Swagman XC Hitch Rack Bike Rack

4.87/5

(15 Reviews)

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Product Description

The Cross Country "XC" 2-Bike Rail Rack can easily accommodate children's and adult bikes, downhill bikes, cruiser bikes, full suspension bikes, BMX bikes, "Y" frame designs and much more, without the hassle of removing wheels. - The XC slides into a 2" receiver and carries up to 2 bikes, with an option to carry up to 4 bikes with another module (4 bikes on Class III hitch only). - The XC easily adjusts to different bike frame sizes with the simple movement of the wheel hoops. - Frame grip arms have a soft-frame friendly coating to protect your bike's finish. - When not in use, the rack folds up for easy storage (on or off vehicle), shipping, etc. - The XC carries the widest variety of bike frames in its class.

Capacity: 2-4 Bikes

Mount: 1 1/4" Receiver Rac

Hitch: Fits Class 1 & 2 hitch

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Reviews 1 - 15 (15 Reviews Total)

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by jhbinal

Date Reviewed: November 28, 2012

Strengths:    Holds both my wife's 15" 29er and my 19" 29er perfectly! It was easy to set up and install. It holds our bikes securely and with absolutely minimal movement. It was hundreds less than my old Yakima rack and in all honesty, I like the Swagman better.

Weaknesses:    The arm will rub some paint off of the frame if not careful...I just add a another piece of foam or a small towel to it if I'm going on a long trip.

Bottom Line:

Awesome rack at an awesome price.

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Value Rating:

Submitted by beefmagic a All Mountain Rider from St. Louis, MO

Date Reviewed: March 12, 2012

Strengths:    Extremely affordable and works great. I use this rack to transport 2 full suspension mtn bikes. One is 31.5lbs. The other is 27lbs. It's simple. It doesn't wobble.

Weaknesses:    Wheel tray locking mechanism needs to be really cranked down in order not to slip. Had to ream out the hole for locks in the arm that holds the bikes in order to fit a larger lock. Otherwise the lock that fits in the existing hole is too small in diameter and you can still remove the arm.

Bottom Line:

For the money I don't think you can beat this rack. It was easy to set up and for the most part has been hassle free.

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Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $115.00

Purchased At:   Amazon

Similar Products Used:   This is my first hitch rack. Had a few trunk racks.

Bike Setup:   hatchback

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Submitted by lencho a Weekend Warrior from Middle TN

Date Reviewed: December 9, 2011

Strengths:    Price, how well it works = VALUE

Weaknesses:    None for the price, it would be nit picking.

Bottom Line:

Hitch was very easy to put together and works very well. I use is to carry a 19", 26" tire full suspension bike and a 20", 29" tire full suspension bike. For $115 this rack rocks! A fantastic value! If you can live simple, effective value and get over the non Thule/Yakima name brand stigma, buy it! I got Master Locks with one key to lock the sliders and added some $1 plumbing insulation to the securing bars since reviews showed that the black stock rubber can rub off on the frame. Love the screw in pin (bought the locking pine too). I carry the socket in my bike bag for easy access. The screw-in pin is a tiny bit harder to add since you literally have to screw in, or out, but the non-wobble result is well worth the minimal effort. Highly recommend this inexpensive, effective rack.

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Favorite Trail:   Chickasaw

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $115.00

Purchased At:   Amazon.com

Similar Products Used:   Thule

Bike Setup:   2005 Rocky Element and 2011 Niner Jet 9

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Submitted by jimjybe a Weekend Warrior from Palmetto Florida

Date Reviewed: April 7, 2011

Strengths:    constructed of heavy guage material

Weaknesses:    limit exposure to moisture

Bottom Line:

The XC2 is a well constructed carrier that offers ease of use. At a price of $150.00 it is the best value on this type of carrier. Was very impressed with the guage thickness of material used. I like this type of carrier in respect that your bikes don't touch each other, it is really simple to use! Keep this unit oiled and limit exposure to moistuer and it will last a long time. It came mostly assembled, all I had to do was install the assembly on the hitch arm (2 bolts, wrench provided)and install wheel rests and slide on the holders. I Am very happy with my purchase, this thing works well!

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Favorite Trail:   Boyette

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $150.00

Purchased At:   Ringling Bicycles

Similar Products Used:   hanging style carrier

Bike Setup:   Giant Trance III

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Submitted by gtaccord a Weekend Warrior from Cleveland, GA

Date Reviewed: April 10, 2010

Strengths:    Quick and easy to assemble and install/uninstall. Good strong all metal construction. Takes 2 minutes to load two bikes. Holds everything secure and you don't have to take the wheels off. Comes with adapter for 2" hitch. CHEAP!

