# 1up USA vs. North Shore 4 bike rack for truck



## y0bailey (Dec 19, 2006)

Alright...I am now the proud owner of a new truck and it's time to upgrade my bike rack. My current 1-1/4in rack is old, rattly when converted to 2 inches in the truck, and I hate it. 



It's down to the 1up USA rack vs. the NS4 rack. I ride 90% trail (27.5 inch full squish), 10% DH (26in dual crown).

I have plenty of friends that use the 1up rack. It's an excellent rack no doubt, but my 2 complaints are as follows
1) Cost. Especially to get up to 4. 2) playing the "your handlebar is hitting my saddle" game. Takes some finesse to get them all lined up properly and not damage brake levers.


My concern with the NS4 rack is that I have never seen on in person or used it personally. It seems like the cheaper way to get to 4 bikes (which I won't do super often), and it seems like it will avoid the issue with saddle/bar contact. I also feel like it will fold up nice and compact so I can actually fit my new truck in my garage. 


What is everyone's thoughts? Which would you buy if you had a truck?


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## dwick37 (Nov 27, 2007)

I have the NS4 and have had it for a couple of years now. It has been on several 700-800 mile trips with 4 bikes load on it with out any issues. I had the Thule T2 before that with the 2 bike extension which adds another half vehicle length to your pickup with four bikes. Go with the North Shore, you won't be disappointed.


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

My thought is that for one or two bikes I want a tray system (like my 1-Up) but for four or more I want them hanging on a NSR. A four-bike tray just sticks out too far, IMO. If I bought a truck, I'd probably just go straight to the NSR-6. I've been in enough situations where we wanted to carry an extra bike or two, or put people in a different vehicle. 

You still have to play Tetris with a NSR, but if the stems and bars are similar lengths it's not too bad. The NSR is like the 1-Up: all metal, no plastic. A friend of mine came up with a great idea of pinning a Park workstand clamp arm in the folded rack while on trips. That works great. The only drawback to the NSR is that it won't carry road bikes very well, if that's a consideration.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

The 1 Up is so awesome for 1 and works for several. For that reason I would consider it if you're not doing the 4 bikes often.

At this point most of my riding friends have 1 Up so we just use each other's trays and haven't had to buy more than 2.

FWIW: The 1 Up has aged very well for the age, and parts availability has been great.


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## Rev. 14 (Jan 22, 2012)

I have the 1up, I will admit it is pricey but no plastic parts either and made very solid. I would also say I never have an issue with bikes touching each other, I have the 2in receiver and 2 tray rack. I can literally hook the sucker up in 3 minutes and get my bikes on there in 1 minute. The ease and simplicity of the 1Up rack is outstanding.

Here is what I like, when I finish a gruelling ride, I can ride to my SUV, get off my bike, and get it on the rack and close the wheel locks and done. Very simple. What I have seen about the North Shore is you have to tie the rear wheel with a nylon string. To me it seems bit more complicated to set up and to deal with when getting a bike on. Plus the cradle on the North shore, where you place the fork of the bike, is made out of cheap foam and from what I hear it wears away fast and then the metal is scratching your fork.






I know the 1up is expensive, I will give you that but it is the best investment I have made. Plus, I love how I can take the 1up off my SUV in literally 1 minute, so for me ease and simplicity is what I like about it.


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## Calhoun (Nov 11, 2008)

I have had the NSR4 for a couple years now. The rack has been great for local rides and cross country trips. I like that the bikes are vertical and don't add to the length of the vehicle. But there are some bikes that don't fit well. My 2009 Trek Session was an awkward fit and so is the 2015 Devinci Spartan. I am sure there are others and the problem is with bikes that have thick headtube areas. Not saying that those bikes didn't fit or that they were in danger of falling off, but they weren't as easy to load and unload as other bikes. And tethering the rear wheel really isn't very much work at all. 

That said I have a pick up now and I am very happy with the Race Face tail gate pad.


