Velocirax vs Alta Racks Bike Rack Review

**NOTE: This video reviewed was filmed in 2021 and is missing info on the following notable updates:
- VelociRAX and Alta now offers baskets for 20″ bikes which we found to work great on all 20" kids bikes. The 20" basket for both brands can also transport 16" bikes with the help of a pool noodle (for shorter distances only)

- Alta Racks now offers a “Superior” model rack that can hold up to 7 bikes. The new rack has no e-bike limit within its 350 lb. weight capacity

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Vertical hitch bike racks are the BEST way to transport more than 4 bikes. There are quite a few great options on the market, but Velocirax and Alta Racks are two of the most popular, and for good reason - they are both exceptional racks!

They are also quite similar, which can make deciding between the two a bit tricky. In this video, we’re going to answer the question… Velocirax or Alta Racks… We tested them both (side by side!) to figure out how they’re different, and when or if those differences actually matter.

0:04 Intro to Alta Racks and Velocirax
0:30 Similarities between Alta Racks and Velocirax
0:32 Both are vertical storage racks
0:57 Racks tilt forward providing rear hatch access
1:15 Really slim profile when bikes aren’t loaded
1:46 Reasons to buy the Velocirax
1:49 Price
2:00 Bike capacity
2:14 Lots of ebikes
2:32 Reasons to buy the Alta Racks
2:45 20” kids bikes
3:28 Ground clearance
5:34 Made in the USA
5:48 Other smaller differences
6:08 Velocirax hydraulic dampening system
7:33 Bike spacing
7:51 Wheel straps for tying bikes to the rack
8:30 Weight capacity
9:18 Questions to ask to decide which rack is right for you

VELOCIRAX REVIEW

High Capacity: The Velocirax comes in 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 bike capacity for maximum customization to your specific needs.

Dampening System: The dampening system at the rack hinge point provides resistance so that the bikes lower slowly, and will never come crashing down.

Roll-in Loading: When the Velocirax is tilted down, 29er bikes can be rolled into the wheel baskets – no true lifting required. For smaller bikes with shorter wheelbases, you will have to lift the bikes into the baskets.

Fits 24″ Bikes: The front tire hoops on the Velocirax easily work with 24″ kids bikes. (Alta Racks requires a small adapter to use with 24″ and 26″ bikes.) While some 20″ bikes may fit, we wouldn’t transport our 20″ bikes this way.

Wide Spacing: While all Velocirax racks offer at least 10″ to 12″ between bikes, Velocirax 3 and 5 capacity racks are available with 15″ of spacing!

On-wall Garage Bike Storage: Every Velocirax comes standard with a wall mounting bar to convert your car rack into a wall-mount garage rack during the off-season.

Who is the Velocirax best for?

Anyone who needs to haul more than 4 bikes, which is where traditional platform (tray) racks max out.

Families with 5 kids! The Velocirax is the only 7 capacity bike rack on the market.

Those who want an exceptional quality rack, but don’t want to pay over $1,000.

ALTA RACKS REVIEW

Wide Range of Adjustability
Alta rack does a great job at accommodating just about any bike wheel and tire size.

Adjustable spacing between bikes – All baskets can slide left or right to allow for minor or major spacing adjustments.

Changing bike capacity – 4, 5 and 6 racks can all hold 4, 5, or 6 bikes (as long as you have enough wheel baskets)

Tool-free, swappable wheel trays – you can choose any combination of 4 different wheel size baskets for your rack. These trays can easily be swapped out within minutes without tools.

Highest weight capacity – 300 lb. (50 lb. per bike) on all size racks (limit 2 e-bikes)

Ease of Use
We love Alta because it’s not only easy to use when fully loaded, it also a breeze to use when not carrying bikes. Considering our bike racks are on our cars for over six months of the year and only a very small percentage of that time it is actually fully loaded with bikes, ease of use when not loaded is almost just as important.

Angled hitch arm – a life-saver for additional clearance around town when not fully loaded

Quickly tilts down for rear access – Alta quickly and easily tilts down when unloaded as well as loaded.

Height adjustable top bar – Raising or lowering the top bar allows you to raise or lower the wheel baskets. This is a huge benefit for taller cars or trucks/SUVs with lifts!

Side stability straps – Minimizes swaying or bouncing when traveling off-road, also great for long road trips

Voile tire straps – Easy to use, easy to replace, and can even be used to strap a tube or water bottle to your bike in a pinch

#velocirax #altaracks #verticalbikerack

[bradntam]

I went with the VelociRAX and I love it! One of the biggest factors missed in this review is the garage storage that comes with VelociRAX, its wonderful! Also, the safety of lowering the racks with bikes loaded is a big deal and I love having access to the back of my vehicle without having to unload all the bikes. The self-lowering really makes it easy to unload and load on my vehicle and in my garage. Oh and I love that my kids can push the rack back up by themselves because it is that simple. We seriously love our VelociRAX!!

