# Which bike rack for the car?



## freeheeler1690 (Oct 6, 2012)

Hello

We have a Subaru outback and want to purchase some kind of rack for the car to carry our bikes (2)

Which is considered the best

Carry the bikes using the roof rack

Attached to the rear by straps

Using a hitch at the back

Any information would be appreciated

Thanks

Martin


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## uphillcrash (Apr 12, 2009)

You can get hitch racks that tilt to let you get into the back of your wagon ......google is your friend :-})


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

I have both the roof and hitch racks but prefer the hitch ones since they're easier to mount/dismount and the gas mileage is not affected as much compared with the roof mounted racks.


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## Blackbeerthepirate (Apr 26, 2011)

If you go for the hanging hitch rack, get one that will carry 3 or 4 bikes. It will give you the option of better spacing for your 2 bikes. The extra capacity comes in handy more than you would think.


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## 6_Myles (Nov 13, 2012)

1up rack is the best hitch rack I've ever used, not cheap but worth every penny.


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## qwertasdfg24 (Sep 18, 2012)

Roof rack, cheap initial cost, but will affect your gas mileage as mentioned above.

Hitch rack, more expensive initial cost, if you don't have a hitch already installed, BUT, eaiser access, no risk of destroying your bike entering garage(house, parking).

There are 2 types of hitch rack, hanging by top tube, or Platform by the like of Kuat.
hanging by top tube is slightly cheaper, platform can accomodate more type of bikes, it's usually a purchase that will last you a long time, so it's worth it to spend more, to make sure you will be most comfortable using it.

I have a 4 bike hanging hitch, folding version for a small SUV, very happy with it. if you're getting hanging hitch, you definitely need to consider "folding" version, so the bike rack doesn't always proturde like crazy horn in the back side, making parking difficult


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## wanderinwalker (May 10, 2012)

My preference is for the roof rack. Add the caveat, I drive a Corolla so it's low, and I don't park in a garage or have structures to drive under. 

Yes, it impacts your gas mileage a bit. This can be a concern depending on how far you're driving. It's also NOISY. As in turn the radio volume up 4-5 notches with the bike on the roof. But I like it because they are safe from being rear ended and won't get in the way of accessing the trunk. Plus a fork-mount roof rack is incredibly secure. 

Of course I'm paranoid after being rear ended one day when I was 30-seconds from throwing my bike on a trunk rack. It freaked me out how close the difference was between a little paint damage to the car versus wrecking a bike frame.


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## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

freeheeler1690 said:


> Hello
> 
> We have a Subaru outback and want to purchase some kind of rack for the car to carry our bikes (2)
> 
> ...


I also have an Outback. I had a Subaru branded Yakima roof rack. I am currently going to put it up on Craigslist. At highway speeds, you can lose up to 20% of your estimated EPA gas mileage (at least in my experience). I put a hitch on it, and started using an Allen hitch mounted rack that supports the bikes by the top tube. Had been thinking about a platform hitch rack; when a woman who rear ended me speeded that option up. She did about $800 worth of damage to the Outback, but totally wrecked the Allen rack. I did the research on platform racks and purchased a Saris Freedom rack. I paid around $180 when REI had them on sale. What I really like about this rack is that the tailgate of my '11 Outback opens and clears the upright part of the rack by about 3/4 of an inch. Perfect! Like Saris made this rack specifically for me. Also, the rack is made right here in the good ol' US of A, so I can feel all smug for doing my part for America!


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

1up USA makes an excellent hitch rack. expensive but IMO worth the money (I had a Yakima Holdup previously) and holds bikes better also IMO

I do keep roof racks as backup (Yakima copperhead)


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Hitch racks can also serve as a makeshift workstand.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

AlanE said:


> Hitch racks can also serve as a makeshift workstand.


Kuat makes a platform rack with integrated workstand


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## MrMook (Nov 18, 2007)

I'm a fan of roof racks. Keeps everything out of the way, and they just look cooler. Hitch and trunk mounts don't look pro 

My car is also lowered, and I'm 6'4", so reach is not a problem. My wife, however, has trouble loading her own bike.

