1Up USA 2" Heavy Duty Double Review

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 started using the design. After years of seeing them at trailheads, we were stoked to get our hands on one for testing. We love the all-aluminum construction and tight tolerances from a durability standpoint. 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.

Performance Comparison

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 allows 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.

We found the tilt release handle on the 1UP difficult to access as it's under the rack. To lower the rack, you must reach underneath. While releasing the tilt mechanism is challenging, the biggest problem is how low the rack tilts. 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 it much easier to utilize the tilt function on this rack.

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 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.

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).

Ease of Assembly

The rack is basically fully assembled in the shipping box, making the 1Up the easiest bike rack I've tested. 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.

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.

Durability

The 1Up USA 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. Also, the bolts and fasteners on the 1UP are all stainless steel for corrosion resistance. Each part of the rack can also be replaced if necessary.

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 a small amount, 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 Heavy Duty Quick Rack is a solid rack with a clever design with folding trays for easy storage. It may be slightly less user-friendly than our favorite models, but we feel it is a great rack that will likely outlast the vehicle you put it on.