Best Bicycle Car Racks
This bike carrier provides a stress-free way to transport your bikes. The XC Cross-Country 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack from Swagman is a versatile hitch-mount rack that can easily accommodate children's and adult bikes, downhill bikes, cruiser bikes, full-suspension bikes, BMX bikes, "Y" frame designs, and much more (and without the hassle of removing wheels). Swagman's XC Cross-Country 2-Bike Rack easily adjusts to accommodate a wide variety of bike frames. Upright ratcheting arms easily adjust to different bike frame sizes. Upright ratchet arms easily adjust to different bike frame sizes, will accommodate bike frames up to 59 cm.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I wont be able to really add anything new to the enormous amount of reviews, except maybe give you some better pictures of it so that one can maybe make their own decision on the construction."
"I am hopeful the company will replace the broken parts, because the assembly instructions were not at all clear with tiny pictures I used a magnifying glass to see. If you purchase this, here are 3 things I learned you might find helpful: First, the 2" sleeve has a set screw that is very difficult to remove (several other reviewers note this as well)."
"Received my Swagman bike carrier a few days ago and already used it twice, I couldn't be happier!"
"Not a single problem while bouncing on the road from Fl to Ct and back. It is a GOOD IDEA TO MAKE SURE THE CLAIMS ARE TIGHT AND WHEELS ARE IN THE RECEPTACLES. For safety sake, I use a bungee cord on both bikes to make sure nothing happens, The mechanism has holes for a lock to be inserted to prevent theft or use a regular bike lock."
"I decided to purchase this style of bike rack after searching the internet high and low for all different types of bike racks. The reason I decided to go with the Swagman brand is because it is a very good value compare to other brand bike racks on the market that offer the same thing this rack does. No having to install your front tire, or lift the bikes up or down from the top of your car or the bed of your truck, nope your simply release the tension on the bike and then remove it from the rack. And with bikes on the rack you are ether out of luck or you have to removed your bikes from the rack to access the tailgate."
"On a high vehicle it would be more convenient if the bent was going down rather than up, placing the bike holder lower and closer to the ground."
This simple, sturdy bike carrying system fits most sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, and SUVs via a single configuration design that eliminates setup hassles and headaches during installation. Twelve-inch long carry arms easily accommodate up to two bikes, and a patented individual tie-down system secures and protects your bicycles. Rather than fight through inconvenience with twine and a dinged car, Allen sought an answer for himself as well as a market in which he foresaw major growth possibilities. Drafting designs during the day and constructing them throughout the night, he put together a model made of electrical conduit, metal strapping, and fire hose casings (for padding). 11.5- inch wide carry arms for greater bike compatibility.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was able to fit my L bike and my friend M bike on rack with no problem. Both bikes are male bikes. However, 2 large bikes may not fit on this rack, or may fit snugged/really tight. First, you need to tie your front wheel to bike frame, or to bike rack to keep front wheel from spinning during transport (spinning may damage car). Second, you need to tie pedal to bike frame, or bike rack to keep pedals from rotating during transports. If the rack is on car properly, and bikes on rack properly, no worries."
"This bike rack fit my '99 Honda Civic just fine, but be warned, it obscures the license plate completely, which invites a pullover from John Law."
"I bought this to bring my bike to campus and it has been highly functional and useful for what I need. I've never had the product fall off while driving thankfully but it doesn't always feel like it's safe and secured to the car. It's partly due to my poor skill perhaps because I have adjusted the tightness so it grips it better but I can't shake off the fact that it doesn't give me the 100% confidence and safety knowing it will secure the bikes."
"For a lower fit that allows the bike to sit a little further from the trunk tighten the lower strap than the upper and visa versa for a higher closer fit."
"The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because all the hooks are metal and connect directly to the painted surface of your trunk. My worry is that if I tighten the straps too tight or too loose, the metal hooks will dig into or slide and scrape the paint right off my car."
"Haven't traveled great distances with it, but I doubt it would be a problem."
"The single strap that attaches via clip to the part of the trunk lid closest to the rear window snapped -- frayed and broke."
To load the bikes, simply lift them into the wheel platforms, secure the wheels with the integrated wheel straps, and secure the grip arms over the frames. In comparison to roof mounted bike racks that generally require you to remove the bike's front wheel and hitch-mounted cradle carriers that don't support the bikes from the base, the XTC Cross-Country is easy to use and worry free. Fits a 1-1/4" and 2" hitch reciever. Hitch-mounted, platform-style bike rack for two bikes (20 to 29-inch wheels).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love this bike hitch!"
"Pros: Easy to Secure Bike. Holds Bike Securely. Cons: Requires 19mm socket to remove rack from car. In the way when not in use. Poor Instructions (but easy enough to figure out). Bottom Line: The rack is a good value and works well for holding two bikes. Thirdly, they include an 8mm hex wrench to install the two securing bolts, but if you want to use the hitch with a 1 1/4" receiver you have to remove a 6mm hex bolt from the 2" receiver adapter that came pre-fitted and there was no included wrench for this (luckily I have several). Since this is threaded on the bike rack, you can't use the standard receiver locking pin as it won't fit."
"They are to be screwed in to the ends of each tire cradle bar after installing the tire cradles. Removing them was easy and after the first time installing where you have to adjust the tire cradles, reinstalling the bikes only took a minute or two."
"When I get both bikes on, I feel confident they are firmly attached and I don't find myself always looking in the rear view mirror to see if they have been misaligned by the wind and bumps."
"For those who have commented that the rack and their bikes move around a lot, make sure the threaded hitch pin is done up tight and if you have a 2" hitch receiver make sure the 2 adapter brackets are installed and done up tightly."
