News

Nov 02, 2024

The Best Vertical Bike Rack for Your Fleet of Bikes

f you need to transport 4, 5, 6, or even 7 bikes, a vertical rack is your best option. After over 5 years of testing these racks, we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the amazing! Vertical racks not only

f you need to transport 4, 5, 6, or even 7 bikes, a vertical rack is your best option. After over 5 years of testing these racks, we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the amazing!

Vertical racks not only make carrying multiple bikes easy but are also simpler to use than many platform racks, even with smaller loads—ideal for families, teams, or shuttle rides.

In this article, we review seven vertical hitch racks available in the U.S., highlighting what sets each one apart and which rack is best for your needs.

All racks listed above can accommodate 24″ bikes to 29″ bikes. How (and if) they can carry smaller kids’ bikes, fat bikes, and road bikes is detailed in the individual review summaries below.

1. Tips for Choosing a Vertical Bike Rack

2. Front Wheel Hanging Racks・Velocirax・Thule ReVert・Alta

3. Handlebar Hanging Rack・Yakima HangTight・Lolo

4. Suspension Fork Crown Hanging・NorthShore

If you’re looking to buy a vertical hitch bike rack, here’s a quick guide to key considerations.

Why Choose Vertical Over Platform Racks? Vertical racks offer better rear visibility, maintain visibility of tail lights, and provide better bike spacing. Plus, for 4-bike setups, they’re often more affordable than high-end platform racks.

Wheel Basket Overview

HOW IT WORKS: Vertical racks with wheel baskets hang the bikes by the front wheel. There is no frame, fork, or handlebar contact with your bike.

BIKE COMPATIBILITY: This style is highly versatile. While you do need to order the right baskets to fit your wheel diameter and tire width, we’ve found wheel baskets generally fit most bikes quite easily.

Racks that hang bikes by the handlebars may not fit with common non-MTB handlebar designs. With racks that hang the bikes by the suspension fork crown, if you have a bike without a suspension fork, you may not be able to carry it.

EASE OF USE: The mast of the rack tilts toward the ground to lower the baskets for loading, making loading the bikes a task our tween kids have been able to do on their own. (They don’t have the strength or height to lift bikes high enough to load a handlebar-hanging rack like the Yakima HangTight.)

The mast also tilts when fully loaded with bikes for rear hatch access at any time.

Key Selling Point: Hydraulic Dampening System for Lowering Bikes, Optional Ski Kit

MSRP (6 bike): $935

CAPACITY: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 55 lbs. per bike, 230 lbs. total

TRUNK ACCESS: Yes, when loaded or unloaded

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: Rack height from bottom of the hitch bar to top of the tire basket is 58″. Likely that it will have enough vertical clearance for an average garage.

STORING IN YOUR GARAGE: The bike baskets make the rack cumbersome to store on the garage floor. The Velocirax comes with a system to mount the rack to your garage wall, making it a garage storage rack as well!

AVAILABLE ADD-ONS: Light Bar, Winter ski/snowboard conversion kit, Rolling Base, Integrated Cable Lock

Many families and crews are choosing Velocirax for its high quality construction and easier-to-swallow price tag. While not as fine-tuned as the Thule or Alta, the Velocirax does a solid job for a very fair price. The Velocirax is also the most affordable option for transporting 7 bikes.

The main selling point for Velocirax is its hydraulic dampening system. While several vertical racks can lower to the ground while loaded, the Velocirax’s system allows you to slowly lower a fully loaded rack to unload the bikes (or just to access the rear hatch of your car if you forgot to put something in there before you loaded all your bikes up!).

The Thule ReVert dampener also slowly lowers a loaded rack, but different from the VelociRAX as it also helps lift a loaded rack.

Like most vertical bike racks, the hinge point of the Velocirax’s tow arm and vertical mast can bottom out steep driveways or dips if your car has a lower hitch (smaller SUVs, minivans, etc.). If you will be keeping your rack on your car most of the time and are worried about clearance, you should consider upgrading to the more expensive Alta Rack.

