1Up Recon Hitch Bike Rack Assessment

Bike racks are a critical funding — one which hopefully outlives the bikes it carries. The aim behind the just lately redesigned 1Up Recon hitch bike rack hits that mark. Now, it’s lighter, safer, and simpler to make use of. But it surely’s additionally now a rack that may really final for a lifetime, because of the user-serviceability.

Earlier than we dive in, the 1Up Recon vertical carry rack hauls 4, 5, or six bikes, relying on the configuration. I spent a couple of weeks operating shuttle laps and hauling my quiver of bikes with the 4-carry rack, abusing it as a lot as attainable on the grime backroads round Crested Butte, Colo.

In brief: The redesigned 1UP Recon Rack ($1,100) is more durable, extra secure, and much more serviceable than its predecessor. It excels on tough roads and works with every thing from gravel bikes to fats bikes, however its 45-pound weight restrict and tight spacing make it much less supreme for heavy e-MTBs. The rack requires meeting, the straps put on out over time, and 1Up sells the locks individually. However for riders who need a long-lasting, totally repairable rack, this is likely one of the smartest designs available on the market.

Try our different high picks within the Greatest Hitch Racks purchaser’s information.

1Up Recon Rack Assessment

Discipline-Testing

Ford designed my F-150 Raptor for high-speed off-roading, particularly in Baja. However I discover it an ideal take a look at car for shaking down hitch racks throughout washboards, potholes, stream crossings, and anything I can discover. 

Usually, my commutes to completely different trailheads contain anyplace from 3 to fifteen miles of grime roads one-way. True shuttle laps contain taking grime roads all the best way to the summit.  

Bolt-Collectively, Constructed to Final

Plenty of corporations construct merchandise that aren’t meant to be repaired (taking a look at you, Apple), solely to get replaced. 1Up took the alternative strategy. 

By redesigning the Recon Rack with out a single weld, the model made each element bolted, serviceable, and detachable with primary instruments. Break one thing? Change the half, not the entire rack. It’s a refreshingly sustainable philosophy that retains gear out of the landfill and extra money in your pocket. As somebody firmly within the “purchase as soon as, cry as soon as” camp, a rack I can rebuild perpetually is a significant promoting level.

1Up claims the brand new Recon is 15% lighter than the earlier mannequin, and the burden financial savings are noticeable anytime you’re lifting or storing it. The discount comes within the type of high-strength aluminum (the identical materials that 1Up makes use of on its tray-style racks) that’s been up to date with totally bolted segments, permitting higher serviceability.

One of many largest updates of this rack is the symmetrical aluminum tire baskets. These match every thing from skinny gravel tires to full-fat bikes with out adapters, making this one of the crucial versatile vertical programs I’ve used.

The tradeoff: The hampers are solely 6 inches aside, which suggests loading works greatest for those who begin at one finish and transfer throughout. Compared, my VelociRAX sits at a large 15 inches between slots, making loading extra forgiving. Not a dealbreaker, simply one thing to notice with tightly spaced baskets. And whereas the Recon baskets are rated for 45 kilos every, that’s excellent for many analog bikes and a few light-weight e-bikes, however not supreme for full-power e-MTBs.

1Up additionally reworked the pivot system to make use of a giant, red-anodized detachable pin. Pull the pin, flip the lever, and the whole rack pivots down. On my F-150 Raptor, I may drop the rack low sufficient to totally open the tailgate, and it additionally made loading simpler when the rack was nearer to the bottom.

The Strap System: Studying Curve Included

Loading bikes onto the recon was comparatively easy. First, I might pull the hitch pin and pivot the rack nearer to the bottom. Loading labored greatest if I began on one finish and lifted every bike by the entrance fork and seat put up. I gently positioned the entrance tire into the basket earlier than letting it bear weight. 

For probably the most half, the bikes naturally slipped into the right place. However when placing completely different bikes subsequent to one another — like my 29er mountain bike adopted by a 650B gravel bike — I had to assist the handlebars, in order that they weren’t rubbing or interfering with each other. This solely appeared to be an issue with completely different fashion bikes subsequent to one another. 

Securing bikes to the rack was a novel and progressive resolution using cinch straps. First, I moved the crank arm going through immediately down, then made a loop with the cinch strap that slid over the pedal earlier than hooking it to the decrease rack attachment level and across the rear tire.

