5 Of The Best Bike Racks For Your Vehicle

1 comments Oct 15, 2019

Some of The Best Bike Racks or Carriers For Your Vehicle

Cycling is fun. People use bicycles for commuting, others cycle for fitness, some do it because they’re simply passionate about the sport, the lifestyle, the experience of riding in the outdoors, going through beautiful off road trails and unexplored parks.

Cycling can be very entertaining and relaxing but given the intense traffic of cities these days, it’s hard to use a bike in them these days.

For this, people turn to mountains, national parks, or less crowded areas. However, carrying your bike inside your car isn’t easy, you may not even have the space.

So, how do your carry your bicycle easily, safely and efficiently?

Easy! Just use a bike rack or bike carrier.

Bike carriers come in a wide variety, there will always be one that fits your vehicle. They fit multiple bikes in them. They are very easy to install, and they hold your bike as a whole, meaning there is no need to break down your bike for transporting and most of them are quite affordable.

There are two common types of bike carriers:

• Hitch Bike Rack Carriers:

The hitch bike carriers also known as hitch bike mounts, are easy to install. They are very lightweight and straightforward. They attach to the hitch of your car. That’s the square-like hole on the rear of your vehicle, usually below the rear bumper.

• Rack Bike Carriers:

The rack bike carriers are the traditional bike holders. They securely carry the bicycle on top of the rack. It makes sure that the bike travels in an upward position. Bike rack carries require a roof rack or truck bed rack in order to install one.

Which of the two is better? 

The hitch bike mount is firstly more affordable if you don’t have a roof rack. It is easier to install and to mount and unmount your bikes. But the downside is that it affects the visibility on the back of your car and it creates a hassle when you need to open or access your trunk.

The rack bike carriers will firstly hold your bike upright. This is safer. However, the inconvenience is that they need a rack in order to work. Mounting and unmounting bikes from the roof of the vehicle can be difficult and roof racks are themselves heavy, adding weight to your car and possibly increasing fuel consumption.

Here are some of the best options available in the market.

Please keep in mind we do sell a few of these and also consider that there are many other brands, models and designs you can choose from, but we narrowed down the list to those we consider a better option.

 

Thule T2 Pro XT 2 Hitch Bike Carrier

Thule is a well trusted Swedish company for their advanced designs and quality products. Thule is passionate about helping active families and outdoor enthusiasts. The T2 Pro XT 2 is their leading hitch mount bike carrier.

This is the safest hitch bike carrier they have to offer. It keeps the bikes safe by keeping them a foot apart, due to which they don’t collide when the car is in motion. It secures bikes quickly without frame contact. Bikes lock to its bike rack and the bike rack to the receiver with an integrated cable lock and lock knob.

The T2 Pro XT 2 doesn’t need tools for installation, making it simple and easy to install.

It has a load capacity of 120 lbs. It can hold 2 bikes but with the T2 Pro XT Add-On, it can support up to 4 bikes.

As to the bikes themselves, well, they won’t be rattling much, thanks to the design, their frames don’t touch or scratch each other

The best feature is that it has a tilting option. It makes the trunk very easily accessible, something most of the bike carriers fail to do.

Pros	Cons
Settin up is a breeze, require NO tools	Expensive
Accessing trunk is easy thanks to tilting feature
Very Safe
Folds when not in use

 

Thule does have other interesting and very good bike racks and bike hitch carriers, you can take a look at them HERE. 

Yakima RidgeBack Hitch Bike Rack

Yakima a company that started out as a small machine shop, but by 1984 was decking out every race vehicle with original aerodynamic fairings in the Summer Olympics. A company known for its reliability and the RidgeBack Hitch Bike Rack is a good example.

This is not a typical bike carrier since it does not carry the bikes from their wheels but rather by attaching the bikes frame to the cradles. The anti-sway cradles remove any wobbling, eliminating all bike to bike contact.

The mast of the carrier is foldable, providing more space for the trunk to be opened smoothly.

Thirsty? It comes with the Yakima signature bottle opener.

Carries up to 2 bikes, but if you’re going on a family trip, it is also available in a 4 to 5 bike capacity. It weighs about 32 lbs.

No tools are required for installation because it comes with a feature called SpeedKnob, that quickly locks onto your car and makes the whole process simple.

It comes with the new ZipStrips that secure the bikes to the rack and are fully removable.

Comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Pros	Cons
Installation of the carrier is very simple and fast, tool free	Holds bikes by tubes, which some won’t like
Adaptable: has different models for more or less bikes
Very Safe
Allowed For Off-Road Use

  

 

Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack

Allen Sports is a company that specializes in bike carriers. They have the widest collection of bike racks. Since they specialize in bike racks alone, they have the most advanced and best reviewed bike racks and have been awarded many patents for their bike carrier technology. 

