Yakima DoubleDown Ace Hitch Rack - 4 Bike
This product is not available.
The Yakima DoubleDown Ace 4 bike rack gives you the best of both worlds by safely transporting up to 4 bikes, and then providing easy access to your vehicle.
Shop similar products- Installation to vehicle is a breeze and requires no tools; rack locks to hitch for security
- Once bikes are removed, tilt-down mast lowers rack out of the way to provide access to back of vehicle
- Fits most bikes, but an adapter (sold separately) may be required for women�s or kids� bikes; not designed for use with tandem or recumbent bikes
- Anti-sway bike cradles eliminate bike-to-bike contact and bike-to-vehicle contact
- Rubber straps on each cradle securely anchor bike into place
- Cradle arms can be lowered when not in use
- Intuitive levers with anti-pinch trigger covers make folding cradle arms and mast a simple endeavor
- Fits 1.25 in. and 2 in. receiver hitches; designed for Class II hitches and higher
- Includes a hitch lock to lock rack onto your hitch
- DoubleDown Ace 4 bike rack has 2 integrated bottle openers—1 at the end of each arm
- Not intended for tandem or recumbent bikes; carrying bikes with step-through frames requires the purchase of an adapter (sold separately)
| Best Use | Cycling |
|---|---|
| Number of Bikes | 4-bike |
| Hitch Receiver (in.) | Fits 1.25 or 2 inches |
| Weight | 42 pounds |
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Customer Images
Great hitch rack
I have a Honda Civic Hybrid. No way can or should it haul a trailer, but I had a hitch installed at U-Haul. Making this more of a challenge, I needed a rack that could haul my folding recumbent trike (Greenspeed GT3), which is bulky, along with my biking buddy's regular 2-wheeled bike. My hitch receiver doesn't seem very sturdy, but this rack holds the 60 lb. or so of bikes pretty stably and securely. It's easy to put in the carrier, and locks securely with a key, although the bikes aren't locked to the rack. It was really easy to put together and is easy to install/remove, but it is a tad heavy and bulky. I'm very happy with the value and quality.
First Trailer Hitch Rack
Full suspension mountain bikes, no problem. Hardtail mountain bikes, no problem. Currently, I've only hauled two bikes on this rack, and I have to say it's a great addition to my truck. Looks and performs great.Bikes are firmly secured, fitting like puzzle pieces to prevent swaying of handlebars. There's peace of mind when you're driving backcountry roads. Also, you can't beat a bottle opener at the end of each rack post.Unlike the SwingDaddy, you have to take the bikes off the rack if you want access to your back door on your hatchback/SUV or the tailgate on your truck. But, that's a minor inconvenience considering the price of the SwingDaddy ($479) compared to the DoubleDown [$]
Exceeded Expectations
Installed in 2" hitch w/ included adapter before 400 mile trip; bored out pivot hole and installed locking hitch pin (see pic) - worked better than expected. Not sure would fit a 4th bike very easily but was extra convenenient that we could tilt everything down to open the rear hatch. Seemed very stable and the rubber straps were easy to use.
Decent rack, but...
I use this rack to haul 1-3 mountain bikes, generally on a short trip (10 miles) to a trail. It is a solid rack and fairly easy to install and use. I like that it locks into my hitch receiver so I don't have to worry about theft. It's a bit heavy, which is no big deal for me, but a weaker person may find it cumbersome. The problem I've discovered is that on a long trip the rubber brackets that the bikes sit in slide on the rack due to vibration and wind resistance and allow the bikes to get together. This caused rubbing and blemishes on the bikes. Not cool. The brackets are supposed to lock into place, but they did not stay put. I need to figure out how to eliminate this for the future. Still, not a bad rack with some nice features for the money.
The right choice for me
It took me quite a bit of time and plenty of research to select this bike rack. I was comparing several models, including the swing-aways, and I will summarize my findings here, to help those who are also in the selection process. My local REI had a very small display, so I went to the flagship store in Denver where they have many more. Very good decision. I thought I had decided on the swing-away that Thule makes. The big difference between Thule and Yakima on the swing away is that the Thule includes the expanding hitch mechanism, that adds extra stability. The Yakima is an aging model that is to be replaced this fall. Both were super heavy-duty, high quality, and super heavy! When I actually saw it in person, and saw how much weight and bulk the swing hardware adds, my priorities suddenly changed. I am going to be taking this rack on and off the vehicle every time I want to go out to a trail, not keeping it on the car all the time. No need fighting with the swing racks. Selection eliminated. I like the expanding AND locking hitch idea, and wanted that so I also eliminated the Thule Vertex. That left me looking at the Thule Apex and Yakima double-down Ace. The Apex also includes a built-in lock for the bikes, and some fancier cradles. Worth an extra $140? Not in my opinion. Yakima does offer a similar locking mechanism for an extra $45. Chose not to purchase that until I am satisfied that my own cable lock isn't enough. The Thule has fancier curves than the Yakima, but the Yakima is more compact. My decision came down to the fact that I need to be able to move this around easily from vehicle to vehicle. The portability factor greatly outweighed the convenience of the swing-away for me. All 4 mountain bikes fit well, and I am quite pleased with my purchase.
Would recommend...
First time I used the bike rack was on a 2,500 mile road trip. The bike rack fit very well on the back of my 2012 Jeep Liberty. Although the bike rack is made for 4 bikes, we only had two (1 road bike, 1 hybrid). Both bikes stayed in place during our trip. We used the straps that was provided with the rack to secure the bikes together, so the wheels would not be turning. I did haveto purchase a crossbar adaptor for the smaller, hybrid bike - just so it would sit level on the rack. When on the road I hit speeds up to 90 mph and there was very little movement from the bikes. Though I cannot say how well the rack is for four bikes, would definitely recommend this product.
Great bike carrier
This is a great bike rack. It was easy to hook onto the hitch and get set up. It does take a little work getting the rubber bike holders into place the first time, but once that's done it is easy to get bikes on and off. Especially love the lock (for the hitch, and also the optional one for the bikes) and the ease of hooking it up. It is a bit heavy, so be aware of that. All in all a great purchase.
Ease of folding down arms = more stars
I bought this rack to replace a 10 year old Yak rack that fit 2 bikes. The old rack still works just fine so I'm going this 4-bike rack a + for durability even though I just bought it based on the quality of the older rack. Yakima has made some great improvements in this rack, the ease with which you can tilt the main mast is really nice, same with the fold down rack arms themselves. The old rack had an inconvenient spring clip/pin set-up, the new style is great. Fitting 4 bikes on any rack is not all that easy, I mean there's only so much room to work with, but it worked for me.
Great Bike Rack
We needed a good rack to carry various bikes (Adult Mountain to Kid Mountain) size bikes. The rack was easy to install and the bikes fit well. I used the straps included to secure the wheels and bought a couple extra locks/cables for security - Drove over 2,500 miles, cross country and it did a great job. I would suggest that if you go on a long trip or leave it on your car...to check the tightness of the bolts. Since it was new and traveled far, you should make sure the bolts (total 3 - one that locks to the hitch and the two bolt screws on the side of the drop down arm) are still tight. That will help keep your rack stable and secure. I looked at dozen of options from Roof/Hitch racks and various brands - This was about the middle of the road and for me it performed as top of the line.
DoubleDown is Aces with me.
The best features are it's simple to use and only one strap totally immobilizes the bikes after they are strapped down in the cradles. The only down side is the weight, but it has to be heavy to be sturdy. I highly recommend it.