott Scale 979 (it has a fairly wide oval shaped downtube) and has to be forced pretty hard in and out of the opening. This is inconvenient as loading and unloading takes some effort, but it works perfect once you muscle it in and I have not found a reason to doubt the stability or security of the bike once mounted. All in all these are great if you are like me and have to buy more than one or two. As mentioned earlier I could only buy at most 1 Thule or Yakima rack for the price I paid for 4 of these and they serve the exact same purpose.

Solid rack for the price. Pros – Well made, with only a slight amount of flex in the metal itself. I carry two full‑weight bikes on the roof and tried a 600 km trip over a weekend. No issues so far — the racks hold the bikes securely. Comparable designs from the big-name brands usually cost much more, so I’m quite happy getting two racks at this price. Cons – The small ratchet strap that comes with the rack (for securing the wheels) doesn’t inspire much confidence. I added my own rubber straps with a firmer locking mechanism to make sure the wheels stay tight and stable. The front wheel also remains a bit flimsy by design, so I strapped it to the frame as well. Probably unnecessary, but it gives me peace of mind. One more note: I drive a tall van, and with a bike on top the total height is just over 3.0 meters. No issues on highways, but I do have to watch for low entrances like parking garages. That part is obvious, but I didn’t fully appreciate how awkward it would be to load a bike onto a high roof without a ladder. Not a product flaw — just something to keep in mind if you have a tall vehicle. Lower cars shouldn’t have this problem. Overall, I’m a happy customer so far. Thanks!

While the rack works well, the provided nut isn’t secure and keeps falling off the bolt. I can hear it clattering while I drive. I already lost two. Replacing the bolt with zip ties seems to work quite well.

Exelente producto me. Gustó

Great

good quality and affordable... i will buy two more... hope the price remain the same...