I’m putting a hitch on my car so I can take my bike to some state parks in the Spring. UHaul will install a 2" or 1.25" hitch with or without a “hidden crossbar”. I know little about cars and towing.
How badly will I restrict my rack choice by opting for the cheaper 1.25"? I won’t be using this for anything but bikes.
Using a hitch safely involves being mindful of the “weakest link” in the whole assembly, from the accessory’s limits, to the hitch receiver’s weight class, to the vehicle’s abilities and caveats. An optimized setup will balance those factors so you’re not wasting money on something that is limited by something else.
When you say hauling bikes, I assume that means at least two or more, since a single bike carrier is generally A-OK for any hitch of any size, on any car that U-Haul is willing to install a hitch receiver on. However, carriers for two bikes are often available for 1.25 and 2 inch. If you want to move more than two bikes, 2 inch will give you a lot more options.
The caveat is that this assumes the bikes are normal bicycles, like road bikes or adult mountain bikes, as many dual-bike carriers have a maximum weight rating of 70-90 lbs (30-40 kg) total. Going up to a 2" carrier doesn’t necessarily increase the weight rating. Ebikes can really push the limits of multi-bike carriers, which may not be built to accommodate a single, heavy bike.
My suggestion is to look at bike carriers now, while considering if you will want to expand to more bikes in future. It may be that your area has 2" bike carriers for cheap on FB Marketplace or Craigslist, and that will tip the scales toward 2". On the flip side, 1.25" carriers tend to be lighter and easier to install. Since you plan to get a bike carrier anyway, might as well include this in your decision of 1.25" vs 2".
IMO, if your car can have a 2" hitch receiver, then you should take up that option as it unlocks a lot of potential for your car, whether you use it for more than bikes or to just increase your car’s resale value.
As for “hidden crossbar”, my guess is this refers to whether more of the hitch receiver is visible than the square slot. This would mostly be down to aesthetics, but could also have an implication on ground clearance. Best to clarify with the U-Haul folks about this.
One other thought: in hitch terminology, “tongue weight” is how much weight can be borne straight down on the installed hitch receiver. For hauling bikes, this is an important limit, since all the weight of the bike acts directly down upon the hitch receiver.
So if your car has, say, a 200 lbs (90 kg) tongue weight limit, your bike carrier and your bike must not exceed this limit. Ideally staying under by a comfortable margin. The hitch receiver might have its own tongue weight limit, possibly higher than the car’s limit written in the manual, but you always use the smaller number.
Useful to know, especially since it’s just a bare bones Subaru Impreza and not some kind of vehicle intended for towing. I looked into roof racks, but even with the lightest ebike my money could buy, I’d rather not repeat that lift all summer long!
I do want to be safe about this and do not want to risk my bike going through someone’s windshield.
Hmmm, that gives me something to think about, especially the part about the multi-bike carriers. Though I ride a Turbo Vado SL, which is very light (for an ebike). It would be nice to be able to throw a friends bike on the rack too. I think I’ll look for the rack and deal with the hitch afterwards as you suggested.