Kuat NV 2.0-2" - 2-Bike Hitch Rack, Gray Metallic/Orange Anodize

Why it's worth it

The NV 2.0 does what the Thule does but with a foot-operated tilt lever and a fold-out Trail Doc repair stand built into the hitch post. It's the rack that reviewers keep calling the nicest one to live with, and it also carries 60 pounds per tray.

Outdoor Gear Lab gave the NV 2.0 its Editors' Choice for premium hitch racks, singling out the foot-activated tilt lever and the integrated work stand as the features that separate it from everything else. The foot pivot is the one you'll use constantly. Hands full of groceries, rack in the way — step on the lever, rack tilts. It sounds like a gimmick until you've used a rack that makes you crouch and yank a handle every time.

The Trail Doc stand is genuinely useful, not marketing. It folds out of the hitch post and clamps a bike at working height, so you can true a brake or adjust a derailleur at the trailhead instead of flipping the bike upside down in the dirt. If you ride trails where a mid-ride mechanical means a long walk, this is worth real money to you. If you ride bike paths, it's mostly a nice thing to own.

From our review of 7 hitch-mounted bike racks, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +Outdoor Gear Lab gave the NV 2.0 its Editors' Choice for premium hitch racks, singling out the foot-activated tilt lever and the…
• +The Trail Doc stand is genuinely useful, not marketing
• +Like the Thule, it holds bikes by the front tire with an adjustable cradle, so nothing presses on your frame
• +It's expandable, so a two-bike NV can become a four-bike NV later with an add-on

What to know

• –It costs more than the Thule for a similar core function, and the gap buys you refinement rather than capability
• –At roughly 51 pounds it's just as awkward to lift as the T2 Pro XTR, and it doesn't have the Thule's built-in transport wheels
• –The orange anodized accents are polarizing