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Best Rated Hitch Mount Bike Rack

October 2021

https://www.twowheelingtots.com/best-vertical-bike-racks-hitch/

"Best High-Capacity Bike Rack on a Budget"

"While the Totem Bike Rack is pretty basic compared to other vertical hitch racks, it’s quite thoughtfully designed and offers solid functionality at a fair price.

Bikes hang by the rim on the rack’s rubberized top arm. While there’s no basket or strap to keep those wheels in place, we were surprised with just how well they stayed put! The lower tire is strapped into a wheel cradle, and each bike’s frame is secured to the rack with a yellow bungee cord to prevent bikes from swaying into each other.

The bikes are packed pretty tightly (up to three on each side), so you will need to be careful of pedal placement, or handlebars getting caught in another bike’s brake cables. As a result, this rack is a phenomenal solution for your average biking family’s fleet of bikes, but not a great solve for expensive mountain bikes. If you’re worried about your bikes getting scratched, sorry, but you’ll need to spend quite a bit more money!

Overall, if you need to carry five or six bikes but spending almost (or over!) $1,000 on a car bike rack makes you cringe, the Totem is absolutely your best bang for your buck."

 

August 2020

I love the totem pole bike rack system!  I have a family of 5 and have struggled for years with other bike racks.
I have been using your system for approximately 4 years and it has held up well and makes transport easy and secure.
It is a relief not having to worry about the bikes on a long drive.
Thank you!
Mark K.

August 2018

So, the part came on Thursday as you promised. So far, so good. The bike rack installed on the RV as promised. So far, so good. We loaded 4 "similar" bike sizes onto the bike rack and 2 smaller sized bikes, no problem. 

Taking the bikes off and on: no problem.

What I'm trying to say is, you have a GREAT product and FANTASTIC customer service. I thought the $400 for the bike rack would have kept me up at night, but it's well worth it for me and the other 5 people in my family. THANK YOU so much! 

If you'd like a testimonial from me or would like me to put something up on the internet for you, I'd be happy to. Thanks, again, for your support in making my life easier! :)

Mike R.

 

Just Thought I'd Let you know, I purchased your rack earlier this year.  I hauled 6 bikes on the back of a 2007 Honda Odyssey from Lincoln, NE over the continental divide to Keystone, CO this summer.  It worked great.  It was the first time I could haul a bike for each person in my family. Loading was infinitely more pleasant than any other rack I'd used in the past - particularly for a couple of odd-shaped kids bikes.  Thanks for making this product.

Andy K.

March 2018

"Best Bike Rack for Families"

Average Joe Cyclist Review

https://averagejoecyclist.com/totem-pole-bike-rack-review/

2017

I am so impressed with your company and your customer service. Your ease of purchase with Apple Pay on the website, your immediate shipping and your immediate response to an issue are a real testament to your company.

The rack is the best. Six bikes and a kids trailer that we use for our 60lbs dog. I've been needing this setup for a very long time. Thank you very much!!!

Cisco

February, 2017

We were on vacation using the Totem Pole Bike Rack! It worked great! But, it stuck in mind to get back to you to let you know how pleased we are with the Totem Pole Bike Rack!

In general, I have found few products really live up to expectations! Yours is not one of them! It was easy to install the rack on the vehicle, and easy to install the bikes on the rack - just as advertised! It is simple to hang each bike and they were held secure with the straps and bungee cords. It is a simple, elegant, and effective design.

And, I appreciated your prompt customer service when we found some shipping damage. We received the replacement parts in time for our vacation and in good condition. It was a long two year (plus) wait as you ramped up for production, but it paid off with a great product! I am very glad to have purchased the bike rack for my family of six.

Best wishes for continued success with the Totem Pole Bike Rack! I am confident it will take off as word spreads! I have shared my experience with several and will continue! Take care! God Bless!

Jeff O.

December, 2016

Where has this been for the past 15 years?!?!?! The Totem Pole Bike Rack is LONG overdue. Ever since our family has grown—with the need to transport more than five bikes—vacations have been a struggle, at best! We’ve used all the other brands, but having to stack our bikes horizontally, could only get three on the rack, despite being a four-bike carrier. Additionally, we had the extra cost of attachments for the girl’s bikes. Your hanging design is genius, and I am surprised no one has thought of this before!