Weaknesses:    The hitch on my car puts the bike closest to the car very close to the trunk and bumper. This has more to do with the hitch than the rack I think.

Bottom Line:

There is no reason to buy one of the super expensive racks out there when this rack is on the market. It does everything those racks do (probably better) and it is half or even one quarter of the price. Get this rack.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $120.00

Purchased At:   Amazon

Similar Products Used:   roof racks, bed mount racks in trucks, other hitch mounts

Bike Setup:   05 Stumpjumper FSR Expert

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Submitted by donny939 a Cross Country Rider from west milford, new jersey, usa

Date Reviewed: March 17, 2010

Strengths:    Easy set up, good quality, couldnt ask for a better rack.

Weaknesses:    none

Bottom Line:

A must buy if you need a good hitch bike rack. for 140 bucks for a rack that works great. Dont waste your money on a name brand rack when swagman works just as good and costs half as much

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Favorite Trail:   Ringwood

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $140.00

Purchased At:   Auto anything

Similar Products Used:   first rack

Bike Setup:   GF marlen, fire ex pro tires

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Submitted by 33MTB a Weekend Warrior from East Coast

Date Reviewed: December 15, 2009

Strengths:    -Able to adjust to most bikes, including contemporary mountain bikes with sloping or curved top tubes
-Rack is very stable because of threaded receiver bolt
-Still able to open the rear window on my Tahoe while the bike is on the outer rack

Weaknesses:    -The black rubber pads that are on the two hooks that clamp down on the top tube will damage the paint on your bike (see below)

Bottom Line:

The absolute best system I have ever owned. There is a simple solution to the black rubber pad problem. Carefully remove the two black rubber pads from the hooks with a box cutter or knife. Go to a hardware store and buy a section of braided vinyl tubing (5/8" x 3/8" x at least 5'). Apply Vaseline to the hooks, then slide the braided tubing on all the way (takes a little effort to get the tubing to slide around the bends). Leave about 1/4" excess and cut the rest. Literally took me 10 minutes. It's a simple fix to keep the paint on your bike from getting damaged.

It is important not to just use a towel between the hook and your top tube, as your bike can slip while going around corners. Take the time make this simple upgrade to an already stellar product.

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Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $100.00

Purchased At:   amazon

Similar Products Used:   Many traditional racks that support the bike only under the top tube.

Bike Setup:   Titus FTM
Trek 4300

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Submitted by JMD a Weekend Warrior from Bay area, California USA

Date Reviewed: October 1, 2009

Strengths:    1) Inexpensive when compared to other brands (Thule, Yakima, & Softride)
2) This 2" Hitch version is built very solid.
3) Holds bikes very solid, wobble free, rattle free.
4) Doesn't damage the paint-job of your bikes.
5) Easy to assemble (~10 min. for me)
6) Easy to mount and dismount bikes.
7) Very manageable mounting and dismounting rack from car.
8) Ample clearance between bike and car.

Weaknesses:    1) Need a rachet in your car for mounting and
dismounting the rack. Not really a problem!

2) Does not come with a lock- for the clamp-triggers- you'll have to improvise
and search on your own.

3) Wish they had an option/add-on to make it carry 4 bikes-haven't seen one
yet.

4) Optional Hitch-pin locks are a little pricey for me. Optional

5) On some vehicles- may have to dismount bikes and/or rack to access/open
rear gate or trunk. I did not have this issue with my 95'4runner.

Bottom Line:

It's a solid performer! It's exactly what I expected. Solid mounting of bikes- secure, wobble free, and no rattle! You can't beat its "price to performance" factor and piece of mind knowing that your bikes are securedly fastened. Only thing is you'll need to get locks to better secure your bikes on the rack.

