smaslin

I installed a Hidden Hitch with a Saris T-Rax Pro 2 bike rack on the RDX today. As mentioned in previous posts, the Hidden Hitch is very easy to install (15 minutes) and is hardly noticeable. I purchased a hitch extension but did not need to use it with the Saris rack.

tvr93x

Nice! The hitch extension, how far would it stick out from the bumper if it were installed?

Stumpjumper M4...nice bike! I ride a S-Works M2

johnny99

fyi - the Draw-Tite hitch that I bought from etrailer.com looks identical to the Hidden-Hitch in your photos. Even the mounting hardware is the same. The Draw-Tite hitch costs $15 less, but does not include the drawbar. You do not need the drawbar if you're using the hitch for a bike rack.

smaslin

Sorry this took so long, I was out of town...

tvr93x

Cool...thanks.

EKNE

I went with the same hitch but a Thule bike rack. And it's easy to install, less than 10 minutes to bolt the hitch on and 1 minute to attach/detach the bike rack.
It's worth the $115.

jmathew34

Hey Folks,

Looking at getting and installing this hidden hitch for my gf's rdx.

Question is which bike rack to get, she'll need something simple to rack her bike on and also a simple rack she can remove from the hitch and store when not needed...

any assistance will be great, for any local md/dc/va folks if you have some spare time to meet up to check out the setup I would appreciate that as well!

flar

In other threads they talk about the Saris Thelma rack - very light for installing/removing, and it looks very easy to fit the bikes onto. It takes 2 bikes, and they also have a 3 bike version which should be almost as light (the bike mounting hardware is the least component of the rack's weight).

[Just installed my 2" Hidden-Hitch today and about to drive to a rack store to look at the Thelma myself...]

I also saw some really light racks with good features on the softride web site - they have top tube carriers that swing down parallel with the ground so you can access the trunk with bikes attached. They also have a really light platform-style rack that looks as good and almost as light as the thelma. I may look into a softride top tube carrier for cases when I need to carry more than 2 bikes.

phoward_15

Where did you purchase the hitch extender? From the same site you got the hitch? My Thule rack fits on to the Hidden Hitch but is right up against the bumper. I'd like a couple inches of room so it doesn't rub that much but I've tried two hitch extenders and both provided me with too much wiggle from the rack and I didn't feel like it was stable at all. How is your hitch extender?

flar

I went and looked at the 2" Thelma and test fitted it on my Hidden Hitch 2" hitch. Since I don't want to hijack this thread which is supposed to be about the Saris T-Rax, I posted about my findings over on this thread...

Reimroc

Which Hidden Hitch model did you purchase?

flar

I bought the 2" Hidden Hitch model 87449 from etrailer.com. It looks like the price on it went up in the past couple of weeks, though - it's now just under $150.

I figure a 2" hitch gives more options for racks and they were usually class III which gave a higher tongue weight which means the weight of the bikes and rack aren't as significant to the hitch - but I have no plans to haul 3500 or 4000 pounds on it ever.

At one point when I couldn't get the Thelma to fold up without hitting the rear of the car I had wished a little that I had gone with the Valley Hitch which appears to stick out another couple of inches, but with the Softride Dura there is plenty of clearance even on the Hidden Hitch so I'm not as bothered by it now...