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## Skooks (Dec 24, 2008)

I haven't tried the 1-up but I have owned 2 NS4 racks and wouldn't consider anything else for more than 2 bikes. They are easy to load/unload, keep the bikes from touching each other, and last forever even on rough roads. I even carry my road bikes on them with the wheels facing backwards and the bars in 2 sets of the carrying brackets.


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## ctinflag (Mar 9, 2015)

evasive said:


> My thought is that for one or two bikes I want a tray system (like my 1-Up) but for four or more I want them hanging on a NSR. A four-bike tray just sticks out too far, IMO. If I bought a truck, I'd probably just go straight to the NSR-6. I've been in enough situations where we wanted to carry an extra bike or two, or put people in a different vehicle.
> 
> You still have to play Tetris with a NSR, but if the stems and bars are similar lengths it's not too bad. The NSR is like the 1-Up: all metal, no plastic. A friend of mine came up with a great idea of pinning a Park workstand clamp arm in the folded rack while on trips. That works great. The only drawback to the NSR is that it won't carry road bikes very well, if that's a consideration.


How did you mount a repair clamp on your Northshore Rack?


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

ctinflag said:


> How did you mount a repair clamp on your Northshore Rack?


He attached a Park clamp to steel the same size as the NSR beam, and uses a cotter pin to hold it in the joint with the rack folded down. Like this-


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## ctinflag (Mar 9, 2015)

evasive said:


> He attached a Park clamp to steel the same size as the NSR beam, and uses a cotter pin to hold it in the joint with the rack folded down. Like this-


One last question, where are those pics taken? Looks like Flagstaff?!?


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

ctinflag said:


> One last question, where are those pics taken? Looks like Flagstaff?!?


That's Wanoga, just outside Bend.


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## mountainbikenaked (Apr 6, 2007)

My friend had the NS. He purchased it in 2011 or 2012. After a couple seasons, it had a ton of rust to the point it was rusting through. He called them about it and was told it only has a one year warranty. Don't remember if they offered him any type of deal on a replacement, but he ended taking the NS to a scrap yard and bought a Kuat. With the way the NS mount sits, it can rub on your bike, especially on long trips (my old frame had rub marks from a few dozen trips on my buddies rig). The fact that some people bend the mount to fit certain bikes, coupled with bungees seems a bit ghetto to me for a $650 rack. The NS works well, but seems like a simple rack for what it costs. I'm guessing the mfr cost for a low yield rack makes it difficult to sell for less. I think I'd go with a Recon Rack if I was getting that type. GEN2 R4 Four Bike Shuttle Rack - Recon Rack Co

OP, since you have a truck (assuming no camper shell), I'd either get a Kuat, Thule or Oneup for regular trips, and/or a tailgate pad.
I personally lean towards Thule or Kuat due to the lifetime warranties. And with a t tailgate pad for extra bikes, you could get a package like that much cheaper than a NS. I personally have the NV 2.0 and old Thule T2 916xtr. If you find a good coupon you can get the new T2 with add on and a lifetime warranty for $750-$800 (REI has 20% regularly, and Als.com almost always has a 20% off coupon on their homepage). The Classic T2 is still a great rack, and deals can be found.

Kuat is a really cool company. When I lived in KCMO, Kuat was always sponsoring races and events. That is the main reason I got the NV 2.0 instead of the new Thule. Even though my prior Thule has been awesome.


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

mountainbikenaked said:


> My friend had the NS. He purchased it in 2011 or 2012. After a couple seasons, it had a ton of rust to the point it was rusting through. He called them about it and was told it only has a one year warranty. Don't remember if they offered him any type of deal on a replacement, but he ended taking the NS to a scrap yard and bought a Kuat. With the way the NS mount sits, it can rub on your bike, especially on long trips (my old frame had rub marks from a few dozen trips on my buddies rig). The fact that some people bend the mount to fit certain bikes, coupled with bungees seems a bit ghetto to me for a $650 rack. The NS works well, but seems like a simple rack for what it costs. I'm guessing the mfr cost for a low yield rack makes it difficult to sell for less. I think I'd go with a Recon Rack if I was getting that type. GEN2 R4 Four Bike Shuttle Rack - Recon Rack Co
> 
> OP, since you have a truck (assuming no camper shell), I'd either get a Kuat, Thule or Oneup for regular trips, and/or a tailgate pad.
> I personally lean towards Thule or Kuat due to the lifetime warranties. And with a t tailgate pad for extra bikes, you could get a package like that much cheaper than a NS. I personally have the NV 2.0 and old Thule T2 916xtr. If you find a good coupon you can get the new T2 with add on and a lifetime warranty for $750-$800 (REI has 20% regularly, and Als.com almost always has a 20% off coupon on their homepage). The Classic T2 is still a great rack, and deals can be found.
> ...


