QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack Evaluation

My old bike rack was starting to get pretty beat up before someone backed their truck into it and drove off. I still used it for another year after that (probably at great liability), and it worked. But it wasn’t ideal. It was bent askew. It wobbled no matter how much I tightened it in the hitch; it creaked and groaned, and it slowly lost my confidence over time.

Then, I got a message from a Colorado brand based just an hour away from where I live. It described a handmade, modular, machined aluminum bike rack that could carry regular bikes and e-bikes.

More than that, this rack supposedly needed no tools to assemble or attach to a vehicle. It even used a new type of hitch, which the brand claimed was stronger and more stable than traditional ball hitches.

The QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack looks a lot like other racks I’ve seen. However, the brand said it has 14 new patents for this rack and spent 20 years designing it. And truly, I’d never heard of a rack with so many clever design features built in. So, I called one in, removed my bent-out-of-shape beat-up rack, and started testing QuikrStuff’s claims.

The QuikrStuff Bike Rack is 100% handmade in Grand Junction, Colo. It has a modular design that allows you to put up to four bike trays on your rack. It requires no tools to assemble, attach, or add on to. Its bombproof hand-machined metal design is patented, which allows it to accommodate heavier bikes, like e-bikes.

This rack doesn’t wobble or bounce in the hitch at all. It has an e-bike ramp you can use to load bikes onto it. There is even a built-in wheel lock system to keep your bikes safe. With some minor design tweaks, it could be more secure and user-friendly.

In short: This is the nicest bike rack I’ve ever seen, let alone used. The quality of construction, modular design, and stability blew me away. The fact that it’s handmade in the USA is just a cherry on top.

If you’re shopping for bike racks, compare the QuikrStuff Mach 2 to those on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Hitch Bike Racks.

QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack: Unboxing, Assembly, Installation

It didn’t take much research to realize why I thought I had seen this kind of bike rack before. QuikrStuff started in 2020 when Bryan Wachs and JT Westcott licensed the bike rack designs and patents of Cal Phillips, the infamous outdoor gear inventor.

Phillips has 34 patents and designs, including the 1Up Quik Rack, which looks an awful lot like the QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack I tested. (Quik versus Quikr — see what they did there?)

However, the 1Up Quik Rack is not compatible with all e-bikes; it requires a tool for installation, uses a ball hitch, and cannot claim to be 100% made in the USA. The prices are different, too. The 1Up Quik Rack is $350, while the QuikrStuff Mach 2 is twice that price at $700.

Aside from all that, though, it’s pretty clear the same mind designed these two racks. They are exceptionally similar at first glance.

Nevertheless, according to Wachs, who I spoke with before I drove to QuikrStuff’s factory on the outskirts of Grand Junction, Colo., the QuikrStuff racks already have a kind of cult following. There’s been a waitlist for these racks since they hit the market in 2020. Part of that is due to the pandemic and all the supply train issues it caused. But it’s also because the brand’s customers are patient and want a QuikrStuff Rack enough to wait.

What’s in the Box?

Each of the three main components of the QuikrStuff rack came in its own box. There was the main hitch and bike tray, the additional bike tray, and the e-bike ramp. Both of the bike trays were neatly folded and fully assembled. Every piece and component of this rack is made from anodized aluminum.

QuikrStuff also includes two-wheel straps, which are essentially ski straps that give extra peace of mind and hold the bike wheels to the tray. It also comes with four wheel locks that attach to the arms of the rack and secure your bike to it.

Finally, they throw in two tubular keys with the rack and two per add-on (I received six). The brand notes that all components can be keyed the same “now or in the future.” That way, you don’t have different keys for different add-ons if you buy them separately.

Assembly Out of the Box

When I took the QuikrStuff rack out of the box, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew the assembly was “toolless.” But how much assembly was there? I didn’t know. I was worried it would be like an adult Lego set with extensive instructions and many separate pieces.

It wasn’t like that at all. The main hitch and rack are just one piece. It comes with the wheel trays folded up. I slid the 2-inch hitch into place, pulled the attached locking pin back, and set it. I then tightened the hitch with the blue knob, and when it was snug, I used one of the included tubular keys to lock it in place. To remove the rack, you’d need one of those keys.

Boom. The bike rack and tray number one were on. Attaching the second tray to the first was a simple matter of lining up grooved metal parts and slotting them in. A second tubular lock allows you to lock the add-on tray in place. The rack’s trigger bar, which allows you to lower or raise it on its hinge, attaches to the add-on almost seamlessly.

That was it. I didn’t need a wrench, or a drill, or even a single hex screw. My rack was on my vehicle, assembled and ready to ride.

Weight Capacity & E-Bikes

One of the biggest selling points of the QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack is that it is compatible with e-bikes. With just one bike tray, the Mach 2 is rated to 120 pounds. With two bike trays, it’s rated to 240 pounds; with three trays, it is 300 pounds; and with four trays, the full maximum weight capacity is 385 pounds. E-bikes typically weigh between 45 and 60 pounds, so you could safely stack this thing with four of them.

The e-bike ramp add-on attaches to the end of the Mach 2 like an additional bike tray for storage. When you need to use it, unlock it from the rack, remove it, and use the two hook arms on one end to fix it to the edge of one bike tray. Then, simply roll your e-bike up the ramp and lock it on.

E-motos could potentially fit on this rack as well, but I’d be wary of exceeding the maximum weight capacity. An UBCO Adventure Bike weighs 116 pounds, so you could conceivably use this rack to carry one.