Love my red Rocky Mounts. So easy to find my car in a parking lot.


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## SauronHimself (Nov 21, 2012)

I've had the Saris Bones trunk/hatch rack, and it's offered the best versatility. When I had my 2002 Chevy Cavalier Sport, it would fit over the spoiler easily. Now that I have a Focus hatchback, I just had to adjust the angles of the arms, and it works just as well.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

tednugent said:


> Kuat makes a platform rack with integrated workstand


A bit pricey though
Kuat Racks - NV


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

MrMook said:


> I'm a fan of roof racks. Keeps everything out of the way, and they just look cooler. Hitch and trunk mounts don't look pro
> 
> My car is also lowered, and I'm 6'4", so reach is not a problem. My wife, however, has trouble loading her own bike.
> 
> Love my red Rocky Mounts. So easy to find my car in a parking lot.


jack up your suspension to an outback... and she'll need a step stool to load a roof rack. 

I've seen short women use a step stool to load their bikes on a roof rack on a Outback


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## B_arrington (Jan 4, 2013)

I was a fan of roof racks when I had a smaller car and both biked and skied. Now that I don't ski, have an SUV, and have kids I prefer the hitch mount rack. I find it easier to load/ unload on a hitch mount and removing the front wheel is not needed. Plus it is far easier to remove and install on a regular basis vs a roof rack. 

I got a Softride hitch mount rack. There are a few things I would do different on it but on balance I think it works quite well. Mainly the straps: it uses rubber straps to d bime on and they can be hard to stretch
especially when cold. Its a 4 bike rack - if you may carry more that one bike get one with a 4 bike capacity. It is a top tube hanging type. The top arms can pivot down when bikes are not being carried. Most important, by pulling a spring loaded pin the rack will rotate down - with the bikes staying level- to allow for loading of bike and accessing the trunk. Huge positive feature to me. 

If you go with this rack, consider the quick release hitch pin. Otherwise you. Need a wrench to put it on/off the car. If you may carry more than one bike also strongly consider the version with hydraulic lift assist. Once I get it loaded up with my MTB, wife's MTB, and 2 kid bikes it get heavy to lift and lock into place.


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## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

The main reason I ditched the roof rack was that hefting a 30 lbs mountain bike up and on was a pain in the tookus. Road bikes are no problem. Plus, there is always that moment when you drive the bike into a fast food canopy, or, the ultimate horror: you try to drive your bike into your garage. (Confession: I did the canopy thing at a Chinese take out window!). It is kind of like falling with clipless pedals: it is not a matter of if, but when.


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## JasperL (Aug 21, 2011)

I have the 1Up USA hitch rack and love it. Takes literally 10 seconds to load or unload a bike - no straps, no nothing - just swing the arms open, load the bike, swing them closed, done. It is easy to take on and off the car and folds up nicely to put in trunk or on the side of garage, has a built in "lock" for the rack so no need to lock that to the hitch, and will swing down with bikes loaded to get into the trunk/back of SUV. The rack also only touches the tires, so it won't mar any finish. 

You can expand the rack one add one at a time to 4 bikes, but that would be expensive and (roughly $900 I think), and VERY heavy to get on and off the car. We carry one or two and it's just perfect for that. It has no locks for the bikes, so I use a cable and sometimes a U-lock. Wouldn't stop a determined thief with a bit of time, but it's plenty for stops to eat on the way home. 

It's one of those purchases I've never second guessed. Can't imagine a better rack for my purposes. Made in U.S.A. too.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Won't the bikes fit inside?
I always used roof racks on our 1998 Sienna.
But since I replaced it with a 2010 Sienna (Almost bought an Outback) I can fold the rear seats into the floor and roll all my bikes including the tandem into the rear. No more need for two people to put the tandem on top and I don't have to worry about locking it. Also less wind noise and better mpg. Win all around.


