Best car bicycle racks

Among the many joys of owning a bicycle is its ability to help you explore new places - and one of the best bike racks for cars will help you to get further afield for your cycling.

Finding a hitch bike rack that accommodates your bikes, as well as your budget, can be a challenge. We know what makes them great, and we also know their limitations. A few notes about our recommended hitch racks. A more complete buying guide click to jump down is provided later in this review. Unlike platform racks, hanging hitch bike racks carry bikes via their frame rather than their tires. If you are on a tighter budget, especially if you need to haul 3 or 4 bikes, hanging racks are your best bet. Compared to platform and vertical hitch bike racks, hanging bike racks are significantly lighter, making them much easier to install and remove.

Best car bicycle racks

Bike racks are now one of the best selling motoring accessories, with the rise in popularity of biking and staycations both bring big demand for decent bike transport. But what rack should you choose? Bike racks can generally fix to the roof, the bootlid or a tow bar. Roof mounted is generally more affordable, is easy to store when not in use and can be fitted to most vehicles — although those with multiple or panoramic glass roofs may be difficult. But getting the bikes onto the roof rack can be really difficult, especially on tall SUVs or vans, and car parks with height barriers can also be a huge issue. Tow bar-mounted bike racks, in contrast, are a universal fit and, with the rack lower down the bikes are much easier to load. Even the age-old issues with boot access, and the racks being bulky and awkward to store, have largely been overcome. Some also double up as luggage racks or cargo box carriers. And whilst most tow bar racks fit on the tow ball itself, some brands provide the option of using a dedicated mount on the tow bar assembly, leaving the tow ball itself free for a caravan or trailer. Buy from: www.

There are multiple bike-rack styles available at a range of budgets, and this guide covers everything you need to know when you're deciding which one suits your needs.

The best bike racks for cars make transporting your ride less of a chore and are an absolute essential if you can't squeeze everything inside your vehicle. There are multiple bike-rack styles available at a range of budgets, and this guide covers everything you need to know when you're deciding which one suits your needs. We've reviewed many car bike racks over the years, with our team of testers putting them through their paces and entrusting them with road bikes, mountain bikes and gravel bikes. In this article, we've compiled the bike racks that scored the highest in testing and put together a buyer's guide to all the major types. The Thule ProRide is a benchmark for roof racks and a great all-round choice as long as you're happy to clamp directly onto the down tube of your bike the jaws are designed in such a way as to minimise the risk of damage. The is ideal if you want to transport bikes with mudguards because, unlike those that hold the bike by its wheels only, the rack won't interfere with them. The Yakima Highroad mounts on virtually any roof bars and is an ideal choice if you're worried about scratching your frame, because it holds your bike by its wheels only.

Are you considering a hitch bike rack? There are quite a few variables that will affect your selection, and finding the perfect rack can be difficult. How will it interact with your vehicle, how easy will it be to use and store, and will it keep my bikes secure? We've invested years addressing these and other questions. Our team of bike enthusiasts tested 16 of the most compelling hitch racks on our cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs. We've hauled every type of bike, taken them on epic road trips, bumpy trail-finding missions, and driven them around town. We noted how easy or difficult it was to use them, what felt intuitive, and how well they worked, steadfast in our quest to discover the best hitch rack.

Best car bicycle racks

Our car experts choose every product we feature. We may earn money from the links on this page. Whether you're a cycling enthusiast or just packing for a family vacation, loading and unloading bicycles from your car or truck is always a pain. Bike racks provide an elegant and simple solution to this problem and can even increase your bike-carrying capacity. There is a huge selection of bike carriers to choose from. The type of mount, the type of bike, the size of your bike's tires, the number of bikes you wish to carry, and your budget will all determine which rack is best for you. With such a wide variety of racks on the market, you can choose the one that best suits your practical and aesthetic needs.

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I do have concerns about its long term robustness, however, and the straps are frustrating to use. Their performance in each area is discussed below. Not only are they weighty, but their shape makes them cumbersome and awkward to carry. Amongst all these hitch mount racks, we believe the RockyMounts MonoRail is the best value. FEATURES : Tilt-down damper-assisted hinge for lowering bikes, models can hold up to 7 bikes, converts to a wall-mounted garage bike rack necessary accessory parts included , optional light bar for added visibility. It features wide wheel trays that offer compatibility with virtually all sizes of tires and wheels, including fat bikes. As you do with the Sherpa 2. Reasons to avoid - Takes a bit of preparation. We also appreciate that this rack comes pre-assembled, and it's quite small when not in use, making it easy to store. Not only is the rack quick and easy the install but it weighs just 14kg. This rack fits a variety of vehicles, but it does not function with all vehicles, so it is critical to consult Thule's Fit my car feature on their website. Get The Leadout Newsletter The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

When you need to carry your bike by car, you want to do it as easily and securely as possible. Of the tray-style hitch racks we tested, this is one of the easiest to install and use.

Although they can haul a half dozen bicycles, the vertical-mounted hitch racks fared poorly in this performance metric. Just like Yakima, Thule has a ton of choices for what the horizontal bars look like and how they mount to the car. In addition, some of the designs we have tested truly are superior to others. The price is lower than other options and it's exceptionally light at only 25 lbs. On top of the vehicle? Best for multiple bikes How to choose. This rack will likely last you until your final riding days, and its modular design will allow the rack to adapt with you as your needs change. Growing families should consider purchasing a rack that will accommodate their future needs, or a rack that is expandable. The options available for rooftop bike racks are few and shrinking fast but we found as wide a range of options as possible and feel confident in our recommendations. PROS: Works great with front and rear fenders, and rear racks Comes with a ramp with onboard storage to help load heavy bikes Works great with ebikes — can haul bikes up to 65 lb. This is the most affordable style of rack, but relies heavily on it being fitted properly, and the hooks that hold the straps to the vehicle can sometimes damage paintwork. The rear wheel is secured with a strap, although we found that to be a little lacking in padding if you want to avoid damage to expensive carbon wheels. Almost all platform and hanging racks fold up against the rear of the car when not in use.