Are There Bike Racks That Don't Require A Hitch?
You are a cyclist looking for ways to transport your bicycle, yet you cannot use you hitch for said purposes, don’t have a hitch or you want to explore your options, but you ask yourself a very common question: are there bike racks that don’t require a hitch? The answer is yes, there are bike racks that don’t require a hitch, they come in different styles, with different features and installation methods.
For example, you can have bike racks that mount over the spare tire of your SUV, if you have one at the back. If you don’t, there are bike racks that can mount on a roof rack, a bed rack, or even the bed of your truck.
Before we can recommend options and go over pros and cons, lets establish some basic information.
What Is A Hitch?
Most bike racks tend to go in the hitch of the vehicle. The reason being they are very easy to install and remove, they don’t take any space inside the car or over the roof rack, and are generally safe. However, you might not be familiar with what a hitch is (and that’s ok), or your vehicle might not even have one (they don’t all have).
So, what is a hitch? A hitch of a car is essentially a towing hitch or trailer hitch. It’s a point of attachment, usually square, at the rear of your car, that has the purpose of letting you tow trailers, or other things.
Hitches come in different sizes, which are called classes. For example, Class I is ideal for lighter loads, which come in smaller vehicles not designed for towing heavy weight. Larger classes are made for larger vehicles that need to tow other trucks, trailers, or heavy equipment. Think of contractor or construction vehicles.
Most bike racks are mounted to the hitch, and these bike racks come in specific hitch dimensions, of 1”, 2”, etc. so you know if they can be mounted to yours.
Not all vehicles have hitches, as not all vehicles are made for towing, and so manufacturers prefer not to install them. Yes, you can install an aftermarket hitch if you want to.
What Is A Bike Rack?
In case you didn’t know this, bike rack is an apparatus or accessory that allows you to transport one or more bicycles using your vehicle. Bike racks can be mounted into different parts of your vehicle, such as the hitch (the most common), the roof rack, the bed rack, a spare tire, or the bed of your truck.
Bike racks come also in different styles and designs, some allowing you to carry more than one bike at a time, others being just a safe attachment point for the front wheel of the bike, therefore being a single bike carrier.
Which Bike Racks Don’t Require A Hitch?
If your vehicle doesn’t have a hitch, or you cannot use the hitch for a bike rack, don’t worry, you’re safe. There are several other types of bike racks available:
- Roof-Mounted Bike Racks: These attach to a platform roof rack or crossbars, providing a secure way to transport your bike. Roof-mounted bike racks keep the bike out of the way of trunk or bed access, allow rear visibility, but unfortunately mean you need to mount the bikes on the roof rack.
- Trunk-Mounted Bike Racks: These racks attach to the trunk, rear hatch, or even the rear spare tire of your car with straps and hooks. They’re lightweight, affordable, and easy to install, however, cannot carry more than one bike, and are easy to steal, if that was a concern.
- Truck Bed Bike Racks: Designed for pickup trucks, these bike racks are essentially like a roof mounted bike rack. The bike rack will attach to the platform bed rack or bed bars, where normally the front wheel or the front fork of the bike attaches to a special rack accessory.
- Truck Bed Padded Carriers: A common and simple one: put your bicycle in the bed of your truck, and then mount the fork or front wheel over the tailgate, where a padded cushion protects both the bike and the exterior of the truck, at the same time as straps and hooks keep the bike, or bikes in place. Simple and efficient.
What Are the Best Bike Racks That Don’t Require a Hitch?
Here are some top bike racks to consider if you’re looking for a hitch-free option:
Front Runner Thru Axle Adapter For Fork Mount Bike Carrier
If you own a Front Runner roof rack or bed rack, the Thru Axle Adapter is perfect. Just remove the front wheel of the bike, and attach the fork directly to this accessory. It’s a fantastic fit, one of the most scure bike racks in the world. However, it works only with Front Runner racks.
View Front Runner Bike Carrier Here
Kuat Piston SR Platform Rack
The Kuat Piston SR Platform Rack is a high-quality, versatile option that can be mounted to any platform roof rack. Most bike rack accessories aren’t as versatile, meaning they don’t fit other brands, but the Kuat Piston SR does. Do take into consideration, it needs to go over a platform roof rack.
View Kuat Piston SR Bike Platform Rack
Thule Tandem Carrier
Thule, yes, the most famous brand in the world for bike racks, has the tandem carrier, which is design for longer frame bokes. It doesn’t need to be a tandem bike, but can work with one too. It does require you to detach the front wheel, and use the fork to mount to the carrier itself, which then will go over a Thule rack only, or other racks that can accommodate Thule accessories.
View Thule Tandem Bike Carrier
Thule UpRide
The Thule UpRide is an excellent roof rack mounted option for pretty much any bike. You don’t need to remove the wheels of the bike, making it much easier to just get it up or down without that extra hassle. Again, designed for Thule cross bars or racks, it can be used with other brands if you actually have one that works with Thule gear.
5. Kuat Tailgate Pad
As we mentioned before, the tail gate pads that sit over the truck’s tailgate, are one of the simplest and most efficient bike carriers out there. This Kuat Tailgate Pad is a high quality option, perhaps the best option in the entire market. Made to last, easy to use, easy to remove, can accommodate up to 6 bikes, what else do you want?
Benefits Of A Hitch-Free Bike Carrier
Despite there being many “disadvantages” of having a bike carrier or rack that doesn’t go into the hitch, such as having to remove front wheels, or having to mount it over a roof rack, there are other great, great benefits.
- Accessibility: Hitch-free bike racks often allow full access to your vehicle’s trunk or hatch, which can be challenging with a hitch-mounted rack.
- Compatibility: These racks are ideal for vehicles that don’t have a hitch, such as sedans, compact cars, and certain SUVs.
- Versatility: Many hitch-free options, like roof-mounted racks, are adaptable and can be used for other gear such as skis or kayaks with the right attachments.
- Aesthetics: Hitch-free racks often maintain the clean look of your vehicle’s rear, as they don’t require a bulky hitch or rear attachment.
Let’s Wrap It Up
You now know that there are bike racks that don’t require a hitch. You also know the type of bike racks you can get, and benefits of each style. Choosing a bike rack can seem like a hassle, but just go for the option that makes your life and cycling experiences easier. If you want to quickly mount and unmount your bike, a hitch bike rack ir a tailgate pad, are the best choice. If you cannot use the hitch or don’t have one, a roof rack bike rack is the safest choice.
Thanks for providing information.