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## RoadrunnerLXXI (Jun 3, 2012)

wanderinwalker said:


> My preference is for the roof rack. Add the caveat, I drive a Corolla so it's low, and I don't park in a garage or have structures to drive under.
> 
> Yes, it impacts your gas mileage a bit. This can be a concern depending on how far you're driving. It's also NOISY. As in turn the radio volume up 4-5 notches with the bike on the roof. But I like it because they are safe from being rear ended and won't get in the way of accessing the trunk. Plus a fork-mount roof rack is incredibly secure.
> 
> Of course I'm paranoid after being rear ended one day when I was 30-seconds from throwing my bike on a trunk rack. It freaked me out how close the difference was between a little paint damage to the car versus wrecking a bike frame.


I have a fairing, thus I don't have any wind noise issue.


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## RoadrunnerLXXI (Jun 3, 2012)

The Tedinator said:


> The main reason I ditched the roof rack was that hefting a 30 lbs mountain bike up and on was a pain in the tookus. Road bikes are no problem. Plus, there is always that moment when you drive the bike into a fast food canopy, or, the ultimate horror: you try to drive your bike into your garage. (Confession: I did the canopy thing at a Chinese take out window!). It is kind of like falling with clipless pedals: it is not a matter of if, but when.


When I have my bike loaded, I always avoid drive-thru. So that's not a problem for me. Plus I always park on the driveway. Bottom line, it's a personal preference.


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## wanderinwalker (May 10, 2012)

RoadrunnerLXXI said:


> I have a fairing, thus I don't have any wind noise issue.


I have a fairing on my Yakima rack too. It's still noisy. Not problematically loud, but I'll never forget it's there.


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## RoadrunnerLXXI (Jun 3, 2012)

Don't know about Yakima, but I can barely hear my Thule. Tip: Make sure you follow the manufacturer's mounting instruction as to how far back from the windshield to mount the foot mounts. I learned that if I mount it too far forward or too far back, it will create wind noise.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I like the Hitch style. The roof rack exposes the bike to accidents such as forgetting it's up there and hit the garage, or a tree, or whatever; plus bug splatter is higher.

Fastening it to the rear is ok but those racks I've seen scratch cars, a lot of them can't be easily used on a different designed car so you may have to buy a second rack.

Hitch racks are nice, they keep the rack and bike a fair distance from the car thus no scratches, you can use it on any car, van, or truck simply get a hitch from Walmart as cheap as you can find (since the hitch won't be carrying much weight), and the hitch style rack can transfer from car to car to van to truck etc. And you can always use the hitch later for say a small trailer to move some stuff, or get stuff from a home improvement store, etc., or a small boat, whatever.

I personally like the BoneLocker hitch rack because the unit is extremely sturdy and you can lock your bikes to the rack far better and more secure then other rack locking systems. See: Bonelocker: Premium Hitch Mounted Bike Carrier for your Truck, SUV, or Car Made in the USA

Of course this is all just an opinion, you have to figure out what works best for you.


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## EggSalad (Jan 29, 2013)

I'm still new round here but I am also curious about racks. I see in this thread it is mainly either roof or hitch. I know the OP has the outback but is trunk or hatch type mounting just a horrible idea? I have a Civic and don't want to add a hitch so I'm between roof or trunk myself.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

EggSalad said:


> I'm still new round here but I am also curious about racks. I see in this thread it is mainly either roof or hitch. I know the OP has the outback but is trunk or hatch type mounting just a horrible idea? I have a Civic and don't want to add a hitch so I'm between roof or trunk myself.


Actually a hitch is not complicated at all to install, and once on it makes putting a carrier on and fastening a bike to it faster. If you're even remotely interested see this: Installing a trailer hitch on a small car 

If your not going to do the hitch thing then stop reading, this is just information for those that may be considering it. 

Like I said earlier, with a hitch style carrier you can transfer the carrier from one vehicle to another without buying a whole new carrier because you went from hatch back to lift back to pickup, etc. All that's required is another cheap hitch to add onto whatever car or truck. It's a bit of pain to put the hitch on if your not mechanically inclined, but take a look at the web site I showed and you don't need any specialized tools like a high speed drill or an impact wrench. The first time I did it to a car it took about an hour, not even close to the 2 1/2 hours the web site I gave says, and my pickup came with a hitch from the factory so that was a no brainer. I have car ramps, so I backed my car up onto my ramp to make it easier to access the rear end of the car, but don't try doing this with just a single jack unless you have jack stands or ramps, and make sure if you do lift the rear end you block the front wheels and block the front and rear of the tire (with ramps it's not necessary to block the rear of the tire, but with stands it's not a bad idea to block the front and rear).


