Whether you are a cycling enthusiast or an outdoor adventurer, I believe you will not miss the opportunity to be able to enjoy your outdoor ride. Then you are about to come across a choice that avoids no comparable choice, choosing a suitable bike stand for your bike as well as a sedan. Sedans have numerous options when it comes to bike racks. You can choose not only the popular rear towing type, but also the suspension type with excellent price, or the roof type that saves space in the trunk.
To facilitate your choice, we have come up with the seven best car bike racks that are the most popular among consumers after summarizing the cost-effectiveness of the major brands of bike racks.
List of recommended products to buy (ranked in no particular order)–Great Rack
- Rockymounts BackStage ($769.95)
- Kuat Transfer V2 ($349)
- Saris Superclamp EX 2 ($579.99)
- Yakima FullTilt ($249.95)
- Rockymounts BrassKnuckles ($249.95)
- Saris Door Country ($1,299.99)
- Thule Outway ($449.95)
We will introduce more details about the design of the bike mount and the above products in the following. If you are interested you can read on.
Recommended Bicycle Stands for Purchase
Best Trunk Use
1. Rockymounts BackStage ($769.95)
- Type: Platform bike rack
- Rack weight: 59 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 2
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 60 lbs
In the previous article, we’ve already covered the downside of platform bike racks. That is, it is likely to have an impact on the use of the trunk, but the Rockymounts BackStage solves this dilemma nicely. As the industry’s first 180° rotatable platform hitch rack, you can use your trunk at will without removing the rack.
And with a load capacity of up to 60 pounds and its wide range of compatibility, the Rockymounts BackStage can be said to be the perfect rack to accommodate almost any bike on the market.
But Rockymounts BackStage has a higher price tag and it doesn’t work on bikes with fenders. In addition, you will need to remove the cable lock while driving. This is because the cable lock is likely to rub against the body of the bike over bumps in the course of driving, causing wear to the surface of the bike.
Best Value-For-Money
2. Kuat Transfer V2 ($349)
- Type: Platform bike rack
- Rack weight: 33 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 1 (can be increased to 2 or 3)
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 40 lbs
Kuat V2 has an excellent price/performance ratio. As a platform bike rack, the Kuat V2 is not only easy to disassemble, but also has excellent stability. This is made possible by the optimized Flatock hook cam and the semi-integrated steel cable lock that comes with the rack.
In terms of compatibility, the Kuat V2 has a much wider range of compatibility than previous versions. It can accommodate bikes with up to a 50-inch wheelbase.
It is worth noting that the Kuat V2 is not as heavy as other platform bike racks in terms of rack weight. Its 33 lbs weight is more portable.
Optimal Robustness
3. Saris Superclamp EX 2 ($579.99)
- Type: Platform bike rack
- Excellent weight: 35 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 2
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 60 lbs
The Saris Superclamp EX 2 is designed to be aesthetically pleasing, but it also has a sturdy construction and a lighter rack weight, which is rare among platform racks. The lightweight is rare in platform bike racks. 35 pounds of weight not only won’t put too much stress on you when loading and unloading the rack, but the foldable design allows the arms to be folded to save space when not in use.
Saris EX 2’s double hook design ensures that the bikes will not collide and rub against each other during transportation. It can also hold the bike firmly enough. Not only that, its sufficiently complete tilt function allows the use of the trunk without disassembling the bike.
Although Saris EX 2 has a high price tag, trust me, its superior performance matches its price.
Best 4-Bike
4. Yakima FullTilt ($249.95)
- Type: rear tow suspension bike rack
- Rack weight: 40 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 4
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 40 lbs
If you are traveling as a family or in a group, then you probably need a multi-volume frame.
The Yakima FullTilt’s 4-bike capacity is perfectly suited to your need to carry multiple bikes when traveling in a group. Although the rear towable bike rack will have an impact on the use of the trunk, the UpperHand lever technology used in the Yakima FullTilt allows the rack to be tilted down for easy access to the trunk without disassembling the bike.
In terms of security, the Yakima FullTilt comes with its SKS lock, so you don’t have to worry about the risk of your bike being stolen.
It is well known that suspension racks have a drawback that is difficult to avoid. Yakima FullTilt has thickened the bracket to minimize this drawback. This is used to reduce the collision between bicycles.
Optimal Space Saving
5. Rockymounts BrassKnuckles ($249.95)
- Type: Roof wheeled bike rack
- Rack weight: 18 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 1
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 45 lbs
Although Rockymounts BrassKnuckles have a lighter weight as a roof rack, you need to make sure your car roof is strong enough and has enough weight capacity before planning to use a roof rack.
The wheeled roof-mounted bike rack has obvious advantages over other roof-mounted bike racks. Because it not only does not need to remove the front wheel of the bike but also has a design that avoids contact between the rack and the roof. This also contributes to enhancing the stability of the body.
Rockymounts BrassKnuckles have ergonomic knuckle brass grips. This is helpful in loading and unloading the bike.
Best Loading And Unloading Bikes
6. Saris Door Country ($1,299.99)
- Type: Platform bike rack
- Stand weight: 63 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 2
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 60 lbs
Although the Saris Door Country has a high price tag, if you are on a budget, then I would highly recommend this rack to you.
To make it easier to load and unload the bike, Saris Door Country has an electric lift rack. As a result, you don’t need to lift the electric bike to a certain height. Instead, you can lower the rack to the height you need by simply turning the key and pushing the button.
At the same time, Saris Door Country has absolute stability. It can fix your bike on the rack stably, you don’t need to worry about the bike will be shaken during the transportation process causing wear and tear between bikes.
Although Saris Door Country has a high weight, it is designed with built-in wheels and has a foldable feature to facilitate your transportation and storage. When you do not need to use it, you can easily store it away.