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a solid rack without breaking the bank.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $130.00

Purchased At:   Amazon

Similar Products Used:   Compared only to BRANDS- Thule, Yakima, & Softride

Bike Setup:   TREK 7.5 FX hybrid

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Submitted by axlissel a Weekend Warrior from lima, peru

Date Reviewed: August 24, 2009

Strengths:    quick to install, load and bikes are safe. This product carries the bikes never touching each other or the car. very good price and excellent quality
this review if for the xc 2 bike rack with 2 inch hook and ratchet system

Weaknesses:    with mud and rust the ratchet is difficult to unload

Bottom Line:

buy this, is easy on the pocket, works perfect and is versatile. I carry my 57 road bike, my knolly, and my kids bike. even I carried a tandem once, without the wheels and upside down.
I usually hook inside the square tube with the pin that holds the rack structure a regular 3 bike rack, the ones that carries the bikes hongging from the top tube. With this I have a 5 rack system, very versatile. I will hook another of these rack in the back I think the XTC2 so I have a 4 bike platform rack.

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Favorite Trail:   all

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $129.00

Purchased At:   etrailer.com

Similar Products Used:   roof racks and rack in the back of the car hanging with belts.You cannot compare the functionality of this to other systems

Bike Setup:   knolly endo

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Submitted by David Michael a Weekend Warrior from Eugene, Oregon

Date Reviewed: March 28, 2009

Strengths:    Durable and easy to load

Weaknesses:    Hitch can wobble a bit

Bottom Line:

This is a great rack, especially now with the recumbent hoops that allow for a variety of bikes including recumbents. We've used this rack on the back of our motorhome with our Bike Es for 20,000 miles over two years (full timers). The XTC2 looks even more sturdy so try out both if you have the opportunity.

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Favorite Trail:   Eugene East Bank River trail

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $135.00

Purchased At:   CAmping World

Bike Setup:   Two recumbent bikes (Bike E)

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Submitted by turf a Cross Country Rider from Marietta, GA

Date Reviewed: October 10, 2008

Strengths:    Great value, holds 4 bikes securely, easy to mount, easy to lock bikes.

Weaknesses:    Not enough hitch extension for rear mount spares, not enough rise for steep driveways.

Bottom Line:

Got the Swagman XC4 for a Honda CRV to replace a Yakima Kingpin which was getting tiring threading dual suspension bikes on. The XC4 is no longer an XC2 with an addon. It has a single central support dual beam. It is not nearly as heavy as the four bike Yakima standup models (the Hookup or Holdup) so one person mounting is possible, and it's about 1/3 the cost.

I considered the Sportrack but liked the ratchet mechanism on the Swagman much better, plus it makes it easy to lock the bikes down since a padlock can fit through the ratchet to prevent the button from being pressed. Bikes are held quite secure and I don't really feel a need to use the velcro wheel straps unless I will be going a long distance although I suppose it's always a good idea since something unforeseen could occur like losing pressure in a fork or shock.

Now, the hassle. When I first got the Swagman my son and I quickly put it together and mounted it on the back of my 2004 CRV which has a spare tire mounted on the rear door. The Swagman would not fold up since the spare was in the way. The distance from the hitch was not long enough, although I am sure it would be fine for most vehicles that do not have a door mount spare. I figured I could get a hitch extension. But we have a steep driveway and that might be a problem. We mounted it as it was, folded down and even that would not clear the driveway, much less with an extension. So I needed to find a riser/extension.

I looked around for hitch risers and found a few of them priced from $120 to $160. WTF - for an assembly of three short 2" welded tubes? Luckily I found the Valley 75090 multipurpose hitch adapter for only $40 (O'Reilly's). It provides both a ballmount which hangs down and has a riser welded on, too, made to use a bike rack (an upright hitch mount) and pull a trailer at the same time. It got the rack out enough to clear the tire with inches to spare and raised it up around 6" which was plenty to clear the driveway so I thought. Got down the driveway fine (loaded up with two bikes) but when I came back in the driveway there was scraping. How could that be - the thing was up 6" higher. But it was not the rack, it was the ballmount, which hung down from the hitch insert. So I spent an hour removing the ballmount with a cutting wheel and thought I was good. Got down the driveway fine with bikes loaded but on the way back in heard a scrape again. The fourth bike tire loop assemblies dragged now. So, removed them and only mount them when I need to carry a fourth bike.

Overall I like it, but it should have a couple more inches from the hitch and a steeper rise to make up for not having the folding assembly like Yakimas do which picks them up 8 or so inches, but then I can't really complain since it is likely fine for almost all cars or trucks that don't have a rear mounted spare or have a steep driveway, so I rank it a 4.5 rounded up to 5 (3 if you have a 2004 CRV due to all the work I had to put into it) and a 5 for value compared to the competition.

