CURT 18050 61-Inch Bike Rack Support Strap

I purchased the CURT 18050 61-Inch Bike Rack Support Strap as added piece of mind on a 1,000 mile (one way) trip carrying 5 mountain bikes on our new Allen Sports 5 Bike Hitch Mount Rack. This was used on a 2015 Yukon XL (aka Chevy Suburban). Since the spoiler is plastic on this vehicle, I popped the rear glass and fed the metal strap hook through the top of the glass. I slid the hook in from the left side onto the edge of the sheet metal for the lift gate. I slid the hook to the center of the lift gate so the strap went over the center support for the rear wiper. The strap itself was easy to install. Just make sure you feed it through the teeth the correct way, and lift the bike rack a little as you tighten the strap to properly support the top of your bike rack. We drove over 2,000 miles in this configuration and the strap performed well and didn't loosen up, even with the slight wobble of the bike rack from the tilt features. Our vehicle set-up is a bit tricky, but I just made sure not to use the rear wiper since the strap was running over the top of the support.

So apparently you're supposed to use one of these with a hitch mounted bike rack. Who knew? I'd been using mine for over a year until I read a review that said I should get one of these. One thing that had always concerned me about that was how much flex there is in the bike rack, especially going over large bumps. I'm happy to say that with this installed, I feel much more comfortable now. That rack doesn't even move anymore. For those who aren't familiar with what this is, it's a simple strap that you loop over your bike rack and run it to your trunk lid to take some of the stress off of the hitch/rack. It's a simple, cheap, device that just might save you a few hundred bucks in the case of a failing hitch/rack (not to mention damage to the bikes!). Installation was a breeze, although the strap that comes with this is VERY long. I suppose it has to be, since you might be using it on a van or something. For a small passenger car, there is easily three feet of extra strap here. I just wrapped it up and zip-tied it to itself. The (vinyl?) coated buckle was a nice touch. I've also used a lot of cargo straps and this one is one of the best I've seen, very thick. I can't really think of a bad thing to write about this. I wish I had known about it earlier, I would have gotten one a year ago.

Identical to the straps that came with a trunk mounted bike rack. Works well as an extra support strap to distribute the weight.

I have had a Thule 3-bike hitch rack in my garage for several years, unused since I traded my SUV for a Civic. A few weeks ago I decided to install a hitch on my car so I could start using this rack again, and the folks who installed the hitch told me I needed this item. It does what it's supposed to do, which is stabilize the rack. Without this strap, the bikes are really bouncing around. The only problem is that the strap doesn't come with installation instructions, which led to some unnecessary frustration and concern that I didn't purchase the correct strap for my rack. But a quick YouTube search (how to use a hitch bike rack support strap) remedied the situation and I was off to the races. I won't try here to describe the correct installation procedure because a video is truly worth a hundred words in this case, but it really is simple.

Bought and had delivered while I was on away from home trip. Extra hundreds of miles than normal made me a little nervous, so bought these. Quick delivery. Am using with EBike so they are heavy. Will use from now onto give extra stability, peace of mind. Very Easy to use with my back hatch.

Works perfectly. Bikes are held solidly.

This is the best thing to secure your bikes on the bike rack.

Strap is not adjustable as required. I ordered it for use on the back of a BMW 325i, but the shortest the strap would go was still too long. The straps were good, the locking mech works good, but the hooks are also too tight, I have to open the trunk to get them under the trunk lid. Strap would have been great on larger vehicle. I would recommend making the minimum strap length much shorter.

Works as intended. Used for 4x trips. Not had any issues of it coming loose. Hyundai Elantra with Raleigh 4x bike carrier (loaded with 3x Adult bikes), Curt 11424 class 1 Hitch receiver from U- Haul. - You need to secure the loose end of the strap to prevent it working the Ratchet loose (use attached velcro strap) - to tighten the strap have a helper lift the bike rack by the horizontal bars while you tighten Ratchet. - once all bikes are mounted, lift up bikes and rack by horizontal bar and confirm there is no "play". Tighten Ratchet as required. - once tight, lifts rack 15°, back to horizontal. Does not require bolt on clamp on Hitch receiver. - bikes and rack stay locked to car on bumps, no bounce 👍

Ich habe zum Probieren ein Stück gekauft, weil es mir gefallen hat , habe ich noch ein zweites gekauft. Mit 2 fühle ich sicherer

Great!

Muy practico y súper fácil de usar. Sujeta el Rack muy bien y no maltrata la pintura del auto

The hook on my bike rack was starting to show signs of aging with cracks, it was great to be able to buy a new strap and hook rather than having to replace my bike rack. This worked perfectly and my bike rack is back in business.