Thule T2 Pro XTR 2 Hitch Bike Rack - E-Bike Compatible - Tool-Free Installation - No Frame Contact - Tilts for Trunk Access - Fully Locking - Integrated Wheels For Transport - 120lb Load Capacity

Why it's worth it

The T2 Pro XTR 2 grabs bikes by the front wheel with a ratcheting arm, so nothing ever touches your frame. It handles 20- to 29-inch wheels and tires up to 5 inches wide without adapters, carries 60 pounds per tray, and locks both the bikes and itself.

If you own a carbon or full-suspension bike, the no-frame-contact design is the whole argument. Hanging racks clamp a bar across your top tube, which is a bad idea on carbon and often impossible on a modern full-suspension frame with a sloping or interrupted top tube. The T2 Pro XTR touches only the tires. Road.cc testers called its ratcheting wheel-strap system the gold standard for protecting high-end bikes, noting zero frame contact across more than 500 miles of road testing.

The tire range is what makes it a one-rack-for-everything answer. Twenty-inch kids' wheels, 29-inch mountain wheels, 5-inch fat tires — all of it fits without buying an adapter tray. If your household has a road bike, a kid's bike and a fat bike, you're not sorting out compatibility every time you load up. Owners report the wheel wells are deep and wide enough that the rear wheel actually sits in something rather than perched on a flat plate.

From our review of 8 hitch-mounted bike racks, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +If you own a carbon or full-suspension bike, the no-frame-contact design is the whole argument
• +The tire range is what makes it a one-rack-for-everything answer
• +It's rated for 60 pounds per bike, which covers most e-bikes
• +Consumer Reports rated it Excellent for bike security and Very Good for ease of use, putting it at the top of their hitch rack…

What to know

• –It's heavy. At 52 pounds, getting it into the receiver is a two-hands, bent-knees job, and owners regularly mention the lift as…
• –The instructions have a reputation for being confusing, and a few owners report needing a second pair of hands or a call to…
• –It's expensive, and the tilt still doesn't give you full access to a tailgate or liftgate with bikes loaded — it drops the bikes…