Cars aren’t designed to carry bikes, that’s just a fact. There isn’t room in most cars for a fully-assembled bike to fit inside them, and you need add-ons to attach them anywhere outside of your vehicle. But what if you can easily find a bike rack that will install on any vehicle without any issues all while providing the best security for your bike(s) on your trip?
In this article, we’re going to go over 5 of the best bike carrying racks that you can purchase, easily install, and protect your car and bike while you take them out with you on the road.
1. Saris Bones
Key Features:
- The arms on the Saris Bones bike trunk rack feature the strongest arms and legs on the market.
- Built with 100% recyclable, non-rusting materials.
- The hold downs are incredibly easy to adjust so that they will securely fit onto your car’s trunk.
- This particular bike trunk rack can hold two bikes (35 lbs/bike).
Pros:
- This bike rack will not scratch up your vehicle because the areas that will touch your car have pads covering the ends instead of metal or plastic.
- The overall design of this bike rack is impeccable. For the price, you’re purchasing a sturdy and high-quality product that will last you for years.
- The rungs that hold the bikes are well designed and easy to use. Plus, these rungs are designed to be anti-sway, which means that you don’t need to worry about the bikes moving as you are driving.
Cons:
- The metal clamps that are on the straps can swing out and hit the body of your car as you are driving, so you might want to make sure those are secured down before going on a trip.
- The plastic screw that is designed to tighten the support of this rack looks like it could be broken quite easily – so keep an eye on that!
- There is nothing to hold down the steering tube and the front wheel to keep it from rotating as you’re traveling.
2. Kuat Sherpa 2.0
Key Features:
- Can hold up to 2 bikes (40 lbs each)
- Holds wheelbases up to 47” and tires as large as 3.”
- There is 14” spacing between each bike
- Comes in two sizes: 1.25” and 2.”
Pros:
- This bike rack is beautifully designed and fabricated; it will easily fit into your car and look amazing.
- The bikes on this rack are spaced far enough away from each other that they don’t become entwined or cause problems as you’re driving.
- The rack folds down so you can easily get into your trunk or rear hatch of your vehicle without having to unload the bikes first. Plus, it also folds up behind the hatch so that you can easily pack your car in a garage without having to remove the rack first.
- This rack is high-quality and heavy duty without being heavy, and it does a great job of ensuring that your bikes are safe during a trip.
Cons:
- The locking hitch pin doesn’t tighten, so while the rack has a built-in stabilizer, it can rattle.
- This rack can hang a little low and stick out too far for some people, but this mostly depends on the type of trip you’re going on. For example, if you’re going hard-core-off-roading, you might find that this is an issue for you.
3. Thule Helium Aero
Key Features:
- You get to choose between a two-bike capacity rack and a three-bike capacity rack.
- This rack is made out of ultra-light aluminum, so it’s half the weight of most bike racks.
- This rack is easy to handle, install, and remove.
- Features patented hold fast cradles with road dampening technology (RDT) to secure your bikes to the rack while absorbing road shock.
Pros:
- This bike rack comes already partially assembled, so all that you really need to do is use the few tools that come in the packaging and quickly finish it up. That’s how easy it is to install and prepare for use.
- This bike rack is incredibly lightweight, durable, and even comes with a built-in lock.
- Takes up minimal extra space, so you can still park your car in smaller areas (i.e., a garage) without any hassle.
- Works great with low clearance vehicles.
Cons:
- The lock mechanism isn’t attached to the frame, so you need to attach it every time before you want to use it.
4. Allen Sports
Key Features:
- Designed to fit sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, and SUVs
- There are individual tie-downs to secure and protect your bikes
- The lower frame is padded to protect your vehicle from scratches.
- Comes fully assembled!
- Can hold two
Pros:
- This bike rack can easily fit onto most sedans and hatchback cars.
- Can easily hold two adult bikes without any problems.
- The bike rack itself feels like it’s made out of high-quality and durable materials, so you know that it will protect your bikes during any road trip.
- The straps that hold down the rack and your bikes feel solid and durable.
- The pads on the frame are great, and they protect your trunk or glass from any scratches that might occur.
- This bike rack is so easy to install, and it comes already assembled. It will only take you a few minutes to install it and be ready to go.
Cons:
- None so far!
5. BV Bike
Key Features:
- Features a tilt-back design to allow users easy access to the rear hatch of their car.
- The rack is designed to fold up to save safely.
- Includes a rear safety reflector to enhance visibility for night driving.
- This rack offers a patented 2-way anti-wobble system to eliminate the wobbling between the rack and hitch.
- The padded arms protect your bike from scratch.
- Can easily hold two bikes.
Pros:
- This bike rack is incredibly easy to install in your car and looks beautiful.
- The entire rack is easy to adjust to fit any bike that you might have.
- The curved pieces that slide down to secure the bikes in place allow for a lot of flexibility, so you can fit any bike that you might want to take with you without any worries.
- The rack is incredibly heavy duty and durable.
Cons:
- None so far!
