RockyMounts WestSlope Hitch Bike Rack: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Transporting your bikes shouldn't be an afterthought. Our precious bikes deserve to ride in style to and from the trail and also remain safe while in transit. Fellow rider Victor recently picked up a new hitch rack and provides his review below. Check it out! 

Introduction

I was deciding between the Kuat Transfer and the RockyMounts WestSlope as I was looking for a quality bike rack in the price range of $300-350. The WestSlope is slightly more expensive by about $20 but it has a greater carrying capacity of 5lbs per tray to the Kuat Transfer.

The WestSlope also has a 6 degree elevated platform to help alleviate handlebar interference with my daughter's smaller bike frame. It also comes with a sleeve compatible for both 1.25 & 2" great for the sedan or the truck.

I was blown away when the box showed up at how small a package it was in. I just couldn't understand how a whole hitch rack could fit inside the box, but after opening it up to start the build process I realized that the whole thing was designed around an efficient package.

Installation

Installation and building the rack was incredibly easy, and everything was provided from a tools standpoint. The results speak for themselves too. The WestSlope is sturdy, good looking, and functions exactly as I had hoped. I do not worry at all about my bikes while I am driving down the road. Would highly recommend to anyone trying to save a few bucks and get a solid hitch rack for their car.

You will not find a better bike rack on the market in this price range. It takes about 25 minutes to assembly and after that, you are ready to go. I wanted a hitch rack that did not touch the frame of my bikes and this one is perfect.
I also purchased the lock kit, I had a little trouble with one of the lock pods and called RockyMounts. Talk about great customer service, the phone was answered on the second ring, and in a few minutes, my problem was solved.

Use it on a 2012 Ford Escape. Have two rather heavy 29ers on it. Both are mountain bikes. I use the 2-inch hitch and the bike rack bolts on to that which makes it sturdy. Removing it means you have to unbolt the rack and it does have a little bit of weight to it, but I'll take the weight and the bolt with the extra durability and security it provides. I do put it on when needed and remove it. It folds up if you choose to leave it on and it folds down for access to open the hatch. It does stick out a little bit when in use, but it keeps my rather large 29er away from the back window on my SUV.

Final Thoughts

Added benefits, it slants up so you can go up the side of a hill with it if need be. The bike holders hold the bike by the wheels, not the frame. So no worries about paint. This rack packs down very small taking up very little storage space and was very easy to install. This is the best hitch rack on the market that falls in a price range of $300-350. Well done RockyMounts!