Curt 2 Bike Platform Rack Review

Products Featured in this Video

Curt 2 Bike Platform Rack - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount - Tilting

322 reviews

Code: C18085

Retail: $377.95

Price:  $275.95

• Hitch Bike Racks
• Platform Rack
• Folding Rack
• Tilt-Away Rack
• Frame Mount
• Bike Lock

• 2 Bikes
• Class 1 - 3 Compatible
• Fits 1-1/4 and 2 Inch Hitch
• Fits 1-1/4 Inch Hitch
• Fits 2 Inch Hitch
• CURT

Padded frame hooks on this platform-style rack adjust independently to hold 2 bikes of different sizes by the top tubes. Adjustable wheel hoops accommodate most bike lengths. Rack tilts down for easy access to cargo area and folds up for storage.

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Review of the Curt 2 Bike Platform Rack

Today we're going to be taking a look at the Curt Two Bike Platform Rack for inch and 1/4 and 2 inch hitches, part number C18085. The Curt Platform Rack can carry up to two bikes, ranging from mountain bikes to road bikes, to some kid bikes and alternate frame bikes as well. One of the best features about this bike rack is the fact that it can tilt away from the vehicle with both bikes still attached to gain rear hatch access. To do that, we'll come to the base here, and you'll see there's two pins, one smaller and one larger. The smaller one can hold this in place while we remove the larger pin, like so. Then pushing up slightly on the bike rack we'll pull our smaller pin. Then holding onto the bike rack, not the bikes, we'll let it come down.

Now we have full access to our rear hatch to get what we need, and we have plenty of space on either side to do so. How the bike sits in place and stays in place is going to be this frame hook up at the top, which is padded to ensure there's going to be no scratches or abrasions on the frame of your bike. The frame hooks are ratcheting, so you just push them down in place to hold your bike in place. These frame hooks do lock in place. For an additional security feature, keep your bikes on your bike rack. The wheel cradles are adjustable to accommodate bikes of different sizes, shapes, and to help out with loading and unloading.

The maximum tire width you can have is going to be 3 inches. Now, to put it into suitcase position we're going to have two pins at the base here where our wheel cradles are. You may need to move the wheel cradles out of the way so once you fold this up, it'll go up over this ledge here. We'll release the snapper pin there, pull out the pin, push it up, and line up the holes on the side here and push our pin back through. Now that's something that you would have it in once you're finished using the bike rack and you can take it out and put it in your garage for storage. Now that it's back in the loading position, our final position is going to be it's folded up position or flat position. To do this, we'll have to fold our mast all the way down.

Do that, again, we'll pull this pin at the base of the mast and fold it flat, lining it up with these holes on the side. With it folded flat like this, I would also like to point out at this point you can get rear hatch access to get what you need, and have plenty of space on either side to do so as well. Now, to fold it completely flat up against the vehicle, we'll again come to the base here and remove that larger pin that we did earlier to tilt it away, like so, except this time we'll just simply push it back up. This is the folded position. Now, normally you would have it in the folded position for those close quarter situations such as parking or putting it back in your garage, and you just don't feel like taking your bike rack out. This does work with both class III and class II hitches.

This has a black powder coat finish, which is actually strong, durable, and rust resistant. Now that we've gone over some of the features of the bike rack, let's go ahead and show you how it installs. We'll first place it into the hitch of our vehicle. Lining up the pin holes on the side and installing our anti-rattle bolt. You want to tighten it up to the point where there's no more shake and play in that shank. Right now we have it in the folded up position. To get ready to load up some bikes, we'll come to the base here. Release this pin and clip like so, and we'll let our rack come down. Once we have our little pin holes lined up, push it back through. Now we need to lift up our main mast. Again, we'll come to this pin here. Release it and lift it up, realigning the holes at the base. There's a few things we need to do before we can start loading up our bikes. We'll first, press these buttons at the base of our frame hooks so we can raise them up as high as we can get them. Then we also need to loosen up these wing nuts here at our wheel mounts. This is going to help us better load up the bikes once we have them. Now, before we load our bike into place, a little trick here is we can remove our pin at the base again, let it tilt forward, and be able to set our bike down a little bit easier. Set it in the cradles there. Bring it up, reinsert that pin. Then I can just push our frame hook down on it until it ratchets in place. Now, it looks like our wheel cradles are pretty much where they need to be, so we can tighten those down as well so they don't move. Now we can grab our second bike. Our final step, is we're going to take our included keys here and lock our frame hooks down. Now we can take it out on our test course and show you how it looks. First we'll take it onto our slalom course. This will show you the side to side action, such as making turns or evasive maneuvers. Now we're at the alternating speed bumps. This will show you how it looks driving on uneven pavement or potholes. Finally, we're at the solid speed bumps, which simulates going into your driveway or parking lots. There you have it for the Curt Two Bike Platform Rack for inch and 1/4 and 2 inch hitches, part number C18085.