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

You're going to mount a rack on the roof or strap a carrier on the trunk, why not bolt a hitch to the frame instead. Don't even think of it as a hitch. Think of it as the lower portion of a bike rack with a quick disconnect for the rest of the rack.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

uphillcrash said:


> You can get hitch racks that tilt to let you get into the back of your wagon ......google is your friend :-})


This is what we have for our Outback.


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## Stanley Roper (Apr 17, 2007)

tednugent said:


> 1up USA makes an excellent hitch rack. expensive but IMO worth the money (I had a Yakima Holdup previously) and holds bikes better also IMO
> 
> I do keep roof racks as backup (Yakima copperhead)


This lunatic wingnut has great tastes in racks!

1Up is the _only_ way to go for hitch racks, IMO. They are a bit spendy, though. But I love mine.


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## tjeepdrv (Sep 15, 2008)

I use a 1Up rack. Love it.


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## Matt Bags (Jan 31, 2013)

Great Info, thanks!


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## rose.johnp (Jul 20, 2011)

G'day, 

I've had a Thelma 3-bike for years and love it! It carries the bikes by the wheels, so no rubbing on the frames.

Potential issues are if you have a really compact road bike like a cervelo- there might not be enough clearance between the front wheel and the frame for the rack. My buddies bike was a really tight fit. But it works great for me and my wife, both road bikes and MTBs; even the beach cruiser.

Every year I meet someone new who forgot they had bikes on the roof and drove into a building or low bridge. Good Luck!


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## majbuzz (Nov 30, 2012)

I have a pickup truck and was wondering about the fork mount systems with carbon forks. My concern is the stress put on the forks being locked in and the bike swaying due to the movement of the vehicle. Haven't seen any with something that locks the rear wheel in place. Are fork mount truck bed racks safe to use with carbon forks?


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

majbuzz said:


> I have a pickup truck and was wondering about the fork mount systems with carbon forks. My concern is the stress put on the forks being locked in and the bike swaying due to the movement of the vehicle. Haven't seen any with something that locks the rear wheel in place. Are fork mount truck bed racks safe to use with carbon forks?


If your bike's forks can't withstand the back and forth swaying without a load being placed on it while on the back of a Pickup then don't ride your bike because it surely won't stand up to you riding it by placing an additional 150 pounds plus on the bike and swaying back and forth.

In other words, there is no problem. But if you get a hitch style bike rack then your bed of the the pickup can be used for other stuff if needed.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

I have a 4-bike Yak/Thule roof rack on my LIFTED Land Cruiser. 

The rationale that roof racks subject the bikes to potential damage from hitting garages is funny. You are susceptible to tripping and getting hurt if you walk with your eyes closed. I can control where I drive. I can not control the *#$&head that rear-ends me 'cause he's texting. Plus, with a roof rack, it's not "in the way" when not in use, e.g. it doesn't extend the (invisible) length of the car. As a bonus, a nice roof rack and faring add a sporty look to any car/SUV.

Oh, and if you're a full-grown man complaining about hefting a bicycle onto the roof of a car or SUV... uhm... you may want consider hitting the gym once a week. ;-) I'll admit, I do put the cheaper (heavier) full suspension bikes on the outside trays.


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## majbuzz (Nov 30, 2012)

That was my assumption, just overly cautious with being new to carbon bikes. I'm sure it will wear off soon.


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## EggSalad (Jan 29, 2013)

Well, I pulled the trigger and went the cheap route. I got a Yakima Superjoe Pro 2. About as basic as it gets I suppose. Only $125 and the ease of on and off the car is crazy. I don't suspect I'll use it that much to be honest, thus my frugality, I just needed something to get me to a safe part of town while I get reacquainted with riding. I'd love a roof rack just not in the cards right now.


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