[joydunne]

I have a small garage, so just wondering if one rack sticks out further than the other when there aren't any bikes loaded on so I can still use my garage with the rack attached? (I have a Honda Odyseey) Also, have you checked out Lolo racks for a comparison?

[ephillips]

How does the Alta Rack work with mtbs with flat pedals?

I've had a Velocirax for approx two years and I've seen three bikes badly damaged when the pedals from a bike dig into the bike frames on either side. The Velocirax does not seem designed to carry modern bikes with flat pedals (not enough clearance between bikes).

[authenthuse]

How good is this review! Very clearly presented and covered all the relevant points. They even showed how it works with different type of cars! Well Done!

[kimgibson]

OMG. This video was the exact video that I was searching for. Thank you for the review.

[EpicRev]

I own three racks, Thule XT Pro, 1up USA, and a Velocirax. My biggest worry with hitch racks is the HITCH capacity. My favorite is the Velocirax. Price, 4 bikes for $860, and it's built like a tank, reliability is super important, especially carrying $20K in bikes. If you went with a Thule and or 1 Up with the 4 bikes horizontal setup you are looking at close to $1500. Price the big V whens. I prefer my bikes closer to the car, the Alta rack is further, which REDUCES the hitch capacity (A big negative in my book). While the rack can handle 300 lbs if the hitch is rated at 500lbs the extra 12" away from the car will reduce the hitch capacity up to 1/2. The idea behind a vertical rack is all the bikes are close to the car, allowing greater hitch capacity. I own a 1999 Ford Expedition, and my wife has no issues pushing up 4 bikes. The Velocirax is a killer rack.

[KsSolM]

How does anti-rattle/sway compare between racks? VelociRAX has a very good anti-rattle, but I don't see it on Alta.

[hotmanali]

That was an excellent and well put together review. Gives me a lot to think about. Thank you

[justsnifflesbutthead]

Why didn’t you drop the Alta Rack down when it’s loaded? That is a huge safety concern. Seems like you left out a lot of key pros about velocirax. Like the anti sway mechanism by simply turning a wrench, which is absolutely awesome! The thick straps that are hard to get on and off are better than thin ones that come off easy. Idk this review seemed a little biased to me.

[igzekyativ]

Get your hands on a 1up recon to compare to these two?

[LanceHomer]

Great review! I wish I could get you to review everything I want to purchase.

[AdventureRich]

Great presentation and super helpful. Thank you!

[sethherway]

Recent move ins to Utah or not skiers? Curious why you pronounced Alta like all-ta rather than Al-ta. Like altitude or Alta ski resort. But actually a few times you say Alta like it should be. So now I'm thinking maybe you've lived here a while.but are just influenced by the recent move ins saying All-ta instead of Al-ta. Very important for me to.figure this out

[PixelBanger]

North Shore racks are also VERY good, and hundreds of dollars cheaper than both of these options. They also support the bike by a much stronger location (the stem and fork crown). When not in use they fold in half, drastically reducing the rack "footprint".

[chrismcinerney]

Perfect. I had never heard of Alta Racks before, but it fits my needs perfectly so I bought one. They have really good videos on their site for assembly, setting up your rack, and tips.

[Jean-LucHuynh]

I think you need a disclaimer for the review being compliant in your area. Neither of these rack will comply with rules and regulations of Australia.
In Australia, the rack and bikes must not overhang the rear of the vehicle by more than 60% of the wheel base measured from the rear axle (approx 400mm-800mm from rear bumper)
The rack/bikes must not obscure the number plate or vehicle’s lights. If it does, it needs to have auxiliary light and plate provisions.

I’m sure that these rules will be similar around other parts of the world and although the review ia comprehensive, it can also be misleading

A metric conversion would have been nice too.

[kmazzanti]

This is a great video and it’s really appreciated. I went with Velocirax because of# 7 which did not mention.The Velocirax doubles as a garage storage unit for the same number of bikes that it hauls. This also saves you several hundred dollars because you don’t have to come up with a separate at home bike storage system.

[LovetheIPAs]

Thank you! It's great seeing a video that honestly looks at the issues families and shorter people have with rack systems. Great organization and explanations. Very cool that you have the kids participate so we can see difficulties prior to purchase!

[scottshamrell]

Thanks for sharing the review. One thing to note is that the Velocirax damper only dampens in one direction; down. The review states it ‘works against you’ when pushing the rack up out of the loading position. Perhaps they’ve made a change to the dampers that we’re being used at the time the review was done, but they currently use a one-way damper.

[OnewheelAsh]

Hi I have a security question here- do both hitches allow one to lock the hitch to the car while it sits and we are away riding bikes?