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

Very sturdy, very simple. Easy to put together and easy to use. Folds up and locks to minimize extra space at the back of the vehicle for parking and maneuvering. Also, a very cool feature allows it to fold down at an angle when loaded with bikes so you can access a rear hatch w/o unloading the rack. Holds bikes very securely w/o any wobble or damage from bikes rubbing up against each other or the rack. All tire trays and frame cradles are completely adjustable, so you can fit most bikes and frame sizes pretty easily. We have 4 mountain/hybrid bikes. Saris makes replacement parts for everything and also has trays that support fat tire bikes if you need them. It is made for a 2 inch hitch receiver. My hitch is a 1.25. I purchased an adapter and 2 hitch tighteners (really just modified clamps) so I could use this. Place one tightener where the adapter meets the hitch and the other where the rack is inserted into the adapter and the whole assembly is rock solid. No rattle, sway, or other movement. You will not be able to quickly remove the rack if you do this, since you have to loosen up both tighteners before you can remove the rack and the adapter, but for me it is definitely worth the extra time to have the stability. With the rack folded, it really doesn't bother me, so I just leave it attached in that position. I've been driving around with it for a few months now and have had zero issues with parking lots, garages, or even those tight spiral ramps in the multi-level garages. The worst things, which for me are pretty minor: 1. 2 seconds of inconvenience to tilt the rack out of the way to load/unload groceries and gear from the rear of the car and then fold it up again. 2. If you are addicted to a backup camera or have proximity sensors on your car, they will go crazy since there is always something back there when you are in reverse. I can still see what's back there in my camera, so not really a big deal for a couple of seconds to back out of a spot. 3. It does stick out over a foot beyond the back of your car when folded (maybe 2 feet with an adapter). However, unless you have a monster SUV or a truck, you really shouldn't run into too many space problems. I have a mid-size SUV (7 seats) and haven't had any issues. 4. There are no good instructions for how to load the bikes into the rack. Notes: The cradle that holds the bike frame tube can be a bit dicey to figure out the first time and you have to manage the pedal position on each bike to avoid contact and damage during transport. I have mine loaded with the handlebars on the bike closest to the car on the driver's side. After alternating the direction of each bike loaded after that and some initial adjustments, everything fits very well. You do have to play with it a bit and it is helpful if there are 2 people working with it for the initial load. Once you have a system figured out and positions set, it is quick and easy for 1 person as long as you are strong enough to lift and steady a bike by yourself. Summary: This tray is MUCH better than those hanging racks that can have bikes swinging in the wind or have hanger failure problems. If you care about your bikes or your car, you need to get a tray rack. This rack is well designed, sturdy, and easy to use. Add hitch pin locks, a plastic coated cable and lock that can thread through all your bikes and you are good to go for road trips or a vacation that might require you to leave the bikes and hitch unattended occasionally. I definitely would recommend it for any multi-bike family.

It is a good simple rack adaptable to unusual design bikes however beware the plastic saddles can fail dropping the bike. I didn't bother with customer service I just bought a metal rack from a different company.

[February 19, 2016] I have owned this rack for about two biking seasons so far. I take it off sometime in the winter and reinstall it back on in the spring. Removing the rack is quite easy and is a one man job. Putting it back on, for some, may require two people but is definitely doable with one. So far this rack has held up well even considering the fact I do leave it on well into the midwestern winter. Part of one of the plastic tire rest has broken off but not enough that it isn't usable. Twice I noticed that the empty rack has down from its upright position while driving. I don't know why this happens (maybe it already was in the down position for all I know). But I haven't noticed any part that could become a future failure point. So far I still love this rack and has served its purpose carrying around multiple bikes around. [May 27, 2014] This spring I decided that I needed to upgrade from my trunk strapped bike rack to a something that could fit 3 kids and 1 adult bike. Researching this, I found that only hitch mounted racks where the bikes sits but not hangs were the only way to go for kids bikes. I didn't consider roof mounted racks. Thule and Yakima had offered options I was strongly considering but I decided to go with the Saris even though I didn't really see many reviews compared to the other brands. It was easily the cheapest at $400 and the fact it was made in the USA, made the decision over the other brands so much easier. Positives: Solidly built. Doesn't shake when driving. Easy to place bikes on rack, though it is a little tight when fitting four bikes. Rack, even when filled with bikes, can be lowered to access my Toyota Highlander's rear door. Folds away neatly. Reasonably priced. Made in USA. Negatives: I had to install a hitch on my SUV. That is not really a true negative but it did add $200 to the total. The instructions to put the bike rack together is actually quite horrendous. A 30 minute job became a 1.5 hour job. I wish it came with locks to secure the bikes to the rack and secure the rack to the hitch. I bought a Saris hitch lock and locking cable to do that job. That added about $50. It won't protect against professional thieves but will hopefully deter against the occasional delinquent. It adds quite some length to my SUV when folded out but that is expected when you plan to haul around 4 bikes. Overall: Being my only hitch mounted bike rack, I really can't compare it to anything else. It works great for what it does. It carries my niece and nephews bikes conveniently and securely. I do not feel that its going to come apart on the highway. It is solidly built and well priced. Would definitely recommend. Will hopefully update this review sometime in the fall.

Generally high quality, sturdy and easy to assemble and use. It's quite heavy, but still installable by one person. The lever to lower the rack with the bikes in place is a great feature. Takes a bit of set up initially to put the clamps in the right place for your bikes, after that it's easy to use. Better for the bikes and easier to load than the racks that hang by the frame. Nevertheless, it's not perfect. We had a problem with the spring loaded pins that secure the upright arms. On its first outing one lost its plastic end, which left the bare metal to scratch the paint. The other would not secure properly (I don't think it's necessary to provide much lateral stability, but still, it should stay put). I believe that there is not enough depth in the hole that the pin slots into and the rounded plastic end exacerbates this making it easy to come unlocked. However, Amazon and Saris' customer service was first rate. Amazon offered a return and the money back or a *significant* discount if I kept it. Meanwhile Saris sent replacement U-sections and plastic caps. So far the new U-section locks into place satisfactorily though I'm not 100% sure that a small amount of wear won't cause a repeat of the issue. In summary, I had some problems with this rack 'out of the box' but Amazon and Saris stand behind their products and made every effort to put things right.

I am very happy with this product! It works great and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to safely transport their bicycle without worries of it shifting during the journey.

Great product and great service

Straight forward assembly. Needed a replacement piece, sent email, received a reply within a day and replacement part in the mail - excellent customer service. Very much in the same class or better than Thule and Yakima.

Took a few while to configure for our bikes but then very easy to use

N’achetez pas ce rack, sangles de mauvaise qualité, rouille et aucun retour du service à la clientèle Il est très difficile d’insérer les sangles dans les troues. Les sangles ou l’on attache le cadre à abîmé nos 4 velos. Le rack a commencé à rouiller après 2 semaines. Le service à la clientèle ne répond pas au courriel. Vraiment très déçu d’avoir acheté ce rack