1UP Heavy Duty Rack Review

Bike racks come in all shapes and sizes. Some are made for the roofs of vehicles while other go onto the back. The hitch mount variety tend to be the most secure, aerodynamic, and easily locked of the varieties currently available. Having your bike attached to the back of your vehicle for the first time while driving down the highway at 75MPH can be a bit stressful. You are expecting the rack to hold onto you bicylce that can cost over $10,000! This is where a heavily built rack with a strong latching system will give the buyer a true sense of ease. 1UP has been making racks for a number of years. 1UP takes their rack building to the extreme by using machining, billet and very high grade hardware to ensure a very robust design that will likely hold onto your bikes better than The Hulk!

"We manufacture and sell quality bicycling products and back them up with the best customer service. Our 1 1/4" hitch mounted bike racks , 2" Hitch mounted bike racks, and roof tray bike racks are top quality. The aluminum bike racks are fast loading and light weight. Our modular rack design allows customers to have a 1 bike rack up to a 4 bike rack carrier. Our aluminum bicycle trainer is very sturdy and is the most quiet bike trainer on the market. It has a road-like feel, folds up small for storage, and has a 7lb flywheel. These cycling products are Made in the USA and come with a great warranty. With our 60-day money back guarantee, you have nothing to lose!"

"The fastest Hitch-mounting and Bike loading Rack ever! 100% Made in the USA

Mounting the 1up USA Quik-Rack to your Vehicle in 10 seconds or less!

This rack has a solid 2" hitch bar and is a fixed 2-bike system.   It cannot be reduced down to fit into a 1 1/4" hitch, and the second trays cannot be taken off to make a 1-bike system.  It was designed for people who are interested or planning to carry up to 4 bikes.  This rack is also great for off-road situations.  It weighs 48lbs.  It is $31 more expensive than a Quik-Rack + Add-on due to the heavier duty hitch bar.

The 1up USA Quik-Rack has more features than any other bike carrier. Fully assembled and ready for use. You won't get bags full of nuts and bolts to assemble. It mounts to your vehicle in 10 seconds with a unique corner expander ball that eliminates all wobble and play. To mount the Quik-Rack just insert it until it stops, then tighten the anti-theft security expander bolt (1-2 turns). That's it! No Hitch Pin or bolt to install or lose. 1up USA provides the anti-theft security tool needed for the 5 second job. To remove the Quik-Rack just loosen the anti-theft security expander bolt (1-2 turns) and remove the Quik-Rack from the hitch. The one-of-a-kind anti-theft security tool and expander bolt prevents rack or Add-On theft. We are so confident that our security system will prevent rack theft that if your Quik-Rack is stolen off your vehicle we will replace it for FREE!  When not in use it folds down in just 5 seconds and fits back in it's reusable box.

Loading your bikes on the 1up USA Quik-Rack in 5 seconds or less.

Loading your bike could not be easier. Just open the arms, set your bike in then close the arms. Your bike is securely held by the tires only. It takes only 5 seconds to load your bike and 5 seconds to unload! There are no bungee cords, straps or clamps to fuss with. The 1up USA Quik-Rack can be used with most bikes and wheel sizes. All bikes with wheel sizes from 16 to 29 inch and as wide as 3-1/4 inch will fit the Quik-Rack. Bike wheel base up to 52 inch (axle to axle) will work also. When not in use it folds down in just 5 seconds and fits back in it's reusable box only 38" X 14" X 10 " and weighs only 48 pounds. Small enough to fit in the trunk of your vehicle. You will not find features like this on any other rack."

Buying a bike rack is usually an ordeal based on whatever the local shop has in stock. This can be very limiting and will usually only give two options of racks to choose from. These racks typically go from $300-$400 in price. The 1UP is a $600 rack so it costs a fair bit more money than the major brands. But its build quality and retention system more than make up for the price hike. This rack is 100% made in the USA and if you can afford a $6000 bicycle paying a few hundred more for a more durable rack to hold it onto your vehicle shouldn't be a serious issue.