I was excited about the Recon when I first saw it. I have several friends with them. One of them had the rack drop on the highway at 70mph. He swears the chock was fully seated, but somehow it came unlocked and the rack dropped. He ALWAYS straps the vertical beam in place now. I'd chalk that up as a fluke, but I've seen another friend's Recon shed bikes on a rough shuttle run. Two bungee cords broke and one bike bounced out of the cradle. If you're hitting really rough roads, you need to take some additional measures to make sure the bikes stay in place. The NSR isn't as polished but it holds tighter, and while the knotted cords seem crude, the lack of elasticity means that they keep the rear tire in place. Recon needs beefier rear wheel retention.


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## mountainbikenaked (Apr 6, 2007)

evasive said:


> I was excited about the Recon when I first saw it. I have several friends with them. One of them had the rack drop on the highway at 70mph. He swears the chock was fully seated, but somehow it came unlocked and the rack dropped. He ALWAYS straps the vertical beam in place now. I'd chalk that up as a fluke, but I've seen another friend's Recon shed bikes on a rough shuttle run. Two bungee cords broke and one bike bounced out of the cradle. If you're hitting really rough roads, you need to take some additional measures to make sure the bikes stay in place. The NSR isn't as polished but it holds tighter, and while the knotted cords seem crude, the lack of elasticity means that they keep the rear tire in place. Recon needs beefier rear wheel retention.


I honestly don't like either. Great for large shuttles, but if I bike with that many people, we can just have an extra shuttle. Most of my rides are loops or out and backs anyway. I prefer the security and simplicity of my Thule and Kuat. I know the Recon has improved their design, not sure what year of Recon your friend had issues with, and I wonder if the newer design is better. I read about NS racks dropping the pin and dragging bikes too. Probably user error, but still not the best design. On my Thule if I forget the cotter pin, it is still secure...

That said, I know there was an issue with early Thule T2s where the bikes would shimmy off the mount and on the road. I know Thule put a screw/bolt in to prevent this. Largely due to user error for not properly tightening each bike rack to the hitch mount, but it was still an issue.


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## RadBartTaylor (Dec 1, 2004)

Few thoughts...

Seems like you need to figure out how important 4 bikes are and if you want a vertical rack vs a flat tray. As far as quality is concerned 1UP can not be beat. They are more $$ up front but hold their resale value well. It was a tough pill to swallow at first when I spent my hard earned cash, but it's one of those things I can look back on and say with certainty it was well worth it.

I like the flat trays better, they don't decrease visibility out of the back. As far as bar/seat/lever interference, it takes a bit to get setup right, but I've always been able to find a position where the bikes don't rub. If you ride with the same guys you'll figure it out up front so when it comes time to mount bikes it's easy every time. By the end of a bike trip and taking bikes on-off 3-4 times we have a system down and know where to place them.


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## ghabe (Mar 7, 2015)

I purchased a two bikes 1Up USA with two add-ons for my girlfriend’s car and ended up returning it. The build quality is awesome, but there’s a downside to that: the weight! The rack with add-ons is almost 100 pounds! It was just too heavy for her to lower and raise whenever she had to open the rear hatch. I would have kept it if it were for my car, but it was just too much of an inconvenience for her. Just something to consider that’s never mentioned in the 1Up reviews...


