6 Best Bike Racks for Truck Hitches (Updated 2023)

Transporting a bike or several bikes now is more comfortable because of the improved design of bike racks. Bike racks have different categories based on how it is attached to the vehicle.

For vehicles like trucks, there are two types of attachment. One is the truck bed and the other is the hitch. The hitch mount racks are more popular because of their carrying capacity, longevity, and durability. Also, they provide certain advantages for racks and bikes.  A truck is a heavyweight towing vehicle and generally, it has a strong hitch that is prepared for towing or carrying a lot of weight.

Factors to consider before buying bike racks for Truck Hitches

1. Bike Capacity

Generally, trucks have a Class III or IV hitch. Which are enough to carry bikes. Now there are several type hitch racks. Choosing of racks is depending on how many bikes you want to carry.

1-2 bikes- Platform/tray-style and hanging/mast-style racks are suitable for this kind of operation. 2 bikes generally weigh 70-80 lbs. You may buy one of those racks which are suitable for the weight. The mast styles are preferable as they have good ground clearance.

3-4 bikes- Generally, both of the previous styles are suitable. But when bikes are hanged from a mast, after a long time it is more likely to bend. Which is dangerous. In this case, platform styles are preferable

5-6 bikes- Vertical type racks are the best choice for this. Because it is made for carrying a lot of bikes with less spacing.

2. Versatility

Versatility means carrying different types of bikes in a single rack. It is a good feature to have for a rack.

For hitch-mounted racks, if you want versatility in your rack choice then the best option is tray-style racks. Because vertical and mast type racks can carry the same style of bikes because of their design. But not different designs. It won’t fit.

Whereas the platform/tray type rack can carry different types of bikes like Fat bike/e-bike/recumbent-bike/regular bike e.t.c. So, if you want to carry different types of bike you should choose Platform or tray-style bikes.

3. Easy Installation

It’s a good feature. Time-saving. Generally, this feature is based on the model. If no tool is needed, a hassle-free installation is performed then it will be called an easy installation. Lots of tray and mast style racks have this feature.

4. Price

The pricing of racks depends on several factors. Such as- material, bike capacity, features, design e.t.c. The price varies from $100-$1200.

If the material is good then the rack will be durable. Stronger the material, the higher the price.

Bike capacity is the most important factor. If your rack can carry 4 or 6 bikes without issues then it will be expensive for sure. People can upgrade bike capacity by buying add-ons.

Features like easy installation, easy loading, anti-sway, strap-include affect the price. Most price affectable feature is the anti-theft feature. As it provides security and safety.

Design is an important factor too. Based on the design the rack can be aerodynamic, lightweight. So, it affects the price too.

5. Locking options

There are a lot of racks with built-in safety features or locking options. Features like

• Hitch Lock- This lock provides both road safety and anti-theft protection. It is important for a bike.
• Strap- A strap to attach the bike to the rack. Just for road safety and less sway.
• Integrated Bike Lock- It’s a feature that includes a lock and the straps. First, the straps are tied around the bike and then locked with the tray.

6. Types of Bikes

Theoretically, you can carry your bike the way you want them to carry. But that’s not what we ought to do. There’s a chance of bikes getting damaged because of the position. Some bike’s body is delicate and expensive. We can’t afford to have a single scratch on them while transporting. So the rack type is important while transporting different types of bikes.

Platform/Tray style- There is a platform where bikes can be kept and it connects strongly with the hitch. So, no problem with swaying most of the time. That’s why you can keep any bike in this type of hitch.

Hanging/Mast style- It is preferable for some type of bikes but not all. Like for expensive road/triathlon bike it can’t be used. There is so much trouble. Because sway is common in our bike rack incidents.

Due to this, the bikes may have contact with each other and damage themselves. But for a single bike, this mast style is cool. Even if the bikes sway there is no chance of getting damaged. Another problem here is, heavy bikes bend the mast arm. So, it’s better not to use this as a rack for e-bikes, recumbent bikes, trike bikes, and other heavy stuff.

Vertical style- The vertical style is generally for or carrying a lot of same type bikes. So, in that case, road, mountain bikes, hybrid are normal bike choices for this rack. It’s not a casual rack though.

7. Ease of loading bikes

Vertical racks hold the lowest marks for this category. Because it’s less easy than the other two styles. Now, bike loading is easy in tray and mast style. Basically, plug and play stuff. But for a detailed comparison, it can be said the mast style racks are better here. It’s easier to load bikes in a hanging style rack.

8. Folding capability

It’s an important feature. Saves a lot of space. Sometimes the rack is kept unused. In that case, it can be folded. It improves the look and the dexterity of the vehicle.

9. Other features

A rack always comes with some important features. Like-

E-bike/Fat compatibility- Only a tray-style rack has this feature. Because heavyweight bikes aren’t suggested to load in the mast or vertical type racks.

