Certainly one of Hollywood Racks nicest merchandise to this point is without doubt one of the smoother working racks they’ve produced, however nonetheless undercuts many of the competitors.
Hollywood Racks has lengthy been one of many go-to choices for a top quality bang-for-your-buck hitch rack. The merchandise are true workhorses; they aren’t the fanciest choices in the marketplace, however they’re routinely just a few hundred {dollars} lower than comparable fashions whereas going toe-to-toe on most options and infrequently going past.
Spending much less for comparable options sounds nice, however there may be normally a caveat or two to think about. Rivals have been sometimes just a little extra modern, and whereas it might carry bikes of comparable sizes, the changes when becoming bikes have been usually clunky. Think about these issues addressed with their newest mannequin, the Crosstrack, all whereas maintaining the ethos of manufacturing a product that undercuts others in the marketplace.
The Crosstrack is a platform-style bike hitch rack that makes use of two arms to determine contact with the tires. The rack handles bikes as much as 66 lbs and matches most tires from 20-29” in diameter and as much as 4” vast with a 52” lengthy wheelbase.
With no body contact and an easy-to-fit tray system, the Crosstrack will be loaded up in seconds, and it really works properly for various kinds of e-bikes, from highway and gravel to eMTB and metropolis. The front-handle pull system rapidly snaps the rack into one in every of 4 positions, and as soon as I found out the perfect follow for unloading bikes, it was a easy start-to-finish expertise getting bikes from the storage to the the trailhead and again once more.
This has been an intensive 12 months for me in hitch rack product testing and as is usually the case, the drawbacks I might discover on the Crosstrack for hyper-specific to the lifetime of a motorbike tester or any individual who’s swapping between bikes with completely different tire-sizes ceaselessly, however general, I used to be extremely impressed with the Hollywood Racks Crosstrack after weeks of testing and reviewing it. For all the main points, learn on!
Professionals- Simplicity in the perfect sense of the phrase! The Crosstrack is an easy tray-style hitch rack that’s uncomplicated and easy to make use of.
- Affordability! It has comparable capabilities and options to comparable racks in the marketplace, but it surely has a decrease beginning worth level than different recognizable model names.
- Versatile for various bikes due to the 66 lbs/tray weight restrict, 52” max wheelbase, 20-29” tire diameter, and 4” tire width accomodations.
- No body contact. Your paint job will thanks, and its a carbon bikes greatest pal.
- Good security measures included just like the keyed-alike locking hitch pin, included cable lock, and free (for now not less than) wheel locks.
- It has a number of good equipment that may work with it like the sunshine bar attachment, ramp for heavier e-bikes, and even a dolly system that may maintain the rack when it’s off your hitch.
- It appears like a small factor, however the entrance deal with pull mechanism for adjusting the rack to 4 completely different factors of location is sweet. Many programs use lever fashion engagement that may be arduous to have interaction when loaded up with heavier bikes.
Cons- The tire spindle requires instruments to regulate to completely different tire sizes. Not an issue in case you all the time carry the identical bikes, however we’d favor a tool-free design to make it straightforward on individuals who continually swap bikes with completely different tires.
- Nothing is at the moment talked about a few fender adapter possibility
Hollywood Racks Crosstrack Video Evaluate
| Hitch Dimension(s) | 1.25” / 2” |
| Variety of Bikes It Can Carry | 1-2 |
| Max Bike Weight Per Tray | 66 lbs. |
| Complete Max Weight Capability | 132 lbs. |
| Mechanism For Securing Bikes | Twin assist arms |
| Max Wheel Base Size | 52” |
| Automobile Kind | Vehicles, Vans, SUVs, Class B Motorhome, Observe: Not meant for off-road use |
| Max Tire Width | 4” |
| Tire Diameter | 20-29” |
| Works With _____ Frames | Step-Via, Carbon Fiber,Aluminum, and so on. Observe: not meant for bikes with fenders. |
| Key Options | -Device Free no wobble hitch system on the two″ model |
| Safety Options | – keyed-alike locking hitch pin and -8’ safety cable – Wheel locks |
| Optionally available equipment | – Security Gentle Bar – Optionally available Ramp – Rack valet (dolly for when not in use) |
Hollywood Racks Crosstrack Evaluate: Performance / Utilizing the Rack
Securing the rack to the hitch
The hitch matches snuggly with a locking hitch pin, and on our 2” mannequin, a hitch tightening system. All of it’s tool-free set up in your hitch!
The Hollywood Racks Crosstrack matches into your automobile’s receiver with a locking pin system. Merely insert it and guarantee it goes by the loop of the no-wobble tightening system. With the pin in place, tighten down the no-wobble characteristic for a safe match and diminished bike sway.
I’m a fan of those setups because it doesn’t require a software, and to get it again off the hitch all you want is the important thing to the pin.
Loading is pretty straightforward. Simply decrease the arms (I favor to maintain them up larger to snap down rapidly), pop the bike in, tighten down, and also you’re achieved! A ramp accent shall be obtainable for many who need further assist with heavier bikes.