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## Trailcraft Cycles (Sep 6, 2014)

evasive said:


> I was excited about the Recon when I first saw it. I have several friends with them. One of them had the rack drop on the highway at 70mph. He swears the chock was fully seated, but somehow it came unlocked and the rack dropped. He ALWAYS straps the vertical beam in place now. I'd chalk that up as a fluke, but I've seen another friend's Recon shed bikes on a rough shuttle run. Two bungee cords broke and one bike bounced out of the cradle. If you're hitting really rough roads, you need to take some additional measures to make sure the bikes stay in place. The NSR isn't as polished but it holds tighter, and while the knotted cords seem crude, the lack of elasticity means that they keep the rear tire in place. Recon needs beefier rear wheel retention.





mountainbikenaked said:


> I honestly don't like either. Great for large shuttles, but if I bike with that many people, we can just have an extra shuttle. Most of my rides are loops or out and backs anyway. I prefer the security and simplicity of my Thule and Kuat. I know the Recon has improved their design, not sure what year of Recon your friend had issues with, and I wonder if the newer design is better. I read about NS racks dropping the pin and dragging bikes too. Probably user error, but still not the best design. On my Thule if I forget the cotter pin, it is still secure...
> 
> That said, I know there was an issue with early Thule T2s where the bikes would shimmy off the mount and on the road. I know Thule put a screw/bolt in to prevent this. Largely due to user error for not properly tightening each bike rack to the hitch mount, but it was still an issue.


Both of you guys have some really good points. I've used pretty much every rack on the market, and we purchased a Recon Gen-2 R6 shuttle rack for our business back in January. There are a lot of really good 4-bike racks out there, but for our family of 4, we always seem to bring at least 7 bikes with us on bike trips. For the business, we do a lot of local demo's and we bring no fewer than 10 bikes. 6 on the R6, up to 5 on the roof of our truck's topper.

I have 2 friends who own North Shore 6's and they love them. I've done enough trips to Moab (6.5 hour drive), borrowed for local events, etc. to give my advice on both the NS6 and Recon R6 now that I've had the R6 for over 5 months.

North Shore 6
+ smaller overall design, folding, lighter
+ knot system seems super secure, no other securing method needed
+ doesn't hold bike by the wheel
+ bend fork arms for a more custom fit
- first bike in, last bike out - bikes are in tight
- paint wears through crown from fork "arms"
- bend fork arms for custom fit, might be what causes rubber covers on fork arms slide up on rough roads
- many bikes might not fit - road, rigid, some MTB's
- larger platform pedals may make contact with other bikes
- spinning front wheel can be distraction (easily solved with bungee through all wheels)

Recon R6
+ Accepts 24" and bigger wheel sizes, including road/gravel. 26x4.8" fatties too 
+ Massive pivot/tilt function
+ Not limited to just mountain bikes with suspension forks
+ First bike in can be first bike out
+ More room between bikes, not as much bike to bike contact as NS6
+ Bungee's are super fast
- Bungees might be the weak link of this rack. I use Night Ize twist ties as back up (same thing contractors use to hold ladders, tools, etc. on their truck roof racks for additional peace of mind
- Newest design of Gen-2 baskets have a lot of bike movement with certain wheel sizes
- larger platform pedals may make contact with other bikes
- 24" and road/gravel wheels have spoke contact with basket - curable with old foam grips and/or wrap basket with old inner tubes/insulated foam from hardware store
- Heavy

There is no "perfect" rack but I feel the ability to bring road bikes, 24" kids bikes - some bikes with rigid forks (it's about 50% of what we sell) and gravel bikes is a plus for the R6 rack. Cody is SUPER responsive and if you follow him on Instagram/Facebook you can see he tinkers quite a bit trying to make his product better. He played with the "rope" method on a few racks and scrapped it. I do think the current bungee system is the weakest link, but I never had bikes come out. I did notice a lot of movement on my last trip to Moab where the speed limit is 85 and it's easy to go 90+ out there. For that reason I use the twist ties as an extra safeguard measure, it also holds the bikes way tighter so less bike movement. I do take pedals off when going distances, I had a Saris Superclamp 4 which trashed 3 of 4 bikes on one Moab trip due to excessive movement and rubbing.

