malhokc

I'm looking in to getting a bike rack for the RX. What are other people using. I have a 2" hitch receiver (round tube).

LexRX

Check deep in the RX gallery, one of the first few pages. I have some pics of my roof-mounted bike rack from toyota. It's the one that is pictured in the RX brochure. I've also posted another pic here

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...5&pagenumber=4

I, personally, prefer the roof-mounted racks. I like the look and it is out of my way. That's what the roof rack is for. I've had a hitch-mounted bikr rack before (on a different SUV) and soon returned it. It became annoying. I'm very pleased with my Toyota rack.

If you want a more detailed (close) picture, just ask.

-Nick

malhokc

Thanks LEXRX,

I'm actually looking at the one that connects to the tow hitch. Why didn't you like them. Also, isn't the roof rack a little to difficult to put the bikes without dropping the bikes on the roof. You must be pretty tall.

RX300_ATL

I'd also be interested in how you go about getting your bikes on top of your bike rack, since I'm about to buy a bike rack. My main fear with a rooftop rack is that it seems pretty easy to scratch my car with some part of my bike... the pedals, the gears, the fork... really, just about any part of my bike that comes in contact with the outside of my car could scratch it. And while I'm a tall guy, that means I have a tall bike, and it seems pretty challenging to get it up on the rack every time without scratching the car. Just takes one slip-up to put a scratch down the side of my car. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen, but since I've never owned a rooftop rack before, I can't say firsthand.

As for getting a hitch bike rack... I bought my RX300 w/out a hitch... so I'd need to install one. I heard "Hidden Hitch" makes one predrilled for the Highlander/RX300, I may get one of those- it's about 1/3 the price of a Lexus/Toyota hitch, and I'm not going to be towing anything.

To me, it just looks like putting the bike on a hitch-mounted rack is the safest option for my car.

malhokc

I don't have a tow hitch also. I am looking into buying the HiddenHitch #70777 from eTrailer.com. The cost is $99.95 +_ S/H . It's a Class III rated so it comes with a 2" receiver, other than that it is identical to the Lexus design except it is made of tubular steel. It seems like a quality unit with a perfect fit and easy install.

LexRX

A hitch mounted rack is probably safer than the roof mounted in terms of scratching your vehicle, but somtimes you just gotta take a risk!! Seriously though, I prefer the look and convenience of the roof mounted rack, so I'll put up with the hazard of scratching. I've done pretty good so far I don't like having the hitch mounted rack sitting back there all the time, and it got in my way whenever I wanted to open the hatch. True, it had a fold away feature to allow access to the hatch, but it was still a pain.

I'm 6'2", so it isn't a problem for me to throw the bike up on the RX. Also, the mountain bike I was using (don't have it anymore) was a great bike - lightweight. So it was very easy to grab it and set it on the rack. My rack is also lightweight, I would say more so than any hitch mounted rack - if that makes any difference.

I've traveled on the highway (for those Atlantan's, I was on I-75) for two hours at 70-80 mph speeds with no problem. If I want to check how the bike is doing while driving, I just open the shade for the sunroof.

Also, the clearance for the hatch, when open, and moonroof, when open, is not a problem.

So, basically, I had a lightweight bike, long legs and was careful when mounting the bike. Overall, I'm not saying one is better than the other, it's just why I like the roof mounted over the hitch mounted, from my experinece. Deciding between the two really depends on your needs/wants which is why I'm glad to help with any questions.

-Nick

Picutures to follow.

LexRX

Continuing the "more than you ever wanted to know about Nick's bike rack"

This first picture gives you a general idea of this particular rack. Many, most that I see, that are roof mounted require that you remove the front tire. You don't with this one, a MAJOR feature for me. I'm all about convenience.

The part sticking up doesn't stay like that, it rests down. I just raised it to show what it looks like when holding a bike.

LexRX

The next two pics just show how it mounts to the roof rack. There are large pieces of rubber to keep it tight, from moving, or making any noise.

LexRX

It always seems to be perfectly sunny outside whenever I need to take pictures

RX300_ATL

Thanks for the advice.

I think for me the hitch rack will be worth the extra effort, since I won't be as paranoid about scratching the car. And there's gotta be one that's easy to remove once I get home from biking. And that hopefully is theft resistant for when I go biking in the city.

I think if I went w/ a roof rack, one day I'd be tired from biking and scratch my car, maybe not this year, but eventually, and then I'd regret not getting a rack to go on the back.

I drive on I-75 in Atlanta every day, I think the minimum speed is 75 or 80 (when you can move at all)... so I'll have to secure my bike really well.

LexRX

That's for sure! There is no guarantee some crazy driving won't ram into your bikes too :eek: Chances are high with local frequent I-75 drivers.

As for the hitch mounted rack, you can get one with two, three, even four places for holding bicycles. Since the rack slides into the receiver, you can just buy a pin that has a lock on it, so no one steals the rack. The rack itself should have a lock to keep the bicycles secure.

If you are close to Kennesaw (Town Center Mall - Barrett Pkwy) There is a Galyan's in a shopping center next to the Costco, and a bike shop in the same shopping center as Galyan's. Both should have what you are looking for.

The hitch mounted bike rack I had on my Explorer I bought from http://www.performanceproducts.com This one pictured below is from Performance Product's website.

-Nick

LexRX

lockable pin

01VaporBlueRX

I have a hitch mounted bike rack and i think its great for me. I got it from gearonthego.com it holds two bikes but u can buy an extender for it. i got it for 183 because it was on sale. it has a lock for the bikes built in and came with a locking hitch pin. It can fold back and is very easy to take on and off.
-Paul

RX300_ATL

We must be neighbors, I live in the Town Center area. Galyans usually has good prices, and their bike racks look pretty decent.

In 2000 I had an Atlanta driver rear-end my last car at about 40 mph while I was stopped! She was looking at something in her rearview mirror. It's possible someone could hit my bike, but I guess that's what insurance is for- if they even have it.

LexRX

Cool, I didn't know you lived that close. I actually live in Cartersville, but I put Atlanta in my profile because it's just easier to say Atlanta area. I'm about 15min from town center. Right now I'm in Macon at Mercer University. So, I'm actually running right through Atlanta to go home every once in a while. I'm all over the place!

My dad was rear ended going 70 on I-75 In downtown ATL about a year ago a car cut me off so I had to brake hard and a van who just merged hehind me ran into me. Luckily I was driving a Yukon then, and the beast was okay - the van's bumper was dented. It's an adventure every time!

-Nick