Hello out there, has anybody had any experience with cycle racks for the Patriot. I borrowed one last summer for a european holiday and although it held the bikes ok, it was time consuming and fiddly to get on and off. It was the type that is secured by many straps and hooks which pulled it against the rear hatch which meant you could'nt open it even when the bikes where off. I saw a bloke once who had one that was mounted on the tow hook, he seemed to move a lever which enabled him to tilt it back so he could open the rear door, does any body know of this type? Of course, if this type is available, you have the added cost of purchasing the towing hitch as well as the cycle rack ( I was quoted £214 for a non Jeep hitch )
Cheers Muddy

I have one for my pick-up, that attaches to the trailer hitch, and has a pin you remove and it will tilt back out of the way. Will hold up to 4 bikes I think, although I've only ever had 2 on it.

Not the same as mine, but this looks like a nice one:

http://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/BikeCarriers/Hitch/914XT%20Roadway.aspx

Hello Muddy!

Many of the hitch-mounted bike racks tilt out of the way so that you can open the hatch. I have a Yakima Holdup (photo below - more pics in my 'Accessories' album) that tilts out of the way, even with bikes loaded, so that I can get my aging dog in and out of the back.

(And, yes, I did once forget to raise the bikes after loading the dog. Fortunately, I only drove a few feet before realizing it! :doh:)

I had to install a hitch, and went with the stock Mopar 1.25 inch receiver because I like the 'tucked in the bumper' look. That limits you to carrying two bikes; if you want to carry four bikes, you'll need a 2 inch receiver. Yakima has a model called SwingDaddy (http://www.yakima.com/shop/bike/hitch/swingdaddy) that moves completely out of the way, but it can only be used with a 2 inch receiver.

http://www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=543&pictureid=2652