Best bike rack?

[apeg]

Im looking for a good way to carry one bike in my car... i originally thought with the seats down it would be no problem tossing one in and out but i see now that will quickly take its tool on the interior.

I have been reading that the hitch racks are the way to go but at the same time i like the sleekness of the car so i dont want to change the look from the back of the car.

1. which hitch hugs the bottom of the car best to minimize visual impact? from the pics i have seen most of the hitches are only 6 bolts? is it that easy to install?
2. any bike racks you would recommend? the goal would be to make it as small/light as possible because it would live in the trunk when not in use.

Thanks,
-aPeg

[meanie]

Im looking for a good way to carry one bike in my car... i originally thought with the seats down it would be no problem tossing one in and out but i see now that will quickly take its tool on the interior.

I have been reading that the hitch racks are the way to go but at the same time i like the sleekness of the car so i dont want to change the look from the back of the car.

1. which hitch hugs the bottom of the car best to minimize visual impact? from the pics i have seen most of the hitches are only 6 bolts? is it that easy to install?
2. any bike racks you would recommend? the goal would be to make it as small/light as possible because it would live in the trunk when not in use.

Thanks,
-aPeg

The choice of a hitch is easy: you can have a Curt or ....you can have a Curt. I believe it is the only only hitch designed for the EX. The good news is there is very little visual impact, just a little 1.25 inch opening nestled midway between exhaust pipes. I had mine installed since I was having the wiring done too and didn't want to chance screwing that up. I did have to bring mine back to have it dropped slightly since it was making contact with the exhaust on bumps or under heavy load, no problems since, but just this adjustment took the guys who installed it 90 minutes, and the original install was 3 hours or so (including wiring). Apparently the hitch incorporates a couple of new exhaust hangers, so the originals have to be removed, but I don't think anything has to be cut. I am using an old, heavy, Thule scissor rack from my Highlander that has a 2 inch end so I need an adaptor, which is an awkward set up. If you are mostly taking a single bike I am sure there are lightweight 2 bike carriers that will fit the bill.

[Teknical]

I would like to see some pics of EX's with roof racks if any are out there. I haven't been able to find any. I'm talking about Yakimas and Thules.

[apeg]

ya i was thinking about the roof racks, but that makes parking garages a problem & i cant see getting a bike up and down from there being easy

[meanie]

ya i was thinking about the roof racks, but that makes parking garages a problem & i cant see getting a bike up and down from there being easy

I considered that as well but being clumsy I worried I might drop or knock the bike over on the roof or mirror. Plus my wife has one of those "comfort" bikes that feels like it weighs 50 pounds. As it is I get nervous sticking my kayaks up there. Anyhow, I needed a hitch to pull my snowmobile trailer and already had the bike rack. I am pretty happy with how the hitch came out, but do wish I didn't need the 1.25 inch adaptor, the thing jumps around like it is on a hinge.

[EXceptional]

Here's a Thread that speaks of mounting stuff on the Rails... and says that you have to be careful about what you put up there.

thule-cargo-carriers-any-luck-t509871.html

...and some more I found...

2-bikes-inside-the-ex-t528433.html

roof-racks-what-do-you-use-t469724.html

ex35-crossbars-too-close-together-t530446.html

[cej22]

In my experience, this is easily the best hitch mount bike rack out there. Very well designed and made in the US. It also folds compactly for easy storage.
http://www.1upusa.com/product-quikracksilver.html

The Curt hitch is indeed very low profile and an easy DIY job.

[googleman]

1upusa type racks would not work for bikes with fenders. I don't have any on my EX35 right now, but I like Thule Heliums quite a bit. Lightweight, easy to use, secure. The only issue seems, if you are thinking about carrying two bikes, 3-bike rack Helium is a better choice than the 2-bike one, due to the limited about of space between the slots.

I stayed away from installing a Curt hitch so far because of the earlier complaints about the hitch not being sufficiently secured to the car due to poor design. Seems like they fixed it with the newer version. I might try to install it as a weekend project at some point. Knowing how clumsy I am, I should wait for someone to post detailed video instructions first though

[cej22]

1upusa type racks would not work for bikes with fenders.

I've racked two bikes with fenders on my 1up USA. The front tire contacts the rack without issue. On the back I use a section of pipe insulation on the rack where it contacts the fender. Then for added measure I use some velcro wrap to cinch the rear wheel down on the tray. It's a very simple solution that works well.