Tilt- Tilting feature gives users access to the hatchback. Also, it can be used for easy loading. In trucks, there is no hatchback. But for easy loading tilt feature is better to have than having no feature. It increases flexibility.

10. Truck and truck hitch

If you want to know which type of rack is good for you then you should get interested in your vehicle. Well, there are different types of trucks. And several types of hitches too. But now that we know what kind of hitch is needed for us we can easily choose from those. Carrying some bikes won’t be a big deal for a truck as they have a high towing ability.

Our Top Pick(s)

 In this article, we chose Overdrive Sport Hitch Mounted Rack to be the best bike rack for truck hitches. It has the versatility of supporting different types of heavy bikes,  smart features and it is durable. These all enable the rack to be on top of the top tier list.

Sale

Overdrive Sport Hitch Mounted Rack

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 2-inch hitch
• Style- Tilt-away, Tray style
• Capacity- 120 lbs
• Max bike capacity- 2 bikes
• Rack weight- 48 lbs;
• Material- Steel

It can carry e-Bike and Fat tire bikes as well as the regular ones. Solid construction, Smart features, and durability make it one of the best bike racks in the market.

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A quick view of our selected bike racks best for truck hitches:

6 best bike racks you can buy today for truck hitch

Racks	Preview	Style	Speciality	Best for	Product Weight (lbs.)	Load capacity (lbs.)	Bike Capacity
Overdrive Sport		Platform	Smart Tilting, Fat Tire&E-Bike Carrier	Regular, Fat, & E-Bikes	48	120	2
Hollywood Sportrider-2		Platform	Recumbent Rack, Foldable	Recumbent Bike Carrying	41.5	140	2
Allen Sports Hitch Racks		Mast/Hanging	Folding Arms, Tilt Feature, Easy Assembly	Value	23	140	4
Swagman XC2		Platform	Folding Arms, Adjustable Ratchet arms, Addon-Fat Tire Tray	Affordability	32	70	2
Thule Helium Aero		Mast/Hanging	No Sway, Ultra Light, Aerodynamic	Lightweight	22	110	2
YAKIMA – Hangover 6		Vertical	6 Bike Capacity	Vertical Rack	73	225	6

1. Overdrive Sport rack

Best rack for the money

Sale

Overdrive Sport Hitch Mounted Rack

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 2-inch hitch
• Style- Tilt-away, Tray style
• Capacity- 120 lbs
• Max bike capacity- 2 bikes
• Rack weight- 48 lbs.
• Material- Steel

Features and Considerations:

• Model: It has two versions. Knob and Ratchet. The ratchet one include sliding ratchet hooks to swiftly remove and protect your bike
• Safety: The looseness of the connection between the rack and hitch receiver is eliminated by the company’s patented anti-wobble system. It keeps the bike safe from vibration
• Security: Hitch pin is lockable which is a good safety feature.
• Specialty: This rack is specialized for carrying an e-bike or fat-tired bike.
• Installation: The rack installation is pretty simple. And there are adjustable wheel holders to fit almost any bike.
• Tilting: It has a smart tilting feature.

Cons:

• The knob has an issue with free spinning. It lessens the bike security
• Built-in security is poor. You have to use something extra
• It is not a foldable rack

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The Overdrive sports hitch mounted rack is a heavy-duty rack. It supports e-bike and fat-bike for carriage. It’s durable and secure. It has quick-release tilt design features. Sturdily built with great design makes a great position for this bike rack. This rack won’t have any shaking effect or swaying while attached with a truck hitch. It provides good value for money. The rack is adjustable which means it also supports regular bikes. One of the fantastic racks in the market.

2. Hollywood Sport Rider Recumbent rack

For recumbent and trike riders

Hollywood Sportrider Recumbent Bike Rack

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 2-inch hitch
• Style- Tilt-away, Tray style
• Capacity- 140 lbs
• Max bike capacity- 4 bikes(after upgrade)
• Rack weight- 41.5 lbs.
• Material- Steel

Features and Considerations:

• Types of Bikes: It can carry two recumbent bikes. The wheelbase range is 74″. With an upgrade, it can carry two more bikes.
• Bike Safety: Bike contact is minimum as space is wider between them. There are clamps for holding the bike securely
• Hitch Types: It supports both more than one types of hitches and truck hitches are included
• Specialty: The rack can carry almost any type of bikes due to adjustable wheel holders.
• Upgrade: It has trike adapters as an addon. So, it can carry trikes too
• Folding capability: This rack is foldable. So, no extra spacing in time of no use. Extra tie-down straps and wheel adapters are provided.
• Bike Loading: The bike loading process is simple.

Cons:

• Rubber foam frame protectors are cheap and not durable. They wear out easily
• The rack’s construction parts like a screw or hitch pin aren’t universal and also rare. It will be tough to collect any missing or lost part of the rack
• It is expensive so as its upgrades.

