Looking for a nice 2 bike Trailer Hitch Bike Rack for your vehicle? So was I. I’m about to head out on a road trip and decided to take my bike with me this time.
For me, a road trip means piling my photo gear into my 19 foot Road Trek and heading out. It’s a great vehicle and I’ve written about it before – see link. Bringing my bike along will allow me greater flexibility to get to those places where my Mini RV just doesn’t quite fit. But to bring my bike, I needed a bike carrier. Nothing huge – I’m just bringing one bike. But it had to be a hitch carrier – my vehicle is already tall enough! And the carrier had to allow my bike to ride behind the spare tire mounted to the back of my Road Trek as you can see in the photo. And finally, I didn’t want to spend a fortune for a carrier.
I found the perfect solution in the Sportwing 2 bike carrier by Highland. It’s a trailer hitch bike rack that really meets my needs. I got mine locally, but they are available all over the internet. Recently I gave it a test run here in the neighborhood. And I have to admit, it does have a few “issues”. Some parts of the rack ride close to my vehicle and some parts of the rack ride close to the bike. I am a bit concerned about the possibility of rubbing and bumping. The rack does come with some rubberized padding in some locations, but not enough and not in the right places for my set up. I’ve added some extra cushioning in strategic places. Also, given the configuration of my vehicle, I can’t open the rear door with the rack attached. The Sportwing has no “fold down” option. When the rack is on the hitch it is in the “upright position.” Now you can easily remove the two verticle uprights by removing a few retaining pins. Not a total disassembly – just minor -so I don’t think this will be a big problem. But still, it would be nice to have a “fold down” option. Of course, I was looking for a more budget priced rack and this is an example of the type of compromise that requires.
Overall, at this point I am really very satisfied with the rack. I’m heading out soon for a 3,000 plus mile photo adventure in my Road Trek and my bike is coming along on the Sportwing. I’ll let you know how it works in the real world.
Get biking ……………….. And Enjoy The Adventure!
Dr.B, The PhotoTrekker
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