lcenter

Hi, I am new to the group! I am looking for suggestions on what brands of bike racks are good. I will be moving to South Beach, Florida from Chicago, IL and want to take my bike along. I don't currently have a bike rack and would like one that would be durable for my move since it is long distance including highway travel. I want something that is temporary and won't scratch/dent my car. I have an '07 Toyota Solara. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for your help!
L

SweetLou

Oh, I thought you meant a rack for the bike. I was very impressed with a bike move from Chicago to Florida. As for the racks to carry the bike. I can't help you.

Azndude51

Any bike rack that touches your car has the potential to scratch your car to some extent. Even the ones with the best padding can if dirt gets in between the pads and car surface, though those will be very tiny scratches of the car's clearcoat finish. That being said, I have had no problems with my Thule Speedway trunk rack. The most popular trunk rack seems to be the Saris Bones, but it wasn't compatible with my '00 Honda Accord. Trunk racks are probably the best "temporary" bike rack and are easy to use.. However, roof racks seem to be a bit more reliable and stable but I think they are pricier and not really temporary since they aren't as easy to take on/off. For your situation, it's pretty much a tradeoff between the two. Thule, Yakima and Saris all make pretty good car racks.

Timtruro

Look at Allen brand racks, they make a wide variety and will have one that will fit and minimize the potential for scratches. Suggest you augment with terry towels and bungy cords as necessary to assure you preserve the paint on your four wheeler.

avmanansala

I had a hitch installed on my 99 Honda Accord and use a Yakima King Pin 4 rack that allows you to tilt it down (without the bike attached) to access the trunk. I only have one bike but I got it for a steal so....

You might want to look at what Yakima has to offer.
https://www.yakima.com/Consumer/Step1.aspx

CastIron

Ship the bike. Really, it'll probably cost less than a rack.

Azndude51

Great idea, I think it was around $60-80 to ship a bike from my local LBS.