Product Description

Easy loading and unloading of your bikes at ground level. Fast adjustable quick release tire hoops and ratcheting top arm allows you to quickly carry the widest range of bike frames. Top arms fold down and the base folds up to keep this rack our of the way when not in use. Carries up to 4 bikes (2-inch receiver only). Designed with a rise to offer more ground clearance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34911 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Swagman Bicycle Carriers
• Model: 64665

Features

• Cross-country bike rack that holds up to 4 bikes at once
• Set of easy-to-adjust, quick-release tire hoops
• Center arm folds down for easy access to rear of vehicle
• Powder-coated design protects against rust
• Designed for 2-inch receivers; includes wheel straps

Amazon.com Product Description
Transport up to four bikes at once whether driving across country or to the campsite with the Swagman XC-4 cross-country bike rack. Designed to fit a two-inch receiver hitch, the bike rack makes it easy to load and unload your bikes from ground level. The rack includes a set of fast-adjustable, quick-release tire hoops and a ratcheting top arm, helping it fit a wide range of bike frames. In addition, the rack's center arm folds down when not in use, making it easy to access the rear of the vehicle without removing the rack. And to ensure that your rack doesn't rust over time, the XC-4 is powder coated. Built to provide more ground clearance than other racks, the cross-country rack comes with new and improved wheel straps for bicycle security.

Customer Reviews

Does everything it says, but it still ain't easy
At our children's urging we recently purchased bicycles for ourselves so that we could take family rides together. Since we are not experienced cyclists, perhaps I am not the best judge of a bike rack; in fact, this is the first bike rack I have ever owned and perhaps that makes me a mite too critical.

That being said, however, on the whole, I am very pleased with this rack. It holds our four bikes extremely securely, including my women's frame bike (one of the reasons we decided to go with a platform-style bike rack, like this one). The bikes, when firmly fastened, don't budge at all. I like the fact that the bike rack tilts upward, away from the road, which gives us an added sense of security when driving over bumps. I like the fact that the arms ratchet down, rather than screw down, as a competitive rack does, as I find that we are often securing and then releasing the arms to better the position the bikes. Screwing and unscrewing would drive me up the wall. Plus, the ratcheting allows us to get a really snug fit. My husband always gives each arm one last little shove before we take off and the ratcheting feature ensures an incredibly tight fit.

On the downside, we still find getting the bikes on the rack a hassle. We bought the platform-style bike rack because we thought, based on various reviews, that it would be easier to load than a hanging rack -- and perhaps it is. Again here our inexperience shows. Using this bike rack, however, is still like fitting together a puzzle. Even though we've figured out which bikes fit best in which position and we've gotten the tire loops set just right, it's still a challenge. Invariably, the pedals are oriented wrong and getting in the way of installing the next bike, or rubbing against the ratchet arm, or one bike's seat doesn't slide under the other's handlebars exactly as it seemed to the last time we loaded the rack. It can be very frustrating, especially at the end of an exhausting and sweaty ride. (I would note from experience that it's best to stagger the tire loops as dramatically to the left and right as possible to make the loading as easy as possible.)

Also on the downside is the weight of the rack. We store ours in a walk-out basement and it's all my husband can do to get the thing out and up the little hill to our driveway. I definitely could not install the rack myself.

Some additional points: The rack I received was a newer model than the one in the picture. This created a few issues. For one, the assembly instructions which came with our rack was from the older model and completely useless. Moreover, we couldn't even look at the picture on the box for guidance because the picture was of the older model. Assembly was extremely frustrating. Also, if you are looking for a locking hitch pin, note that this rack (at least the newer model which we received) can not use a standard locking hitch pin; it requires a specialized threaded locking hitch pin which only Swagman seems to make.

And finally, the rack we received contained parts in which the powder coating had chipped off and the rack began rusting immediately. We contacted Swagman about this problem. The company representatives we've spoken to so far have been friendly and more than willing to exchange the parts, but even that experience has been frustrating. No one I've dealt with at the company calls back when they say they will, or responds to email, and then when I finally received a box of parts, only one of the three damaged parts was actually in it. I've been promised the remaining parts and expect I will receive them, but this has been a ridiculous hassle. I'm never impressed with poor, unprofessional customer service.

Nice Rack
This rack rides excellent on the back of my Avalanche. Hauls 4 bikes with a great deal of ease. There were a couple of small drawbacks. It takes a bit of time to get the bikes aligned decent, so they do not rub together. Once loaded properly though, they do not move. My major complaint however; is, the rubber covering the clamp that locks the tube into place, rubs off and leaves the tube marred. I have placed some lambs wool onto the clamps to alleviate that problem. Overall, this is a great rack and carries the bikes without any serious issues. Well worth the money, in fact it is by far the best rack going for the price.

Swagman XC-4 Cross-Country Bike Rack
If you are considering this rack, you have the same questions I had. How much of a hassle is it to hook up? Will the bikes ride securely without knocking into each other? Will the rack wobble/shake? Can you really load 4 bikes securely? Can road bikes fit as securely as MTBs? I've driven my '08 Yukon over 2,000 miles with the rack on back for the last 10 weeks. I've had 1,2,3,& 4 bikes loaded at various times. My simple answer is that it does all of the above well and therefore I highly recommend it.

Concerns: This is not a light rack (which is why is rides so securely) and though I can set it up on my vehicle myself, it is much easier with two people. The arms that come down to secure the bikes have a black pad that contacts your bike. This pad for some reason leaves a resin on the bike so I always put a rag between the arm pad and my bike to eliminate the resin marks. No big deal but the manufacturer should change this in its next product iteration. It doesn't come with a lock, so you'll want to get one so it cannot be easily removed from your vehicle.

Lastly, I rarely submit reviews, but I felt a debt of gratitude for the insight gained from reading other's reviews. Thanks everyone!

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