But it would be a shame to overload your QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack, have it break, and lose your e-moto with it. That would be an expensive accident. We checked the website and couldn’t find any info on whether this rack was rated for e-motos.

In the Field: Testing the QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack

I mentioned my old bike rack was pretty beat up — just about anything would have been an upgrade from it. But the QuikrStuff Mach 2 is like the modern Mercedes of bike racks, and I was coming off a sputtering 1996 Pontiac minivan. The quality, level of design, and execution of the QuikrStuff rack blew me away.

I’ve been using this rack all summer long. I’ve taken it to the desert and driven hundreds of miles around Colorado with it. On every single ride this summer, I used this rack to get my bike to the trailhead, and it was a pleasure to get acquainted with it.

No Wobble Hitch

The most impressive thing I noticed right out of the gate was its stability in the hitch. Instead of a standard ball hitch, which is used almost ubiquitously, the QuikrStuff rack hitch uses two aluminum “pads.” These are stronger and smoother, and unlike ball hitches, the brand said these won’t deform over time. It offers 2-inch and 1.25-inch hitch options.

There was no play in this rack. I watched my old one bounce around, wobble, and sway on the mildest dirt roads. I drove over gnarly four-wheel-drive mountain passes, romping over rocks, and the QuikrStuff rack didn’t move at all.

The peace of mind that it gave me was huge because I was not concerned my bikes would fly off the truck. It was also better for the hitch, as there was less torque from the unmoving Mach 2.

Loading & Locking Bikes

Getting the bikes on and off was a piece of cake. I lifted the red handles on the sliding arms, which opened them. Once the bike was on the rack, I pressed the two tire arms toward each other, snugly locking the bike wheels in place. I usually shook the bike to make sure there is no slack.

If your tires are bigger or smaller, the spools can be adjusted up or down with the gold handle on the outside. The tire spools are already big enough for fat tire bikes, so no adjustment kit is necessary.

The two included wheel straps go on the bottom of the tray and secure the wheels in place. They offer added security but weren’t totally necessary for shorter drives. I’ve only been using them for longer road trips and transportation. I would use them more often if they were attached to the rack itself, but they’re separate pieces altogether, which made them kind of a pain.

QuikrStuff also designed an anti-theft lock system that uses the same tubular key and secures your bike to the rack. Four aluminum pins with blue locking heads can be slotted through the arms that hold the wheels.

With the press of a button, this latch prevents the arms from opening up and keeps your bike physically attached to the rack. Would-be thieves would have to take the entire frame off and leave the wheels behind — which I wouldn’t put past today’s bike burglars. So, I typically still ran a cable lock through the frames if I left my bike in my car in a public place.

Lowering & Raising

The QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack has four positions: raised vertically, lowered 45 degrees, level for bike transport, and fully lowered.

Raised vertically, the rack is very low profile and didn’t stick out from the back of my truck very much at all. Lowered to 45 degrees, I could open my truck tailgate just enough to access things below my sleeping platform or pull things out that were too big to be removed through the camper hatch (like a cooler).

With the hitch lowered all the way, I could open my camper hatch fully. That was great for car camping because I slept in my truck bed and had to keep the tailgate down (I’m too tall to sleep with it up). I didn’t have to remove the bikes from the rack to do this, which was not the case with my old bike rack.

The multiple positions were really useful. Just make sure the rack is fully locked in the position you want before you start driving away. A couple of times, the rack wasn’t securely situated at the level I’d set it at. If I hadn’t double-checked, it could have dropped from level to level as I was driving with the bikes.

Room for Improvement

I couldn’t name another rack that is better designed or made with higher-quality materials. That’s also what makes this one of the most expensive bike racks consumers can currently purchase.

The single bike tray rack is $700. The second bike tray add-on is $550. The e-bike ramp is $250. For the full setup I tested, it would cost the consumer $1,500.

Yes, it’s handmade and assembled in the USA. It’s made from premium materials. It’s extremely well-made, high-quality, modular, and it’s e-bike-compatible. But still, that is a high asking price for just about anyone.

My second gripe with this rack was all of the loose parts that came with it. The lock pins have two pieces each (for a total of eight pieces). Then there’s the two wheel straps and the keys. I’ve been keeping it all loosely stored in a ziplock bag. But there has to be a better solution.

Brands like Küat have attached the wheel straps to the bike trays. And there could be a way to offer storage for the locks on the rack when you aren’t using them.

Finally, this thing is heavy. When I wanted to lower or raise it with the bikes on, it took a little bit of muscle and some flexible maneuvering. My partner doesn’t like to lower it because it’s too heavy for her. That means it’s up to me every time we park to camp or just quickly need something out of the back of the truck.

QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack Review: The Final Word

There are a lot of bike racks out there on the market. There’s even one that looks just like the QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack. But no other product can boast that every single piece is hand-machined by one guy in a factory in Grand Junction, Colo. No other brand can say its rack is modular, rated for e-bike weight capacities, and requires no tools to assemble and install.

I have also never seen a rack so stable in the hitch. Even when my previous rack was brand new, it wobbled a little bit. All of my friends’ racks jostled somewhat when driving to a trailhead, but this rack didn’t move at all. That impressed the hell out of me.

The QuikrStuff Mach 2 Bike Rack is a hard product not to love once you start using it. It’s very expensive and heavy, and there could be some design tweaks to reduce the number of loose pieces. But overall, I loved the rack. Whenever I loaded or unloaded my bikes from it, I felt like a kid excited to use a toy. This rack could easily last me the rest of my life.

That is, as long as someone doesn’t back up into my truck again …