TIRE BASKETS

EBIKES: As many as will fit under weight capacity limits

ROAD BIKES: 4 on a 7 capacity, 5 on the 5x

Key Selling Point: Hydraulic Lift and Lower Assist

MSRP (6 bike): $1.099

CAPACITY: 4 or 6 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 55 lbs. per bike, 250 lbs. total

TRUNK ACCESS: Yes, when loaded or unloaded

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: Rack height from bottom of the hitch bar to top of the tire basket is 56”. Likely that it will have enough vertical clearance for an average garage.

STORING IN YOUR GARAGE: The bike baskets make the rack cumbersome to store on the garage floor. The Velocirax comes with a system to mount the rack to your garage wall, making it a garage storage rack as well!

AVAILABLE ADD-ONS: Bike Repair stand kit, Integrated Bike Lock Kit, 20”/24” Wheel Adapter, Fat Bike Adapter

(The ReVert is new, so availbility is limited, but should be fully in stock in November or December. )

Thule’s ReVert has finally joined the vertical rack market, and it’s clear why they took their time—the wait was worth it! After years of testing the VelociRAX and Alta racks, the ReVert combines the best features of each: the VelociRAX’s ease of loading and the Alta’s impressive ground clearance. But what truly sets the ReVert apart is its lift-assist feature—a first in the vertical rack world.

The lift assist is a game-changer, especially for anyone with tall vehicles like SUVs. With the ReVert, raising a fully loaded rack is effortless—even our 14-year-old helper could push it up fully loaded with e-bikes on a high-hitch vehicle. This is a big improvement over other racks, which often require multiple people and considerable effort to lift.

After months of testing, we can also vouch for the ReVert’s stable ride feel. Unlike the VelociRAX and Alta, it applies noticeably less feedback to the car, even on bumpy roads, making for a smoother and less anxious drive.

Thule also offers unique add-ons, including an accessory that turns the rack into a parking bike repair stand. Kits are available for integrated locks, adapters for 20” and 24” bikes, and a fat bike kit, making the ReVert an impressively versatile option for any biking adventure.

TIRE BASKETS

EBIKES: As many as will fit under weight capacity limits (55 per bike)

ROAD BIKES: TBD

Key Selling Point: Rugged and Versatile, High Ground clearance

MSRP (6 bike): $1,279

CAPACITY: 3, 4, 5, 6 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 50 lbs. per bike, 300 lbs. total

TRUNK ACCESS: Yes, when loaded or unloaded

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: Rack height from bottom of the hitch bar to top of the tire basket is 56″ (in middle height position). Likely that it will have enough vertical clearance for an average garage.

STORING IN YOUR GARAGE: The bike baskets make the rack cumbersome to store on the garage floor. Alta Racks sells a mobile floor stand. They don’t recommend a DIY solution of hanging it on the wall. The rack plus the weight of the bikes is likely too much for the studs.

AVAILABLE ADD-ONS: Swing Out Hitch Arm, Winter Sport Conversion Kit, Work Stand

Of all of the vertical bike racks we’ve tested, the Alta Rack is the easiest to use. With the most features and the most customization, it’s also the most expensive. But well worth the price if you can expand your budget.

We encourage you to read our full review to really understand the benefits of the Alta, but here are the four features we think make the biggest difference compared to other racks.

(1) High ground clearance – the tow arm angles upward so that the hinge point where it meets the vertical mast is much higher off the ground than other vertical racks. As a result, we have never bottomed out the Alta Rack on a steep incline or big dip, even when on our lower hitch vehicles. We keep our racks on our cars almost all of the time, so this is a huge deal for us.

(2) Adjustable height – the top horizontal bar can be lowered to bring the bikes closer to the ground. For tall vehicles with high hitches, this makes loading the bikes and pushing the loaded rack up to vertical significantly easier.