I don't have experience with Alta Racks, I just noticed that rack for the first time on a truck at the Moab Brewery in March. Looks like a solid design as well.

I've got the $1215.00 receipt, I paid full price just like everyone else buying a NS6 or R6. Neither companies do "pro deals" so all the reviews you see on both will be straight up and honest I feel.


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## Alta Racks (Nov 27, 2017)

*Alta six gpr*



evasive said:


> I was excited about the Recon when I first saw it. I have several friends with them. One of them had the rack drop on the highway at 70mph. He swears the chock was fully seated, but somehow it came unlocked and the rack dropped. He ALWAYS straps the vertical beam in place now. I'd chalk that up as a fluke, but I've seen another friend's Recon shed bikes on a rough shuttle run. Two bungee cords broke and one bike bounced out of the cradle. If you're hitting really rough roads, you need to take some additional measures to make sure the bikes stay in place. The NSR isn't as polished but it holds tighter, and while the knotted cords seem crude, the lack of elasticity means that they keep the rear tire in place. Recon needs beefier rear wheel retention.


May we suggest a different product. We are a small company that builds six bike carrier and other sporting carriers right here in Utah. Our rack provide clearance for tail gates, back doors, van doors, have a rise to clear dips and offroading. fully adjustable top and bottom sliders for handle bar and pedal clearance. converts to ski and snowbord carrier. and lots more, We have done over 3 years of research and design and our rack s are being used bt Cam Zink, Carson Storch ,and Kyle Jameson.
https://www.instagram.com/alta_racks/

www.altaracks.com


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

I’m familiar with your racks. I’ve even looked at your website. IMO you could present your product in a more informative way. I and most other potential buyers are deeply familiar with NSRs and Recon racks. I don’t need to see multiple photos of fully loaded racks on different vehicles. And the unloaded photos aren’t very detailed or informative. Where are the close-up shots of the contact points, retention, and pivot mechanism? Maybe with a single bike loaded? As it is, I can’t really see for myself what differentiates Alta from the others.


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## Alta Racks (Nov 27, 2017)

*Thank you*









evasive said:


> I'm familiar with your racks. I've even looked at your website. IMO you could present your product in a more informative way. I and most other potential buyers are deeply familiar with NSRs and Recon racks. I don't need to see multiple photos of fully loaded racks on different vehicles. And the unloaded photos aren't very detailed or informative. Where are the close-up shots of the contact points, retention, and pivot mechanism? Maybe with a single bike loaded? As it is, I can't really see for myself what differentiates Alta from the others.


Hi,
Thank you very much for your comments and request. Your comments are very constructive.
We utilize laser cutting techniques for our bracket designs and manufacturing.
Sliding baskets with patented straping system using Voile straps to secure both tires. top basket sliders allow the operator to adjust for handle bar clearance, and the bottom sliders allow for pedal clearance. These function allow us to reduce the overall size of the rack by over 6 inches compared to Recon.
Our latch system is a 25000 PSI slam latch fully engage and secured against a hardened steel locking bar. Two wts of OSPs (outer safety pin) ensure safety and security of the platform and what ever it is you are carrying. 
Our desgined is geared towards a General Purpose Rack that convets to different sports thru out the season. A rack that store s the bikes for you on a mobile rack stand, Our goal is to develop a system that allows a tactical approach to most outdoor activities. 
Again, thank you for your questions, we have conducted over 3 years of research and development. Simulation and actual life testing. To ensure a solid system design.


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## tfinator (Apr 30, 2009)

Alta Racks said:


> View attachment 1205190
> 
> Hi,
> Thank you very much for your comments and request. Your comments are very constructive.
> ...


You should do three years of research on how to advertise without schlepping your product on forums meant for actual users and opinions.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk


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## mbmb65 (Jan 13, 2004)

tfinator said:


> You should do three years of research on how to advertise without schlepping your product on forums meant for actual users and opinions.
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk


If you look at his post history, you'll see that he has a really bad habit of doing that.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

mbmb65 said:


> If you look at his post history, you'll see that he has a really bad habit of doing that.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


It is noticeable!


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