The primary time was a bit complicated. At the same time as somebody who has used cinch straps usually, I wanted to observe a video of this course of on the 1Up web site earlier than I totally understood it.

In comparison with the strap system of the VeloxiRax, the cinch straps secured the bikes extraordinarily tightly to the rack, leaving little to no bouncing even on tough roads. The draw back is that the cinch straps are fully separate from the rack, which means it’s 4 further issues to retailer or doubtlessly lose. 

Moreover, these straps really feel like a put on merchandise that will should be changed semi-regularly beneath heavy use, in comparison with every other a part of the rack. Good factor they’re thought-about a alternative half (and offered on the web site for $10 every). 

Dust-Examined, Raptor-Accredited

My shuttle car of alternative (or, my solely car) is the very off-road–succesful F-150 Raptor. The off-road efficiency I do know and love from different 1Up bike racks will be discovered on this rack as properly. A part of the redesign included a wedge-style hitch that features an anti-wobble characteristic, which means you possibly can tighten the rack into your hitch to remove any wobbling when driving off-road. 

1Up additionally consists of two stability cinch straps that hook onto loops on the high corners of the rack. These are supposed to run all the way down to the eyelets subsequent to your hitch, after which be cinched tight. This characteristic, along with the anti-wobble, let me be worry-free.

My bikes didn’t transfer round on washboard roads. I may load up the homies and simply drive a Dr. Park shuttle, which includes a creek crossing, a 4×4 highway, after which one of the best downhill Gunnison, Colo., has to supply. 

This further strap safety helps present an RV ranking for the 4-bike Recon Rack and its superior off-road stability. Once more, cloth straps are a put on level, though they’re low-cost to purchase and should be saved individually. I personally discovered it greatest to loosen the strain on these stability straps when not utilizing the rack or take them off fully. 

Meeting: Arduous

Meeting of this rack took me greater than an hour and required a number of references to the information. I did recognize that each one nuts and bolts had been individually bagged and well-labeled.

Midway by way of set up, the three bolt holes on the base of the rack wouldn’t line up. With the massive important pin put in, I couldn’t get the 2 bolts on both aspect to line up. I ended up resorting to utilizing a screwdriver as a pry bar (which one ought to by no means do) to get the holes lined up sufficient to slip the bolt in. 

This course of ended up with the holes not budging and the screwdriver slipping and lacerating me with sufficient drive to present me stitches — my fault. Nonetheless, after this ordeal, I ended up drilling out the bolt holes with the proper-sized drill bit to align them higher. Then, I used a rubber mallet to faucet each bolts into place. In the end, the tight tolerances made alignment troublesome for the common consumer.

The one upside to the longer set up? I gained confidence understanding I may dismantle the rack and change any half, simply because the producer meant.

The lengthy, typically irritating, and complicated meeting course of led me to present this a exhausting ranking on our grading scale. Moreover, I wanted my very own instruments — and I acquired stitches by the tip.

Cons: A Few Tradeoffs 

The concerned meeting course of and a number of the usability points deliver this rack down a notch. This one affords lots of good, however it falls wanting perfection.

One of many trade-offs that comes with a completely serviceable, bolt-together bike rack is that you just’re going to have to show some wrenches. For probably the most half, 1Up offers well-written directions and instruments in relation to meeting.

So far as bike racks go, I might price this as a tough meeting. However for anybody who has turned a wrench earlier than, or can observe a YouTube tutorial, try to be simply fantastic.  

Moreover, the rack doesn’t include built-in locks. However you’ll find a cable lock for $52, or a heavy-duty chain lock for $165. The model additionally makes a children’ bike basket for $120 that matches 20”-24” bike tires. One other cool accent is a set of aspect panels that connect to the rack to increase storage. 

Who This Rack Is For?

The brand new Recon isn’t for everybody. Riders hauling heavy e-bikes would possibly discover higher choices elsewhere. This can be a hitch bike rack for folk who love engaged on bikes as a lot as using them, need a shuttle rack able to securing as much as six bikes, and revel in rambling up off-road routes. It’s for a biker who desires rack serviceability for the lengthy haul.

1Up constructed the Recon Rack like a tank, engineered it for real-world abuse, and designed it for restore fairly than alternative; it overdelivers in all the best methods. When you don’t thoughts turning a couple of wrenches up entrance, the payoff is a rack that’ll hold rolling lengthy after your bikes do.