Travel Travel Tips

This Top-Rated Bike Rack for Your Car Is a Must-Have for the Summer of Cycling

Allie Flinn

July 4, 2020

So many of the best summer activities are canceled this year. If you thought you were gonna be flirting with bartenders, frolicking at pool parties, and badly scream-sobbing songs at a Harry Styles concert—nope. But there is one regular summer activity that is thankfully still allowed: outdoor cycling. Outdoor activities are deemed relatively low risk—and if the bicycle shortage is anything to go by, it appears that more people are taking up cycling as an activity.

In order to hit up those bike trails, you're going to need a way to transport your bike. Bike racks for your car saves trunk space for everything else.

These are the best bike racks for your car

Shop: Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mount 3-Bike Carrier, Model 103DN-R, $64

If you're looking for budget-friendly bike racks that also fit a wide variety of cars, from hatchbacks to SUVs, this is it. If you're transporting multiple bikes, one reviewer recommends attaching them in alternate directions to keep the weight more balanced. Installation is also easy, as long as you ignore the directions that come with the rack and instead watch a Youtube video (which I thought that was how most people assembled most things anyway).

Shop: Allen Sports Premier Hitch Mounted 4-Bike Carrier, Model S545, $200

This is the top-selling bike rack for cars on Amazon, and it's got over 2,800 five-star reviews. It can hold up to four bikes, and reviewers say it is "extremely sturdy and very easy to put on and take off" and "well built and reasonably priced." Many reviewers also call out the fact that it has a lock that keeps the rack from wobbling and also prevents theft.

Shop: KAC Overdrive Sports K2 2” Hitch Mounted Rack, $300

Reviewers recommend this bike rack if you need a heavy-duty option but don't want to spend upwards of $500. It carries regular bikes as well as fat tire bikes, and even heavy eBikes, according to reviewers. The rack can also be tilted, so you can get into your trunk without having to remove it.

Shop: CyclingDeal Alloy Car Roof Bicycle Carrier Rack for 2 Bikes, $180

This rack attaches to the roof of your car, and can carry two bikes. If you're worried about the stability of driving a car with bikes attached to the top, one reviewer says that they drove 200 miles at about 65 miles per hour and had no issues. It's also "easy to install," "pretty snazzy for the price," and "easily adjustable to fit different bikes."

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