I've been a fan of this stand for over a decade and recently purchased a second one after trying a similar, but lesser stand by another brand and returning it for this one. It's more adjustable than other options, which makes storing bikes of different styles and sizes so much less of a nuisance. Setup is super simple, it's not difficult to change it's position/location and it doesn't stick out visually, which is also a plus. I think the only thing I don't like about it is that I sometimes wish that both bikes could hang from the upper shaft so that the lower bike could be a bit higher off the floor.
I used the Bike Bag II for a flight with a 54cm road bike. The bike fit everything well, instructions were good, and I also used youtube videos for understanding how best to pack. I only needed to remove the wheels and handlebars. I added some foam padding to the frame & padding around the rear derailleur, rathe than remove it, which some guidance recommended.
All packed, I was under the 50 lb weight limit for luggage. The bike was well protected to both legs of the trip. I would recommend this bag: it was fairly easy to pack, everything wit & worked well & it was easy to transport with the wheels.
My first hitch rack after years of roof mounts so I can't comment on how it compares to other hitch racks. My spouse refuses to deal with this thing blocking her access to the rear lift gate so we only plan to keep it on for travel. Thus, easy REMOVAL was really important to us. Initially I was quite concerned with the weight, but I've had no trouble as you can carry it easily by the bike trays and similarly leverage it to remove from the hitch. No folding beyond what it does on your car so plan a little storage space if it will spend a lot of time OFF your car. Mounting and removing bikes is utter simplicity. Also love that the holding arms for each bike are independent and allow you to shift each bike in one direction or the other to reduce contact with pedals, bars, etc' simple. You need to crank down on those arms too so that you minimize movement. Lean into it pulling both sides together toward the middle for max leverage!! Also, if you have an auto with sophisticated backup collision avoidance, this rack (probably all of them) may cause fits for those systems. After much frustration over a few days, we found a way to temporarily disable ours. Check forums and manuals ahead to be prepared! Hitch mount is very solid, no movement, easy to tighten down in seconds after you attach to the auto. Not sure if all racks secure the hitch, but this one does have a nice pass-through bolt with a lock that would not be easily compromised. I also like the included cable lock that secures the bikes to the rack. Obviously not high security, but for a quick run into a restaurant or store on your next trip, it should do fine. Highly Recommend. Undoubtedly will outlast my car!!!
I have two of these racks for my, and my wife's, bikes that have fenders. They it much easier to stow the bikes compared to the hook style rack we used to use. My wife had a hard time lifting her bike up on the hook, so the Steadyrack was a big improvement. These are road bikes with 28mm tires and full fenders. The racks fit great.
