Monkeygirl

I'm new to cycling and would like to know which carrier is best to buy for transporting my bike. I have a pontiac grand prix.

indygreg

there is no best. You could go roof like a yakima or Thule. You could go with a rear universal. You could get a class 1 or 2 hitch on that with a 1 and 1/4" inch recepticle and go with a hitch model. All have goods and bads. Roof gives you the most future options I think, like skis, snowboards, cargo, kayak, etc. Universal is cheapest, but you have to put it on and off each time. Rear is nice too . . . and that hitch would be cheap if you do not get wiring for lights (which you would not need for this).

cfbrtr

+1 Hitch

I put a hitch on myself and it takes little work. The racks are pretty secure and there are a few options on what type of hitch rack you can get.

indygreg

yeah, if you do not do lights, you can do it yourself easily.

bac

+ more

With a hitch mounted rack, nothing touches your car and you can remove it in seconds.

... Brad

bendor

I'd go with Hitch rack too, the trunk racks are convenient but they scratched my old car trunk/bumper. With roof racks, you have to remember to not go into garages with your bike up there, a couple people I know destroyed their car roofs by that very costly mistake. Personally, I just got a Honda Element because I feel safest with the bikes inside. It's one of the few cars where you can put them in upright, (even with the wheels on!), the other choices were mini-vans.

ChrisAN82

I just got a Saris Bones 3. It's a trunk mount rack. I love it so far because it's pretty easy to put on and off and holds three bikes just fine. My only complaint is that the inside bike's pedal is a bit close to my car and might hit it if the bike swings. To solve this I got some padded shelving matting from Home Despot, cut out a small piece, and use a small bungie to attach it to my pedal. Now it won't dent/scratch my car if it does manage to swing over and hit it. Also, things get a bit cramped on the rack with three bikes, but it ultimately works just fine.

2Tired2Shift

The probability of being rear-ended and having your bike crushed while on a hitch-mount goes as the cube of the value of the bike. Get a Thule roof rack.

indygreg

if you have a garage . . . trust me it is easier than you think to pull in with a roof rack . . . bike on top. I have a mildly mangled Accord roof to prove it.

CastIron

Leave the opener on the bike workstand.

SDRider

I have a Yakima roof rack with a Thule V2 bike tray. It works well but I've already had the bike tray replaced once under warranty because the fork clamp wasn't clamping down enough. I hope this doesn't happen again. Otherwise, it's been fine.

I'd be too afraid with my road bikes sitting out there behind the rear bumper. A minor rear end collision would easily destroy thousands of dollars of bikes.

I can't park my car in the garage...too much junk in there to fit my wife's car and my car so I just let her park hers in there while mine sits in the driveway so pulling into the garage with a bike on the roof is pretty much an impossibility.

scot

Get a hitch. 3 seconds and my bike is in and done. Plus it was cheap. The on the roof ones are ok, but when you drop your bike and it cuts into your paint...

G5Ti

I enjoy my Thule rack, though if I had to do it again, I might go Yakima because their customer service is leaps and bounds better than Thule's, and sadly, my local shop had little clout in the matter.

After a lengthy period of time, I ended up with Thule aero bars/feet, peleton mounts, fairing and a Yakima BasketCase. I can fit both of the bikes I routinely ride (good for moving them from OH to NC and back) as well as get a boatload of stuff in the basket. It was a pricey setup, but well worth it for the use it gets. (Installation on an '02 GTi 337 was a breeze... maybe 30 minutes of actual work.)

Pic from head-on:

spry

Excellent rack.Used my brothers this past weekend.One of the few racks that does not chip the bike frame.

blacksquid

I've got a hitch rack from Thule on my Prius and I'm pretty happy with it. Except that, if you're not careful with the anti-sway attachment, your can seriously damage the finish on the seattube. For those of you with nice CF frames, this is a problem. When I get some extra cash, I'm going to spring for a Saris Thelma because the rack attaches at the front and rear wheels only.