The best vertical bike rack for your car
Bike racks were only designed to carry the two-wheelers horizontally till the vertical hanging bike racks came into the market. A vertical hanging rack holds the bikes in a vertical position. The crown and rear wheel of the bikes rests on two horizontal bars which span from a vertical mast fixed to the hitch receiver of the car.
Yakima, a global bike rack, is the first company in the world to make a vertical hanging hitch-mounted rack with the highest load capacity of six suspension fork bikes. Yakima has named these racks Hangover, a version of this rack accommodates 4 such bikes. These vertical hanging racks are a blessing for riders who love their suspension fork bikes, mountain bikes and fat bikes.
Let's have a look at the best vertical bike rack and what the talk is all about
Hangover Vertical Hitch Rack for Suspension Fork Bikes
Best Overall
- Good quality
Pros
- Multiple bike carriers for mountain bikes
- Sturdy
Cons
- Loading bikes tough for a short person
Upright Revolution’ is how Yakima likes to describe its widely popular Hangover vertical hanging bike racks. These racks are great to carry multiple bike racks.
Unlike the traditional bike racks that hold bikes horizontally, the hangover holds the bikes close to the vehicle. This keeps the centre of gravity of the rack and loaded bikes close to the vehicle. While the traditional racks exert more weight on a hitch and the rack as the weight is spread out behind the rear of the vehicle.
Hangover Vertical Hitch Rack for Suspension Fork Bikes
Hangover, a heavy-duty hitch-mounted vertical bike rack, is designed on the concept of more bikes in less space. This vertical rack provides a great way to haul up to four mountain bikes safely on your vehicle. Hangover’s vertical configuration allows it to carry more bikes in limited space. This rack offers narrow spacing between the bikes to haul maximum bikes within the width of the car.
This rack is built from heavy-duty steel and Yakima has tested it in a lab to meet high standards which the rack maker is known for. This rack is a super heavy duty carrier to transport multiple bikes. It can haul four bikes with a weight of 37.5 LBS per bike. And Hangover does it with full precaution to protect your bikes and vehicle from nasty scratches and paint job damages.
The installation part is basic and quick. YAKIMA Hangover fits on a 2-inch hitch receiver of your minivans, sedans, hatchback, SUVs and trucks. Loading bikes on this rack may appear a bit tricky in the beginning but it becomes a walk in the park after a few attempts. You have to raise the fork’s crown of the bike above the top cradle. A not so tall person may take some attempts to master the loading procedure.
The hangover comes with an easy-to-operate tilt mechanism with two adjustable mast angles to prevent bikes from hitting the car when you tackle bumpy roads. This rack is ideal for cycling buddies, families and tour operators.
This rack weighs 65 LBS. Its dimensions are 22.00in x W 46.00in x H 60.00 inches.
In this rack, a mast rises vertically to form the hitch of your car and supports two perpendicular bars with the width of the vehicle. The crowns of the bike and rear wheels are attached to these bars which ensure safe and sturdy performance despite the heavy load of bikes. The vertical rack offers a sturdier and more reliable design that keeps the weight of bikes close to the vehicle. This rack puts less pressure on the hitch due to its centre of gravity close to the vehicle.
A hangover is designed for two stanchion suspension forks. The cradle system is engineered to secure bikes from their crown. YAKIMA has taken care of security issues for transportation of expensive bikes. This rack has a welded loop on the back of the mast to protect your bikes.
The adjustable mast feature and new straps in this rack ensure that the fork secures firmly to the rack. It is a simple and highly functional bike rack.
YAKIMA Hangover does not obstruct the visibility of the taillights in most cases unlike the traditional rear fitted bike racks for cars. Hangover has a narrow zone to hold bikes which causes no hindrance to the visibility of the taillights.
This rack is compatible with the Yakima’s BackSwing hitch swing adapter. This adapter allows this rack to easily swing the entire rack away from full tailgate access.
This hitch bike rack has a foot-operated tilt mechanism that alters the rack position for an easy loading and unloading experience. It allows easy access to the cargo area without withdrawing the bikes, thanks to its tilt down action. It accommodates fat bikes and also is compatible with the backswing. It has a soft padding protection fork finish. It prevents contact between the bike tyre and your vehicle. The bike rack has a built-in bottle opener.
Our thoughts on the best vertical bike rack for cars
Hangover vertical bike rack is a blessing to transport heavy bikes. It’s the best bike rack option to haul suspension fork bikes including mountain bikes on your vehicle. It will keep bikes and cars safe during travel through harsh terrain.