# Sportwing hitch mount rack?



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

I am selling my Jetta Wagon TDI this Friday to buy a new rabbit. The new car doesn't have rails on the roof, and I don't really want to use the adapters that grip the top of the door jam. I am thinking about getting rid of my roof rack and getting a hitch-mount rack.

I came across the Sportwing and it looks pretty interesting, but I can't find any reviews:
http://www.etrailer.com/pc-wmc~5801200.htm

Any thoughts? I wonder if the bike will swing around too much?


----------



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

I just came across this thread that I missed last night before I posted:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=503113

Any other comments on the SportWing hitch rack?


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Wow, that looks really cool. Thanks for the link. I'd love to see if anyone has any comments on this.

J.


----------



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

Unless I hear any negatives I'm gonna order this weekend. I'll post pics/review when I get it installed.


----------



## galbraithrider (Sep 28, 2005)

I had a roof rack on my 2004 Golf (Basically the older version of the golf) and they actually had post mounts under the weatherstripping on the top of the car for the racks (We used the factory vw racks with Thule forkmount racks). It was a real clean fit and didn't require the clamps that fit over the windows...We did have to order an extra hardware kit in order to fit the Thule racks on the vw crossbar system but it was only like 20 bucks extra...


----------



## zelig (Nov 23, 2007)

Bump for updates? Did you wind up getting this? I am impressed with the design -- pretty darn clever.


----------



## deltaf508 (Jun 11, 2007)

Another bump. Also looking for a report on this.


----------



## singlespeedrider (May 12, 2008)

Thinking about getting one of these but still no reviews makes me nervous


----------



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

Sorry to let the thread die because I did end up buying the SportWing in April. Overall, the rack is of good (but not excellent) quality and I am happy with it.

Pros:
- Holds bike by wheels to allow for any frame shape
- Inexpensive
- Breaks down to be quite small so it can be stored in the car.
- Very quick & easy to use outer position
- Padded to keep from scratching bikes
- Nice to worrying about driving into the garage with a bike on the roof

Cons:
-The inner bike is a little hard to get on/off without scratching the car. Lucky for me I'm not too fussy about my paint.
-The rubber straps that go over the wheels have already started cracking a bit. They still work, but will eventually be replaced by some bungee cords or similar.
- Easy to loose the velcro straps that keep the bikes from swinging.
-The bikes do move around a bit, but they seem quite secure.

My biggest complaint is with the hitch that I installed to use with the rack. The exhaust hanger rubs on it and makes an awful noise. I feel like a big dork taking my nice quite new car and making it noisy. I just need to crawl under there and cut/file/drill something, but have been too lazy to do it.


----------



## singlespeedrider (May 12, 2008)

Well I purchased one yesterday and should have it today. Going by your pro's and cons the only one that worries me the most is the scratching the car. I guess I will just have to make sure my son does not take his bike off if it is on the inside.


----------



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

It probably varies a bit by car. My hitch mount seems to be tucked in pretty far. Yours might be better. I suppose I could get some type of extender if it really bothered me.


----------



## singlespeedrider (May 12, 2008)

Thanks for the heads up on the rack. I am excited to not take my front wheel off and stick a dirty bike in my car every time I go ride.


----------



## singlespeedrider (May 12, 2008)

So I got the sportwing rack yesterday and got it all set up. Hitch and rack took less than 25 minutes to install really easy. The rack looks really stable and have done just a ride around the block and then dropped my son off at school this morning with his bike on the back. One bike is a easy to get on there it is the inside one that is a pain. There is not alot of room and it gets really close to the car so you have to go slow and easy. The rack comes apart into three pieces and my guess less than 10 lbs. Storage should be no issue with this set up. I had no wheel movement, the bike was really secure and the area down below with the hitch receiver was really secure with no movement. It came with a bolt set up but was able to use just a cotter pin.

This is no Thule T2 set up and niether was the price. I think if storage and price are a factor this is a good way to go. So far I am more than happy.


----------



## zelig (Nov 23, 2007)

Looks like it also avoids the "obscured license plate" hassle when unladen. I like the low weight, too. Thanks for the report!


----------



## singlespeedrider (May 12, 2008)

I took a can coozie and stuck it on the pedal for the inside bike and I think problem solved. It is still close to the car but if you bump the car nothing is giong to happen to it. Again really like this rack.


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

I like the design. Good to see that there are now several options for lightweight easy to remove racks that don't touch the frame. I also like how these fold up and store easily. Be nice to see Thule and Yak put their hitch racks on a diet and do some nice engineering like this.

J.


----------



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

I like the can coozie idea! I will have to try that.


----------



## Flboy (Mar 18, 2008)

can you guys give an update on this rack now tha tyou have had for a little while. still a good buy?


----------



## singlespeedrider (May 12, 2008)

I am still really happy with mine. I can not get into the back of my car with it on usually not an issue. The straps all cracked and I called the manufactuer and they sent me replacements free of charge. I am still using the cracked ones cause it is secure enough. I think for the price it is hard to pass up. Yes there is better but not at the price point.


