Best car bike racks you can buy in 2017
You can often take your bike to trailheads, starting lines or even to a park simply by riding. But sometimes you will need to carry your bike, and for that, you will need the right bike rack for your vehicle. Bike racks have come a long way over the last few decades, and the new generation of racks are designed in such a way that you can buy one that suits your particular biking activity.
Whether you are an enthusiast who combines riding with a kayaking hobby, a bike lover who wants to have an adventure with other cycling friends or a sedan owner who carries a bike infrequently, there is a solution available for every individual preference and riding activity.
Before buying the mounting rack, you need to make sure that you are fully aware of the different functions racks offer and choose the one that fits your vehicle best to avoid any damage.
Yakima HighRoller – A Do-It-All Roof Rack
If you don’t want to get into too much homework and research, Yakima’s flagship roof rack is a good option. This roof rack is not only rock solid but is also versatile enough to accommodate almost all bike types in use today; from Junior’s first mountain bike to the full suspension downhill ride or a carbon-fiber road rig.
The rack holds onto the front tire of your bike without clamping onto the frame, so there is no need to remove it for transportation. Besides, there is almost no risk of any significant damage to the bike’s frame or even the paint job.
Thule Raceway Pro 2 – Best Trunk Bike Rack
Not so long ago, bikers used the term ‘trunk racks’ synonymously with cheap material, compromised design and lack of stability. These racks were considered a fair deal when you are simply taking your bike to the park, but no biker recommended trunk racks for long hauls. However, things have come a long way since then, and the introduction of the Raceway Pro 2 has changed the way riders look at trunk racks nowadays.
This gem of a rack attaches to almost any type of sedan in a matter of seconds, utilizing a four point anchoring system, which is second to none when it comes to strength. The anchoring points are further complimented with easily retractable cables and exquisitely molded rubber pads that serve to protect your car.
Allen Sports Deluxe 2 – Best budget bike trunk mount
The Allen Sports Deluxe 2 is a perfect companion for those who tend to only take their family or friends on a leisure bike ride, or only go out on their own now and then and do not consider themselves to be a real enthusiast. The reason being is that this particular trunk mount is not just portable and light, but it can fit all kinds of vehicles trunks including minivans, sedans, SUVs, and hatchbacks.
It mainly consists of a set of straps and stabilizing bars. These top and bottom straps hold onto the bottom of the door, sides and top cut, while handlebars rest just above the number plate region and the body. These bars are movable to accommodate any size bike providing a firm grip for safety.
Thule T2 Pro 2 – Do-It-All Hitch Rack
When it comes to bike transport over long distances, the Thule T2 Pro 2 definitely gets first prize. The prominent feature of this rack is Thule’s innovative AutoAttach system which firmly clicks onto your bike. On top of that, it has a wheel-only lockdown system that fits wheel sizes ranging from 20 inches through 29 inches.
It can clamp onto wheels of up to 5 inches wide, and there is no need for additional adaptors. You can easily mount two bikes on this rack, its wheel trays are laterally adjustable allowing you to give enough space between your rides to avoid impact and damage during the drive.
Yakima BikerBar – A Truck Bike Ride Rack
Most riders develop a certain attachment with their rides, which is understandable after investing a lot of money and time into its maintenance and care. So it’s not a good idea to throw a well-maintained ride onto the flatbed. Installing the Yakima BikerBar in your truck to rack your rigs right will ensure the safe transportation of your beloved ride.
The crossbar of BikerBar is amongst its most prominent features which include a couple of lockable bike mounts along with a user-friendly drill-free installation system that you can clamp on and off with relative ease using quick release levers.
Yakima SwingDaddy
One of the main issues with carrying your ride on long trips is that most of the traditional racks block the access to the rear of the vehicle which is not ideal when on a long haul. Yakima engineers have come up with the perfect solution for this problem by introducing the SwingDaddy. It takes almost no time to attach the rack to your hitch, and the hinged arm of the rack that swings back and forth allows easy access to the back of your vehicle without having to remove the bike.
The padded arms of the rack can accommodate up to four bikes. These arms are fully adjustable so that you can mount most bike types. The chance of instability is decreased with the addition of anti-sway cradles that also protect against odd scratches and scruffs.
Thule Spare Me 2 – A Spare Tire Bike Rack
Despite the fact there is a wide range of bike racks available, which vary greatly in price and design, there aren’t many models out there that are able to accommodate America’s most beloved SUVs and Jeeps that have a bolt-on spare tire at the rear. Thule, with its innovative Spare Me 2 rack, fills the gap here and provides such vehicles with an engineering marvel that doesn’t require too much in the way of model specific adaptors.
It can mount onto a model’s existing panel to secure bikes and carriers. Spare Me 2’s Stay-Put cradles coupled with its detachable anti-sway cages prevent any bike on bike, or more importantly bike on jeep impact.
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