Looking for a car rack to carry your bikes? Not sure which one is the right one for? No problem! We are here to help find the right car rack for you, your car and your bikes. When picking a car rack there are a few questions that you will need to answer to help you find the right rack that will fit all your needs.
How many bikes are you looking to carry?
There are different size racks that can hold anywhere from 1 to 5 bikes. The amount of bikes you are looking to carry will play a part in which type of rack you need. If you are looking to carry 4 bikes or more, then a hitch rack will be the sturdiest option.
Where would you like to carry the bikes? Hitch, Trunk or Roof?
Another important question to answer is, what type of rack will my vehicle hold: a hitch rack, trunk rack or roof rack system. If you would like a trunk rack, then it is important to use a fit guide to know which style trunk rack will fit with your vehicle. At ERIK’S we carry Saris and Yakima racks. Both brands have handy fitting guides right on their websites. If you stop in to one of our ERIK’S stores we can help you through the fitting process, or if you would like, you can check them out for yourself: Yakima Fit Guide Saris Fit Guide
For trunk rack style systems the bike is held up from the top tube or top bar of the bike. If you are carrying women’s or step through style frames then you may need to purchase a top tube adapter to create a top tube for the bike to hang from.
If you are looking to carry bikes with a hitch rack, then your car will need to have a hitch receiver already on it. For information on hitches talk with your dealership or a car hitch installation shop.
If your car currently has a hitch on it, you will need to know what size it is. Is it the 1-1/4in or 2in? Most of the hitch racks at ERIK’S come with adapters that will fit both sizes. But there are a couple racks that only fit in the 2in size due to the amount of weight they are able to carry.
Hitch racks come in a two styles: mast and tray. The mast style racks, like the trunk racks, hold the bikes by the top tube or top bar of the frame. So, if you are carrying women’s or step through style bikes you may need to purchase a top tube adapter that creates a top tube for the bike to hang from.
Mast Style Hitch Rack
The other style of hitch rack is the tray style. This rack has two trays that the wheels rest in and straps to secure the wheels down. There is also an arm that clamps down on the frame or wheel of the bike to help hold the bike in place. This rack will easily carry women’s or step through style bikes. There are even some models that have movable trays to allow you to carry any size bike, including kids bikes.
Tray Style Hitch Rack
The third option for carrying your bike is with a roof rack system. If you already have crossbars or a luggage rack on your car then you will only need to pick out which roof rack carrying system works best for you. If you do not have cross bars or a luggage rack then you will need to go through the fitting guide on Yakima’s website to get all the necessary parts needed to make carrying your bike on your roof possible.
One final thing to consider are the bike you will be carrying. As mentioned above, women style or step through bikes require additional parts if the rack holds bikes by the top tube. Some racks cannot accommodate the smaller sized kids bikes. And the size of the fat bike tires might not work with the tray style racks without adapters.
Picking a car rack isn’t difficult. You need to know how many bikes you will want to carry and what style (trunk, hitch, roof) will work best for your car, your bike and for you. For more information and help on picking the right rack, stop in to any Minnesota or Wisconsin ERIK’S locations and talk to our experts today.
Tagged: car rack, hitch rack, roof rack, saris, trunk rack, Yakima