(3) Fits a wide range of bikes – wheels basket options fit just about any wheel size, and they also easily slide along the horizontal top bar to adjust spacing between bikes as needed. 20″ baskets are a great fit for every 20″ bike we’ve tested.

(4) Retractable stabilization straps – an optional feature, these straps are an additional connection point between the rack and the crossbars on your car’s roof. When traveling at highway speeds, and especially on bumpy terrain (like fire roads), these straps minimize movement of the rack for a smoother ride.

(5) Swing-out Arm – While an expensive upgrade, Alta’s swing-out arm is a game changer for those with bi-fold van doors, or those who want full access to the rear of their vehicle without having to remove or walk around bikes.

TIRE BASKETS – Baskets fits all Alta racks and are interchangeable. For example, a 6 capacity rack can hold up to 6 baskets of any size.

EBIKES: As many as can fit under the 300 pound weight limit.

ROAD BIKES: 4 on a 6 capacity

Key Selling Point: Extra durability for lots of heavy ebikes or a 7th bike

MSRP (6 bike): $1,750

CAPACITY: 4, 5, 6, 7 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 60 lbs. per bike, 350 lbs. total

TRUNK ACCESS: Yes, when loaded or unloaded

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: Rack height from bottom of the hitch bar to top of the tire basket is 56″ (in middle height position). Likely that it will have enough vertical clearance for an average garage.

STORING IN YOUR GARAGE: The bike baskets make the rack cumbersome to store on the garage floor. Alta Racks sells a mobile floor stand.

The Alta Rack Superior has all the benefits of the original Alta Rack, but has additional supports to raise its total weight capacity to an unmatched 350 lbs! Considering some emtb can weigh 50+ lbs., the Superior is the only rack that can easily haul 7 full-size ebikes without skipping a beat (when used with their ebike straps).

The Superior features the same hitch arm and mast as the original Alta, but has a longer top and bottom horizontal bar, as well as additional angled side supports. All Alta racks can also be upgraded to a Superior rack via their upgrade kit.

The Superior utilizes all the same tire baskets as the Alta outlined above.

Handlebar Hanging Vertical Racks Overview

HOW IT WORKS: These racks hang the bike’s handlebars (around the stem) in a pair of narrow u-shaped padded cradles.

BIKE COMPATIBILITY: While you don’t have to worry about wheel size or tire width, unique shaped handlebars may not be a good fit in the cradles. Prior to purchase, it’s hard to tell if your unique bars will work or not.

Handlebar racks do have the advantage of being able to carry many 16″, 14″, and 12″ kids bikes if they have relatively flat handlebars. (Although the rear wheel won’t be able to reach the bottom horizontal bar, and you’ll have to secure it with a bungee cord.)

These racks are also some of the only racks on the market that can pretty easily accommodate bikes with fenders, because the primary point of securing the bikes is the handlebars, not the front wheel.

However, the rear wheel fender will have to lay against the rack, and potentially could get damaged… but we’ve seen pictures of bike owners putting a piece of foam (like a pool noodle) between the fender and the rack when tied down.

Handlebar hanging racks have the lowest per bike and overall weight capacity of any vertical bike rack style. If you own or plan to own e-bikes, this style is not your best bet.

EASE OF USE: The process of loading bikes on handlebar vertical racks is a bit awkward. You must lift the bike up over your head and turn it so the handlebars can drop into the cradles.

While you do get used to this, it is never easier than loading a bike into wheel baskets. If you are short, have a high hitch, or weak upper body strength, you should consider a different style of vertical rack.

Key Selling Point: Wide spacing allows for removal of a bike from the middle

MSRP (6 bike): $1,099

CAPACITY: 4 or 6 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 70 lb. per bike on center cradles, 37.5 lbs. per bike on outer cradles, 225 lbs. total (for 6-bike)

TRUNK ACCESS: Only when unloaded

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: The HangTight is taller than other vertical hitch racks, approximately 65″ from bottom of hitch to top of handlebar cradle. We were not able to park in the garage with our low-hitch Honda Pilot. You can lower the mast to park inside, but it requires tools and is not convenient if you’ll need to lower and raise it often.

