Ok - So I’m buying a new car and have to think about a bike rack. I used to just take the wheels of my bike and put 'er in the back seat, but that’s just not gonna happen with the new ride.
So…
I need some opinions.
What is the best type of bike rack for a car and why. And as a bonus, if you’re from the GTA, where is the best place to buy?
Apologies if this has been asked before, I didn’t see any related threads in my search…
To answer your question better, you need to let us know what kind of car you are getting and if you prefer a roof rack or tailrack.
Some cars will have factory roof racks available, like my Subaru, which uses Yakima. I was able to get them for free in negotiating the sale of the vehicle. They work fine, but I use bungee cords for added stability.
For SUV types, to hitch mounts like Saris or Sportracks (I think) work nicely.
I use to have Thule. They are the most versitile.
Chris
I’ve been partial to bikes in the car – I’ve known too many stolen from roof racks or rear ended on trunk mounts (I had a team mate who did that the night before a race, and me and another team mate cobbled a bike together for him to race the next day from spare parts lying around, in a matter of something like 2 hours).
BUT… If you’re hell-bent on abusing your rig in the road grime… The “Euro” style trunk-top racks, that include a fork mount, attract me the most.
I’ve got a Thule 4 bike Hitching Post that I have been really happy with. You can run a cable through your frame and wheels and lock your bike(s) to the rack for security.
I’ve been using Thule fork-mounted roof carriers for many years when I don’t have room to put the bike in the car. They work really well. I finally got new carriers this year and they is a vast improvement over my really old ones (about 10 or 12 years old, actually).
I have a trunk mounted one for sale if you want to buy one lightly used.
On the SUV we use Thule mounts on top of a load warrior basket. This works well but can be tough for people who are really short and does take some strenght to lift bike that high without scratching the car. If / when I need to I carry them inside, I mounted a cheap front wheel mount to a board and just lay it in the cargo area, cheap and works really well.
The jeep has a trailer hitch mount rig that I don’t like because it bounces around (the rack post is just a hair to big for reciever) which is not a big deal other than I stress when I see my bike bouncing around back there.
I have travelled cross-country with a simple Saris Bones rack on the trunk with absolutely not problems. Normally I keep it in the car but the few times I needed it my car was filled to the hilt. I prefer to have the bike on the back because I just keep hearing of the tragic “I drove into the garage and forgot my bike was on top” stories.
If you buy a roof rack you will drive in your garage or under something shorter than your car. I promise.
I’ve got a set of Yakima towers and a pair of Viper bike carriers (lockable fork-down style). I’ve never had a problem with them and they hold on to a bike as solid as a rock. Now that I have nice bikes however, they travel in the car with me. The racks are for other people’s bikes.
If you have Nissan truck, these are excellent when used with their track system.
http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RAW-3
I have had a Yakima roof rack for 10+ years. Been working perfectly well for me on three different vehicles. Had to change tower adapters once. Bikes on the roof have their disadvantages, but overall, my feeling is that it’s a better set-up than on the rear of the car. Plus, I ski in the winter and can throw a box on the roof if I need extra space.
Fleck