Well after lots of research on the best way to carry my bikes to and from the trails I decided on a hitch mounted rack. I found the Hidden Hitch brand which just bolts on. I use a Sportworks Transport bike rack which has easy on\off of the bikes (it takes literally 30 seconds) and can be removed from the car just by pulling the hitch pin (you can get a locking pin if security is an issue). The hitch weighs about 50 lbs so is not for the track set but in everyday use it is not noticible.

I have lots of photos of the hitch and the rack on my Cardomain webpage http://www.cardomain.com/id/xraydoc99 page 9 and 10 for those that are interested.

 

Good advice for those who want an easy way to carry a bike...Kind of scares me how far the wheels of the bike stick out from the sides of the car...gotta be careful not to cut any corners or go through the drive-thru! .....I personally am partial to the Thule roof rack, which I keep on all the time to carry bikes, skis, 2-by-4's, etc...and I feel makes the Max look less like a family sedan and a little "sportier" I guess.. But for those who like stock look and still want to carry a bike, the hitch rack is a great idea.

 

I dont know why but bikes towed behind a max just dosn't sound right. But, if thats what you need to get your bike from point A to point B then more power to you but it just seems odd.

 

I have no problem with bikes behind the car....I personally just need more utility from the rack/car than the Sportswerks rack can provide...but for just carryng bikes, seems like a good piece of equipment...I feel a little safer with my Spicer Custom on the roof where no one can hit it, since it's not easily replaced....but you gotta do what works for you, right?

 

Not very noticable minus the hitch assembly. Nice.

What was the cost? Was it an online purchase? Since there were no pics of an install, I am going to presume you had it installed by somebody else.

 

Total cost for the hitch from a local Hidden Hitch dealer was $150 installed. You can get the hitch online for $110 or so if you want to do the install yourself.

The rack was kind of pricey at about $300 (from supergo.com). I have always liked the looks and versitility of the rooftoop racks better but this time around I chose the hitch rack for a number of reasons. Mainly I can use it on my car or the wife's SUV and didn't have to buy two racks. With the hitch type rack I also really liked that I don't take a chance of damaging the roof of my Max and don't have to take the front wheel off the bike to put it on the rack. Also I don't have to worry about forgetting the bikes are up there and running into a low overhang or garage. Compared to a full setup of Yakima or Thule the price is about the same.