General Cycling Discussion - Roof Rack or Trunk/Hitch Rack...Opinions?

What opinions do you have about roof racks vs. trunk/hitch racks? I am in need of a new way to carry my bike and I can't decide what way to go.

I can't decide if I would rather use a roof rack and run the risk of driving into the garage with my bike on, or if I would rather use a hitch rack and run the risk of getting rear-ended and also giving people easier access to my bike.

Any and all opinions will be appreciated.

Thanks.

I have limited use but I'll throw in my 2 cents. When I my bikes loaded on the trunk rack, I needed to get into the trunk for something and thats not happening without unloading the bikes. The bikes are easier to get at when on the trunk though.

I use hitch racks and would never go back to a roof rack. My hitch rack uses those fork mounts you can buy for 25.00 bolted onto a basket for a receiver so it can haul stuff too. I have a home welding shop so I built it myself. I use a cable and padlock for security.

My Dad has a hitch rack...on trips it's a little scary to look back and see your bikes swaying from side to side. I had a trunk rack in college, it was nice because it didn't take up much space but mine was an older one and put a few scratches on my trunk.
I currently have a roof rack and love it. Depending on which car I'm trying to load the bikes on, it is sometimes quite a reach to get them on the rack. Also, with a roof rack, I have to hide my garage door opener to remind me not to drive into the garage with the bikes on the rack! :eek:

We use a Saris bones rack
http://pricepoint.com/media/Saris_Bones3.jpg
http://rack2.bikepartsusa.com/product_images/mfg_01/4/full_45582.jpg
It's a Saris Bones 3 if you look at the silver part in the middle of the second picture you'll see that it's a tube that the straps go through (as shown in the first picture. This tube has an interior diameter about the size of a soda can. What we do is lock a contractor grade Master Lock cable to the frame of the car (at one of the tow points). Next we run the cable through the rack weaving it through the wheels frame etc then we use my Kryptonite EV disc lock to secure the other end back to the cable. When we take the bikes off to ride we just wind the cable around the rack to take up slack and lock it to the portion coming up from under the car. Yes we go through some (ahem) interesting neighborhoods, but with this setup we haven't had a problem even when we stop for lunch after a ride. Just be sure to use big intimidating locks not puny padlocks. Also the bikes don't "wag" while driving. As far as being rear-ended goes we have renter's insurance that will cover them if they are damaged, destroyed etc. If you have more expensive bikes a rider can be attached to your car insurance (it's not that much more).

sort of a side note: Where the cable would hit / rub on the bumper I slit one of those foam "noodle" pool toys down one side and slipped the cable inside (they have a hole that's the perfect size) a little duct tape and boom no girlfriend wigging out about roughed up bumper paint.

I have a hitch rack and like it. No problem getting into the trunk from the sides. Bikes are locked on via the mount and via cables, if I am feeling really insecure. Only problem is the added expense of buying and installing a hitch. But the rack is easily removed when not in use. My trunk and roof racks were both a pain to put on and take off. And, leaving them on long-term marred the paint. I drove to Colorado and back last summer and had no problems cruising at 75+ with two bikes on the rack. And many fewer bugs to clean off with the bikes at the back. Bought at a Performance retail store and am using the 2" receiver.

I have a hitch rack on my Jeep and it's a major pain in the bobo. You can't get into the back with bikes loaded, plus you have to strap a bunch of bungee cords all around your bikes to keep everything from flopping around every time you hit a bump or a curve. I like the setup I had in my last pickup much better, but a roof rack would be about as good. I really don't want a roof rack on this Jeep since it would put the bikes up so high I would have to carry a ladder to get them down. Plus it already gets only 14 MPG, with a couple mtn bikes on top there's no telling what it would get.

OK, I don't have a rack so this is not an opinion, just my observation. I have had min-vans (Astro, Caravan) since before I started riding so I just put my bike in the van. Now that I do ride, I plan to always have a vehicle, mini-van or small SUV so I can continue to do this. If, however, I ever decide not to get a mini-van I would go with a hitch rack over a roof rack. It has nothing to do with the inherent qualities of either rack. I have heard of at least half dozen cases of people forgetting the bikes are up there and driving into the garage, some other low structure, a low-hanging branch, etc. I just know the day would come that I would have that momentary lapse, and of course it wouldn't be one of my clunkers up there, it would be one of my babies.

Just my 2 cents and worth every penny you paid for it! :D

What I use in the truck is a quick release fork mount
on a 2x6, have 3 QRs on it for multiple bikes. The
bikes are in the vehicle and safe.
For my daily driver (honda) I have a Saris Bones
which is good enough for the short trips I use
it for. I don't worry about getting rear ended, I figure
that the person who rear ends me will get the pleasure
of paying for a replacement ride.
I figure if I had a roof mount I'd forget and drive
into the garage and trash my bike.

