Swagman rack hangs on tight

Reviewed by Jeffrey H. Brown, PCI #487/EMSCI #64
IPMBA Industry Relations Committee
Dayton PD (OH)

Bike transportation that's safe & secure. That is the easiest way to describe the Swagman XP Fold-down Rack (Model #64960XP). I have had the opportunity to test this rack for several weeks and have found it to be very dependable.

When I received the rack, it had already been tested by another officer, so it was totally disassembled and the instructions were nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the rack was a breeze to assemble; within ten minutes it was fully assembled and mounted on the car. This model mounted into a standard 2-inch receiver.

After mounting the rack on the car, I loaded it with four bikes. Each mount was well-cushioned and provided adequate protection for the bikes. Each mount had an adjustable cover plate with a tension knob to secure the bikes. The rack also had a feature that I absolutely loved - the outer mount's tension knob included a locking mechanism. With the outer knob locked in place, all of the bikes on the rack were secure. The fold-down feature on the Swagman XP also featured a locking mechanism.

After getting the bikes mounted, I went for a short test drive. I drove through a variety of areas ranging from interstate highways to unpaved roads. The rack held all four bikes securely. During the testing period, none of the tension knobs came loose. And even though the bottoms of the bikes are not secured, I observed very little swinging.

One concern I do have about the rack relates to the top cover plates. If you do not have a bike placed in every mount, you must make sure each top cover plate is secured down with the tension knobs or removed from the rack. Otherwise the top plates will be lost forever.

This rack is a very secure way to transport your bicycles and the locking feature allows you to leave them unattended.

Swagman offers discounts to IPMBA members through the Product Purchase Program. Contact Jim or Don at 800-469-7924, or e-mail jimm@swagman.net, or check out www.swagman.net for more information.

Jeff has been a police officer for 9 ½ years and has been assigned to the Dayton Police Department's Bike Patrol Unit for 3 ½ years. He can be reached at daypoblue@yahoo.com.

(C) 2003 IPMBA. This review first appeared in the Winter 2003 issue of IPMBA News.