So it’s time to get a new car bike rack and you want to make sure you get a good deal. We don’t blame you; that’s totally understandable. However, before shopping for the best price, you need to make sure you get the right bike rack for your situation. After all, buying a new bike rack for next to nothing is not going to be any kind of bargain to you if it doesn’t fit on your vehicle, it doesn’t hold your bike (or bikes) securely or if it’s too difficult for you to manage easily (whether that be installation, or the loading and unloading of the bikes you want to carry). After all, the whole purpose of getting a car bike rack is to be able to get more, and better cycling in. Bike riding is great for your health, both physically and mentally. If you’re struggling are stressing about transporting your bikes on your bike rack… that kind of defeats the purpose. Let’s take a look at the variety of bike racks, why there is such a variety, and things you should consider to make sure you get the best deal on the best bike rack for you.
The first thing you need to consider is the actual vehicle that you’ll be driving in which you want to use to carry your bikes. Is it a car, truck, SUV or minivan? Also, consider you (or whoever the driver will be). The reason that this is an important consideration is that sometimes people get themselves a roof rack to carry their bikes before thinking about what it takes to actually load the bikes on them. If the person loading the bikes is relatively small and the vehicle has a high roofline such as a minivan or SUV, you can imagine the potential problems that could arise.
Other aspects to consider regarding the vehicle include whether or not it has been asked Turnley mounted spare tire on the back. If it does, you might want to consider a spare tire bike rack that accommodates this fact. Or, if your vehicle has a standard 2 inch trailer hitch, a hitch mount bike rack can be a wonderful solution.
If you drive a car and imagine that you want to have a trunk mounted bike rack, does your car have a spoiler? If it does, this can cause problems for certain bike racks. Of course there are others that accommodate this situation perfectly well. One of those is the Saris Bones bike rack. Not only is this an extremely popular option for people with cars with spoilers, but this rack is one of the most versatile, adaptable by cracks anywhere. On top of that, the aesthetics and design are really something to be admired. Plus, they come in a variety of fun colors… instead of just your basic black like most other bike racks.
One more thing to consider is whether you want a bike rack that is permanently affixed to your vehicle or not (relatively permanently anyways). In other words, will you have to look up your bike rack each and every time you want to travel with your bike? Many people like this option because the amount of time they drive with the bike is a relatively tiny fraction of the overall time that they drive their car. Therefore they are happier to not have to mess with a bike rack all the time.
On the other hand, other people prefer to not have to mess with the rack when they’re ready to go riding; just load up the bikes and go. The other benefit to this kind of bike rack system is that the rack itself is safely and securely mounted to your car so there is no concern about theft when you’re off on your bike ride.
And speaking of security, how securely will your bike be attached to the rack and how securely is the rack attached to the vehicle? Like so many other things in life, you get what you pay for. Cutting corners and buying a no name brand rack with no proven history of quality manufacturing or reputable company name to stand behind it might save you a few dollars today, but what is the cost of peace of mind regarding the security of your bike? Or the safety of other travelers on the road? By buying well established, well-known brands in the car bike racks business such as Thule, Yakima, Saris, Swagman or others, you will know that you and your bikes will arrive safely at your riding destination and back home, without concerns.