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Favorite Trail:   Blankets

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $200.00

Purchased At:   HitchestoGo.com

Similar Products Used:   Thule spare mount rack, Yakima Kingpin

Bike Setup:   Prophet built from frame

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by a Weekend Warrior from Aurora

Date Reviewed: November 6, 2007

Strengths:    Easy to Assemble
Solid Construction
Pretty light but solid

Weaknesses:    Locking mechanism to lock bike to rack

Bottom Line:

The Swagman XC2 (6450) was easy to assemble. It took about 10 minutes. I bought a locking "J" pin to use instead of the included hitch pin. With the locking "J" pin, the rack does not move at all. There is no need for an additional anti-sway mechanism. The bike is held firmly in place with a couple of good presses down on the hook (I use a piece of cloth over the frame where the hook touches because of my OCD nature). It has a place for a small lock to prevent the hook from being released but the only purpose it would serve is to keep the honest, honest. I have driven from CO to NE without issue in my Chevy Colorado (hidden hitch). It had plenty of clearance going up and down my driveway and in and out of store parking lots. For the $140 price tag it’s awesome compared to paying close to 300 for a Thule or Yakima tray rack. If you want a great rack, with a small price tag that does its job well, this is for you.

Summary: For the price I paid you can't beat the solid construction, easiness of use, and performance. I have no regrets and will be buying the extension to add two bikes when my wife and little one start riding.

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Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $140.00

Purchased At:   www.bikerackshops.com

Bike Setup:   2005 Cannondale Synapse

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by c b a Weekend Warrior from fw, tx

Date Reviewed: July 8, 2007

Strengths:    This is for the 6450 2 bike rack.
Very nice. adjustable to fit all kinds of bikes, sturdy, not to heavy, arms fold up and middle can fold down to side.

Weaknesses:    Make sure and get the hitch stabilizer. If you don't, the rack will be loose and swing all over the place. They should actually sell it with the rack.

Bottom Line:

Don't waste your time with a non-wheel mount-hanging type bike racks anymore. They are all a pain and dated. The Swagman is less expensive than Thule or some others and does the same thing. The bars that hold the bike are covered with soft material and hold the them secure. The wheel loops are adjustable so you can easily fit any size bike. Doesn't take long to assemble either. Swagman has an add on for two more bikes which I plan to get.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $150.00

Purchased At:   swagman

Bike Setup:   Yeti (V -type top tube)

Overall Rating:

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Submitted by a Weekend Warrior from Utah

Date Reviewed: June 13, 2007

Strengths:    Easy to load, secure bike mount, no sway

Weaknesses:    Very heavy! I mean very very very heavy! No hitch lock included.

Bottom Line:

This is for the XC-4 model.

After struggling with roof racks I decided to get a hitch type. The first I got was a swing-away yakima type. It's heavy too, but snaking 4 bikes onto the mounts is difficult, particularly if you have water bottle cages and/or smaller kid frames to mount.

So I started looking for wheel mount units that can carry 4 bikes. This one is the cheapest, so I ordered it online.

It's very sturdy, no worries about overloading this unit! And there's very little sway behind the car, (without a tightening type hitch pin!) but it's heavy! I estimate 70 plus pounds! It's not too hard to put on the car, I can do it by myself but my wife won't be able to use this! If you have to haul your rack down/up a set of stairs, do not get this one!

It does load easier, if you take the top ratcheting mechanism completely off the post before mounting the bike it's even easier. Fits all the bikes we have, (kids and adults) We did lose the ability to open the back of the SUV with the bikes on, but I think that I saved gobs of bike mounting time with this unit.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $200.00

Similar Products Used:   Yakima, Thule

Bike Setup:   Old Specialized stumpjumper with just about everything replaced except the frame.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Steve Dashnaw a Weekend Warrior from Wayne, NJ

Date Reviewed: June 24, 2006

Strengths:    THIS IS FOR THE NEW XC4 MODEL

Simplicity and ease of use. Once set it up, you can load the bike in about 10 seconds each.

Weaknesses:    ??? none so far, will keep you posted

Bottom Line:

Buy this rack, and you will be most happy.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   The one I'm riding

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $220.00

Purchased At:   swagman

Similar Products Used:   None, had a thule roof rack on top of a GMC Jimmy before. NOw no more reaching up.

Bike Setup:   Santa Cruz Blur Classic with all fo the bells and whistles.

Reviews 1 - 15 (15 Reviews Total)

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Swagman XC Hitch Rack Bike Rack

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