subject: Deciding What to Choose [print this page] Deciding What to Choose Deciding What to Choose
You are a hundred percent sure that you are going out to buy a car bike rack for you to travel with your bikes on your vehicle but you have not made up your mind of what kind of rack you are going to buy because there are plenty to choose from.
Before getting your money from your wallet and pay for the rack you have chosen, research and compare the different car bike racks that you saw and match it with your needs. Don't be too hasty because you might regret in the end.
There are three distinct categories of car bike rack which are the trunk rack, hitch-mount rack and roof rack. They have their own set of benefits as well as flaws. It is up to you to pick what will most likely give you the satisfaction.
Trunk rack is the cheapest among the other bike racks which only cost $40 to $140. It is very easy to install on the trunk of your car and it would only take few minutes and then you are good to go. This rack can hold 2 to 4 bikes in one time but there is a higher chance that they might clash at each other which will result to scratches. Straps must be constantly checked up because they have the tendency to loosen and wear.
Opting for the roof carriers requires a roof rack or crossbars found on a vehicle, it can either be preinstalled or not, which is needed to hold the roof carriers in place. If you already have a preexisting roof rack or crossbars, the expense you have to pay is lesser which starts from $50 on the generic brand and $100 for the popular brands.
If you have no roof rack or crossbars, you need to buy and install one which can add to the total cost of about $125 to $200. The brighter side of this rack is that it is versatile and can serve many purposes but in contrast, it is quiet complicated to operate.
The hitch-mount rack is a lot more expensive but it is easy to use. The rack has different sizes that can match the hitch type of your vehicle. Class I hitches is not capable of carrying more than three bikes and the Class III hitches are not usually compatible with most vehicles.
You can get a hitch mount rack for as low as $100 but it is in generic brand. A famous brand will cost you at around 125 and the special swing-away model cost $400.
