Most cyclists know that at any given time they will be faced with the job of deciding on what kind of bike racks to choose for their vehicles. When they have to go to a certain destination and want to bring their bikes, they will want to make sure it’s a safe and secure journey.
There are many many different types of bike racks for vehicles. Among the two biggest categories are the back racks and roof-top racks. Also there are bike racks which are designed to allow a person to carry their bikes in the back of a pickup truck. Each of these options have pros and cons, so it all comes down to the personal preference of the bike and vehicle owner.
Let’s talk about the roof-top rack. This type of rack anchors the bike to the top of the roof for easy transport. Typically, you’ll need to remove the front tire in order to anchor the bike securely. In addition there are two categories for these types of bike racks. These are bike rack attachments for base roof racks and the factory crossbar mounted roof racks.
The bike rack attachments for base roof racks will allow the cyclist to transport his or her bikes on top of the vehicle. These are great for recreational types of people who go out on the road and want to bring their bikes along for the ride. As more and more people are choosing smaller and compact vehicles , the roof top mounted bike racks makes perfect sense. The only problem with roof-top racks is if you have a taller vehicle it would be difficult to reach, especially if you’re a short person. Not fun.
This kind of bike rack incorporates the factory crossbars that’s already on the cars. The great thing is this option allows a vehicle owner to utilize the factory roof rack that was bought from the car manufacturer. These kinds of bike racks attach directly the factory crossbars and everything is already included. The only downside, is you can only transport two bikes at a time. All in all this is an inexpensive choice to make if you have a compact vehicle and only need to move two bikes. However, if your vehicle is big and tall, you may want to skip this option in favor of a rack of the trailer hitch.
This leaves us with rear bike racks which accounts for nearly seventy percent of all bike racks sales. The advantage of this type is you can carry up to five bikes in the back of the vehicle while leaving room on top of the roof for luggage,etc. It a plus for those that don’t like the difficult of suspending a bike over their head and trying to mount it on top of the roof of their car. The only bad thing is you won’t be able to tow anything if you have a rear bike rack with bikes on it.
This leaves us with the truck bed racks, which is great for sport enthusiasts with trucks. It still works pretty good with or with out camper shells. The biggest disadvantage is it doesn’t leave a whole lot of room in the truck bed for other big items. Something to consider though.
Hitch Bike Rack 