The two top brands in the bike rack category at Rack Attack are Thule and Yakima, both offering a lifetime warranty. There are 5 types of bike racks to choose from:
- Trunk mounted, like the Thule 962xt Speedway
- Proper installation and mounting technique for this type of rack is critical – failure to do so may result in damage to your vehicle and or bikes. Trunk mounted bike racks tend to be least expensive option, and a given rack may fit a range of vehicles.
- Hitch mounted, like the Thule 964 Revolver
- You need to determine if your vehicle has (or can have) a 1.25 inch Class I or 2 inch Class III receiver hitch. Proper installation of a hitch mounted bike rack is easy – simply slide the bike rack into the hitch receiver and secure it with the locking pin.
- There are 3 types of hitch mounted bike racks:
- non-folding, like the Thule 958 Parkway;
- folding, like the Yakima DoubleDown;
- swing-away, like the Yakima SwingDaddy
- Roof mounted, like the Yakima HighRoller
- There 2 types of roof mounted bike racks:
- Fork mounted like the Yakima ForkLift
- Some people feel that it is easier to load the bike onto the rack without the front wheel on. This type of rack works best if your bike has a 9mm quick release front wheel skewer.
- Wheel mounted like the Thule 594 Sidearm
- Others don’t want to take the front wheel off their bike. Another advantage of this type of bike rack is that it will accommodate a wider range of bikes.
- Fork mounted like the Yakima ForkLift
- Requires a base rack. If your vehicle already has a factory rack with crossbars, ensure the system has the necessary weight capacity – if not, you can always upgrade your factory system – like in the video below, with components from Thule or Yakima.
- There 2 types of roof mounted bike racks:
- Truck bed mounted, like the Thule 822 Bed Rider
- Spare tire mounted, like the Thule 963 Spare Me
So which bike rack should you choose?
Step 1: Assess your needs
- How important is the ability to lock the bikes to the vehicle?
- Trunk mounted bike racks offer little or no effective security. Hitch mounted bike racks offer good security, but rely on a cable style locking mechanism. Roof mounted bike racks are the most secure, as the locking mechanisms do not rely on cables.
- How many bikes to you need to carry on your vehicle and how much to they weigh?
- Trunk mounted bike racks can carry up to 3 bikes weighing up to 100 pounds in total. You can fit 4 bikes, using a fork mount style bike rack like the Thule 518 Echelon, on the roof of most passenger vehicles - but it depends on the ‘roof-load’ weight rating for the vehicle, which can range from 100 – 160 pounds. If you have 4 heavy mountain bikes to transport then you are going to want to choose a hitch mounted bike rack like the Thule 954 Ridgeline.
- Do you want to use your vehicle to transport other cargo or gear?
- If so, going with a roof mounted bike rack solution will also allow you to use your base rack system with cargo boxes, ski & snowboard racks and watersport racks.
- How high can you lift your bike and hold it in that position?
- Not very high? Then the Thule 916 T2 hitch mounted bike rack may be a great choice.
- If your bike has special characteristics such as a recumbent, tandem or odd-shaped frame, then a roof mounted solution is the best choice.
Other resources:
- Thule hitch mounted bike rack comparison chart
- Yakima hitch mounted bike rack comparison chart
- Thule roof mounted bike rack comparison chart
- Yakima roof mounted bike rack comparison chart