Compared to the Alta Rack and Velocirax, the Yakima HangTight isn’t as fine tuned and is harder to load. So why might you want a Yakima anyways?

In our experience, there are three compelling reasons. (1) You can buy it at REI and get all of the amazing customer service that goes with that. Additionally, if you’re an REI member, dividend baby!(2) You can load bikes with wheels as small as 12″. If you have many years of littles in your future and don’t want to deal with putting 12″, 14″, and 16″ bikes inside your vehicle, the HangTight is a solid solution.(3) The wider spacing between bikes makes it possible to unload a bike out of the middle. The Velocirax 5x is also great for this, but if you need to carry 6 bikes, go for the HangTight.

WHEEL SIZE: Best fit for 20″ to 29″HANDLEBARS: Flat MTB style handlebars are the best fit, but other styles may also fit. See our full review for images and discussion.KIDS BIKES: Many 16″, 14″, and 12″ bikes can also be mounted on this rack. For 14″ and 12″ bikes with shorter wheelbases, you will need a bungee cord to connect the rear wheel to the lower horizontal mounting bar.

EBIKES: 70 lbs. weight capacity for two center cradles are great for full size ebikes, but the two outer cradles are limited with a 37.5 lbs. weight capacity per bike.

ROAD BIKES: 4 on a 6 capacity, handlebar cradles can be re-positioned for a better fit.

Key Selling Point: Can fit bikes as small as 12″

MSRP (6 bike): $890

CAPACITY: 4 or 6 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 50 lbs. per bike on two center hooks, 39 lbs. other hooks, 220 lbs. total

TRUNK ACCESS: Best when unloaded. Can technically lower it when loaded, but it’s tricky.

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: From bottom of the hitch tow arm to top of handlebar cradle is 64″. This is much higher than a wheel-hanging vertical rack, so measure your garage opening and car before you buy.

This is one of the vertical bike racks we haven’t had the chance to test yet, so we can’t speak to the specifics of loading or functional use.

But from the many forums and reviews out there, we’ve heard many parents fanatically rave about how easy it is to carry small kids bikes – as small as 12″.

It’s also the most affordable rack on our list, especially if you live in the Portland area and can pick it up to avoid shipping.

WHEEL SIZE: Any wheel size, but handlebar shape must be considered.HANDLEBARS: Flat bars are a natural fit, but some swooping bars may have issues.

EBIKES: 2 bikes max, on the center brackets which have a higher weight limit (50 lbs. vs. 39 lbs.)

ROAD BIKES: 4 on a 6 capacity

HANG BY SUSPENSION FORK CROWN OVERVIEW

HOW IT WORKS: These MTB bike racks hang bikes on a set of narrow prongs that fit in the space between the top of your front tire and your suspension fork crown.

BIKE COMPATIBILITY: This style is the least versatile rack. It’s meant for hardtail and full suspension mountain bikes, 20″ to 29″. If you plan to also carry road bikes, casual bikes, or cruiser bikes, these racks aren’t really designed for that. You may be able to get non-suspension bikes to fit, but it will depend on the brand of rack and the geometry of your bike.

As far as small kids bikes go, we’ve seen videos of parents mounting bikes as small as 12″, but because this wasn’t the intended design, your bikes may or may not work.

EASE OF USE: Like handlebar-hanging racks, you have to lift the bikes up over your head to load the bikes via the suspension fork crown. But unlike the handlebar bike racks, you don’t have to also turn the bike in mid-air, so that’s a win.

How difficult loading and unloading will be is highly dependent on your car’s hitch height, which determines how tall the rack is.

Other factors to consider are how tall you are, how much upper body strength you have, and how heavy your bikes are (do you really want to lift a 50 pound ebike in the air?)

