As a cyclist, you may have encountered several needs and problems. This includes transporting the bike from one place to another or keeping all your bikes secure in the house or vehicle.
This is where using a bike rack comes in handy for you. So, to help a cyclist with all these issues, there are several types of bike racks to organize and transport bikes.
Additionally, each of them has different designs depending on how they are used. So you can get a bike rack without spending a lot of money if you are looking for an organizer for all your bikes.
However, at least a mid-level rack is recommended if you are looking for safety and durability features in your rack. The list of bike racks includes roof racks, hitch racks, spare tire racks, trunk racks, and truck bed racks.
Beyond all these racks, you can build your own bike rack with all the features you need. However, it is DIY bike racks that are primarily intended for organizing and storing bikes at home.
Types of bike racks
Let’s take an in-depth look at each of these bike racks for a little more understanding.
Roof Mounted Bike Racks
As the name suggests, it is a type of rack that can be attached to the roof of your car, SUV or any type of four-wheeled vehicle you prefer. These are mostly available with a configuration that will allow you to easily attach it by locking onto the crossbars.
Roof racks come in two different models due to the way each model locks bikes to them. One classification concerns the type of brackets that will be attached to the front fork of the bike.
To attach the lock to the fork, you must remove the front wheel from your bike. Some bikes on the market come with easy-to-remove levers for this type of need. Another type of roof rack holds the bike in the wheel locations.
When the wheels are fully inserted into the slots, the bracket locks can be locked onto the wheels. This lock provides upper body stability to the bike while moving against the wind on the road.
It will always be good to opt for a roof rack with a car to easily reach your roof. Otherwise, the whole loading and unloading of bikes will become a nightmare at any time.
After all, if you don’t have a crossbar system on the top of your car or you don’t like crossbars. Then there are roof racks available with suction cups on all of the rack brackets.
All these suction cups can be attached directly to the roof without any additional work. However, it is not recommended for off-road trips or for someone who likes to drive their car a little fast.
Hitch brackets
Here is another most commonly used bike rack for carrying bikes by most people. The reason behind the most users of this rack is the hitch receiver that comes with many cars.
Additionally, when the bikes are loaded on the vehicle, there is no need to worry about the body parts of the carrier vehicle. And no part of the rack will protrude over the sides of the car.
A hitch rack also comes in two different models: a platform model and an overhead rack model. The hanging model rack locks bikes on one or two arms that it has above the bike rack.
Instead, a platform model will grip the bike from the base, from the wheel of the bike. Additionally, it will also have a lock post that will come above the height of the wheel. This will help lock the bike and keep it stable.
The choice of hitch-mounted bike rack mainly depends on the ground clearance of the car. If there is enough free space, then using a platform model is the best thing to do.
Or, if the car does not have sufficient clearance, using a platform model can sometimes become a nightmare in difficult road conditions. Using a hitch bike rack will not interrupt any normal operation of the car.
Spare tire bike racks
Spare wheel carriers come to your aid if you are interested in an overhead bike rack and don’t have a hitch receiver. Or simply because you like a spare wheel carrier, its compact design and its features.
This is mainly used for SUVs with a spare wheel at the rear of the trunk which creates obstacles between the vehicle and the luggage rack. By using a spare wheel holder in this case, you can overcome the problems that occurred with the spare wheel.
Additionally, these mounts have a more compact appearance than a hitch rack and trunk door mount discussed. Spare tire racks are only available in a hanging model that will hold bikes on the arms.
Check out our recommendations for the best bike racks for spare tires.
Trunk-mounted bike racks
This is another type of media commonly used due to its ease of use. The holder will be attached to your car’s trunk door, and the additional straps and locks will provide added security.
Additionally, the rack will primarily feature a two-arm system that can hold up to four bikes at a time. However, the downside of the trunk mounted bike rack is that the entire weight of the rack and bikes will be loaded on the trunk door.
So the trunk must be strong enough to support the weight of the entire system, otherwise it will cause your car’s rear windshield to break. There are simple and complicated designs for trunk-mounted bike racks.
Additional straps in all directions of the vehicle improve the stability of the rack on-road or off-road. The advantage of this rack is that you may not have to worry about the extra space that other racks would require. In addition, it will offer you great ground clearance in all road circumstances.
Truck Bed Supports
Many people buy trucks for everyday use simply because of the massive look they offer to the front of the vehicle. Additionally, they can use the truck bed behind the vehicle to satisfy all their transportation needs. So you can also use the truck bed to keep your bikes safe on the road.
Truck bed racks are used in free space, and all bikes will be in good condition and safer than any other type of racks you use. This is because of the security it provides in all directions.
You can get permanent hooks to attach to the truck bed that can be used as a hook to attach the bike fork. Or it’s possible to get a multi-bike organizer rack if you’re a professional cyclist with many bikes to manage.
Additionally, these racks are available with additional straps and locks to provide the bike with good stability as well as protection against theft.
Tailgate pads
Here is a bike rack that you can use on a truck bed. If your truck has a small bed that can’t accommodate a large bike, using a tailgate mat will suffice. A tailgate pad can serve as a secure cover for your truck’s tailgate and will protect it from paint scratches.
The reason it can be used for small spaces is that the bikes will be locked in the hanging position with these racks. The front wheels will be suspended outside, at the rear of the vehicle.
This is an effective way to get enough support and securely lock the bikes onto the truck. After all, these tailgate pads can be used on any side wall of the truck depending on where you have more space.
If you need a tailgate cushion, read this article to learn more.
DIY Bike Racks and Organizers
DIY bike racks are those that can be built yourself with materials lying around the house. There will be a few pieces of materials left after your house renovation in the yard. You can use them in different ways to create an efficient bike rack.
However, these supports are more recommended for use inside the house or garage. Styles and designs of a DIY rack include simple metal hooks all the way up to large stack bike organizers.
By using a DIY rack to store all your bikes together, you can keep everything tidy in a cost-effective manner. After all, there is no need to use a high-end bike rack inside the house.
Learn more: How to make a bike rack – A DIY bike rack
Conclusion
We’ve reviewed all the different types of bike racks to organize and transport all your bikes. Whether to use one of them depends on your preferences and needs.
If you are a constant traveler, it is best to get the best product available with more safety features. There are chances of bikes being stolen from the road. SO, using the same bike rack that holds bikes in place may be the best protection against a thief.