As with all major purchases, we were hesitant to try out your bike rack, but am more than happy we did!!! It effortlessly carries our six bikes, the tires no longer overhang the side of our vehicle, no attachments required, and the BEST part…..I can load/unload all bikes in less than 5 minutes!

Utilizing your floor stand, and being able store the bikes in my garage was a MAJOR bonus! What a great idea to maximize value for an already purchased piece of equipment. We absolutely LOVE this rack, and are now a major brand ambassador. We’ve had numerous questions about it during our travels, and we always happily direct them to your website.

OUTSTANDING QUALITY AND VALUE!!!!

James K. and family

Oct 10, 2016

Hi Chris,

"I had the chance to try out the bike carrier over the weekend. I'm happy to say that the whole setup worked very well carrying our four bikes to a local trailhead.  We especially like how compact the setup is when carry four bikes.  Our old Thule platform carrier sticks out the back more than twice as far with four bikes and causes some noticeable handling issues with our Subaru Outback having all that weight so far from the bumper.  Your rack does a much better job.

Having  integrated anti-sway threading in the shank is a nice touch.

Thanks for bringing this carrier to market.  This is exactly what we've been looking for. "

Kelvin

March 30, 2016

"First, I'll say it is awesome. We can load up six bikes in almost no time. It's actually faster and easier than our four bike rack. We even put a recumbent bike on it once without a problem. I love the simplicity of the rack and even prefer the non-folding model that we have here in Portland. " 

Scott K. Pedal Bike Tours

November 15, 2013

"Thanks for making such a great, large family, product to easily allow us to travel with our bikes. Additionally, with the smaller size of the rack, I was able to completely place all parts into the hidden cargo trunk space of our car."

Matt A.

July 5, 2013

"Chris, my family used the Totem to full capacity for the first time on July 4th. Brilliant design. With a family of 6, it's almost impossible to transport all our bikes without a trailer. This is the solution we've been waiting for. Couldn't be happier. Thanks."

Sean T.

January 21, 2013: The "Totem Pole Bike Rack" Model #TP2 was recently reviewed by MTBR!  Extensive photos, obstacle course and independent review!

Quoted from the MTBR review dated January 21, 2013:
Ok, here’s the promise of the Totem Pole bike rack:

  • Easy Assembly with with 3 main components and 3 support bars
  • Can carry any size or any type of bicycle, and any combination at one time
  • Load process is as simple as hanging bicycles from wheel rims
  • Support bars ensure secure mount during transport
  • Expected load/unload in 1/3 the time it takes with a standard rack
  • Can load up to six bikes
  • Compact stow away in vehicle when not in use
So we had to try it out. Actually, they had a lot more claims but we merged similar ones and only put in the claims we agreed with. So we think the features above are true and the Totem Pole Bike Rack actually delivers on its promise.


How is it so compact?

Six bikes in less space that it takes to transport four? Yes, the key is the bikes are resting on each other with the front tires. The tires by nature offer natural cushion from any damage. The handlebars are at opposite sides and away from each other in an alternating pattern. Furthermore, the bar to hang the front wheels on is sloped upward. This ensures that the handlebars are at a different height from each other, giving them just enough room to avoid interference. The rear wheels of the bikes and cranks are a little more at risk as there’s nothing holding them in place and they’re free to bang on each other. Special attention needs to be taken to make sure cranks and disk rotors and skewers are not in contact with other frames."

 

May 2012: Police Unity Endorses the "Totem Pole Bike Rack", photos and exerpt from letter below!

"Our organization is comprised of novice and expert riders who are law enforcement officers.  We are well versed and own competitive transportation devices that are currently available in the marketplace which can be cumbersome, difficult to assemble and can damage the bicycle if improperly secured, and a real challenge to load even 4 bicycles. Trying the Totem for the first time was simple to assemble, easy to secure and more importantly could transport six bicycles.  The Totem Pole's design is well engineered, extremely durable and designed in mind for the novice yet a perfect system for any expert cyclist.  I would highly recommend the product to anyone who cycles competitively or for fun."

U.S. Patent No. 8,931,671 issued January 13, 2015
European Patent No. 2598378 issued November 26, 2014
Canada Patent No. 2,806,102 issued February 19, 2019