Cyclists - platform vs hanging hitch rack?

[Goose]

I leave my rack on the vehicle 99% of the time. We’ve had the rack on our sport since new (Oct 2021) and I think it’s been off maybe 3 times for various reasons (odd period of snow here and a long road trip without the bikes) but never more than a few weeks.

I’ve never changed the hitch and never had a problem either. My daughter seems to think the Velocirax are also a set of monkey bars sometimes and still not issues!

The rack has been bomb proof so far, our BS has about 35 000km on it and the rack has probably been on for 32 000 of those! So far no real rust noticeable, the only thing is during the winter or colder weather the gas shocks make it a bit slower and harder to pull back, no big deal tho.

Thanks so much!!! Like I said, I was on the fence due to the tongue weight and daily function so I really appreciate your input! Enjoy!

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[MoFoCo]

Platform racks are great for 1-2 bikes, beyond that there is too much mass sticking out behind the rear axle. I had a 3-tray RockyMounts and recently swapped for a 4-bike North Shore Rack upright. It keeps the brake lights clear and keeps the weight closer to the rear axle for less bouncing. The NSR-4 is far more rigid and secure than the RockyMounts was.