What is Reddit's opinion of Swagman XTC2 Hitch Mount Bike Rack?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

I got a trailer hitch and the Swagman XTC2. Works well enough, though I wouldn't claim it's the best. I was specifically looking for one that supported the bike via the wheels, since my bike has brake cables running along the underside of the top tube.

Biggest complaint is that you can't open the trunk with a bike on the inner rack, but the swinging/tipping racks I could find were much more expensive.

I ordered this rack. Has a lot of reviews and a few of the guys I ride with recommended it.

I got the draw-tite hitch (doesn't require a 'support strap' like one of the others) on amazon as well since it was listed cheaper than etrailer.com, but use etrailer to figure out what will fit your car. Installation only took 45 minutes, no drilling, didn't lower muffler.

I use a swagman xtc2. It's cheap ,simple and gets the job done. It's also pretty small if it's all folded up.

http://www.amazon.com/Swagman-Cross-Country-2-Bike-2-Inch-Receiver/dp/B001DMJPLO

I can fit two 29ers on there no problem. When I am not using it, it fits in my trunk. My bikes are very secure as well.

I really like my Swagman 2" bike rack that is the tray style as opposed to holding the bike by the middle. I believe it can also accomodate 1 1/4" hitches and can collapse to the side (with no bikes on it) for trunk access. https://www.amazon.com/Swagman-XTC2-Hitch-Bike-Rack/dp/B001DMJPLO/

I would also recommend looking on Facebook Marketplace, I see listings fairly often in my area. It may be worth keeping an eye if you have a specific budget in mind.

100lb tongue weight, 1000lb trailer weight.

http://www.slambertperformance.com/shop/twin-hitch#:~:text=Install%20the%20hitch%20before%20your,weight%2C%20100lb%20max%20tongue%20weight

My bike is around ~30lb. Rack is about 20-30lb (mine is pretty much this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Swagman-Cross-Country-2-Bike-2-Inch-Receiver/dp/B001DMJPLO/ref=sr\_1\_1?dchild=1&keywords=swagman+bike+rack&qid=1625451201&sr=8-1)

I would have uhaul weld a small hitch on. They are barely visible. And then get something like this Swagman XTC2 Hitch Mount Bike Rack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DMJPLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NQJ77YPAB94KWV6CRH5T.

Swagman XTC2 Hitch Mount Bike Rack

This works well and is affordable.

I prefer a hitch rack personally. There are some downsides on the Crosstrek and other newer cars though, like losing the backup camera while the rack is mounted. But the pros are you can easily load/unload the bike (no removing wheels, no issues getting the bike onto the rack since it's at your height, etc) and easily remove the rack when not needed (it's typically one bolt).

I either use this 3 bike rack from Allen Sports (a Walmart kinda brand) or this two bike rack from Swagman (an Amazon kinda brand). The second one I got really cheap used from a friend and is helpful if you have a Carbon fiber bike and would prefer not to hang the bike by the top tube. The first one is nice if the geometry of your bike supports it. Sometimes you have to do the upside down bike method to use those hanging style racks though, so that's something to keep in mind.

There are also really nice racks from Thule and others that go up to $500+. You can occasionally find them used for much less though - all my biking friends have saved hundreds by scouting FB Marketplace and Craigslist. The racks are in hot demand so it's hard to find those deals now. Those racks usually have fancy features like the ability to move outwards and allow the hatch to open easier. I just lean by bike back if I need to access the hatch. And with the first rack, I typically can open the hatch fine with just 1 bike on the rack.

One other nice thing I've found with hitch racks: you can run a cable or chain to the hitch and really lock your bike down. I used this method to secure my bike on an 1800 mile road trip in the Crosstrek. My $1500 fat bike did not disappear thanks to a ulock, chain lock and multiple cable locks plus a locking bolt on the hitch receiver. You can leave the ulock and cable locks on even while driving - chain I didn't trust to not demand my bike or Crosstrek. Helpful for quick stops, the bike is locked down and is not easily going anywhere without someone cutting the rack off your hitch or cutting the ulock off your bike. Or picking the various locks.

For the hitch, I had Uhaul install it for me and I went with a 2 inch hitch. All in, it was ~$200. Like another commenter mentioned, you can install it yourself to save a bit of money but on a new car I felt like letting someone else do it. I did have my dad install a 1 1/4 inch hitch on my old 2010 Corolla and it only took a few minutes, so if you're handy and don't mind doing it yourself, you can save a bit. The benefits of a hitch also include the potential to tow a small trailer, or camper - though I skipped out on the electronic stuff, so I'd need to get that hooked up if I wanted to tow something.

Lots of info and something to consider. Might depend on what you wanna do and how many bikes you want to carry. They sell 4 bike racks so if you have a bunch of friends or kids with small bikes you can easily carry them all on one of those racks.

I got mine at RackAttack but for 300 you're probably look at Swagman, like an XTC2 or XC2 for platforms. You could go with a "bigger" brand if you want a hanger, but I prefer platform.

You could add an anti-rattle thing, like this locking one or a basic anti-rattle plate

Swagman XTC Cross-Country 2-Bike... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DMJPLO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Works fine for two 29er MTBs

Bought a swagman xtc rack when I bought my hitch from etrailer a few months ago. They're around ~$215 or you can get the cheaper swagman xc for ~$100 (same thing, but xtc is the update with nicer platforms). They both had around 1000 reviews at 4.5 stars and I've had no problems with mine.

I bought curt's bike rack support strap and it made the rack solid with no worries about wobbling. Just took it on a 5hr road trip with 2 road bikes driving at ~80mph. I could do 85-90 but it would wobble a little so I stuck around 80.

To combat the scratching the frame problem I bought pipe insulation (aka pool noodles) for $5 and put them on over the top tubes so no worries about the rack scratching anything.

Just be aware that the rack can only fit tires <= 2.5inch or else you need to buy the wider platforms from amazon which are like $15 for a pair or something if you have a fat bike.