Marty

Our family uses both styles of rack. When we use our family truckster (Ford Explorer) we have a Saris Backpacker rack for the 2" receiver hitch. The Backpacker is the style of rack as to where you take off the front wheel and use a fork mount rack and tray. It will hold two bikes and can be expanded to four bikes as an option. We can get into the back of our Explorer when the bikes are on as they are out just far enough to open the window hatch. I'd suggest this rack to anyone. Only bad point is someone could rear end you and trash your bikes.

When hauling our tandem we use Thule load bars with a Sportworks U2 tandem rack on the roof. Sportworks makes cool racks as to where you dont have to remove the front wheel. The rack holds the bike by the wheels so, no parts ever make contact to any paint, just the rubber of the tires. You can load and unload even a tandem in 30 seconds. I'd suggest a sportworks to anyone. They have both receiver racks and roof racks. They are a bit on the expensive side though but, in my opinion well worth the expense if you can afford it.

Receiver rack: yes, someone can rear end you and your bikes but, that can happen to your vehicle at any time.

Roof rack: yes, you may forget the bikes and hit a garage or low hanging whatever but, that would be your own fault. As much as we have invested in our vehicle, rack and bikes the last thing in the world I'm going to do is forget I have our bike on the roof!

I have a tilting hitch rack with a stabilizer bar. There is some nylon webbing that came with it to attach the wheels to the stabilizer bar. The bike does not move around while driving. I can lower the rack to open the rear hatch of my car, and the bike stays put. I don't have to remove anything from the bike to use the rack except my frame pump. I also think that having the rack in the rear of the car helps a bit with the gas mileage.

I would definately go this route again if I had to do it over again.

Yes sailguy mentioned something that I forgot to touch on. In our Explorer, when we haul our tandem up top, it costs us 2 MPG according to the vehicle's on board computer.

I have the Hollywood Teamrider hitch rack. It's the two-bike version although you can buy a +2 bike extension to allow you to carry four bikes. It has a wedge plug at the end of the stinger that allows you to tighten in the receiver to keep the whole thing from wobbling about and a tilt-down feature so you can open the rear liftgate or trunk or what-have-you. If you remove the bikes, you can tilt it up and out of the way. However, unless I'm going to continue to use it that day, I just remove it altogether... a task which takes less than a minute to accomplish. The best feature of the rack is that it mounts the bikes very secure at three points without having to remove the wheels. There are straps which secure each wheel to the wheel trays and a seatpost clamp (just like on a repair/work stand) attached to a retractable post. I can attach and remove a bike in less than 30 seconds. The whole system is very stable and I've even had the rack with my bikes attached while doing some offroad driving. You do have to be a little careful of the extra overhang however as it will effectively decrease your approach and departure angles.

Another thing to consider when using a hitch mount rack is if your tail lights are still visible with bikes loaded. On mine with two bikes riding they do cover my tail lights unless I load them in a certain arrangement.

My rack only obscures my license plate. That may not be such a horrible thing. ;)

This thread is timely for me, since I need to get some sort of bike transport system. I am considering VW's or Yakima's bicycle adaptors for the Passat wagon's factory roof rack, but I do have a friend who drove into his carport with his Motobecane on the roof of his Alfa Romeo ...

Alternatively, the Saris Bones rack looks like it might work well on the Dodge Stratus sedan. Choices, choices!

The Saris Backpacker has a light available as an option that plugs into you trailer lights plug.

Originally posted by Sailguy
My rack only obscures my license plate. That may not be such a horrible thing. ;)

I was once stopped for having my rear license plate (this was in MI and in MI you only have a rear tag) covered with mud. Well, my whole Jeep was covered with mud. He let me off with a warning but made me promise to go wash it off and kinda followed me on my way to the self-serve carwash.

Originally posted by MikeOK
Another thing to consider when using a hitch mount rack is if your tail lights are still visible with bikes loaded. On mine with two bikes riding they do cover my tail lights unless I load them in a certain arrangement.

My bikes overlap my taillights too but unless I install disc wheelsets you can still see through the spokes. Plus there's the third brake light although studies have shown that third brake lights are irrelevant anyways. And of course I could always remove the plug from the back end of the hitch and install one of those hitchlights that activate with your brake via the trailer wiring harness.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/cycling/bikes/K2/1999-OzM/images/K2_OzM-Jeep_ZJ-2.jpg

I don't have a truck, SUV, or van and I don't like using my bike(s) as a rear bumper so I have a Yakima roof rack.
My bikes are safe (unless a tree falls on the car) and they're locked in the rack and the rack is locked on the car. :beer:

I have used both types of racks. For many years, I was using Yakima roof racks. They are nice, but here's the problem. I bought a new car a few weeks ago. I went to the Yakima dealer to get new clips to fit my new car. But my old "Y towers" are not compatible with the new "Q clips." Soultion, I would have to buy new towers and clips. $125 for the towers, $50 for the clips, plus another $100 for a stretch kit since my new car is a 2-door. This is just too much. I decided to ebay the old rack and buy a trunk rack. So far, I am very happy with it. The top of the line trunk rack was only $125. It is very stable and one cool thing I discovered is you can use it as a workstand. Great if you want to make some adjustments before you ride. It also doesn't make any wind noise like the roof rack did. When not in use, it is easily stored in the trunk. And it will fit on almost any car. One thing I don't like about trunk racks is you can't open the trunk, but my new Honda Civic allows you to access the trunk by folding down the back seats.

