Unless you plan on biking around your immediate neighborhood you will need some way to transport your bike. There are quite a few things you need to consider to get the right bike rack for your needs. We are going to take a look at types of bike racks for your vehicle and by the time you are done reading you will know which is best for you!
What are the different types of bike racks?
1. Hitch Mounted Bike Racks
Hitch-mounted bike racks are one of the more popular choices for cyclists for their ease of use and versatility. You can transport your bikes safely and securely on the back of your vehicle. We are going to look at how hitch-mounted bike racks work, who they are best for, and the pros and cons of them.
How Do Hitch Mounted Bike Racks Work?
As the name implies a hitch-mounted bike rack mounts in the receiver hitch of your vehicle. The bike rack slides into the receiver hitch and is secured with a pin or for more security a locking pin. Hitch-mounted bike racks come in two main types: platform and hanging.
Platform: Platform style hitch-mounted bike racks have a tray that the wheels of your bike sit on. The bikes are secured with a clamp that folds over the frame in place and locks in place. Platform-style bike racks are ideal for heavier bikes like mountain bikes or e-bikes. You don’t need to lift your bike very high and they provide more stability.
Hanging: Hanging type hitch bike racks suspend your bikes from the top tube and/or seat post. Your bikes are secured with ratchet type straps on the frame. Hanging bike racks are usually lighter and cheaper than platform-style racks but are not the best choice for heavy bikes.
Who Are Hitch-Mounted Bike Racks Best For?
Hitch-mounted bike racks are a good solution for someone who wants to transport their bikes on the back of their vehicle and at the same time keeping the rack off their vehicle. Hitch-mounted bike racks are the perfect option for cyclists who have heavier bikes with their extra stability and ease of use.
Pros and Cons of Using a Hitch Mount Bike Rack
While there are a lot of benefits to a hitch-mounted bike rack there are also some downsides to consider.
Pros:
- Easy to use: Hitch-mounted bike racks are easy to install and remove making them a good solution for all cyclists.
- Versatile: Hitch-mounted bike racks can carry just about any type of bike which of course includes mountain bikes, road bikes and electric bikes.
- Allows for easy access: Unlike trunk and roof mounted bike racks, a hitch bike rack does not require you to lift your bike on the roof or trunk so they are much easier to load and unload your bikes.
- Provides more stability: Hitch-mounted bike racks have more stability which is especially important driving highways speeds or on rough terrain that you may encounter when mountain biking.
Cons:
- Expensive: No way around this one. Hitch-mounted bike racks are more expensive than most other types of bike racks. This is especially true if you go with a platform-style rack.
- Can block rear view: Depending on how high you bikes are sitting, a hitch-mounted bike rack can block some of your rear view particularly when backing up.
- Requires a receiver hitch: Of course you also need to have a hitch! If don’t already have a hitch, you will need to have one installed which of course adds to the expense.
2. Roof Mounted Bike Racks
Roof mounted bike racks are a popular choice for cyclists who either don’t want to have a hitch installed or have a rack hanging on the back of their vehicle. Let’s take a look at how roof-mounted bike racks work, who they are best for, and the pros and cons of using one.
How Do Roof Mount Bike Racks Work?
As the name implies a roof-mounted bike racks mounts on the roof of your vehicle. They attach to the crossbars that are installed on your roof. Once the bike rack is in the rack, you secure your using straps or clamps. There are two types of roof-mounted bike racks: upright and fork-mount.
Upright: The upright roof-mounted bike racks hold your bike upright with the wheels sitting in a tray. Your bike is secured with straps that hold the frame in place. Upright bike racks are a good solution for bikes with non-traditional frames like carbon fiber that are easily damaged.
Fork Mount: As the name implies, the fork of your bike is secured in the rack. The bike is secured to the rack with a quick release skewer that attaches to the fork. It goes without saying you need to remove the front wheel of your bike. A fork-mount bike rack is a good solution for heavier bikes, like mountain bikes or e-bikes. They provide more stability with its secure locking mechanism.
Who Are Roof Mounted Bike Racks Best For?
These type of bike racks are popular with cyclists who have a bike with a non-traditional frame that can be easily damaged. Roof-mounted bike racks are also good for keeping your bike out of the way. There is also a bit more security from theft by making it more difficult for thieves to get at your bike.
Pros and Cons of Using a Roof Mounted Bike Rack
Roof-mounted bike racks of course have their pros and cons. Lets look at some of the good and bad points of them:
Pros:
- Keeps your bike out of the way: Roof-mounted bike racks keep your bike out of the way and there no bikes hanging on your vehicle to potentially scratch or damage your bike or vehicle.
- Accommodates non-traditional frames: Upright roof-mounted bike racks will accommodate bikes with a non-traditional frame like carbon fiber.
- Easy to install: Roof-mounted bike racks are easy to install and remove and don’t require more than a few simple tools to install.
- Does not block rear view: Unlike hitch or trunk bike racks, roof-mounted bike racks do not block your rear view at all.
