First time loading my rack with more than one bike on it. It’s a 1.25” hitch with the adapter being used in a 2” hitch.
The total weight is well below the max listed on the website (3x bikes, 150lbs). These bikes are ~85lbs total.
The bouncing and wobble seemed excessive. Bumps on the road had us all on edge and feeling like things are a little sketch. The video is taken on a “smooth” highway.
Is this amount of movement normal or acceptable? Everything is super tight with no obvious slack.
by blueapplepaste
19 Comments
I’m more curious wtf are you listening to?
Yes seems pretty typical to me.
You’re probably seeing the hitch mount flex in dimensions it was never meant to.
I love 1up and mine is 10 years old but my next rack will probably be a velocirax.
Yes
It’s normal, if it starts wabbling left and right you may need to tighten the bolt a bit.
Are you sure you can go with 3 bikes on the 1.25”? I’ll do 2 bikes with mine and notice more flex than with just one but that 3rd rack is getting to be a long ways from the hitch. Otherwise I’m pretty sure 1up just sells the part of the rack closest to the hitch and you could upgrade to the 2” version and not use an adapter.
Yes this is normal. I just upgraded from the quick rack to the super duty because I couldn’t handle the anxiety.
i believe its suppose to have some room to move so parts dont snap?
Do you have an anti rattle hitch pin?
1up bike rack owner but no adapter, just straight 2” inch hitch. I’ve noticed this sway and I later realized the Allen tool bolt wasn’t all the way right. The bikes are still going to bounce a bit.
A 3 bike rack on a 1-1/4” receiver is up at the maximum for that trailer hitch. That receiver is likely rated for only 200lbs tongue weight, and a bike rack puts a lot more twist on the receiver than a trailer of the same weight would. Personally I wouldn’t run more than 2 bikes on a 1-1/4” receiver, they’re just too flexy for that much unsupported load hanging so far off the receiver.
Yes, this is normal. I only have a double on my 1.25″ and it flexes like this as well. If it were completely rigid it would have a higher chance of fatiguing the metal and snapping at some point.
I know it sounds counter-intuitive since it’s obviously the cheapest.. but the heaviest bike needs to be closest to the tailgate. The lightest needs to be furthest out. This will help a fair amount since you have a carbon bike closest to the mount and a friggin WW2 tank on the end.
This makes me happy I bought a velocirax. 5 bikes and my rack doesn’t move that much even going over pretty good bumps.
Tray style racks put alot of downward force on the hitch receiver itself. Id love a 1up tray rack but probably only for 2 bikes max.
2in receiver would greatly reduce this. I also love the anti rattle receiver the velocirax has it’s one with my receiver no play at all.
That much flex would give me anxiety for sure. 👍
I don’t think you can put that many on the 1.25. I had it like that once and it bent a little so I returned the attachment.
Is this a bumper hitch, or a frame mounted hitch?
The first hitch rack I ever used was a 1.25 adapter to a 2 inch bumper hitch. Flexed like crazy, and I couldn’t take it. Switched to a frame mounted 2 inch direct, problem solved.
Why not sling those bikes over the tailgate on a pad?
2″ version of the Super Duty is what you want.
This is totally in line with my experience using a 1.25″ hitch with the adaptor for 2″. It moved a lot, and I always had the same unease. The play seemed to get worse over long drives, so check it occasionally, especially after washboards.
I’ve heard that the 2″ hitch doesn’t have the same play.