Best car bicycle racks

Quick list 1. Best for ease of use 2.

The best bike racks for cars help you to transport your bike or bikes further afield safely and securely. They're designed so that your bike is easy to mount and dismount and many bike racks for cars are not particularly difficult to attach and remove. You'll often need some separate components to mount them though. That might be a tow hitch, which needs to be fitted to your vehicle, or roof bars to attach the bike rack to. It's worth factoring these in when making a decision about the best bike rack for your needs, as they can add considerable expense above that of the rack itself.

Best car bicycle racks

Are you looking for a new bike rack? We've spent the past six years purchasing and testing over three dozen models to bring you this evaluation of 17 of our favorite bike racks on the market today. We understand how difficult it can be to locate a rack that works for your bike, vehicle, and budget, so we're here to assist. For months, our bike-obsessed testers carried bikes on hitch, trunk, and roof-mount racks. We switched between cars, trucks, and SUVs, driving up dirt roads, down freeways, and parallel parking around town. We were impressed by how simple it was to load and unload our bikes and how securely they kept our prized possessions. Continue reading to discover the ideal rack for your needs, budget, and vehicle. We have been researching, testing, and publishing detailed bike reviews for many years. Whether you're looking for the best trail mountain bikes or the best bike helmets , we have recommendations on the bike gear that will improve your ride. Once you're done riding, we have garage bike storage suggestions to help you stay organized. If your primary focus is on tow-hitch mounted racks, we have a separate review that compares more than a dozen of the best tow-hitch mounted bike racks. For several years running, this rack has floated to the top of the pack thanks to its winning combination of user-friendliness and versatility. From downhill mountain bikes to lightweight road bikes, it will haul your bike from point A to point B safely and with ease. Boasting many intuitive and ergonomic features, such as a low loading height and a ratcheting wheel clamp that you can adjust one-handed, Thule designed the T2 Pro XTR with keen attention to detail. It features wide wheel trays that offer compatibility with virtually all sizes of tires and wheels, including fat bikes.

Bike racks come with varying levels of security, from none at all to integrated locks that secure the rack to your vehicle and the bikes to the rack. Find out more about best car bicycle racks we test. The rack is highly versatile, with well-designed wheel trays and ladder strap extenders that can fit a variety of tire sizes.

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. This hanging-style, two-bike hitch rack costs less than our top pick. This rack is great for carrying bikes weighing up to 65 pounds. This upgraded model offers sturdy construction and light weight at an affordable price, making it a great value if your car can't accommodate a hitch mount. You have to lift your bike up higher to load it than with our top pick.

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. We've tested models from all the most popular types of bike racks, seeing how easy they are to set up and use. There are a range of different places where they mount and different methods to fix your bike to them and different models can carry differing numbers of bikes as well. Rear racks are popular as they don't require additional equipment. Essentially you just clip them on the boot or trunk of your car and off you go.

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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Platform racks are typically very heavy! Rockymounts Tomahawk. Most hanging and tray hitch racks hold one or two bikes, although some can carry more with optional add-ons. Aluminum construction keeps it as light as possible without sacrificing load capacity. The Trio's innovative system that makes it compatible with through-axle forks without the need for additional adapters also helped it outscore other fork mount racks. Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes. We feel that ease of use breaks down to two principle things: how easy it is to load bikes and whether the rack interferes with access to your vehicle. Thule recommends a maximum weight of How we test car products The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. One huge advantage of platform racks is that they carry the bikes at a set distance from the ground — no matter the size of your bike. There is then usually a system available to buy that's custom-made to lock your bikes to the rack. Mounting a bike on the Highroad is particularly easy, with no need to adjust the front wheel hoops for different-sized rims and tyres.

Every product is independently selected by obsessive editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission. If you think picking out a bike is challenging, wait until you need to find a car rack to haul that bike around.

The rack has two SKS locking cables they don't auto-retract, so make sure you tuck them back in when not in use and an integrated lock loop for extra security when parked or locking up your rack off of the vehicle. Yakima HighRoad The best roof rack. Types of car bike racks. Volkswagen Passat 8. Because the bikes are stored very closely to one another, it can be a bit of a Tetris game to get them all to fit initially. We found several problems with this approach: First, to lift the bike into the rack, you have to grab the bike by its underside, near the chain and front chainring s. Here are the types we tested:. Reasons to avoid - Takes a bit of preparation. You also need to consider how easy it is to mount and dismount your bike from the rack. Your rear wheel usually stays on your bike.