1up USA Quik Rack - Review
1up USA is a relatively small company that manufactures their bike racks, as well as cargo carriers, trainers, and rollers, in their Wisconsin headquarters. Unlike the very large majority of tray-stay racks out there that employ a single adjustable arm that cinches down over your bike's front wheel, their Quik Rack makes use of two arms, one at each end, that fold down over each wheel. The arms only contact the tires - there is zero metal-on-metal touching – and the rack folds both up and down to allow access to your trunk.
1up USA sells single-bike (1 1/4'' and 2'') and two-bike (2'' only) racks, as well as add-ons and burly 'Super Duty' models, but it's their standard two-bike, $529 USD Quik Rack that's reviewed below.
1up USA sells single-bike (1 1/4'' and 2'') and two-bike (2'' only) racks, as well as add-ons and burly 'Super Duty' models, but it's their standard two-bike, $529 USD Quik Rack that's reviewed below.
Quik Rack Details
• Contact w/ only your bike's tires
• Carries two bikes (+2 add-on available)
• 2'' hitch bar
• Aluminum construction
• Expanding wobble-free hitch system
• Anti-theft expander bolt
• Compatible w/ 16'' to 29'' wheels, up to a 52'' wheelbase
• Compatible w/ up to 3.125'' tires
• Weight: 48lbs
• Made in the U.S.A.
• MSRP: $529 USD
• www.1up-usa.com
• Contact w/ only your bike's tires
• Carries two bikes (+2 add-on available)
• 2'' hitch bar
• Aluminum construction
• Expanding wobble-free hitch system
• Anti-theft expander bolt
• Compatible w/ 16'' to 29'' wheels, up to a 52'' wheelbase
• Compatible w/ up to 3.125'' tires
• Weight: 48lbs
• Made in the U.S.A.
• MSRP: $529 USD
• www.1up-usa.com
Ratcheting arms close down over both the front and rear wheels.
The arms come down over the wheels, and the coupler squeezes down onto the tires.
Construction and Design
A normal tray-style rack features one adjustable arm that grabs your bike's front tire up against the fork, as well as a wheel strap to hold the back-end on the tray. Sure, some companies do this a bit differently, but Thule, Yakima, Küat, et al. pretty much follow a similar recipe. 1up USA does not, however. Instead, the Quik Rack employs symmetrical arms at the end of the trays that both go down over each wheel. They don't need to be up against, or even close to, your frame or fork, with the support coming from the arms encompassing about half of each wheel.
The arms also have a cross-section coupler that can be repositioned to better fit different wheel sizes, although this does require some tools to do, and a set of snap-on adapters grip pinner road bike tires as well. The rack can carry everything from kids bikes with 16'' wheels to rigs with massive 29+ rubber.
Lift up on this red lever to re-position the arm.
The linkage locks down onto these teeth to hold the arm in place.
A ratcheting linkage is used to re-position each arm and hold it in place, so the Quik Rack's arms actually lock into position whereas the single arms on other tray-style racks are held in place by them ratcheting down onto your bike's tire. To open the arms, you pull up on the anodized red lever that frees each arm to fold out; the bike goes onto the tray, and then both the left and right arms can be lowered down over the wheels (without needing to pull on the release levers) evenly. The arms can't open unless you pull the release lever, but you can cinch them down over the wheels more as required.
1up USA's choice to use two ratcheting arms rather than a single arm per bike, as well as having a slight height differential between the inner and outer trays, allows for one very important fact: you can easily keep multiple bikes from making contact with each other, without needing to lower seats or rotate handlebars or brake levers to prevent one bike from trying to beat the shit out of the one next to it like they're angry siblings strapped into the backseat during a long road trip.
Instead, it's as easy as using the dual arms to have one bike sit a little more to the left or right relative to its neighbor.
Instead, it's as easy as using the dual arms to have one bike sit a little more to the left or right relative to its neighbor.
The height differential between the trays, and the ability to stagger the bikes side to side, means that the Quik Rack only sticks out 24.5'' from the back of my hitch receiver when folded down.