To make this even simpler, you possibly can add an non-compulsory ramp at checkout that rapidly attaches to the sting of the tray that helps your ramp the bike into place.
At first I struggled with unloading bikes for the reason that launch button must be depressed in arder to slid ethe cradle arm again. The primary few makes an attempt included the bike following onto me. After reviewing Hollywood Racks educational video although, they level out how in case you loosen one facet you possibly can roll the bike out from the opposite facet. That made it a lot simpler begin to end.
When you’ve moved the spindle into the right location in your tire measurement, merely pull down on the arm, and it’ll match securely on the tire. We do want a tool-free spindle adjustment would have been customary in case you rotate bikes ceaselessly, but it surely appears to be like like an improve is likely to be within the works!
There may be 12” of house between the trays, so pedal knocking isn’t a lot of a difficulty. There’s a slight increase to the positioning of the second tray to assist stagger handlebars of 1 bike not run into the saddle of the second bike, but it surely’s not as pronounced as another racks so adjusting the seat is likely to be needed.
With a 52” wheelbase and 4” tire measurement lodging, the Crosstrack will match most e-bikes besides some cargo bikes, and the fattest of fats tires.
One barely curious ommission is the power to get a motorbike with fenders on right here. To be truthful, this fashion of rack is standard amongst efficiency bikes that eschew fenders anyway, however many racks of this fashion nonetheless embrace an adapter equipment you will get if you wish to get your fender-clad bike on right here. Not the case with the Crosstrack although, so depart the fenders at dwelling, or contemplate wanting on the Sport Rider as an alternative.
There are good included security measures. The bike comes with an 8’ cable lock that may safe your bike whenever you park and depart it. That’s sufficient slack to loop by two wheels and two frames too. If you wish to go the additional mile, there are wheel locks that include it as nicely (not less than it’s free with buy as of this writing).
There are 4 completely different positions for the rack, together with this declined place that means that you can get into trunks and behind tailgates extra simply.
A number of rack suse some type of lever for positioning the rack and it turns into problematic/arduous on the wrists when getting the rack again up. Doubly so if it locks in when tilted away with bikes on it – it’s that a lot more durable to hoist the entire thing up when maintaining one thing pushed down you can’t throw weight behind.
The Crosstrack has the usual 4 level place system. Folded up, tilted again (for popping open simply sufficient for the rear window, or some further tailgate clearance), flat for loading, and tilted down for hatch entry when bikes are loaded.
I had no points moving into my Tesla Mannequin Y, however if you’re a Jeep or different SUV driver with a rear wheel to consider the Crosstrack will work with extenders as much as 8” as long as they’ve a tightening mechanism.
Hollywood Racks Crosstrack Evaluate: Driving With the Rack
Stability
At first look I assumed the rack didn’t look as thick as different fashions, however the CrossTrack does an excellent job of minimizing sway when driving.
The rack isn’t meant for offroad use, so it has some limitations, however general it’s largely product of metallic and it’s proved to be strong as a rock with the miles we’ve placed on the rack thus far.
Entry/Exit angles and floor clearance
The clearance is fairly customary. In case you’ve acquired 8” you shouldn’t have too many points besides going up very steep driveways.
Equipment
There are just a few equipment which might be good to tack on in case you’ve acquired the finances for it. Ramps are all the time good in case you have heavier e-bikes which might be pushing up in opposition to that 66 lbs restrict, and Hollywood Racks collapsable ramp is straightforward to make use of and does make the method even simpler.
Further visibility is all the time good to have, and there may be al
Hollywood Racks Crosstrack Evaluate: Rack Storage
What it’s like carrying the rack round and storing it
It could seem to be a small factor, however the deal with placement in the direction of the again is very nice as different racks are arduous to tilt up or down, however maintaining this on the skin makes the duty manageable for reducing your bikes down with relative ease.
Hollywood Racks is without doubt one of the few manufacturers that has some equipment for whenever you don’t need to use your rack. The Rack Valet is a dolly you can wheel as much as your automotive, switch over the rack, then simply wheel it away to a nook of your storage.
The rack weighs within the neighborhood of fifty lbs, so it’s doable to unload solo, however spare arms by no means harm.
Hollywood Racks Crosstrack Evaluate: Our Advice
The included cable lock is a pleasant little bit of a theft deterrent, and the wheel locks are a pleasant extra-mile precaution in case you actually need to lock your bike down.
If I’m being nitpicky I might say a better weight restrict would have been good. Sometimes these racks which have zero body contact enchantment to efficiency bikes although. Weights are normally low, so most bikes will match it simply superb.
Aside from that, what’s to not love? It’s fast to put in, straightforward to function, and doesn’t break the financial institution, so there’s a whole lot of utility and worth to the Crosstrack.
In case you’ve acquired a few e-bikes you need to get round with, the Crosstrack is certainly value a glance.
Blissful Using! Ensure that to tell us in case you have any questions or in case you suppose we left something out on this evaluation of the Hollywood Racks Crosstrack down in our feedback part.
