Gravel Bike Racks

Oh man. Gravel Bike Racks. There are two companies in the running for BEST GRAVEL BIKE RACK, and they're both hitch mount racks. We've been running with both of these racks for some time now. Below is a list of what we love, and what we don't love, on each rack. We're going to power rank each factor on a scale of -1 (we don't like it), 0 (it's normal), +1 (we like it a lot) and see how the racks stack up.

Kuat

The Kuat was revolutionary when it came out years ago. And honestly, we've loved it (with one small caveat*).
  • ​Kuat Look: 0 Points.
    • The Kuat is a decent looking rack, but not quite as sleek, modern, or well-thought-out as the 1Up. 
  • Kuat Price: 0 Points. 
    • The Kuat ain't cheap. The 2 tray rack is $689. When you go to 4 trays, you hit $968.
  • Kuat Weight: 0 Points.
    • It's heavy. Close to 100 lbs. My wife struggles to lift it.
  • Kuat Functionality: +1 Point.
    • The Kuat secures bikes to the rack very well.  A rear wheel strap + a front fork arm, and I've never had a problem with a bike falling, or wagging, or anything else. Sometimes, it's hard to get enough weight over the front wheel to get the arm securely onto the fork, especially if you're not tall. And should the rack touch the front fork? Seems off. No?
  • Kuat Bike Positioning: 0 Points.
    • With the Kuat, you're locked into the bike positions. The trays & arms require you to put the bike right where it goes. So, inevitably, you'll play some Tetris with bikes. In my case, I had to memorize which bikes go where with the other bikes. Admittedly, dropper posts help too.
  • Kuat Damage to Bikes: -1 Points.
    • Here's a big beef of mine. Kuat's front fork arm rubs on the fork. I've had a few bikes where, over time, the paint is rubbed right off of the fork where the arm sits. *Super disappointing.
  • Kuat Add-Ons: +1 Point.
    • We actually never had any Add-Ons from Kuat, but the fact that the rack works beautifully without add-ons is great (ahem, 1Up).
  • Kuat Rear Clearance: 0 Points.
    • The Kuat's clearance depends 100% on the vehicle you're driving because it's a flat rack. But, it will always have worse clearance than the 1Up.
  • Kuat Locks: +1 Point.
    • The Kuat comes with locks embedded into the rack (and keys!). They work well. So when you're driving to Dirty Kanza, and you have to run into the gas station in Colorado, you lock those bikes up and then experience complete tranquility at the urinal.

Kuat Final Score = +2

1 Up

The 1Up has almost attained cult status among certain cyclists, and we can see why.
  • 1Up Look: 1 Point. 
    • The 1Up looks a lot better than the Kuat, like German engineers made it. It's sleek, matte black, and lovely.
  • 1Up Price: -1 Point.
    • Even more expensive than the Kuat, 2 trays runs $729. When you go 4 trays, you hit $1307.
  • 1Up Weight: 0 Points.
    • It's heavy too. Closet o 100 lbs. My wife struggles to lift it.
  • 1Up Functionality: +3 Points.
    • We're breaking the scale here cuz, while the Kuat works well, the 1Up works better. It is MUCH easier to secure the bike to the rack with two simple ratcheting arms that only hug the rubber tires. So nice. So easy. No muscle required. No standing on tippy toes with all of your weight over the front wheel to secure the bike. It's REALLY easy.
  • 1Up Bike Positioning: +1 Point. 
    • Another win for 1Up. No Tetris with the 1Up because the bikes can all slide forward or backward to make room for handlebars, seats, etc. You are not locked into one position like you are with the Kuat. Wherever the bike fits, just secure it  RIGHT THERE.
  • 1Up Damage to Bikes: +1 Point.
    • ​​Unlike the Kuat, the 1Up literally does not touch any point on the bike other than the tires. It doesn't touch your carbon beauty. So there is no rubbing on the forks. It's 100% refreshing
  • 1Up Add-Ons: -1 Point.
    • ​So the 1Up rack is almost impossible to get into it's upright position without purchasing  the EZ Pull trigger for an additional $79 + taxes. 
  • 1Up Rear Clearance: +1 Point.
    • The 1Up staggers upward with each bike (making positioning easier too) resulting in higher clearance the further back on the rack. It's really nice.
  • 1Up Locks: -1 Point.
    • The 1Up comes with no locks? So no on your way to Dirty Kanza, you're having a panic attack at the urinal wondering if someone is lifting your race machine off the rack. Granted, you can bring a third party lock and figure that out, but for the price, 1Up should just include a locking mechanism like Kuat.

1Up Final Score = +4

Gravelution.com's 2020 Recommendation

Look. Both racks are really nice options for gravel riders. And yes, we like the 1Up better. But even the Kuat is soooooo much nicer than those 1990's roof racks that required you to remove the front wheel, to say nothing of those horrible Walmart racks that strap to the rear hatch of the car and allow the bikes to dance all around down the highway.

And yes, we like the 1Up better based on the aforementioned factors. But both the Kuat & 1Up are incredible racks. If you've got the money, go with the 1Up. If not, hit up the Kuat. Odds are good that you'll be pleased with either.

​That's Gravelution.com's 2020 Bike Rack Recommendation!