Saris Cycle-On Bike Rack Review: Simple, Secure, and Safe
Thoughtful design and great features make this an excellent option for hauling your bikes.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
We all know that there are lots of benefits that come with owning a bike. Not only is cycling a great form of exercise, it’s also a good way to relieve stress and improve your overall mental health. Bikes are also an environmentally-friendly way to commute around town, and riding with friends and family is a nice way to connect and stay in touch, too. And if you have a good way to transport them, it’s relatively easy to take our bikes with us when we hit the road, opening up a world of new possibilities of when and where we can ride. That’s where the new Saris Cycle-On bike rack comes into the picture, making it safe and easy to transport your bikes no matter where you wander, keeping your road, mountain, and e-bikes secure along the way.
Photo Credit: Saris
Features and Specs
The Saris Cycle-On is a hitch-mount bike rack that is compatible with 2” and 1-1/4” hitch receivers straight out of the box. That allows it to easily be used with a wide range of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. It is also approved for use with Class A, B, and C motorhomes, and should work well with any towable equipped with a hitch receiver, too.
Designed to securely hold two bikes, the Cycle-On supports 20”-32” wheel diameters, with a max tire width of up to 4”. Its rugged bike trays can also support bikes that weigh up to 70 lbs. each, for a maximum load of 140 lbs. That means it can be used to transport most e-bikes, although you’ll want to double-check your model’s exact weight to ensure compatibility. The rack comes with a telescoping ramp that makes loading heavier bikes a breeze.
The rack itself weighs a hefty 53 lbs., but that’s due in large part to the excellent materials used in its construction and its over-engineered build quality that inspires confidence and reliability when in use. When not installed on your vehicle, the rack is also surprisingly easy to move around thanks to an integrated set of wheels and a strategically placed handle. It even folds up nicely, allowing it to store neatly in a closet or garage when not in use. It can even easily fit inside most RV cargo holds.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
Toolless Installation
Saris has made installation of the Cycle-On rack very straightforward and easy. If you’re using a 2” receiver, the rack slides right into place, requiring owners to simply line up a set of holes on the rack and the hitch receiver itself, then insert a hitch pin to secure the connection. For added security, an included lock connects to the pin, further holding it in place and serving as a nice theft deterrent. Finally, you simply turn a knob on the base of the rack, which tightens the connection with the hitch receiver, eliminating wobble and stabilizing the entire platform.
If your vehicle happens to have a 1-1/4” receiver, the process remains virtually the same, with one important difference. The bike rack comes with a 2” adapter already in place, which will need to be removed before installation. Saris includes an Allen wrench in the box to make that process as easy as possible, and other than that wrench, the install process doesn’t require any other tools. The entire process took just a few minutes on our first try, demonstrating the overall ease of use for this product.
Removing the rack is equally simple. Just loosen the knob, unlock the security lock using the included keys, and pull out the hitch pin. Then, slide the rack out of the hitch receiver and place it on the ground. Finally, fold up the platforms and use the built-in wheels and handle to wheel it away for storage.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
Loaded and Locked
Once installation is complete, the Cycle-On feels very stable and secure, providing plenty of reassurance when loading up your bikes. As noted, the rack has room for two bikes in total, with space to mix and match various models and types. During our testing, we loaded up and carried a mountain bike and road bike, as well as two e-bikes without any issues. The placement of the bike platforms and various secure points provides plenty of leeway for different models, making it easy to bring your favorite bikes along with you wherever you go.
Lighter bikes can easily be lifted onto the platform, but the included ramp makes it easier to load up heavy e-bikes. The ramp locks into place on the end of the platform, allowing you to wheel a bike up and into place. If you need the ramp to load a second bike, it’s best to unlock and remove it before securing the first in place, as it can be a bit awkward to reach the latch that unlocks it from the platform.
Once a bike is on the platform, there are three points that secure it in place. Those include a rotating and telescoping arm that slides up and connects to the bike frame via a soft but durable rubber strap. That strap comes with a built-in lock that conveniently locks and unlocks with the same key that is used with the hitch pin lock mentioned above. The Cycle-On rack also comes with two similar straps for each wheel, that when used in conjunction with the aforementioned locking arm, hold everything tightly in place. Even while driving on rough roads, over gravel, and even off tarmac, the rack itself remains very stable and the bikes barely move at all.
Unloading is a simple affair, too. The straps and rotating arm are easy to remove, and everything quickly shifts out of the way, making it easy to roll the bike down the ramp or just lift off the platform and place it on the ground. Essentially, Saris has removed all of the barriers so that we can get riding as quickly as possible.
Photo Credit: Saris
Other Notable Features and Nice Touches
We’re very impressed with the Cycle-On’s excellent design and all-around build quality. The bike rack feels very premium in every way and backs that impression up with outstanding stability and a host of welcome features. For instance, when not in use, the rack folds up neatly and out of the way without impacting vehicle performance. It even has the ability to tilt out and away from the vehicle, even when loaded with bikes. This makes it easy to access the bed of a pick-up truck, the rear storage area of a hatchback or SUV, or an RV cargo bay without having to remove the rack or bikes. And of course, if you do want to uninstall the rack, it disconnects in just a minute or two and stores away neatly.
As already noted, we really appreciate the integrated wheels that make moving the bike rack around quick and easy. We also appreciate the integrated locks on the rotating arms used to secure the bikes on the platform and the lock that holds the hitch pin in place. Both are excellent theft deterrents and the fact that they all use the same keys is frosting on the cake. And the inclusion of the attachable, telescoping ramp means owners can load and unload heavy e-bikes even when setting out on a solo ride.
The Saris Cycle-On bike rack’s compatibility with a wide range of vehicles—including RVs—makes it a great choice for riders who want to take their bikes with them on their adventures. A hitch-mounted bike rack frees up space inside your vehicle for other cargo, without compromising safety or security. All of this makes it very easy to recommend to anyone in the market for a high-quality rack of their own.
The Cycle-On has an MSRP of $899.99 (at the time of publication it’s on sale for $810), which is a very good price for any bike rack built to carry heavy e-bikes. In fact, it is well below a similar option from a competing brand, yet delivers performance on par or beyond most others on the market. We love the versatility and ease of use that this model offers and think you will too. Visit the Saris website for more information.
Kraig Becker is a writer in the RV, outdoors, and adventure travel space. Over the course of his career he has contributed to such outlets as Popular Mechanics, Outside Online, Business Insider, TripSavvy, Digital Trends, GearJunkie, The Adventure Blog, and countless others. An avid runner and cyclist, he enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and just about any other outdoor activity. His travels have taken him to seven continents and on many amazing adventures.
