| Price : $83.05
Premium trunk mounted 2-bike carrier
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There are several types of bicycle racks for cars. Trunk mount, Roof mount, Spare Tire mount or Receiver Hitch mount. Trunk mount bicycle racks for cars are the most common.
Advantages To Trunk Mount Bicycle Car Rack
Trunk Mount are usually cheaper than other types of racks.
Simple installation. Easy to store when not in use.
Often they are great for hauling one or sometimes two bikes.
Disadvantages to trunk mount bike racks
If your car is dirty and you put a trunk mount on, the dirt under the rack feet will act like sandpaper and ruin the paint.
Some Trunk Racks do not get the bike far enough from the car so the bike can rub on the car.
You cannot attach the upper rack straps to a glass window. If your car's back window opens and there is not an attachment point above that that is metal you cannot attach a trunk rack. Some of the older Camaros, Firebirds, Toyota 4 Runner have this problem so you either need to use a receiver hitch rack or a roof rack.
If your exhaust pipe points directly at the tires on your bike it can overheat the tire and ruin it.
Many racks do not separate the bikes well and the bikes will rub the paint off of each other.
You cannot access the back of the vehicle when you have bicycles on the rack.
Advantages to Roof Racks
The bikes are well separated so they do not rub on each other or the car.
You can pull a trailer and the bikes will not be in the way.
The roof racks protect the finish on your car really well.
Often there are a lot of other accessories to carry canoes, skis, snowboards etc. to fit the roof rack.
Disadvantages to Roof Racks
People have been known to forget the bikes are on the roof and run into the garage. This is really hard on the car, bike and sometimes the garage.
Usually Roof Racks are quite expensive. Often it will cost over 0 for a two bike roof rack.
Putting the bike on the roof can be a chore sometimes.
The extra wind drag from the bikes above the car will significantly affect your gas mileage.
Installing a roof rack can be a chore.
Putting your bike on a roof rack can be difficult.
Advantages to Spare Tire Racks
Sometimes they are the only rack that will fit the vehicle.
Disadvantages to Spare tire racks
They do not fit many cars.
Advantages to Receiver Hitch Racks
Easy to install.
Less wind drag than Roof Racks.
The bikes are kept away from the car so they do not rub on the paint of the car.
The rack only touches the car by slipping into the Receiver and either bolted or pinned to the receiver.
Receiver racks are easy to move from vehicle to vehicle as long as the vehicle has the right size receiver. Check out my Receiver Hitch Tips page.
Disadvantages to Receiver Hitch Racks
If your vehicle does not have a receiver it usually costs around 0 or more to have a receiver put on.
You cannot haul a trailer when your rack is on your car.
Like the Trunk rack and the Spare Tire Rack when your bikes are on the rack it is often hard to get into the back of the car.
You can choose from one of three options for the best bike racks for sedans. Most of the bicycle carriers are designed for up to 2 bicycles and some can carry three. At the end of the day, your choice will come down to which bike rack will actually fit your car. Keep in mind that the maker often sells additional straps to help to secure the rack if it doesn't fit completely.
The Car Roof Rack
The trouble with this is that it's the most expensive option. You will have to get crossbars and bike trays installed onto the vehicle first and only then can you think of adding the bike rack too it. Another down side is the added wind resistance when traveling. The height of the bikes on the car adds hectic drag to the car hence you gas bill goes up too.
The Trunk Mount Bike Rack
The second idea is to the get a trunk mount rack. This type of rack straps onto the car with special nylon webbing straps and has cushioned contact points so you don't damage the paint. Most models are easy to get on and off.
There are a few downs to this type of bike carrier too. You will not be able to get in and out of the rear end of the car because the straps are fastened down onto the car. Plus, a sedan's are usually low and the clearance between your bike tire and the ground maybe a few millimeters. You can overcome this problem by taking off the front wheel, but I am sure that you are already limited with space and the reason for getting a bike rack is to free up space in the car.
The Hitch Mount Bike Rack
The one way to avoid these two problems is to look into getting a hitch mount. You would have to go over to your local tow-hitch service center or garage and get a quote for a two-inch receiver to be fitted.
Why would this hitch mount rack be more recommended than the trunk mount?
Well first of all the fact that the bikes will be mounted on a bar which is free from the car, means that you will have access to the trunk without having to take off the bicycles. Secondly the bikes are a lot safer because you can lock them to a bike rack and lock the rack to the hitch-receiver. Lastly, bikes tend to be more stable and travel well on this type of rack.
So it looks like the trunk and hitch mount racks come out tops. If you are concerned about security of your bikes and want to have quick access to the trunk then you can see which one is your best option already.