This also means that 1up USA isn't forced to have a ton of room in between each tray, letting the two-bike version protrude a reasonable 24.5'' from the receiver (this will vary a bit depending on how deep the hitch bar is loaded into the receiver) when folded down, and just 9'' when folded up.
 |
 It sure looks sturdy. |
The Quik Rack's aluminum frame consists of a bunch of different pieces all bolted together and attached to a burly looking hitch bar with a built-in expanding edge to hold it into your vehicle's receiver. The wedge is tightened by turning a monster-sized, theft-resistant hex bolt with the supplied hex key. It's not a lock, but the chances of a POS scumbag having a recessed hex key is slim to none, and the access to it is nearly completely hidden inside of the hitch bar. If you're really concerned (and it doesn't hurt to be), you can pick up 1up USA's locking hitch pin, as well as their separate wheel locks that run through the arm and between the spokes, both of which sell for a reasonable $19 USD. My test rack came with the latter but not the locking hitch pin, which is probably the setup that I'd recommend.
It sticks out 24.5'' when folded down.
And just 9'' when folded up.
Pulling up on the spring-loaded black bar allows the rack to be folded up and down.
1up USA uses a security hex bolt to tighten the rack into the receiver with an expanding wedge.
The Quik Rack folds up vertically, so it's out of the way when it isn't carrying your baby, down flat when it's loaded up, and also tipped down to allow access to your trunk or hatchback. A simple spring-loaded bar locks the rack into each position, and you only need to pull it up to let the rack rotate up or down.
Performance
The Quik Rack comes completely assembled – you just need to slide it into your car's receiver and fold it down – so there was zero chance for me to lose any bolts or tiny washers before I got everything set up. It cinches down with that aforementioned expanding wedge and security hex bolt/key, which takes all of thirty seconds, and 1up USA also includes a Velcro safety strap that you run over the rack and through the loop in your receiver assembly. The strap feels kinda hokey, especially given the entire package's sturdy construction, but it's probably a better fallback than nothing at all.
 |
| You can easily carry two bikes (or four if you have the bolt-on addition) on the Quik Rack without them making any contact whatsoever. |
Here's a list of tasks that are more difficult than loading two bikes onto the Quik Rack: tying your shoes, making microwaveable oatmeal for dinner, putting on a pair of pants. You get it the idea. Lift the red levers to let the arms be folded out like wings, then put the bike on the tray and snug each arm down over the tire. If the bike is in the middle of the rack and the arms are brought down an equal distance, the bike will sit dead center behind your car.
If you want to stagger the bike to the left or right to prevent contact with its neighbor, which seems to be the bane of so many other designs on the market, you simply don't fold out one arm as much as the other so that the bike sits off-center. I've had at least six different types of bikes on the rack and had zero issues with any of them touching so long as I used the arms to stagger them off-center, regardless of frame size or bike type.
When you get to the mountain, lifting up on just one of the red levers to let a single arm rotate out of the way – you don't need to back both of them off to get your bike – and it's free. You do need to hold the release lever up throughout the entirety of the arm's travel.
When you get to the mountain, lifting up on just one of the red levers to let a single arm rotate out of the way – you don't need to back both of them off to get your bike – and it's free. You do need to hold the release lever up throughout the entirety of the arm's travel.
Keeping the bikes from touching is pointless if they fall off the rack on the way to the mountain, but I don't think that could ever happen when it comes to the Quik Rack. I mean, you'd have to really mess up the loading; like, actually forget to clamp one of the wheels with an arm, to have a bike eject at any point. And the bikes also feel pretty solid once they're on the rack due to the arms holding both the front and rear wheels, whereas a more traditional rack only grabs the front wheel.
The expanding hitch did back off a bit just once after about a month of use, but I suspect that this was everything settling in – it never happened again.
The expanding hitch did back off a bit just once after about a month of use, but I suspect that this was everything settling in – it never happened again.
The Quik Rack has been completely trouble-free while I've had it attached to the back of my derelict van that's probably worth less than the rack. I'll be honest, though: with so many separate pieces and so much hardware holding it all together, I expected something or other to rattle loose, or maybe the aluminum teeth on the ratcheting system to wear down to nubs and not hold the arms in place. None of that has happened yet, though, despite months and months of use during what has to be the worst winter that I can remember. This thing looks like it'll last forever.
Thule's T2 Pro
The Kuat NV 2.0
Quik Rack vs T2 Pro vs NV 2.0
Let's compare 1up USA's standard two-bike setup to two other racks, both of which are surely more commonly seen and that we've recently reviewed: Thule's T2 Pro that I tested in November of last year, and Küat's NV 2.0 that was reviewed by Mike Kazimer this past January. At $529 USD, the Quik Rack is surprisingly the least expensive of the three, despite it being manufactured in the USA, with the T2 Pro costing about $20 more. At $629.00 USD, the Küat is by far the priciest of the group, although that does include the NV 2.0's nifty built-in repair stand (pictured below).
