Bike Trunk Racks Review

Bike trunk racks are equipment attached to the trunks or hatchbacks of vehicles in order to transport one or more bicycles. These car racks should not be confused with bike racks that are meant to affix a bicycle to a stationary object or racks that fit onto the rear fender of a bicycle for transporting cargo. Trunk bike racks such as a Saris trunk rack consist of a metal frame that supports the bike, foam pads for protecting the trunk or glass surface of the car from being scratched and straps and other mechanism for affixing the bike to the rack. The most popular brands of bike trunk racks are Yakima, Thule, Bell, Hollywood, SportRack and Allen trunk racks. Bike trunk racks are available for purchase online or offline in a range of retail shops, including bike shops, hardware stores, home improvement stores or general retailers.

Varieties of bike trunk racks mainly lie in sturdily they are built. Characteristics of higher quality racks include injection-molded frame, rust-proof materials, anti-sway straps, ability to hold more than two bicycles, adjusts to vehicles of various sizes, integrated locking systems, 100 lb or more weight capacity and a labeled strap system. Other optional characteristics include different colored racks, designs that will fit over spoilers and racks built with recyclable materials. You may find a Yakima rack that meets only the specifications you seek. 

There are other types of bike storage and racks for cars that can attach to the hitch or the roof. The main advantage of using a trunk bike rack over these other kinds is that trunk bike racks are usually the cheapest. They can also allow you to open the trunk while the bikes are attached, which some hitch-mounted racks will not allow you to do. Additionally, installing and removing bicycles from trunk bike racks, like Softride racks, can be considerably easier than installing and removing roof-mounted racks. The racks themselves are usually compact and easily stored away when not in use.

The main drawbacks of using bike trunk racks instead of roof or hitch-mounted racks is that they can be less safe and sturdy. The straps holding the bikes in place can wear out and break, they are usually easier to break into, and the bikes could obstruct the driver’s view through the rear window. A major drawback to using trunk bike racks over other kinds of bike racks is that the weight of the bikes rest on the car panels, so the likelihood of scratching or denting your car is increased. Also, bikes can become scratched from resting on the car panels or from backing into objects.

Bike racks are also produced for truck beds, buses and motorcycles. At least one car manufacturer has even included an optional integrated bicycle carrier attached to the rear axle. Bike trainer accessories include anti-sway brackets, rack locks and adapter bars.

Models

Hollywood rack.

Pricing

Bike trunk racks range from $50 USD to $269 USD.