1 Up USA long term bicycle rack review
Happy holidays readers! Today I'll review my 1 Up bike rack, these racks are known to be high quality, modular construction, expandable, warrantied for life, and rather convenient when it comes to placing bicycles. After two and a half years, I've got some knowledge to pass along!
My 1 Up double rack complete with stickers
About 1 Up USA
As the name suggests, 1 Up is a US based company with headquarters in Wisconsin. They took a novel approach to the bike rack with two independent ratcheting arms allowing users to positions their bikes however they like to avoid bike-on-bike contact during transport. These racks have a modular architecture (can replace any single part) and are constructed of high quality aluminum. 1 Up racks can be had from one-bike up to four-bike capacity which is pretty nice. So if you want that super unique three-bike rack, you can build it!
Trusty steed holder
1 Up racks are hugely capable accommodating a range of wheel diameters from 16"-29" (sorry 36", your time has not come yet) and a tire width of 3.1"! The racks can accommodate wider tires with a spacer kit so you can get your fat bike on, literally. As far as bike lengths go, the rack can hold up to a 54" wheelbase, to put that into perspective the largest Specialized Turbo Levo SL in size 6 (for 6'2"-6'8" tall riders) has a 51" wheelbase. The standard rack is rated for 50lbs per bike spot, so 100lbs for a double and 200lbs for a quadruple. Note, the 1.25" racks are only rated for two bikes even though one could add more spots due to the modular architecture, so don't do that. In conclusion, the 1 Up is capable of carrying any mountain bike on the market (save for a unicycle, but that's another story).
The anti wobble mechanism does a great job of securing the rack to the car. When properly tightened, the rack has the least amount of wobble out of all the bike racks I've owned and stays stable even at high interstate Charger speeds ;).
The folding mechanism has a very robust handle that will definitely keep it in place with bikes on it. Should you rather play it safe than sorry, the handle can be locked out from moving.
Rotate the black plastic piece to lock the handle/rack in its current position.
The rack is also able to fold up for more compact storage. This is accomplished via blue tabs below resulting in a "center-folded" rack instead of the "vertically-folded" rack. This is a feature I've never used.
Photo credit of the black rack goes to Popular Mechanics because I didn't think of that one
The next key feature is literally the key. The key is used to tighten the anti-wobble mechanism holding the rack to the hitch. Its a proprietary key so thieves can't just pull your bike rack off, just don't lose it.
the key for rack assembly and attachment to the hitch
My Setup
I have the 1.25" Quik Rack (Double) which means two bicycle capacity mounted to a 1.25" hitch, it came with an adaptor to install it in a 2" hitch just in case.
Position the bikes anywhere you like!
My favorite feature about the bike rack is the ability to positions bikes such that they don't touch each other. This prevents damage to our expensive a$$ bikes as well as a convenience, one does not need to put the seats down to fit. Those arms are held in place by a "ratcheting tray" along the bottom which is under lifetime warranty as well!!!
My recommendation for carrying multiple bikes, put the front tire arm in a vertical position and tailor the back wheel to fit. Repeat with the second bike facing the opposite direction. When executed successfully, the handlebars and seats will have plenty of room shown below. As for arm tension, push the arms until they contact the tire and add ~3 clicks, your bike will not come off, I've tested it.
E-bike and my bike are an easy fit well within capacity
seats and handlebars have plenty of wiggle room!
side view
Drawbacks
Because it wouldn't be a candid review without them. Modularity is awesome for replacing single failed pieces rather than the whole rack but it lead to it's own problems. The bike rack is not assembled with thread locker and I have experienced parts rattling loose. I recommend tearing down your rack and reassembling it with blue thread locker!
Be sure to add thread locker!
Next, that nifty capability to "center-fold' your bike rack that I've never used, the blue levers are prone to vibrating "open" which has resulted in the bike rack tray swinging down and dragging on the road. I replaced just the parts that touched the ground at least but this shouldn't be an issue to begin with. I've safety wired my blue levels "closed".
Notice the wires holding the levels in position
Due to the variable insertion length and anti-wobble mechanism, one cannot use a typical thru-hitch lock on this bike rack, so you'll have to use other methods to secure it. Also, this means that the rack can rattle loose and fall off the back if there isn't something strapping it to your hitch. I know of people who've experienced this. In Tucson, I locked it to the car with a hardened chain and lock.
The price, a single bike rack for 1.25" receiver in raw aluminum retails for $365, on par with double bike racks from other companies. To be expected with high quality American made products. Expect to pay closer to $600 for a double rack like mine.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 1 Up bike rack is a high-quality, modular, and very convenient bike rack at a premium price. I the ability to position bikes such that they don't rub, its small folded up sizing, and the ability to order any single bolt on the rack instead of buying a whole new rack. Modularity is also the rack's greatest weakness since they aren't built with thread locker and had costed me in the past. The rack is hugely capable accommodating pretty much any bike on the market. I predict this rack will last the test of time better than most. If you are in the market, I recommend checking out a few racks from Thule, Yakima, and Kuat in addition to the 1 Up.
An even shorter conclusion, 1 great rack!
Work Cited
- https://1up-usa.com/product-category/bike-racks/
- https://1up-usa.com/product/1-25-2-quik-rack-single
- https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/a44640512/1-up-heavy-duty-double-bike-rack-review/
- https://www.specialized.com/us/en/s-works-turbo-levo-sl-carbon/p/216821?color=428374-216821
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