A single-bike add-on for the Quik Rack costs a hefty $199, although the two-bike add-on for the T2 Pro is $399.95, so they're both the same. The two-bike extension for the NV 2.0 is $429.00, again making the Küat the more expensive setup overall.
Both the NV 2.0 and the T2 Pro feature integrated cable locks that extend out from the rack itself, whereas the Quik Rack makes use of standalone locks that have to be purchased separately from 1up USA for $19 each and run through the folding arms to lock only the wheel or wheels to the rack. Best to pick up a cable lock for the Quik Rack.
Both the NV 2.0 and the T2 Pro feature integrated cable locks that extend out from the rack itself, whereas the Quik Rack makes use of standalone locks that have to be purchased separately from 1up USA for $19 each and run through the folding arms to lock only the wheel or wheels to the rack. Best to pick up a cable lock for the Quik Rack.
The NV 2.0 is expensive, but it includes a built-in repair stand.
All three racks do the same job, sure, but there's a clear winner in my mind.
The T2 Pro is a high-end unit, but the ratcheting arm (pictured to the right) that I used most often felt loose and rattle-y after awhile, and you're likely going to have some handlebar-to-seat contact if you don't slide the trays laterally to create more clearance between the bikes. A good rack, but not trouble-free, then. Kazimer clearly liked the NV 2.0 a lot and had no real issues with it but, at least to me, it doesn't appear to be as bomb-proof as the Quik Rack, and it costs $100 USD more.
If I'm buying one of those three, it's going to be the Quik Rack.
The T2 Pro is a high-end unit, but the ratcheting arm (pictured to the right) that I used most often felt loose and rattle-y after awhile, and you're likely going to have some handlebar-to-seat contact if you don't slide the trays laterally to create more clearance between the bikes. A good rack, but not trouble-free, then. Kazimer clearly liked the NV 2.0 a lot and had no real issues with it but, at least to me, it doesn't appear to be as bomb-proof as the Quik Rack, and it costs $100 USD more.
If I'm buying one of those three, it's going to be the Quik Rack.
The T2 Pro's ratcheting arm became loose and rattle-y after awhile.
Issues
The Quik Rack is probably the most secure and easiest to use rack that I've ever had, with one somewhat annoying exception. The spring-loaded release bar that needs to be depressed to fold the rack up or down is kinda of a pain in the ass to use, especially because the rack's pivots are still quite stiff despite months and months of use throughout a whole lot of terrible weather. That in itself is a good thing – I'd rather it be stiff than loose and full of rattles – but having to reach up and over the rack to pull the bar, combined with the stiff pivots, makes it feel a bit awkward. Also, the release bar will often only disengage the detents on one side, even when I grab it smack dead in the middle.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | The Quik Rack isn't quite perfect, but it's damn close. Not only is it less expensive than its direct competitors, but it's also easier to use when carrying more than just a single bike and it's more robust. Yes, $529 USD is a lot of money no matter how you slice it, but 1up USA is producing the best rack on the market for that price. - Mike Levy |
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www.oneupcomponents.com
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14585591
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14585590
One of my old one at around 7 years old:
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14585646
Super Duty Single (Only works with 2" receivers):
www.1upusa.com/product-SDquikrackblack.html
www.1upusa.com/product-SDquikracksilver.html
Regular Single (Works with 1 1/4" and 2" receivers via removable adapter block):
www.1upusa.com/product-quikrackblack.html
www.1upusa.com/product-quikracksilver.html
Despite that one "issue" it's still the best rack I've used and is still faster to load/unload and is more secure than any other rack I'm aware of.
I agree with the one negative that the springloaded mechanism is kind of a pain to deal with. I wish they would use some kind of lever like Kuat does. but thats a small quibble. Overall the rack is bombproof. Looks great. Super easy to load and unload and when im not using, it stays out of the way i basically leave it on 24/7 with a Master lock inserted into the hole where the hex security bolt is accessed.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14586244
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14586243
I run the regular 2-rack version with two additional trays when I'm with the family (1/2" wrench allows for a quick change to fit my son's 16" wheels). I also have the Quick Rack Adaptor that allows additional trays to be mounted on a different vehicle...2 racks in one. And it can accommodate fat bikes with a kit. And they sell a slick storage mount for the garage.
