A CCM two-bike rack.Joanne Elves/The Globe and Mail
CCM 2+2 Hitch Platform bike carrier
Available at: Canadian Tire
Price: $429.99
Tossing your bikes in the back of the car is a pain. Maybe it’s time to invest in a bike rack. If you’ve got a hitch receiver on your vehicle there are two main styles to choose from.
The hitch mount is where the bikes are gripped to the arm that elbows up from the hitch. Problems arise with this design when your bikes have top tubes that don’t fit in the bracket or the rubber that was on the bracket peels away, leaving your precious carbon-fibre road bike with horrible scars (true story).
A tray-style hitch mount holds just about any size or model of bike. The wheels are placed in trays that move to fit the bike frame. The wheels are either secured with Velcro straps looping across the rims or with clamps that reach over the front wheel. The mast between the bikes offers a rubber coated hook to hold them secure.
CCM puts out a four-bike carrier that can be easily reduced to a two-bike carrier. Unpin the wheel trays and the mast hinges to fold the entire rack up when not in use or when its stored for the season.
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