Originally posted by RonH
I don't have a truck, SUV, or van and I don't like using my bike(s) as a rear bumper so I have a Yakima roof rack.
My bikes are safe (unless a tree falls on the car) and they're locked in the rack and the rack is locked on the car. :beer:

Well, many anti-SUV pundants will be quick to point out that my Jeep is more prone to rolling over everytime someone sneezes in its direction so I think maybe my bikes are safer on the back. :D

On the bumper issue, I've seen at least one company market a bumper that fits into the receiver extension of a hitch rack. I'm curious though, have many people experienced bike damage due to rear-endings with their bikes on hitch racks? Although the rack itself is at standard bumper height, the bikes are positioned above which might offer it a little bit of protection in the event of a rear-ending. My rack is pretty sturdy and is probably stronger than the plastic bumper it's positioned in front of. I know MTB Action did a long term test of the Hollywood Teamrider and in their review, they mentioned they backed into a tree with theirs but their bikes were unharmed.

Here's a pic of mine. You can see that the lights can easily be covered when a couple bikes are on there. Also, I have to be real careful not to drag when going offroad with this, it doesn't take much departure angle for my wheel to drag. I am planning on desiging a hitch rack that holds to bikes vertically, with the front wheel on top. With the Bullit I have the 20 mm axle which won't let me use a standard QR holder, which is another problem. I would like to be able to haul two bikes vertically, and be able to swing the entire thing away so I can get to gear in the back of the Jeep. It's on the "list" along with a jillion other things I want to accomplish this summer...

Originally posted by MikeOK
I would like to be able to haul two bikes vertically, and be able to swing the entire thing away so I can get to gear in the back of the Jeep.

I know it would be a hefty investment but have you thought of something like a swing away tyre carrier such as this?:

http://www.trailready.com/images/CJR/cjr4.jpg

... combined with some kind of spare tyre bike rack like this?:

http://www.urbanjunglesuv.com/?bvg_spare_tire_bike_rack_urban_jungle.htm

Yes, that would be a good alternative. Jeeps are good for getting there but not so cool when it's more than a day trip. I have considered building a light custom trailer too, something that I can carry bikes, camping gear, kayaks, or just about anything a person might need for a cool weekend away from home. I might end up doing this and I have part of the supplies to do it, I just need time. I am way off topic with this one too so I'll shutup now :)

I've been using a trunk rack for a couple of years - with just one complaint - it tends to mar the top tube of my bike. My wife just bought a new bike and is (surprisingly?) open to the idea of replacing the old rack. We've decided on a Hollywood TeamRider. It's a hitch rack that secures the bikes by the wheels and seat post. If anyone has used one and cares to share an opinion on it I'd love to hear it - thanks!

Originally posted by druhl
We've decided on a Hollywood TeamRider. It's a hitch rack that secures the bikes by the wheels and seat post. If anyone has used one and cares to share an opinion on it I'd love to hear it - thanks!

I just did... read up/scroll back. :)

Thanks for all the great opinions....

I think I have decided on a hitch rack. Anyone have any experience with the SportsWorks TransSports or Mod Series racks? These are similar to the Hollywood racks.

Thanks again.

I've used them on the local buses. They work fine

I use the Yakima Roc Loc 2 and I like it a lot. It's simple to attach and get off my rig and easy to load and unload the bikes. I can still open the back window of my GMC Jimmy with the rack in the hitch, so no problem getting into the back whenever I forget something. As far as worrying about getting rear ended and destroying your bike, you'd probably get some serious damage with a roof rack in a collision, too. I don't think a bike would stay up there in a wreck.

I too am curious about Bike Racks. Anyone with any experience carrying 16" girls bikes on these (or kids bikes in general)?

KentV

Kent,

Check out my reply to your other post. I have the answer to your question.

Kent-Saris makes a BAT rack (for hitch mounts) that accomdates small frames and womens' frames with ease. www.sarisproducts.com

I use a Saris on my Minivan and use 2 rings or loops attached to my lic plate bolts. I run a 10 foot security cable through them and the center of the Saris rack and through the bikes locking them all together.
I also have a roof rack on the van for our other bikes.
The bent usually goes on the hitch rack if I am taking it along also. I can do a bit of welding, so I have fashioned an extension to move the hitch rack out beyond the Saris! I have the capability of carrying 6 bikes if I have to.
I probably use the roof rack the most of all just because it is always on the van. The dual doors sure do help to load and unload the bikes though!

Rick