The 1UP uses an arm on each end that goes up and over the wheels. It will fit 16"-29" wheels and using a 2.5 tire on it is a non issue. The silver part below the trays has ribs cut into it that the red arms slide along. The red arms have a rod that drops down into the ribs and provides the tension to hold the rack closed. To open the rack and get the bike off you press the arms in toward the bike and lift the small red arm up and make it level with the silver section. Then you can open the arm up and do the same to the other side then remove your bike.

Instead of using a receiver hitch pin to hold the rack onto the vehicle 1UP went another route. They used a ball on the back corner of the tongue. It floats on a large bolt with a special Allen Key head and as you tighten it down all the slack is removed between the tongue and the reciever by pushing the bolt into the receiver.

Overall the 1UP rack was a joy to use. It held the bikes in place going over rough terrain and moved very little. It has no play in the hitch like most mass produced racks have. This really cuts down on bike movement and over time will produce less wear and tear on the rack itslef.

Loading bikes into the 1UP was a snap it can be done in seconds. We ran DH, 29r's, "Enduro", and kids bikes in the rack wih no issue. Being able to fit a bike with a 52" Wheelbase is a sign that it should work for DH rigs for the next decade or so. The 1UP USA rack is in a league of its own. This is a highly refined rack made to hold bicycles securley to any vehicle with a hitch mount. In fact the quality of this rack is so high it would not be shocking to learn they make no money selling them for what they do.

The 1UP Rack is a beautiful system. The design, finish and fabrication of this rack is on another level. It's ease of use and and ability to hold up the bikes in a secure manner make it a no brainer. If you are looking for a nice hitch mount rack be sure to check out what 1UP has to offer. We would for sure suggest this rack to a friend or family memeber. Why hold your $8000 bike onto your $30,000 car with a $350 rack that wears out after a year or two and bounces all around inside the reciever when the roads get rough when you could just get the 1UP and be done with it.

Questions For 1UP USA

1.     How did 1UP come to be?
Cal Phillips started 1UP USA in 2000 as he developed his first trainer and realized selling it through a distributor would make it too expensive.  Ecommerce was just gaining traction, so he jumped on board and made his on website.
2.     What were some of the products you stated building and designing first?
The trainer and quick-nuts were his first products.
3.     What made 1UP decide to enter the bike rack market?
Cal saw the need for a platform style rack back in 2005 as he hated using other brands that just didn’t meet his expectations.
4.     When designing the rack what were some of the main objectives you had in mind?
Fast loading, unloading and durability.
5.     Where there any features you knew you just had to have on the rack?
By taking a look at ever other rack’s weaknesses then he just set out to solve as many problems as possible.
6.     Why use a ball on the receiver to tighten it against the tongue versus say the traditional pin retention style?
That’s a huge feature for 1UP as it not only wedges it rock solid in the receiver, but also allows a couple inches of adjustment in or out depending the vehicle and clearance to the bumper.
7.     The rack can hold up to 4 bikes with the extra trays bolted on correct?
All of our racks are rated for up to 2 add-ons.  Our 2” 2-bike models are rated for up to 4 bikes.
8.     Will the rack hold a Fat Bike? If no and plans on making a wider tray?
The fat-bike market is one of our largest niches.  All of our racks are compatible with fat-bikes with the addition of our fat-bike spacer kit.  We were the first to adapt!
9.     Ever thought of doing a Motocross version of the rack?
Yes, it’s an idea on the drawing board.
10.  If you have the 2” receiver is there an easy way to convert it to a 1 1/4”?
Our 1 ¼” racks are all sent with a 2” adapter.
11.  Any tips or tricks you would like to share for using the 1UP or maintaining it over the years?
Keep them clean, check the fastening points where the rack pivots incase tightening or replacements are necessary.  Don’t leave the rack on for years at a time.  The receiver is the first thing to rust on all vehicles and will fuse to the hitch bar of the rack if not taken out on occasion.
12.  Is the ribbed aluminum section that holds the red arms in place replaceable if it ever wears too much?
Yes, the glide bars can be replaced.  It would take thousands of cycles to wear those out.