mfhorn

I drive a 2000 Honda CRV. Any suggestions for a bike rack that'd fit in a trailer hitch? And are there any that would also fit my wife's 2011 Camry, without a hitch? Probably expecting too much there!

Just need one that'd carry 2 bikes, and that's if she ever starts.

Cyclist0108

I just bought a 2017 Rav4 hybrid and am now trying to buy a rack. If you don't mind a strap-on-the-back rack, the Yakima Fullback works on our 2010 Camry and as far as I can tell pretty much anything else with a trunk or a hatch-back or an SUV rear door. However, i just used your 2000 Honda CRV as input to their fitter and it didn't confirm. I bet it would work. However, a roof rack or trailer hitch rack would be safer. (Just get UHall to install a receiver on the Camry).

goodvibe

I would say that your best bet would be to buy a trailer hitch for your Camry. I purchased one for my CR-V from eTrailer and it was a couple of bolts to install it. As for racks, I have the Thule T2 Pro and it is great. It doesn't touch the car or the bike and fits all bikes from my road bikes to my fat bikes.

mfhorn

Yeah, I talked to my better half, and she doesn't want a trailer hitch on her car.

I thought U-Haul might rent bike racks, but they don't, and neither do the bike shops around town- liability.

Guess I'll leave the bike at home this trip. Any suggestions as far as just a brand of hitch mount? I can look on the company website to find what they have. Allensports has a hitch mount racks, but I don't need one that carries 5 bikes!

The Thule T2 is just a bit outside my price range. I've got a bike that cost under $200, and need to keep this around $100 if I can.

zebede

I am not a fan of the trunk mount bike racks, They have to be strapped down really tight to carry two mikes and they can damage your car if not careful. Never the less they are inexpensive and usually available used on craigslist or walmart.com for very low prices.

Personally I have quite trunk mounts and gone to folding bike and/or roof rack bike carrier.
If I had a hitch I would go that way.

Sal Bandini

Saris Bones will fit both cars. You can find 2 and 3 bike versions on Craigslist, Offer Up, LetGo for well under $100 all day long. Buy some helicopter tape and apply it to the car where the pads go on the trunk and it will protect the paint.

mfhorn

I'd checked the Saris website a few days ago, and from what they said, they don't have one that'll fit the CRV. Hmm.

Sal Bandini

I have 2010 CR-V and it fits fine, so I thought it would fit all models. Does yours have external tire mounted? If so, that could be the reason.

From your OP, get the hitch rack for your CR-V and Saris Bones for the Camry. I bought the 3 bike version for $60, and it looked brand new. I suspect many buy them and hardly use them.

fsdogwood

It's hard to get a rack for both crv and camry.
Maybe you can take off the front wheel, and put your bike in either crv or camry? if your bike has quick release?

mfhorn

I think I'm going to skip the Camry rack. There is a quick release, but I don't think she'd appreciate having the back taken up with the bike. I can get it in my car even with the wheel on.

Oh well- thanks anyway!

Cyclist0108

Another option is a roof-rack for each, and you could share the bike mounts easily.

etrailer.com allows you to put your make model year of car in and it will give you a listing of possible racks, etc. that are compatible.

eg: https://www.etrailer.com/vehicle/2011/Toyota/Camry

https://www.etrailer.com/vehicle/2000/Honda/CR-V

rumrunn6

sounds like you are taking the Camry on a trip? but Wifey doesn't want to bring bikes on the Camry? can you rent bikes where you are going?

Karmajack

+1 for the Saris Bones 2. I have one on my Juke right now and it's great for a hatch rack. Very stable, very adjustable for different vehicles, and not too expensive. Check Ebay and such for deals. Just be sure to grab about four Velcro straps or bungies. Secure the front wheels and pedals from turning or moving.

PaulRivers

If both cost and usability are a priority, if you have the space to store it I think the Saris Freedom 2 Bike Tray Hitch Rack for $250 is the way to go:
https://www.amazon.com/Saris-Freedom...IMQ/ref=sr_1_4



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The cheapest hitch rack I know of that is ok is the Saris Bones 2 bike for $170 (also comes in 3 and 4 bike versions for a little more money):
https://www.amazon.com/Saris-Bones-2...is+bones+hitch



I really prefer the tray racks, I think they're worth the money, so I would saris freedom would be the way to go instead. But this could be fine if you only carry 1 bike and it's a road bike with a top tube.

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I was going to say if you could afford $450, there is a decent "hold by the wheel" style rack that would fit both vehicles without a hitch called the Thule Raceway Platform. But the Thule website doesn't say that it would fit the CRV, so maybe not:
https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-...bike-_-1685475

It looks like it fits another vehicle that's similar in body shape to the CRV which is weird:


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The best rack you can buy is the 1UP USA QuickRack. It also comes in black for a little more cost.

1 bike:


2 bikes:


But it's expensive as heck. $269 for one bike, an additional $169 for the 2nd bike addon so $440. Very nice rack though, even tray is individual and folds in half for easy storage. Made of aluminum (doesn't rust). Hold-by-the-wheel style.

Cyclist0108

For my 2017 Rav4 (hybrid), I settled on the following racks:

(1) Roof: I bought Whispbars (Yakima) that flush-mount on the factory rails, and attached two Rockymounts Jetlines to the T-slots. (These are not thru-axle compatible without a clunky adaptor.) For anyone interested in such things, I did not take a measurable MPG hit with the (empty) racks mounted. (Also, for those interested, I bought but had to return a Kuat roof mount, as it was so long that it would not permit the hatch to open. It did however have the merit of being thru-axle compatible.)

(2) Back: I bought a 2" receiver hitch ($107 from etrailer.com) and a Kuat Sherpa 2.0, which is a comparatively lightweight and very easy to install and remove hitch rack. It is also extremely well-made, and very easy to use.

I thought very seriously about the 1-up, but there is some sort of weird fratricide going on with that manufacturer, so decided to avoid the drama.

MarvinTMartian

Put a Swagman Sitka two bike on our CR-V and really like it.

frogger42

I bought a Swagman Chinook 2 from Amazon and love it. Really solid and comes with a trailer hitch lock as well as the bike braces lock. Super solid and well built for a reasonable price. Should be great on your CR-V. I don't have a good solution for the Camry unfortunately.

https://www.amazon.com/Swagman-Bicyc...gman+chinook+2

Grasschopper

IMO it's all about your budget. I used to use a Yakima Holdup 2 which was great but didn't do fat bikes which I was going to buy. So I gave the Hold Up to my ex wife and got a Küat NV which is an awesome rack plus has an integrated work stand which does come in handy at times. It is also more stable than the Yakima rack. That said the Saris Freedom racks look nice too (but no work stand).

I MUCH prefer hitch racks to roof racks. I've seen too many bikes and cars damaged from run ins with garages and low clearance drive thrus. Added bonuses include better fuel economy and MUCH easier loading.

mfhorn

Right now at least $250 is out of my budget. I'm in the middle of taking a pay cut at work, so I think for a while at least I'll just be putting the bike inside the car. Maybe things will get better next year!

Thanks for the options though.