Saris Freedom Hitch Rack – Lightweight Aluminum Platform Bike Carrier for Car, SUV & Truck – No Frame Contact, Anti-Wobble, E-Bike Compatible – 2 or 4 Bike, 1.25" & 2" Hitch Receiver

[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.

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.

We recently purchased a 53 lb "commuter" ebike with a step through frame and fenders. Our existing rack can not carry such a bike so I went looking for a new one. I have many requirements. 1. Support for both a 1.25" and 2" hitches (I have vehicles with both) 2. Support for the e-bike with the weight, step through frame and fenders being notable challenges 3. Support for carbon fiber frames 4. Support for a few other bikes I have I spent hours doing research and was nearly convinced that a rack that could do everything I wanted did not exist. Then I ran across this Saris. I'm happy to say that everything on my wishlist is fulfilled! Of course no rack is perfect and this one has its own pros and cons: Pros: 1. Sturdy. Loaded up with the ebike and another bike, this rack is solid. There is some axial movement when going over bumps but it's not worrying to me. 2. Bikes are held very securely but also gently. I really like the tire straps and the fact that most of the bikes weight is supported by it's tires. The holders are nicely designed and interface the bike with soft surfaces. 3. Lightweight. At only 21 lbs, this rack is easy to install and carry around. My 1.25" hitch is only class 1 (100 lbs max weight) so the 21lbs avoids cutting too much into the weight budget for that hitch.. Cons: 1. Getting the heavy ebike into the (recommended) back position requires some strength. I fold down the center bar which helps a lot but still I'd say any bike being put in the back position will need to be held at chest height for 30 seconds to a minute or more. 2. It was quite a puzzle getting everything to fit the first time. The tire holders need to be slid into the best positions and the center support is too short to reach the horizontal bar of my road bike. The tire holders are also a bit close to the center bar and to each other, meaning that there are possible interference issues with the center bar and the bikes. I was able to puzzle through it all and have a satisfactory solution. Now that everything is where I decided to put it, the bikes go on very quickly. 3. The shape of the rack makes it a bit awkward to store. I put up some storage hooks that are getting the job done but I wouldn't call it a tidy package when off the car. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this rack.

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