Key Selling Point: Easiest to Store – Vertical mast folds down

MSRP (6 bike): $899

CAPACITY: 2, 4, or 6 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 60 lbs. per bike, 300 lbs. total

TRUNK ACCESS: Best when unloaded, but possible when loaded. Depending on your hitch height and how you have the rack height set, the rear tires of the bikes may come into contact with the ground, with the weight of the rack resting on the bikes.

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: The vertical mast folds in half for easier storage in the garage, or for driving around town without bikes.

North Shore was also early into the vertical rack game and has built up a fair sized following over the years. While hanging bikes by the fork crown is considered by many to be old technology, you’ll still find plenty of passionate NSR fans who insist that it’s better than hanging by the handlebars or the wheel. (Read the comments section at the bottom of this Pink Bike article for a passionate discussion!)

Compared to the Yakima HangOver, the North Shore is more versatile. With a 60 pound per bike weight limit, the North Shore is quite capable of carrying ebikes, but lifting that ebike up and over your head for loading may be a bit arduous.

Additionally, while the North Shore is designed mainly for bikes with front suspension forks, they do claim you can carry many rigid fork bikes as well. (See below for bike compatibility.) Also, in fall 2022 they debuted their Road Bike Adapter that can be used with bikes with 9 mm or 12 mm axles, but you do have to remove the front wheel to use it.

Our favorite feature of this rack is that the vertical mast can fold in half while not in use. This would completely free up your rear-view window visibility, as well as make it more compact for garage storage.

We also found that positioning a 20″ hardtail next to a 29er was an easy fit, while this same combo on our Alta Rack doesn’t work. If you’ll need to carry a 20″ next to your full size mountain bikes, you should highly consider the NSR.

WHEEL SIZE: 20″ to 29″, ideally with a suspension fork. Bikes without suspension forks may fit if there is 3″ between fork blades and 3/4″ between tire and fork crown. Bikes with v-brakes may have an issue with the rack’s cradle prongs contacting the cables or calipers.

KIDS BIKES: The website states that they’ve used the North Shore with 12″ and 16″ bikes (without a suspension fork) as long as there is 3″ between fork blades and 3/4″ between tire and fork crown. In our large fleet of kids bikes, there were only a few that met these required measurements.

We tested the 20″ rigid Cleary Owl, which was a surprisingly solid fit. But when loading a 14″ bike that technically fit, the rack’s cradle prong was in direct contact with the brake arm, making it a no-go for us.

EBIKES: With 60 lb. weight capacity per bike and 300 lbs. total, this is an affordable option for carrying a lot of ebikes. Remember that you have to lift the bikes over your head to load them, so the loading process may be difficult.

ROAD BIKES: Yes, with new Road Bike Adapter for 9mm or 12mm front axles. Requires removing front wheel.

In the interest of covering every vertical bike rack available in the US, here are two other options you could consider.

Key Selling Point: For 1up or Recon fans

MSRP (6 bike): $1,400

CAPACITY: 5 or 6 bikes

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 45 lbs. per bike, 270 lbs. total (6-bike)

TRUNK ACCESS: Yes, when loaded or unloaded

PARKING IN YOUR GARAGE: Rack height from bottom of the hitch bar to top of the tire basket is 57.3 – 62.3″ (depending on the chosen height setting).

The 1up Recon (formerly just Recon) belongs in the wheel-hanging category. While the Recon was the first wheel-hanging vertical bike rack that we know of, it now trails behind its competitors in features and functionality.

More expensive than the Velocirax and the Alta Rack, it’s hard to find a reason to purchase the Recon over these other racks. While we haven’t tested the Recon ourselves, our research hasn’t turned up any reasons that make this rack better.

We do appreciate that it has 3 height settings to adjust for the height of your vehicle (like the Alta Rack), but we find the method for strapping bikes down to be a bit cumbersome, which you can see here.

If you have a 1up Recon and love it, please let us know why in the comments below!

TIRE BASKETS

EBIKES: As many as will fit under weight capacity limits

ROAD BIKES: Yes, but handlebar shape will decrease your total bike capacity

10 Best Bike Storage Ideas