Buy thule, yakima, Kuat, etc: you might as well budget spending an extra $600 every 3 years because the plastic will get brittle, the steel will rust, and the thing will fall apart.
I get you like the 1up, but don't make shit up. No one pays MSRP for one either.
But where I live in Western Canada, we put racks through their paces 'cause of the weather. Our roads are salted heavily, lots of snow, rain, etc - so it's a reality that traditional steel / powdercoat racks crap out.
My friend's T2 lasted... 3 years.
I actually kinda wish I could just go with the smooth sliders: I never had an issue with loosening, & the little tension that you feel like you have to fight against to get the lever to pop up only started with the toothed ones.
Rack was quieter opening & closing too.
www.1upusa.com/product-quikracksilver.html
The original 1 1/4 rack allowed for 4 bike trays. I've seen this rack and the newer one is actually burlier. I think he bumped it down to 3 supported because there was a lot of flex in the system with 4 bikes and you start pushing the Class1 tongue weight of 200 lbs. With the 2" rack and 4 bikes you still get some flex but it's more reasonable. I've had 4 DH bikes on some gnarly Jeep roads and I was more worried about my Jeep than the rack. One thing the pics don't show is each tray is higher off the ground as you get further out. So your much less likely to bottom the rack out when driving over humps. I cringe every time I see other racks with 4 bikes hit a bump and harshly bottom out the rack.
All parts are AL or Stainless steel, including the bolts, this is huge when living in a coastal area that loves to over-salt the roads in the winter, like I do. I leave my rack on year round and after 7 years very little corrosion/wear is showing. You do need to pull the rack out from time to time and grease the ball joint and the sleeve. I have had the rack rust into my car after I left it in for 3 years straight.
All parts are also replaceable and listed on their website. So if you back your car into something, like I have a couple of times, you can order the parts for reasonable $ and have it running brandy new. He's also made the rack backwards compatible with older racks so things like FatBike tray arms can be purchased and installed on any version of their rack.
Yes, it is very difficult to raise/drop the rack with bikes on it. It's not too bad with 1 or 2 bikes but 4 is kind of crazy. You are talking close to 200 lbs. of rack and bikes your moving and it can be done solo, but not very easily. You do need to check the hitch bolt from time to time. I have had mine loosen up. Other than that the rack rocks!
For three or less bikes the 1up rocks. For more than three, I love my Recon Rack.
Something else worth pointing out is that stacking the attachments higher away from the car also prevents the rack from hitting the ground. I've had long racks before (more later) that, when you backed out of a driveway that had any grade to it, the rack would scrape the ground. By raising the attachments further from the base, it prevents the rack from hitting the ground.
I found it to be really secure, the only "problem" I have is that, similar to this review, the retaining bolt backs out over time. I've had this with every rack I've used and I think it has to do with the rack moving around, along with temperature fluctuations causing it to loosen a bit. The rack itself never gets loose, but I always check it before going on a long drive or about once a month.
I went from a Kuat Transfer, which I had really bad experiences with. The rack constantly came loose in the hitch and would rattle around all over the place, one time I swear my bars came within an inch of my rear window. Even when everything was tightened, the rack still moved a fair amount and shook around like crazy. It also sagged under load whenever more than 2 bikes were on it, the rack sagged towards the ground. I scraped it a few times backing up with bikes on the rack, as a result. Granted, the Transfer was much less expensive, but this is one of those things that the investment justifies the benefits, I figured the $500 was a small price to pay compared to what someone opening the hatch into the rack would do to my car.
1. The wheelarms rattled a little at highway speeds when the rack was empty and closed, which apparently is a problem people complain about - that got annoying fast. 1Up folks did not have any solution for me, but I bought a $2 pack of small clear silicone pads from Home Depot and stuck one at the top of each inside arm - perfectly silent and invisible solution, and I hope 1Up have adopted it!
2. Having the levers on the backside is even more annoying on a roof rack. If only there was some way to engineer it to have the lever on the front but the brace on the back, it would be absolutely perfect. The lever is pretty tough to operate sometimes and the teeth seem pretty worn down, but I didn't know I could play around with the spring tension.
3. The grey anodized coating started to quickly wear and peel off after about 18 months - at the front of the rack and around the areas where it attaches to the crossbars (basically, where it probably gets the most wind & contact wear). The aluminum underneath is not super noticeable in the grey, but I bet if I had ordered the black version (which I wanted but was sold out) I'd be pretty pissed.
