If you’re someone who frequently goes on cycling holidays or likes to take your mountain bike up to the trails, then you have probably struggled with transporting the bike. You can always load the bike and the rest of your stuff up in the back of your car- but there is another option- bike racks. They can be a tad expensive though and the first question that pops into mind is – are bike racks worth it?
If you load your bike in the car more than once a week, a bike rack will be well worth it. Bike racks are quite easy to assemble and can be attached to any car. Bike racks let you carry more cargo, keep the car interiors dirt free and are very convenient compared to putting the bike inside the car.
There are a few things to consider when thinking of buying a bike rack though:
- There’s a chance that your bike may get stolen if you park your car and leave it on the rack.
- If not installed correctly, the bike rack may cause a few scrapes to the car and/or bicycle.
- The bike rack may block trunk access when loaded.
- The bike rack may block access to your rear license plate, which might get you a traffic ticket in some places.
There is a solution to all of the above issues, but I wanted to tell you the MAJOR worry points first up in the post, so that you can better evaluate whether buying a bike rack is worth it for you.
Let’s look at the type of bike racks, and I’ll take you through how you can find a solution that caters to the above points (1-4) that I listed out.
Types of Bike Racks
There are 3 main types of bike racks, and I’ll only cover these in this post, as the niche ones such as ‘spare tyre bike rack’ and ‘flatbed bike rack’ aren’t extremely useful for most people.
Bike Rack Type #1- Roof Mount Rack
As the name suggests the roof rack allows you to hitch your bike to the roof of your car.
The roof mount rack is perhaps the only type that can be a permanent feature of your car- you can attach it to your car and not worry about taking it off when you’re not using it. Roof mount racks are generally regarded as the most secure type of bike racks, which is reflected in their price- a decent one will cost you around $300-$400.
This type of a rack can be tough to use though- having to load up your bike in a vertically standing position on the roof of your car is quite difficult. There’s also the question of increased drag on your car- there are plenty of people online who have complained of lower mileage when they transport their bikes using a roof rack.
Another potential issue is if your route has any tunnels with a low ceiling, you’ll have to take a different way to your destination.
Roof rack mounts are the only model that does not obscure the car license plate, which is a big plus if your area’s traffic rules require you to keep it absolutely unobstructed at all times.
They also come with a security lock for the bike, which just gives some more peace of mind if you do leave the bike on the car unattended for a while. I like to think that the difficulty of reaching a bike attached to the roof also will act as a deterrent for potential thieves.
Bike Rack Type #2- Hitch Rack
This type of rack is hitched to the underside of your car on the rear end. These are a close second to the roof rack in terms of how well they secure the bikes. Hitch racks also have a locking mechanism for the bike, so you don’t have to worry about it getting stolen as much. They are cheaper than roof racks too, and a decent one will cost you around $200-280.
Mind, this is just the budget range for hitch racks. The really high end ones, such as this one by Thule can easily cost 2-2.5 times more.
A major drawback for some is that the hitch racks stop trunk access. There are a few models that tilt when you want to open the trunk, but are, understandably, a bit more expensive.
Another issue that some users of hitch racks have is that the bikes may tend to sway when on the road. This is generally caused because of incorrectly attaching the bike to the rack.
Bike Rack Type #3- Trunk Rack.
These are the most portable type of racks, and also the cheapest. You can get a decent trunk rack for around $50- $100.
Trunk racks can cause a bit of damage to the rear of your car, and you might notice a few scrapes or paint scratched here and there. Trunk racks also don’t allow trunk access.
Lastly, there isn’t a locking mechanism for the bike, so if that matters to you, trunk racks may not be the best fit.
Final Recommendation On Bike Racks
After reading this post, if you do feel that a bike rack would be useful for you- I’ll give you one last advice- do remember to check the weight bearing capacity of the rack. Manufacturers will give this details quite prominently on their product pages. This might not be very important if you only have a single bike to transport, but if you have multiple bikes, then being sure about the weight capacity is important.
If I were to suggest one bike rack to you, I would recommend a Hitch Rack- this one by Thule, on Amazon is hands down the best. It carries two bikes, tilts to give access to the trunk, and, the thing that stood out for me, based on feedback from multiple reviewers on Amazon was the ease of use and security. Once assembled, the rack can be attached or detached from the car in just a few minutes. It has a triple lock system, which is highly important to ward off thieves.
Small side note: If your bike has fenders and you’d like to know which racks won’t bend/damage the fenders, I wrote about it here.
However, if you’d like a trunk rack better, this one on Amazon has the highest number of positive reviews.
For roof racks, I really liked this one on Amazon. This product has two versions- ProRide and UpRide. The UpRide is a bit costlier but worth it IF you have a carbon frame bike. The rack will secure itself to the front wheel without touching the bike frame. You’ll also have to buy crossbars and fit them on the car first, in case you don’t already have those. You might have to do a bit of digging around to find one that will fit your car, but this crossbar on Amazon might be a good starting point.
Can Bikes Be Stolen Off Bike Racks?
Bikes getting stolen off bike racks is a worry for most owners but having a hitch or roof rack with a lock for your bike is generally quite safe. If you’re halting for the night somewhere and think leaving the bike on the rack may be risky, you can always store it inside the car for the night.
Can Bike Racks Go On Any Car?
Mostly, bike racks are universal and can be attached to any type of car. Bike racks are intentionally made adjustable For small cars, a trunk rack or a roof rack would be most suitable, whereas for a SUV and larger cars such as trucks, roof/hitch racks would be more suitable.
How Many Bikes Can Bike Racks Carry?
Generally, most bike racks are able to carry at least 2 bikes. There are many other models that can carry higher numbers of bikes-upto 4 or 5 bikes maximum.