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Hollywood Sportrider-2 is a recumbent bike rack. But this can be used as a regular bike rack also. And also it carries trikes. So, overall this is a performance rack for trucks. The rack is foldable and can carry up to 4 bikes after an upgrade. Its weight capacity is good too. Well, the price and upgrade cost is a bit high. But considering its capacity for carrying fantastic bikes, it’s a good rack for a truck.

 3. Allen Sports Racks

The hanging style rack

Allen Sports 4-Bike Hitch Racks

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 2-inch hitch
• Style- Mast style
• Capacity- 140 lbs
• Max bike capacity- 4 bikes
• Rack weight- 23 lbs;
• Material- Steel

Features and Considerations:

• Capacity: The maximum capacity is 4 bikes here
• Warranty: Excellent warranty period
• Design: Rack finishing is smooth. Sun exposure doesn’t affect the rack material.
• Bike loading: There is a long carrying arm for bike loading. Also, straps to tie down bikes.
• Folding capability: It is flexible, well designed and quick foldable which saves a lot of space
• Installation: Very easy and less time needed for installation.

Cons:

• The rack bends eventually after a long time full mode use
• Rack size isn’t accurate
• Your bike may get damaged or affected after a while
• Built-in anti-theft protection isn’t that good

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Affordable, good capacity and casual use. These words explain the rack. Allen sports hitch racks are an economical choice for racks. It provides almost all the features a good rack should have. The only question is in long term durability. The rack is good for casual use. The rack itself weighs 24 lbs and carry 140 lbs in full scale. overall it’s a good rack.

4. Swagman XC2 rack

The platform-style rack

Swagman XC2 Sturdy Hitch Bike Rack

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 2-inch hitch
• Style- Tray style
• Capacity- 70 lbs.
• Max bike capacity- 2 bikes
• Rack weight- 32 lbs;
• Material- Steel

Features and Considerations:

• Specialty: Support different hitch and tire type. It can carry fat bikes too
• Safety: The bike doesn’t get that affected by bump because of anti-wobble design. Adjustable ratchet arms can secure any bikes
• Folding capability: The rack is foldable. So, why not in use you can save the space by folding it
• Price: It is cheap and affordable and relatively lightweight
• Bike Loading: You can easily load the bikes
• Installation: Assembling and installation is quite easy for Swagman rack

Cons:

• You can carry 2 bikes maximum
• Carved frame may bend due to applied weight
• May rust or the strap plastic get affected by weather issues like rain or sun
• It could be better. As it doesn’t have a quality build

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This rack is a hitch-mounted platform-style rack. The versatility is a great advantage here. Due to some adjustable components, it supports bike frames up to 59 cm and fits 20″ to 29″ tires. It has some upgrades like a fat bike supporting tray, hitch pin, and security cable. The rack is easy to install and also the bikes are easy to load there. The pricing is very affordable. It doesn’t have a great build quality and not bad quality either. For a price like that it has great value for a bike rack.

5. Thule Helium Aero rack

Lightweight

Thule Helium Aero Bike Hitch Carrier

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 1.25/2-inch hitch
• Style- Tilt-away, Mast style
• Capacity- 105 lbs
• Max bike capacity- 3 bikes(varies, depending on the model)
• Rack weight- 22 lbs;
• Material- Aluminium

Features and Considerations:

• Safety: This rack is built with RDT or Road dampening technology. So, now sway and no contact between the bike which is a good safety feature
• Security: It has a built-in lock feature. The lock is applied on the bike to carrier and carrier to the vehicle.
• Design: Good ground clearance and aerodynamic design increases bike security
• Specialty: Any types non-conventional bike is compatible with this hitch carrier, but with an adapter
• Build: This rack is, lightweight and has a slick design
• Installation: No tools are needed to install the Thule carrier

Cons:

• Carrying 3 bikes at once is bit tough and tight
• This is expensive.
• Rubber straps quality aren’t’ good enough for this type of racks
• Installation or un-installation might become an issue for somebody

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We all know about Thule. They are the manufacturer of the world’s one of the best racks. This Helium aero rack is one of the most lightweight racks. It is made of aluminum. Several features are included with it like road dampening barrier, built-in lock cable, lightweight design, supporting non-conventional bike e.t.c. It has two models. 2bikes and 3bikes capacity model. It’s overall a well-designed bike.