Best Suspension Rack
7. Thule Outway ($449.95)
- Type: Suspension bike rack
- Rack weight: 18.3 lbs
- Number of bicycles that can be carried: 2
- Weight capacity per bike (maximum): 33 lbs
Suspension racks are not as stable as rear drag racks. But this does not mean that all suspension racks are not worth buying.
And suspension racks have a very easy rack loading and unloading operation, perfect for those who use bike racks infrequently.
And Thule Outway has added not only soft rubber protection pads on the hooks but also an integrated anti-sway system to improve the stability of the frame. As a suspension bike frame, Thule Outway has more stability compared to other bike racks.
In terms of compatibility, the Thule Outway has adjustable bike arms. This greatly increases the range of compatibility of the Thule Outway. In addition, when you don’t need to use the bike rack, you can fold the Thule Outway’s rack arm to reduce the space it takes up, thus making it easier to transport and store.
Learn More: How To Load A Bike Rack For A Car?
For More Details
What are the advantages and disadvantages of different bike racks?
To choose a suitable bike rack, you need to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of each type of bike rack first. Then you can make a further decision.
Rear Towable Bike Racks
Advantages.
- Easy loading and unloading of bicycles
- High compatibility with most bikes on the market
- High stability to apply the most protection to the bike
Disadvantages.
- Higher prices
- Larger size and heavier weight
- This may have an impact on the use of the trunk
Suspended Bike Racks
Advantages.
- Easy to mount bracket
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Excellent price
- Usually has a large capacity for bicycle transport
Disadvantages.
- Will have an impact on the use of the trunk
- Stability is not very strong, when carrying more than one bike, there is a high risk of collision between bikes
- Fixed belts require regular maintenance
Roof-Mounted Bike Racks
Advantages.
- Can have full access to the trunk
- Can be used to carry not only bicycles but also other daily necessities
- Better price
Disadvantages.
- Difficult to load and unload bicycles
- Special attention needs to be paid when passing on height-restricted roads
What factors do you need to focus on when buying a frame?
To choose your own best car bike rack, after understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each different rack, you also need to pay attention to the following factors.
- Number of bicycles to be carried
- The weight of the bicycle to be carried
- Frequency of use of bike mounts
- What is the approximate budget
After understanding your needs, I believe you have a rough idea of what kind of bike rack you need to buy. Then next I will introduce more detailed information about the various functions of each kind of bike rack. If you want to know more about bike rack selection, please continue to browse.
How To Choose A Rear Towable Bike Rack?
The rear trailer rack is a bike rack mounted on a hook at the rear of a car and is also popular with consumers because it has the feature of being easy enough to load and unload bicycles.
The rear towable bike rack has a simple installation method, and same time can be divided into the platform-type hook rack and suspension-type hook rack. Platform racks have the advantage of strong fixation and good stability. But if your bike has thin tires, then it may be more suitable for you.
Although most rear towing racks add a tiltable design for ease of trunk use, there will inevitably be some impact on trunk use. At the same time, the corresponding price for the superior performance of rear towing racks can be more expensive, and rear towing racks tend to have a heavier rack weight. This also makes the rear towing rack not very convenient in terms of carrying.
You also need to note that before choosing a rear towable bike rack, you need to figure out what the compatible size of the hitch on your sedan is to ensure proper fitment.
If you have a high budget and want more stable transportation conditions. Then a rear towable bike rack is undoubtedly the best choice for you.
How To Choose A Suspended Bike Rack?
A suspension rack is a type of bike rack that is fixed to the rear trunk of a car. For this reason, suspension racks are often a nuisance for trunk use. But the suspension rack has the characteristics of excellent price, lightweight, small size, and easy to carry.
Although there are some differences in stability between suspension racks and rear drag racks, they are perfect for people who don’t use bike racks very often. Because suspension racks are so easy to install, you don’t have to worry about loading and unloading the rack.
The suspension rack will affect the visibility of the rearview mirror and the rear window of the vehicle because of the high mounting position of the bike.
The suspension rack’s belt mount design gives it a very wide range of compatibility, but also because it uses belts for securing the bike. So you need to check the belt regularly for wear and tear and consider whether you need to replace it. Also, when you travel with more than one bike, there is a good chance that the bikes will collide with each other and wear out.
Although the suspension rack has many advantages, it also has many disadvantages. So you must go through careful consideration when choosing this rack. However, it must be said that the suspension rack is very suitable for those who do not use the rack very often.
How To Choose A Roof-Mounted Bike Rack?
If you have a roof mount on your car and your roof has enough weight capacity, then a roof-mounted bike rack must be good for you. Once installed, a roof-mounted bike rack can stay on your roof for a long time without the need for frequent disassembly and installation. Because it does not affect your daily driving.
And you can use it not only to transport bicycles, but you can also use it to transport other sports equipment as well as daily necessities.
The biggest advantage of a roof-mounted bike rack is that it does not affect the use of the trunk in any way and does not affect visibility during driving. But nothing is perfect. While roof racks are great space savers, they can be a pain in the ass to load and unload bikes. And because securing your bike to the roof increases the height of your vehicle, it can cause some distress when you pass through roads with height restrictions. In addition, roof-mounted bike racks can carry a limited number of bikes, which is not suitable for family trips or group trips.
But if you need full access to the trunk and don’t want to disassemble the bike mount too often. Then a roof-mounted bike rack will be a good choice for you.
Final Recommendations
Choosing a suitable bike rack is not an easy task. But choosing the right rack will not only make your trip more convenient but also save you a lot of worries. On the contrary, if you choose a bike rack that is not suitable for your car and bike, then it is likely to cause damage to your car. When the time comes, it will affect the mood of the trip.
So I hope you can find the best bike rack for you after reading this article. And have a good time on your next trip.