It will fit inside the hitch of your vehicle which must be 2 inches after which the carrier will stand upright, to then be secured by a No-Wobble Bolt. The arms of the rack fold back when it is not in use. This bike carrier comes with special patented individual tie-down cradles that hold your bikes firmly and protects them, avoiding scratching and unnecessary collisions.

This bike rack accommodates a wide range of bi-cycle frame designs.

For installation, minor assembly may be required.

The different variants provide space for up to 5 bikes, making family trips and adventures with friends much easier.

One of the top-end bike racks with the most affordable price.

Pros	Cons
Affordable	Will cause problems to access trunk of vehicle
Installation on hitch takes seconds
Can carry up to 4 bikes
Tie-Down system is fantastic

 

 

Rhino-Rack Spare Wheel Bike Carrier

Rhino-Rack was founded in Australia in 1992. Since then they have been making world-class roof racks and their business has greatly expanded, providing high quality gear to all industries.

If you have a large vehicle with a spare tyre in the back, this bike carrier is for you. The spare wheel bike carrier allows for the bikes to very easily be mounted and unmounted. For installation just place the bike rack carrier over the spare tire and tie the carrier around it with the strap provided.

The bikes are secured by thick rubber straps. The bike carrier folds down when not in use.

This bike carrier is corrosion proof with its black powder coating making it durable and usable in all weathers.

The bike carrier folds up when not in use.

Unlike all the other models, the trunk is very easy to use since the carrier fits on the spare wheel, not becoming an obstruction like all the other bike carriers.

The downside of this bike carrier is that it is of a very basic design. Its suitable for short trips but is not suitable for heavy off-road use and it cannot be used on the back of caravans.

If you prefer a roof rack bike carrier, then you'll need a roof rack, and you can take a look at Rhino-Rack roof racks HERE.

Pros	Cons
Affordable	Requires a spare tire
Setting up the carrier and bikes takes second	Not suitable for off-road use
Lightweight	Not the safest

 

 

Front Runner Thru Axle Bike Carrier

Front Runner Outfitters is a famous South African brand that has been manufacturing some of the best roof racks and outdoors equipment for the past 20 years.

Their Slimline II Roof Rack has become an icon in the overlanding world, and well, they have a lot of accessories for this rack, one of them being this Thru Axle carrier.

The Front Runner Thru Axle Bike Carrier is designed for off-road toughness so you can safely transport your bikes across dangerous roads.

The rear tire holder fits up to 4.5 jumbo tires.

This bike carrier can fit 100mm x 15mm and 110mm x 20 mm thru axles, as well as 110mm x 15mm boost hubs. It works with "pinch" style forks such as Fox40, Manitou Dorado and Marzocchi 380 The rear wheel holder has an adjustable ratchet buckle and strap that will adjust and fasten in just seconds. It also works with Front Runner Racks or Load Bar solutions.

It is made from 3CR12 stainless steel and is powder coated for durability.

It keeps the bikes upright, in place, secure, avoiding rattling and contact between them. 

Since it fits on the roof, the trunk can be accessed without any hassle.

The main issue with this bike carrier is getting the bikes up and down from there, which can be a tiresome.

If you do overland often, and own a roof top tent, then you will have to decide between the bike carrier and the roof top tent.

This is an affordable and a very safe option.

Remember, this product requires you to own a Front Runner Slimline II rack or any other bed rack in order to be installed.

Pros	Cons
Affordable	Complicated to mount or dismount bikes
Keeps Bikes Upright	Requires a Front Runner rack
Very Safe
Allowed For Off-Road Use

  

What Else To Consider?

Here are a few tips to look out for:

The Anti-Sway Cages are mostly found on racks that hold the bi-cycles by the tubes. This is a feature that avoids the bikes from swaying, shaking, moving too much at higher speeds, hence reducing the risk of any unpleasant damage.

Other important features to look for in bike racks are the locking cables. They are common and come in most hitch bike racks. They are built-in security systems that wrap around the bike in the form of a sturdy and thick chain. They lock to avoid the bikes from falling down but also to keep the bikes safe from being stolen.

Finally, take a look at your car and see what attachment points it has. Does it have a hitch and how wide is it? Does it have a spare tire? Will you have to mount the bikes on the roof? These are all very basic, yet essential questions you must ask yourself before going out and buying one!

***If you're not sure whether your vehicle has the right roof rack, please take a look at our roof rack collection, most of which will be able to support any roof top tent.***

FINALLY, if you would like to share info, pictures or anything, bicycle, roof top tent or overland related, please feel free to do so Joining Our Facebook Group HERE.