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Hi, George! Thanks so much for the info. I really appreciate your input. I definitely don't want a roof rack. Although I like the look of them, I don't want to lose the great gas mileage I get. Plus it would be a huge hassle for me to lift a 40-lb DH bike over my head! When I saw your pics I thought that bike rack was the 1upUSA. I read the reviews several months ago & thought it would be PERFECT for me, but it's heavy, & I was concerned a Class I hitch couldn't take the weight of the bike rack & two DH bikes. I figured worse case scenario, I could take 1 DH bike apart & put it in the back of the car, but my other DH bike (Giant Glory) doesn't have quick releases, so I would need to transport that 1 on the bike rack. The installers I've been talking to tell me I can't transport two DH bikes on a Class I hitch, but I've been doing a lot of research, & I disagree. I'll definitely check out the Curt hitch/1upUSA rack combo. I can't believe you got 47 mpg with the bikes! That's amazing!

Hey, thanks for noticing my pics.

What I have is the Hidden Hitch (bought from etrailer), but honestly, if I had to do it again, I'd buy the Curt hitch. The hitch I have does flex some with 3 XC bikes on the rack. I've had good luck with Curt hitch on my wife's Vibe, and according to the etrailer data, it's 7lb heavier.

I have 2 racks, a Saris Thelma 3 and a 1up usa. The Saris is "ok", but the 1up is in it's own league--definitely the way to go. Read the reviews on MTBR.

As far as holding 2 DH bikes...you'll be fine, even without straps. I've had 3 XC bikes on mine. Again, I'd get the Curt hitch since I think it's a little beefier.

I've never owned a roof rack, but they look like you'd get terrible mileage, which defeats the entire purpose of the Sonic. I did a 150 mile trip and the MPG'ometer read 47MPG average (no joke) with the bike on the rack!!

Good luck.

George