cobalt123

Hi all,

I'm looking to get a rack for my car to transport my bike.

Do you all have a favorite?
Hitch mount vs hatch mount?
What do you love/hate about your rack?

Thanks for your help,
Matt

alcjphil

When I buy a car, I buy one that has sufficient interior space to transport my bike inside the car. I have a hitch and a hitch mount rack that I only use for short distances to transport my mountain bike when it is very dirty after a muddy ride. My road bikes will never be transported on a rack. My car,(2016 VW Golf Sportwagen) has sufficient interior room to transport 2 road bikes

NomarsGirl

I think there are a bunch of threads about this already if you search. I went with a hitch rack. I like it because the rack and bikes never touch my car. The trunk-mounted one was starting to cause damage to my car. And it fell off once with the bikes on it. (Fortunately not on the highway at high speed and they weren't damaged).

practical

We have a hatchback and use the bike rack that works with that. Nothing special. It holds two bikes. It marks up my car. But we use it all the time.

Gyro

1up usa

EdwinHeadwind

I recently bought a Kuat Sherpa 2.0, and couldn't be happier. Easy on/off, ultra secure, locks to the hitch mount, and includes a built-in bike lock.

woodcraft

Fork mount roof rack.

Mounts to already-there cross bars. Super simple. Out of the way & permanently installed.

Don't use use that often but there when you need them.

ddeand 

Mitkraft

daoswald

Yakima Front Loader. It is a rooftop rack that allows for the front wheel to remain mounted. I usually prefer to just ride from my home but it does come in handy once in awhile.

On my pop-up trailer I have four cheap fork mount racks from Amazon. They're really basic but get the job done and make it easy to bring bikes along camping. For occasional use they're fine.

If I needed something for frequent use, I would get any hitch-mount rack that allows the bike to sit on its own wheels, and that has no contact points with the frame. I see them driving around town made by Thule and Yakima. I'm sure as long as they let bikes ride on their wheels and lock the bike in with hoops over the wheels (so the only touch points are the tires) one is about like another and not worth stressing over which is best (chosen from name brands). If you already have spare lock tumblers for one brand, get that brand of hitch-mounted rack so you dont need another set of keys.

I do have one hitch mount rack that suspends the bikes by their top tubes. I hate it. So hard to fit four on at a time without bending a spoke or scratching a frame, and the arms that suspend the bikes could scratch the paint. I would avoid that kind.

srode1

Thule T2 near home, and a Seasucker on longer trips - I like not having the rack on the back blocking the tail gate and making the truck harder to park etc on vacations etc, so the seasucker works better for me in that application. The pain for the seasucker is taking the front wheel off, and putting the bike up on the bed cover is a bit of a reach due to the height of the bed. The seasucker is much lighter and smaller so it's easy to store in the truck after taking the bike off vs the Thule which is pretty heavy and very large.

indyfabz

Before I bought my Forester I used a Thule roof rack. Now I put the bike in the back.

cobalt123

thank you for all the suggestions!

Bothrops

NoWhammies

Two methods, because we have two bikes of different sizes:

1. Wife's bike - take the front wheel and seat off and slide the bike in to the Outback standing up. We have a set of wheel locks drilled in to a 2x4 that fits in between the wheel well. Secure the bike in and boom! One bike done.

2. My bike - due to the geometry of the bike I have to carry the bike on a trailer hitch mounted bike rack. This is the old style bike rack that supports the bike from the top tube. I am concerned about carrying my bike like this, since the bike is carbon fibre and there are concerns with squishing the top tube too much when securing the bike. A better rack would be one that carry's the bike via the wheels, but for the number of times I use the rack - 5 or 6 times a year - I'm ok with accepting the risk. For now at least.

jefnvk

I've got a roof rack with a fork mount tray and downtube clamp tray. I prefer not taking the front wheel off, and I have been rear ended too many times to care to subject my bikes to that.

52telecaster

I put a reciever hitch on my honda fit and am currently using a cheap 2 bike hollywood rack. Works great. Thing is i usually move my bike by turning the pedals..... haha.

fietsbob

Was in a box in a 747 - 400.. Boeing..

I-Like-To-Bike

How do you transport your bicycle to/from the airports?

indyfabz

I've used minivan cabs. One time a friend drove me in his minivan. Another time I tied the boxed bike to the roof of my Mazda and had someone drive me there. When leaving Spain I rode to the Sevilla airport and flew home with the bike unboxed. The GF picked me up and I put the bike on her roof rack. Used hotel shuttles in Oregon and North Dakota.

02Giant 

Saris Superclamp EX2, or if I don't want to mess with mounting the rack to the vehicle, on a furniture pad in the back of my truck.

Clipped_in

I have been using a Kuat Sherpa for the past 6-7 years and I really like it. Kuat racks are a little on the spendy side, but well worth it IMO. A good investment to haul valuable bikes.

LesG

We (wife and I) haul our bikes inside our SUV using these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have those attached to a board which lays in the back of the car. That board is kept from moving by anchoring it to the car's existing tie down anchors. I feel like the bikes are safer inside the car... not as worried about being rear ended and a bit more difficult to steal.

fietsbob

Took the Bus or occasionally, friends drove me ..
Coming back, via AMS -Schiphol I rode on the bike path right up to the terminal building , and bought a box at the KLM desk..



Last car I had , had Rain gutter roof edges, and I used a Roof Rack.. ..




..

Kapusta