Anyone ever done a comparison of the 1Up and the Inno hitch rack? My buddy has an Inno and its super easy to use with locks on the wheel loops as well as a built in cable to lock in the frames. Been wanting to get a hitch rack and always end up looking at the 1UP and Inno. Inno can be had for a bit cheaper, but never hear anything about it or see many of them on the road.
I’d also be interested in the comp between 1Up’s Quik Rack and the Inno Tire Hold from someone that has had their hands on both. I figure if I’m going to lay out the cash for an expensive rack that I have to live with for years, I want to know what I’m getting but I’ve never seen either in person so I spent an hour or so on the web comparing them. So far, here is how it looks to me:
Both use hold brackets for both wheels and the brackets stay away from your brake disks and fork stanchions. This seems much better to me than the no frame contact offerings from Thule, Kuat, Yakima, etc.Inno’s list price is $75 less for a 2 bike rack for 2" receivers but retailers sell the Inno below list. Found a site, autoanything, that is offering a 20% discount from list for a few days, so the Inno ends up being about $165 less.1Up is all metal so should be more durable but from what I can see the Inno is well made and doesn’t have a lot of plastic.Inno comes with locks (tray and cable) while the 1Up d/n. Granted any rack lock can only be relied upon for low risk situations but in that case the Inno is definitely easier.1Up uses an expanding mechanism/ball to secure the rack to the hitch. There is no way to insert a locking pin. The mechanism requires the use of a proprietary hex wrench to remove the rack but you can’t lock it. Also you are depending on this mechanism, which appears to be friction based, to keep the rack on the vehicle. Lots of people get nervous over this but the 1Up owners seem to get over that concern. Theft is the bigger issue and 1Up’s site said they no longer replace stolen racks due to an increase in theft. Instead they recommend that you lock the rack to the vehicle using a cable or U lock. That’s not so great.Both accommodate 29ers. Inno uses a removable bracket which I suppose could get misplaced. You used to have to spec a 29er set up with 1Up but it looks like they now all ship that way.Inno says they only accommodate tires up to 2.7 inches wide but I found a pic where a guy was able to fit his 3.9 inch fat bike tires. He said it was super snug and it looked like the tire rode on the metal bar and not the wheel tray but that wouldn’t be a big deal. 1Ups are spec’d up to 3.1" tires but you can order fat tire adapters ($34 but it isn’t clear if that’s per tire or per bike or for a 2 bike rack), or order the kit later, to accommodate up to 4.9" tires. So for the stock racks, Inno is more flexible but the 1Up can go further.Inno can only go to 3 bikes. The 2" inch hitch receiver version of the 1Up can go to 4. At 3 bikes the price differential grows to $200 or more if you can find a sale or a coupon.Inno uses an easily accessible lever at the back of the rack (similar to Thule’s T2 Pro Hitch Switch but probably not as slick) to raise and lower the rack. Looks to me like you have to reach under for the 1Up. If so, that would be a pain with 3 or 4 bikes.To convert the Inno to 3 bikes you attach the 3rd tray to the same fixed length bar. With 2 bikes on the rack there appears to be excess room between bikes if you slide the trays apart. With 3 trays it’s a tighter fit but I’m not sure how tight. Might still be fine.1Up’s trays go up in elevation as you add them, similar to stadium seating in theaters. That helps separate the bikes and keeps the end of the rack from dragging on bumps. Since the trays on the Inno ride on a fixed bar, no such luck. One reviewer posted a pic of scrapes to the lever sustained when the end of the fixed bar hit the road. In fairness, his comment was that the mechanism was well built and not damaged.1Up sounds like it folds up smaller and so is easier to store. It also sounds easier to add/remove trays but this could be the bad edge of the two edged sword. If it’s easy for you to get off it’s easy for anyone with the tool and this is where the security issue could bite you.1Up is made in Wisconsin. I don’t know but Inno is probably made in China or wherever.
I’d appreciate any modifications or additions from people that know either or both of these racks. Thanks.