Have a bike? Need to transport it?
When we started looking at bike racks, we did a great deal of research to try and find the best one for the best deal while focusing in particular on hitch mount bike racks.
You may have already noticed that there is an astounding amount of choice on the market. It’s enough to make your head spin.
We finally settled on the Swagman XC2 Hitch Mount Bike Rack.
In this review we are going to list the reasons we chose the Swagman XC2 as one of the better deals out there.
PLUS we’ll detail what to look for when choosing the right bike rack for yourself.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HITCH MOUNT BIKE RACK
When the market is completely saturated with a product like hitch mount bike racks, it’s a good idea to start by looking at the well known brands.
Focus on the ones that have rave reviews, it’s almost impossible to go wrong if you start this way.
That was the case in this instance and I noticed very quickly that this particular Swagman bike rack had an abundance of good reviews and the price was definitely right.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
There are several important questions you should also consider:
- How many bikes can it carry? Or how many bikes do you need it to carry?
- Is it able to support a wide variety of bike frames and sizes?
- How easy is it to attach and secure the bikes?
- Does it have special coating to protect your bike from getting scratched?
- Does it tuck away nicely when not in use so that it is out of the way?
- What’s the cost and the warranty?
- Does it consistently get good reviews?
Below I will answer each of these questions as they relate to the Swagman XC Cross Country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack.
NUMBER OF BIKES
Unless you are a family with children who love to cycle together, a bike rack that can support 2 bikes is quite ideal.
It is great for solo biking and perfect for bringing along a friend’s or partner’s bike.
If you need to transport 3-4 bikes at a time, than you will want to get the 4-bike rack, but it will cost a fair amount more.
EXTENSION FOR ADDING MORE BIKES
The good thing about this Swagman module is that it has an extension that can be purchased separately, so that if your family grows and you need to attach more bikes at a later date, you can do so.
The Swagman Cross Country is compatible with both a 1 ¼ and 2-inch receiver hitch, which fits most people’s needs.
VERSATILITY FOR SIZE & SHAPE OF BIKE
You may not always be transporting the same style of bike so it is important to get a bike rack that is versatile enough to accommodate different styles of frames and different sized bicycles – including adult bikes and children’s bikes.
The Swagman Cross Country bike hitch mount rack has upright ratchet arms that can be easily adjusted to support different bike frames.
It can accommodate bike frames up to 59cm and tires from 20” – 29” in size.
It is able to accommodate:
- adult bikes
- children’s bikes
- downhill bikes
- full suspension bikes
- cruiser bikes
- BMX bikes
- Y frame designs
I think it is very important that it is able to accommodate all these styles of bicycles without the mega hassle of having to remove the wheels.
The center arm of the bike rack folds down so that you can easily access the rear of your vehicle without removing the rack.
The top arms and the base also folds up so it can be conveniently stored away when not in use.
EASE OF USE & PROTECTION
This bike rack comes with instructions for attaching to your vehicle, and it isn’t hard but you will need an Allen wrench to get the job done.
If you have any trouble with the installation, you can also download instructions directly from the Swagman website.
STURDY & FUNCTIONAL FEATURES
This bike rack is sturdy and you will feel that once it is attached to your vehicle.
QUICK RELEASE TIRE HOOPS
It features adjustable quick-release tire hoops, which allows you to adjust the rack for different sized bike frames and it secures your bike at 3 different points.
SOFT-FRAME COATING
The frame grip arms have a soft-frame coating to protect your bike’s finish. That’s important.
No matter what bike rack you get, always make sure it has a means to protect your bike and not leave scratches.
EASY & SECURE BIKE HOOKS
The bike hooks are easy to fasten and securely grasp the bike to keep it in place.
PUSH BUTTON SYSTEM
Once your bike is attached, it does not budge. It has a simple push button system for bike removal.
1/4″ HOLE FOR PADLOCK
You are able to lock the bike rack with a padlock through a ¼” hole. At this point you are good to take your bike anywhere you want to go with absolutely no worries.
MORE IMPORTANT DETAILS
The other important features and specs to know about this Swagman XC bike rack are:
- It will not work with recumbent bikes or those with an extra long wheel base.
- It can accommodate wheels up to 3-½” wide.
- It has a powder coated finish for corrosion resistance.
- It can be used on the back of cars, trucks, campers, RV’s and trailers.
- The distance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of the first wheel hoop measures 10-½” long.
- It has a weight capacity of 70 lbs. or 35 lbs. per bike.
- It includes threaded pin and clip with anti-rattle to secure the rack into the trailer hitch.
- It can be locked with Swagman’s anti-rattle lock S64029 – which is sold separately.
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EXPECT TO PAY?
The price for this bike rack can vary across the web and the Swagman list price is just over $175.
Amazon.com sells it the cheapest by far for approximately $160 and often even less if you hit it at the right time.
WARRANTY DETAILS
Swagman offers a limited lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of any Swagman product.
The warranty covers manufacturer’s defects – not normal wear and tear.
I love that this company offers a lifetime warranty, it really says a lot about their product and the company itself.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING…
The Swagman XC2 bike hitch mount has received excellent reviews from most consumers with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars by almost 3000 reviewers on Amazon.
Here are some of the comments to date:
- “Bike Rack Exceeds Expectations”
- “Outstanding Value and Features”
- “Sweet hitch”
- “Safe and Steady”
- “Awesome value for the buck”
- “Compact & Customizable”
- “Really thought out”
ANY COMPLAINTS?
With a ton of reviews and very few complaints this bike rack is highly rated and most users seem to be very satisfied.
A couple of tips to watch out for:
1. You need to be a little careful with the ratcheting top clamps as they are quite tight and your fingers can get pinched if you are not careful.
2. If you want to be able to lock your bike onto your bike rack to avoid it being stolen while you are away, you will need to buy a Locking Hitch Pin.
Some consumers did not like that this pin is sold separately. However the pin is cheap if you need to get it.
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST DEAL
The best price I have seen is still at Amazon.com, especially with the free shipping option and of course free returns.
MORE VERIFIED REVIEWS
At the time of this writing there are almost 3000 reviews on Amazon.com so there are TONS of comments and great info from other verified users that you can also read if you need more details.
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