"I didn't have stand-offs for my old carrier and the bikes rubbed together (messed up the paint on my expensive new bike - my fault for not for-seeing what would happen). If you have a rear hitch and only 2 bikes this carrier is a good option to consider."
Best Bike Car Rack Accessories
Made by Allen Bike Racks, this adaptor bar adds a top tube to your bicycle frame so that it can be installed properly on a bicycle carrier. It's designed to be used with hard-to-mount bike frames, such as full-suspension bikes, women's bikes, or other non-conventional designs. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have tried a few different bike top bar adapters: Yakima- solid, strong, well-built...but no internal bungee, locking arms swing upward, which is not the most convenient, and has an exposed nut that can catch on bike rack straps. As for the issues that some reviewers have pointed out, the metal lock pin on one end of the bar will probably scratch your bikes paint at some point. The other thing about this adapter bar is that the locking process (lining up and passing a pin through two holes, then pulling the clip over to the other side to lock the pin) a little more cumbersome than all the others that require a simple swing or slide to lock. Add to this the other placement of a rubber wrap around the pin and may a bungee cord around the locking clip, and it will take a little more time to put on and take off this adapter."
"I was thinking of idea of using a plastic tube to cover it, but then it wouldn't allow the pin to slide through the frame of the adapter. I was worried it might rub though and get back down to metal, but since the wrap is pretty thin it didn't."
"Devised a cushion to prevent scratches using 3/8 inch inner diameter tubing, no heat gun required."
"The design is quite good."
"Got my mountain bike from Houston to Michigan's upper peninsula and showed no signs of slowing down."
"I have a women’s bike so it has a frame that sits awkwardly on a bike rack."
"(It admittedly confused me just reading the description, but once you have it in front of you, it's a piece of cake.)."
"I always stand over my bike and use the pedal as a brace to get it to stretch."
Best Bike Cargo Boxes
Turn to this SportRack A90275 rooftop cargo carrier, which offers 18 cubic feet of space--plenty of room for luggage, tents, golf bags, boots, and other gear. Mounts directly to most OEM and aftermarket crossbars with included Quick Release u-bolt mounting kit.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I order something like this, I usually geek out and read the manual from the manufacturer's site before the item arrives. The instructions are very well done, but it took about an hour to install the first time due to needing to find my rack crossbar keys and recall how to move them fore and aft to line up with the sets of holes in the bottom of the cargo box. From there it's simply centering the cargo box and installing the included U-bolts and pre-drilled metal plates (to help support the ABS plastic at the mounting points). We packed it with a Pack-and-Play (think playpen for those without kids), 2 carry-on size suitcases, a humidifier, baby bouncy seat, bath sling, and heavy coats with room to spare. Packing the same amount in my car wouldn't have allowed us any room to transport our Christmas presents, much less stretch out. The hinge locations prevent doing much loading from the side, but hey, you can see the pictures... that's no surprise. The locknuts have nylon in the threads to prevent backing out, but with as much force and vibration that occurs on a long trip, they're bound to loosen a little."
"For this first trip, I tossed into this box the stroller, a second umbrella stroller, and all manner of beach stuff and vacation supplies (the luggage remained in the trunk). The construction and build-quality of the box felt adequate for what it does; However, the hinges are plastic (again, see my uploaded pictures), and their durability over the long haul worries me a bit because they flex laterally a good deal when you accidentally knock the top half of the box while open."
Best Bike Travel Cases
scicon bike defence transport bag is a travel pouch for transport and avoid damage to road bikes, ideal if the bike is transported on the roof of the car. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The MTB bra was new in the package, however the road bike bra had been previously opened and was missing documentation."
"So, I jury rigged some pads from folded duct tape to cover the sharp edges and temporarily stuck them to the computer mount, and there was no damage at all during this year's 1800 mile trip."
"Worked as expected on our two bikes on a 600-mile road trip."
"Fits my road bike well."
"Did not reach the seat on my bike."
"I am highly unsatisfied and will not be recommending this product."
"After 3 times of use bra was tore in multiple places, considering that both of the frames I have are very standard - 54 cm."
"Used this one time and it tore."
Best Indoor Bike Storage
This bike rack will hold the whole front or rear wheel from the back to the front. Powder coated steel. Comes with 1 bike holder. Best rack for expensive bikes to avoid scratches and touching the frames Disc Rotors or Cassettes. The only touching points are on tyre. Patented SIMPLE PUSH IN DESIGN - Quick & Easy effortless push in system. SUPERB DURABLE QUALITY & STUNNING FINISH TO MATCH YOUR BIKE - Heat treated high quality steel with a fantastic powder coated finish. FITS NEARLY ALL BIKES: The bike stand will fit almost all bikes range from 20" - 24" Kids Bikes, 26" to 29" Mountain Bikes, 650c -700c Road Bikes, EXCEPT those bikes with the tires more than 2.4" in width.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Modified my stand so it would hold bike vertically."
"I drive to different places to ride my bike and this is so easy to bring along."
"Awesome bike stand."
"Comes assembled ready to use which is nice, had a tiny bit of grease seapage at first moving all the parts but it went away. Overall this is very nice, pretty heavy duty, and blows away the 2 $15 plastic stands I had been using."
"easy to use and I do not have to find a place to lean the bikes against a wall."
"The construction of the brackets that the wheel sits in make it easy to store anything from a mountain bike to a roadie with ease."
"I bought two of these for an Electra Townie and a Trek Verve 3."
"We do not have room in our garage for all of our bikes and this looks and functions perfectly inside."