Cons:
- Requires lifting: By far the biggest downside! Roof bike racks require you to lift your bike on the roof of your vehicle. If you have a tall vehicle like an SUV, this may eliminate them from consideration. Also it may be difficult for shorter people getting the bike on top of your vehicle. Not too mention just being able to lift your bike that high.
- Increases wind resistance: Roof-mounted bike racks increase the wind resistance of your vehicle which will decrease your fuel economy.
- May damage your bike: If not properly secured, your bike can move around on the roof of your vehicle especially at highway speeds. You don’t want your bike flying off your vehicle on the highway!
- Requires more height clearance: Since the bike is adding quite a bit of height it’s possible some parking garages or other structures may be lower than the top of your bike. Beware of low tree branches!
3. Trunk Mounted Bike Racks
Trunk-mounted bike racks are a popular because they easy to install and remove. They are also cheaper than most other types of racks. Let’s take a look at how they work, who they are best for and their pros and cons.
How Do Trunk Mount Bike Racks Work?
As the name implies trunk-mount bike racks attach to the trunk or hatch of your vehicle. The rack is secured to the vehicle using straps that clip into the gaps around the hatch or trunk. Your bike is then secured to the rack using straps or clamps that attach to the frame and/or wheels. You can buy trunk-mounted bike racks can hold one to four bikes.
Who Are Trunk Mounted Bike Racks Best For?
Trunk-mounted bike racks are a good solution for anyone looking for a cheap, easy-to-install bike rack. They are particularly popular with cyclists who have small or compact vehicles. Trunk-mounted bike racks are perfect for anyone who does not want to make any modifications to their vehicle like installing crossbars or a hitch.
Pros and Cons of Using a Trunk Mounted Bike Rack
Like any bike rack, trunk-mounted bike racks have their pros and cons. Let’s look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of trunk-mounted bike racks:
Pros:
- Cheap: Trunk-mounted bike racks are generally the cheapest bike rack available. You can buy a cheap one for about $50.
- Easy to install and remove: Trunk-mounted bike racks are usually easy to install and remove from your vehicle. They also do not require any special tools.
- Compact and lightweight: Trunk-mounted bike racks are typically light making them easy to store and transport when not in use. They also fold up making them compact and easy to store on a shelf or cabinet in your garage.
Cons:
- Can damage your vehicle: The straps and clamps that secure the rack to your vehicle can scratch the paint or damage the trunk or hatch.
- Limited weight capacity: Trunk-mounted bike racks have a limited weight capacity and are not suitable for heavier bikes, such as mountain bikes or e-bikes.
- Can block your rear view: Trunk-mounted bike racks can block your rear view, especially noticeable when you are backing up.
- Limited security: Trunk-mounted bike racks do not provide much security. Since they are secured with straps that can be easily cut, someone can just steal the rack and all the bikes!
- Can’t open your trunk: Since you now have the rack and bikes on your truck or hatch you can’t open it making difficult or impossible to access anything back there.
4. Truck Bed Bike Racks
Do we need to say it? You need a truck to use this one. They give you a secure and convenient way to transport bikes in the bed of your truck. Let’s take a look at how they work, who they are best for and their pros and cons.
How Do Truck Bed Bike Racks Work?
There are several types of truck bed bike racks: fork mount racks, wheel mount racks and clamp-on racks.
Fork mount racks attach to the bed of the truck using bolts or clamps and hold your bike by the front fork. Obviously you need to remove the front tire of your bike.
Wheel mount racks attach to the bed of the truck using brackets and hold your bike by the front wheel.
Clamp-on racks do not require any drilling or permanent installation and hold your bike by clamping on the bed rails or the tailgate.
Who Are Truck Bed Bike Racks Best For?
This type of rack is especially popular with mountain bikers who want to transport their bikes to remote or off-road locations. That’s not to say they are only for mountain bikers, road bikers will find them a good option as well.
They are also more secure than most other bike racks since the bikes are stored inside the bed of the truck. It takes a lot more effort to steal them!
Pros and Cons of Using a Truck Bed Bike Rack
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of using a truck bed bike rack:
Pros:
- Security: Truck bed bike racks are a secure way to transport your bikes. Being stored in the bed of your truck and are less vulnerable to theft or damage.
- Convenient: They are convenient to use and they do not take any additional space on the outside of the vehicle.
- Versatile: Truck bed bike racks can be used to transport multiple bikes of any type. It can be easily removed when you don’t need it.
- Protects bikes: Since your bike is in the bed of your truck they are protected from rocks and debris flying up from the road.
Cons:
- Limited storage space: Since they take up a significant amount of space in the bed of your truck they limit storage for other gear and equipment.
- Requires lifting: Loading and unloading bikes in truck bed can be difficult as you will need to lift your bike at least as high as the bed and doing it by yourself is not all that easy.
- Requires removing front wheel: Fork mount and wheel mount truck bed bike racks require you to remove the front wheel of the bike. Depending on the bike, this can be a pain.
- Limited access: Since the bikes are in the bed it can be harder to get at other gear and cargo you have back there.