Anyone have experience with 1up customer service? I've heard mostly good, mixed reviews.
Can attest to this function working even on the super-duty 1+1 setup I have, which has less of a angle between the first and second bikes than does the dedicated 2-bike model. You just open up both arms all the way, position the bikes, and crank down the arms.
2 all-mountain bikes arrived safely at their destination, snug in their racked positions, at the end of the somewhat rough Middle Fork/hot springs forest service road, aboard a 1UP attached to a Ford Raptor being driven at the maximum reasonable woods-driving speed.
Same Raptor backed into a Toyota Camry with same racks attached (no bikes), one of the rack trays twisted slightly but was easily pushed back into place, unlike the Camry which was totally fkd.
I like how you can spell 'Delica' with 'derelict'. Oh wait no you can't. Damn.
The tailgator does 4 bikes and the stabilizer does 2 but they also sell the extension to go up to 4 bikes for $30 bucks.
So if you ride solo a lot, and never shuttle more than 3 bikes (on the hitch) buy the single rack plus an add on tray. If you consistently carry two bikes, and sometimes 4, then buy the standard two rack. The standard two bike rack can't be downsized to one.
could you please rate 4 bike versions of bike racks?
4 bike racks are far more tricky to get bikes on without bar and seat interference. Every rack I have encountered work pretty good with two bikes.
Maybe rating only 2 bike configurations constitutes 1/2 of a review? These reviews really inform my purchasing decisions. I would be so stoked to see part two- the 4 bike review!!
Thanks either way. Your reviews are awesome!!
So I replaced it. I will not use any other hitch rack. I have the 2 bike option. It has carried everything from my 29+, Trek Remedy , Domane and my wifes 47cm road bike. Great construction. Great customer service. Built in the USA.
Get one. Best rack I've ever owned.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14586685
Have never seen a 1Up rack for a low sale price online. I'm assuming the only people who get them discount since they aren't on every retail shelf in the country is shop rats and industry folk.
Rick
3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQvsTccY5tY/VSL5PiYlSBI/AAAAAAAAI5Y/kbGlAYmvy0U/s1600/IMG_20150405_150819.jpg
www.instagram.com/p/BRMMrCLDFFV8DTGovWzXB1vanH1laZD5Ayt9sw0/?taken-by=tyky&hl=en
also, the way the hitch mounts, there is zero sound / rattling.
i can't recommend the OneUp enough! 10/10 points
It's a beauty! If in Canada/Van area - save on the shipping etc
Check out my profile!
It's $445 retail and is the closet comparison to that of the One Up.
The 1 1/4" receivers are only rated for 50lbs of tongue weight. That's by far the biggest concern. the transient loads to those mounts with 2 bikes probably exceed 1000lbs of torque when you go over a bump.
In the past, I've thought about a new style of mount for the back of cars for bike racks specifically, instead of a repurposed trailer hitch, but the bike rack market is just too small, for how many different mounts you'd have to make for different cars.
My bigger concern is with the car subframe and the tork on the hitch. I used it as a three bike for about four years on weekends shuttling up local mountains in Vancouver. I now have a truck for big shuttles and use the 1up just for one or two bikes now.
I was thinking of getting the 2 inch heavy duty for the truck so I can haul 4 bikes when the bed of the truck is full.
It does happen. It is very VERY rare but over on MTBR's huge thread about these racks there are a couple post about them coming loose usually in extended off road situations. I love mine but being paranoid I have it chained to my hitch so it can't come off. I've never needed that chain but it makes me feel better having it there and I trust it more than a velcro strap.
Too easy to steal your bikes?
maloneautoracks.com/Pilot-TM-HM2-Solo-Hitch-Mount-Platform-2-Bike-Carrier-1.25-and-2.html
Seems like a similar and much cheaper option...
Sure I love mine, and I get asked all the time about it. I'll give my feedback when asked, but I don't go out of my way looking for other racks at the trailhead, then going up to people telling them how much theirs sucks.
I have a Kuat roof basket if you look at the pics I posted earlier. It was the only decent roof basket with bike fork mounts and built in lock when I bought it. I really like it, but it did start rusting in spots after less than a year, so there's that. I prefer the aluminum 1up on the hitch.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14586979
Yeah this rack is super sturdy, and yeah the way you can add additional trays to it is cool, but the important part (just regular use, putting bikes on and off) is just awful. Spend a few hundred less on a Thule tray rack, and take the money you save and go get some strippers and blow.