----------



## Straz85 (Mar 20, 2009)

I dont' know anything about the rack, but I do know I love the GT STS that's in the photo on the website. That was one of my dream bikes in the 90's! That and the Trek Y-Frame.


----------



## JDM (May 2, 2008)

singlespeedrider said:


> I am still really happy with mine. I can not get into the back of my car with it on usually not an issue. The straps all cracked and I called the manufactuer and they sent me replacements free of charge. I am still using the cracked ones cause it is secure enough. I think for the price it is hard to pass up. Yes there is better but not at the price point.


My rubber straps have cracked and I lost the velcro straps. I have been using bungee cords to serve both purposes.

I'm still happy with the rack.


----------



## wfp (Sep 16, 2013)

Hello, I just came across this old posting. I am thinking of getting the Sportwing as we have bikes (adult/women/kids) that are all different in frame sizes.

Question is: Can I buy the 2-bike rack and add another 2-bike rack/extension later? Or must I buy the 4-bike kit to start with? Do they even sell it that way as an add-on?


----------



## wetworkz (Apr 19, 2015)

not sure about buying extension, I would think you could, but probably not the most bang for your buck. I just bought the 4 bike version at wally world for like $125, I can't see buying it in two stages being the best way to go. I will say that my boys "freestyle bike" with the spokes closer together does not fit well on this rack. other than that I am really impressed with this rack. There might be some that are easier to load/unload, but it gets the job done on a budget.


----------



## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

I just purchased one of these (4-bike) and am really pleased with it. The unit is steel, including the arms, and although the extension wobbles a bit I'm not concerned with it falling out. It's easy to assemble/disassemble and takes only a couple minutes once you're familiar with how it goes together. I run 740mm bars and even at the closest mount point to the vehicle there's no danger of the bike touching the vehicle. Best part is that the arms can be set to any bike size because it carries the load by the wheels. Overall, a really nice rack for the money spent. Highly recommended.


----------



## tk1971 (Aug 10, 2007)

Old thread, but these racks are still out there, so hopefully this info is helpful to someone.

Here are some improvements I've made to this very affordable/fat-bike ready hitch rack:

1) The rubber wheel straps are garbage. They break when it's cold, lukewarm, or when it's hot out. Fixed it by making a new set of straps with some 1.5" nylon belt material and some plastic buckles. I made 8 to replace all the rubber straps.
Untitled by tk_1971, on Flickr
Untitled by tk_1971, on Flickr

2) What I found useful was that if I labeled each of the arms "L" and "R", it would be easier to identify and assemble.
Untitled by tk_1971, on Flickr

3) During initial assembly, I drilled a single hole at the top of each arm and placed a nut/bolt through it so that if the wingnuts on the cradles were to somehow get loose, the cradles couldn't fly off the rack when the vehicle was in motion (see top hex bolt in the following picture):
Untitled by tk_1971, on Flickr

Oh yeah, as mentioned earlier. I bought a bag of these to keep the bikes from moving around.
Untitled by tk_1971, on Flickr


----------



## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

Anyone know where I can purchase just the j-bend wheel mount part of the rack. I have an arm that arrived from Amazon sans two mounts and it's too much of a hassle to send the whole thing back.


----------



## tk1971 (Aug 10, 2007)

MTBeing said:


> Anyone know where I can purchase just the j-bend wheel mount part of the rack. I have an arm that arrived from Amazon sans two mounts and it's too much of a hassle to send the whole thing back.


There's only really two options: Contact the Mfg or Amazon

I would have guessed that etrailer might have parts. They have the rubber straps, but not the part you need.

Good luck.


----------



## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

tk1971 said:


> There's only really two options: Contact the Mfg or Amazon
> 
> I would have guessed that etrailer might have parts. They have the rubber straps, but not the part you need.
> 
> Good luck.


I can't even find out who makes it. Amazon just wants me to send it back. Oh well, no huge scrape. I still love the rack. Thanks.


----------



## tk1971 (Aug 10, 2007)

MTBeing said:


> I can't even find out who makes it. Amazon just wants me to send it back. Oh well, no huge scrape. I still love the rack. Thanks.


No contact info with the instructions?


----------



## tk1971 (Aug 10, 2007)

MTBeing said:


> I can't even find out who makes it. Amazon just wants me to send it back. Oh well, no huge scrape. I still love the rack. Thanks.


Found my instructions:

Reese Highland Sportwing 4-bike rack 13755

mfg by:

Cequent Consumer Products, Inc.
29000-2 Aurora Road
Solon, Oh 44139
tech service: 800 234-6992


----------



## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

tk1971 said:


> Found my instructions:
> 
> Reese Highland Sportwing 4-bike rack 13755
> 
> ...


Awesome! Thank you very much! Mine had no instructions in the box. It was a 'scratch/ding' being sold by Amazon and I figured that wouldn't matter. Turns out it was missing a couple arms.


----------