6. YAKIMA: Hangover 6 rack

Great carrying capacity

YAKIMA - Hangover 6

Specification:

• Type- Hitch Type- 2-inch hitch
• Style- Tilt-away, Vertical style
• Capacity- 225 lbs
• Max bike capacity- 6 bikes(varies, depending on the model)
• Rack weight- 73 lbs;
• Material- Steel

Features and Considerations:

• Capacity: Great bike carrying capacity, 6 bikes are supported
• Specialty: Compatible with the fat bike.
• Versatility: The wheel cup is rotatable or adjustable. It supports bikes with various wheelbases
• Safety: A Hitch lock is included for safety issues. It also has a bottle opener
• Build: Solid construction; heavy-duty steel made and durable
• Tilting: The foot controls the tilt mechanism. It makes the bike loading easier
• Ground Clearance: Good mast height position means good ground clearance

Cons:

• The price is high. Affordable by few buyers as the company intended
• The rack only supports suspension fork bikes
• Rigid fork bike, road bikes, and e-bikes aren’t secure in the rack
• A heavyweight rack, so, not a good choice for small vehicles
• It lacks versatility and the extra lock is need for security

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Yakima is one of the best rack making company. Hangover 6 is one of their best value rack with great carrying capacity. The Hangovers are vertical type rack. It is available in two models, 4 and 6 bike capacity racks. The rack is built for serious and professionals and focused on carrying mountain bikes. It has a narrow range of application but it does best what it was intended to do. Just get your gang for an MTB ride with this rack.

Choosing the hitch size for your bike racks

A trailer hitch or hitch is a common component in a car, SUV or truck. Generally, it is used for towing other non-engine vehicles or carrying a cargo rack or racks. The fact is it is the bridge between the main vehicle and other things, the towed vehicles. There is a receiver tube with a hitch. With this, a cargo/bike rack or a towing vehicle connects with the hitch as well as the vehicle.

Now, this is a picture of the receiver hitch tube. It is one of the depending factors for the towing weight capacity of the vehicle. Here,

• The Class I and II type hitches are found in personal cars and small SUVs
• The Class III and IV types hitches are found in SUVs, Full-sized sedans and pickup trucks
• The Class V hitches are strong. These aren’t specified for vehicles. They are needed for selective tasks

A truck can carry a bike in two ways.

• Truck bed bike racks
• Truck hitch mounted racks

In this article, we are going to talk about bike racks for truck hitches. Now, truck or pick-up trucks fall in Class III and IV categories. They have a good use for vehicle towing. And amazingly most of the components need towing or carrying are compatible with that 2″ receiver hitch tube. Besides the highest capability of Class III hitch is 6000 lbs. Whereas, the bike racks we feature here, which has the highest capacity, has a capacity of 225 lbs. So, it can be said that racks with 2″ hitches are perfect or the truck hitches.

What types of hitch racks can you use with your trucks?

There are several types of bike racks in the market. Here we are only going to talking about hitch types. Not just hitch types. Hitch types that go along with the trucks. There are two types of receiver hitch in a vehicle. The front and the rear. Based on that there are two types of hitch-mounted racks.

• Front hitch-mount
• Rear hitch-mount

Well, pick-up trucks generally compatible with rear hitch mount racks. We will continue with that.

Hitch mount racks are made of durable material with heavy strength. Advantages are-

1. Easy installation and Easy bike loading
2. Heavy-duty racks. Depending on the model, the max capacity is 6 bike in a hitch rack
3. It is the most stable, weight bearable and convenient form of bike racks.
4. As now features like foldability, tilting is common; these types of racks are good for regular usage
5. Available for all types of vehicle

Well, It has some cons too.

1. It has to be durable and sturdily built. So, it is expensive
2. Due to vibration contact between bikes may happen and those might get damaged

Now, there are actually 3 hitch mounted racks for rear hitches are available. Those are-

# Platform Style Hitch Mounted Bike Rack-

The technique is simple. A tray is attached to the vehicle. through the universal receiver, The bike stays on the platform or the tray. A ratchet arm or straps are used to tie the bikes to secure it.

• The anti-sway feature is available. which means less vibration in bikes
• Can be carried 4-5 bikes depending on the model

# Hanging/Mast style hitch mounted bike rack-

The bikes hang from the mast with our without the help from an adapter. The mast body is sturdily built.

• They offer good ground clearance
• Less expensive
• Foldability feature is available here

# Vertical style racks-

They are also hitch mounted. These are just a form of storage enhancement. The difference is, here, bikes are positioned vertically. Less space is needed here so, a lot of bikes can be vertically hanged.

• Maximum number of bikes can be held in this model; 6 bikes
• Bikes must be strapped down. Not easy to load

Can you open your trunk with a bike rack on it?

It depends on a certain feature of the rack model. The ability to tilt. If the rack has tilting ability then you can open your trunk just by tilting the rack down. Different racks have a different tilting mechanism. What common is after tilting it free up enough space for opening the trunk. So, yes, if your rack has a tilting mechanism you can open the trunk.

Conclusion

Trucks are a good choice for transporting a lot of bikes at once. Therefore, it needs a good rack. Among all the racks for trucks, the hitch racks provide the highest carrying capacity, can secure the bikes, and ensure the bike’s road safety.