Road Tested: How the JB Racks Vertical Bike Rack Handles Real-World Driving
Share
It's one thing to see a bike rack look solid in a product photo. It's another to watch it hold four bikes steady for two hours at highway speed. So that's exactly what we did — we loaded up a JB Racks Vertical Bike Rack, hit a mix of quiet streets, corners and open highway, and pushed it to 100 km/h (62 mph) fully loaded, on camera, with nothing hidden.
Below is the full road test video, followed by answers to the questions we get asked most about the Vertical Bike Rack — with a link back to the exact test each time, so you can see it for yourself rather than just take our word for it.
What we actually tested
This wasn't a five-minute lap around the block. The test ran for two hours, fully loaded, across mixed terrain — quiet suburban streets, corners, and a stretch of open highway up to 100 km/h (62 mph) — to see how the rack behaved under the conditions most riders will actually drive in, not just a controlled lab environment.
Common questions about the Vertical Bike Rack
Does the rack wobble or shift at highway speed?
This is the question we set out to answer with this test. Watching bikes bounce around on a rack at 100 km/h is exactly the scenario riders worry about most, which is why we ran the test at that speed rather than stopping at suburban speed limits.
▶ See the highway section of the test
How much weight can the Vertical Bike Rack carry?
Each wheel holder is rated to carry up to 65 lbs, with a total rack load capacity of 240 lbs. That's enough headroom to load it up with e-bikes as well as standard road or mountain bikes.
What is the rack made from?
JB Racks are manufactured from structural steel with mechanical properties comparable to ASTM A36, chosen for strength and consistency in structural applications. The components are then finished with a durable powder coat for protection against everyday wear, abrasion and corrosion.
Is the rack height adjustable?
Yes. The bottom bar has +/- 170mm of height adjustment, giving a total range between the top and bottom bars of 630mm to 800mm, and a total stack height of 1200mm. That lets you dial in the fit to suit your preferred wheelbase rather than being locked into one setup.
What size hitch does it fit?
The rack is built with an 18-inch hitch bar and is designed for vehicles with a 2-inch Class III hitch receiver — the most common hitch type. It's also compatible with RVs and trailers fitted with a 2 x 2 inch hitch. Because there's some natural play in any hitch fitting, an anti-wobble mechanism secured with a 5/8-inch pin is used to lock everything down tight.
How long does the rack take to set up?
Assembly typically takes 30–45 minutes, and once it's built, loading and folding the rack up or down for driving is quick — as shown in the road test.
Do I need anything else to drive legally with the rack loaded?
Yes — don't forget your accessory plate. Once the rack is loaded and folded into the driving position, it can sit in front of your vehicle's number plate. Fitting the accessory plate (with your registration displayed) keeps you road-legal and avoids the rack obstructing your plate.
How do I fold the rack down for driving and back up for loading?
The tilt function is one of the things we wanted to show rather than just describe, since it's the part of the rack you'll interact with every single trip.
The takeaway
A bike rack only has one job: keep your bikes exactly where you left them, no matter what the road throws at it. Two hours, mixed terrain, fully loaded, up to 100 km/h — that's the test we felt confident putting on camera, unedited, so you can see how the Vertical Bike Rack holds up before it's carrying your bikes instead of ours.