REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Small storage size
All metal construction
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks security features
Difficult ergonomics
1Up USA 2" Heavy Duty Double Review
An industrial-grade hitch mount bike rack that packs up small for easy storage
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quik Rack is nearly impervious to corrosion with all aluminum construction.
Credit: Curtis Smith
By Curtis Smith ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ January 16, 2025
Contributions From: Joshua Hutchens
RELATED: The Best Bike Racks of 2025
Our Verdict
The 1Up-USA is a heavy-duty tray-style bike rack made in, you guessed it, the USA. Most manufacturers have copied this design with mixed success. The wheel clamp design features two tire clamps rather than the single clamp design on most other bike racks. The anodized all-aluminum construction provides unmatched durability. Despite its all-metal construction, the 1 Up rack isn't incredibly heavy, and the bike trays fold to reduce its size for storage. We found the design to be less user-friendly than that of some of its competitors, with several features requiring two hands. The lack of security features cost it some points, but a good cable lock would suffice. Overall, the 1UP is a solid, well-built rack with an attractive design; however, the lack of versatility and a difficult-to-use tilt mechanism reduce its overall score.
Our Analysis and Test Results
1Up racks are among the most noticeable models on the market due to their unique look. They have a cult-like following, including devoted customers and other brands that have adopted their design. After years of seeing them at trailheads, we were stoked to get our hands on one for testing. We appreciate the all-aluminum construction and tight tolerances for their durability. Does it look too industrial? Some of our testers thought so, but I found the appearance to be no-nonsense and fairly attractive; form follows function, after all. The overall score of the 1UP suffered due to ease-of-use issues and a lack of security features.
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quick Rack is easy to use and preserves your vehicle's departure angle.
Credit: Curtis Smith
Ease of Everyday Use
Loading and unloading bikes on the 1Up is different than using a traditional tray-style bike rack with front wheel clamps. Rather than a single-wheel clamp for the front wheel, the 1Up has dual, nondirectional clamps, which allow a bike to be loaded facing either direction. As the trays do not have a trough for the front wheel, securing a single clamp will still enable the bike to roll backward until the second wheel clamp is in place; this makes loading bikes a bit trickier but allows you to move your bikes fore and aft to avoid conflict between handlebars and saddles.
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quick Rack is quick to move out of the way.
Credit: Curtis Smith
The tilt-release handle on the 1UP is difficult to access; to lower the rack, you must reach underneath. While releasing the tilt mechanism is challenging, the biggest problem is the low tilt of the rack. We appreciate the access the extra-low tilt setting provides, but it drops so low that it's hard to lower the rack and get out of the way simultaneously. 1Up sells an aftermarket EZ Pull system and handle that moves the tilt-release handle out to the end of the main support arms in a much easier-to-reach location. It will set you back a few more dollars, but it should make the tilt function on this rack much easier to use.
Ease of Removal and Storage
The 1Up is fairly lightweight, weighing 48 lbs. It's not exactly easy to move, but the trays fold in towards the center of the rack, making it much easier to store. With the trays folded in, the rack fits in the trunk of many cars, which can be a useful feature for those without a garage who want to stow their rack to prevent theft.
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quik Rack folds up smaller than any other hitch rack on the market.
Credit: Curtis Smith
The 1Up is the only rack we tested that doesn't use a safety pin at the hitch receiver. The rack is secured to the vehicle by an expanding wedge that also removes the wobble from the system. The wedge is turned with a special hex wrench included with the rack. The rack must be inserted a minimum of 2" into the receiver, but there are no markings to indicate the insertion depth. We added our mark with a Sharpie, but would like to see a mark from the manufacturer added for safety reasons. Without a safety pin, the likelihood of not inserting the rack far enough into the receiver increases, and a minimum insertion mark would help eliminate this issue.
A special hex wrench with a hollow end is used to release the expansion wedge on the 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quik Rack.
Credit: Curtis Smith
Versatility
This rack will work on any vehicle with a 2" hitch receiver. It carries two bikes with a weight of 50 lbs per bike (the Super Duty version can handle up to 75 lbs per bike) and can handle wheelbases up to 54 inches. 1Up claims it fits wheel diameters from 16 inches up to 29 inches and tires up to 3.1 inches wide. In its standard configuration, it doesn't work with fat tire bikes, although 1Up sells a Fat Tire Spacer Kit for tires between 3.1 and 4.9 inches. Additionally, 1Up sells add-ons to increase your rack capacity by one bike (up to 4 bikes max).
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quick Rack gives you a fair amount of room to access your vehicle when folded down.
Credit: Curtis Smith
Ease of Assembly
The rack is basically fully assembled in the shipping box, making the 1Up the easiest bike rack I've assembled. The folding tray design allows 1Up to ship the model with the trays folded, so when the rack arrives, all you have to do is remove it from the box, fold open the trays, and attach it to your hitch.
This is how the 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quik Rack comes out of the box. No assembly required.
Credit: Curtis Smith
Security
The 1UP is one of the only bike racks I've tested that does not include locking hardware. The rack secures to the vehicle by tightening the expansion bolt and associated wedge with a unique hex wrench that is hollowed out on one end. Without this hollow hex wrench, you can't remove the rack. We admit that it's unlikely the average thief would have this tool, but it can be ordered from 1Up or found at your local hardware store. I'd like to see a keyed lock system as an additional security feature. 1UP also leaves the security of bikes to the user; no locking system is included with the rack, but there are many places on the rack to loop a cable through.
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quick Rack
Credit: Curtis Smith
Durability
The Heavy Duty Double is amongst the most durable racks we tested. The all-aluminum construction makes the rack impervious to the deterioration that other racks experience due to sun-damaged plastic. Most of the other racks in our test, including the Thule T2 Pro XT, have plastic components prone to failure over time. Additionally, the bolts and fasteners on the 1UP are made of stainless steel for enhanced corrosion resistance. Each part of the rack can also be replaced if necessary. The other rack that takes the cake for durability is the Kuat Piston Pro that has all metal construction and uses a fancy powder coat to protect the metal from corrosion.
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quik Rack is entirely constructed of aluminum making it one of the most durable racks we have tested.
Credit: Curtis Smith
Value
As the years have gone by, the value of the 1UP Heavy Duty Double seems to have gotten better. Their prices have increased only slightly, while companies like Kuat have introduced racks of the same design for almost twice the price. The durability and quality of construction are excellent, and the rack represents a good value.
Conclusion
The 1UP Rack is a solid rack with a clever design, with folding trays for easy storage. Although it may be slightly less user-friendly than our favorite models, we believe it is a great rack that will likely outlast the vehicle it is installed on.
The 1Up USA Heavy Duty Quick Rack can be adjusted to carry road or mountain bikes, but you'll need some tools.
Credit: Curtis Smith
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare 1Up USA 2" Heavy Duty Double versus top competing products:
—Curtis Smith, Joshua Hutchens
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