You forgot my favorite way! Throw and go! For those with a mini van or station wagon, simply chucking the bike in the back of the car is so easy and convenient. The biggest upside being that you can stop somewhere and not have to worry about locking up your bike, just lock your car.
@@craigb.5650 thats exactly what id do. Do you know if a big mountain bike would fit over the tailgate if I had a canopy on it? Cant decide on the best layout for my Hilux
@@ilikelampshades6 I had a Leer truck cap on my truck for awhile, and I could hang a bike on the tailgate without issues. I did, of course, have to leave the window on the truck cap open
I love Jeff's total look of disdain towards the trunk rack, priceless. LMAO!!! That being said I'm old skool, have a truck and use tie downs like a moto. Been thinking about TG pad, had a Dakine back in the day, but the straps eventually tore off and never bought another one.
I love my 1up USA bike rack and choose it because it’s the only one that doesn’t rub against my frame, fork or wheels during transport. Racks like that Kuyat with the arm that hooks over the front wheel and rest against the fork always ends up scratching that crap out of my bikes and was really annoying. The 1up rack only makes contact with my tires and is simple to use.
Have a tow bar rack :) Custom made to fit a penny farthing, ebike or mountain bike. Tip for roof racks for bikes, kayaks etc, measure your load height and laminate a drawn or printed label with a picture and height to blue-tack to the inside of the windscreen as a visual reminder you have something on the roof for garages & car parks etc !
I've used an Allen Hatchback Mount since 2012, and just last night bought roof rails and racks. The one downside to hitch mounts is that if you don't already have a hitch, installing one is PRETTY expensive. The reason I went with the roof rack is because a) I'll get more misc. use out of it than a hitch rack (kayaks, luggage carriers, etc) b) while the startup cost was similar in comparison to hitch mounts, I can transfer this to another car by simply swapping out the feet on the THULE rails. Once you buy the hitch for the car, that's about it - there's no swapping between cars. At the moment, I'm not too concerned with gas mileage. My car gets decent gas mileage as it is, and the overall expense is something I'm willing to eat to have a better way of transporting my bike around. I'm still keeping my hatch mount because I love the thing. Yeah, it beats up the bikes in high winds, but that can be solved by picking up a pool noodle from the dollar store and cutting it up - and maybe investing in a couple bungee cords (if it's still concerning to you). The downside to those racks though is that newer bike geometries don't play nice with the racks. I could invest in that weird crossbar thing, but I make it work without it.
My local bike shop sold me a Saris hatch back rack to haul my first hybrid bike purchases. Those bikes are 25lbs and that was 6 years ago and I still use it to haul my fatbike. It's days are numbered but I've travelled with it and never had a problem
I use the Sea Sucker Talon- Single bike mount, it works and looks great. The one downside was buying it early in 2018 before they offered their universal Boost mount called the HUSKE. So I had to buy it separately to accommodate my new MTB that summer. Overall, I give it 10/10 and it only takes me 3 minutes to install it on the roof of my car and load the bike.
Truck bed, under the camper shell. ...My friends roof rack came off while he was on the freeway. Two SC Tallboys and a Bianchi single-speed smashed to bits. Luckily no cars crashed, no injuries...
I used a roof rack with several of my sedans over about a decade and have recently switched to a hitch mounted rack on my Focus. It's WAY more convenient as far as getting the bikes on and off the car and I definitely noticed an increase in fuel efficiency. The only drawback is the reduced access to my trunk. I have definitely been able to adjust my movements around the car to cope though. 👌
A friend of mine lost his DH bike on the highway when the arm of the very same trunk rack featured in your video broke. As it was nighttime, he didn't even realized he lost it until he stopped to refuel. (fortunately, the bike flew immediately to the side or the road, and didn't cause any accident) I ditched mine when I heard about it and since then I either take my bike apart and throw it in the car (I have a 2-seater roadster) or use on rare occasions a SeaSucker Talon which never failed me.
I've changed my setup from a hitch rack to a roof rack. The reason? You can drive everywhere and not arrive with a dirty bike. I've had a few sessions where you start out with a bike full of wet mud and sand because you had to drive down a wet dirt road with your bike hanging of the back. Not pleasant.
Great videos gents. I know you can't really advertise as they sell independently- but the standard up here (Rossland, BC) and my favorite rack design tends to be the North Shore Rack. Easiest IMO to use, good on the bikes, easy to secure, leaves my truck bed free for beer, camping supplies and blow up dolls... I mean advanced study materials for astrophysics... There are a couple other companies now offering hanging hitch mount racks that look awesome- like the Recon Racks or the Swagman Switchblade. Anywho- just thought I'd through that style in the mix as us northerners use them a lot and tend to have a passion for bumpy roads, horrific weather and keeping our bikes safe.
Yeah it's funny that up here they seem to be the standard for the riding community- but when we road trip through the states we get asked about our rack all the time. I know I've seen a few in Oregon on cars but outside of that they seem less used down there. Bummer as the design is just so easy and intuitive.
I used a Yakima SuperJoe on my 97 Civic coupe for 3 years. It sucked, but it was way better than using a roof rack, (I miss my Subaru, but not roof racks.) I hate removing wheels to transport the bike, so the trunk rack was an okay solution. Far better was the hitch rack though. I've owned a 1up for a couple of years, (even though I don't have a hitch receiver vehicle.) I use it on a friends vehicle for road trips. Its the best, IMNSHO. it fits my road bike, my mtb, plus bikes, and even my BMX bike. That Kuat is sweet, but I prefer the 1upUSA. I like the fact that it is a 1 bike only rack, that you can easily convert to a two bike system. One drawback to the trunk rack was getting a ticket on the tollroads for toll evasion, even though I have a tollroads account, (Stupid CHP.)
I use a hollywood trunk rack. No issues. The price of my bike is probably more than the car I put in on, but I don't ever leave my bike unattended anywhere.
Used Seth's suggestion of anti-fatigue matting sold at Home Depot/Lowes. Bought a piece for $15 and drape it over one side of my tailgate. I bungee the bike frame to a factory tiedown and roll the F out. I do not leave the bike in my truck for post ride beverages. Also, my truck is a 2008 model so scratches aren't a huge concern.
I just take wheels off , install brake pad chocks, bring down back seat backrest and pop it in the trunk. Works for my Trek Full suspension and 2016 Ford Mustang.
Seasucker bike racks they're a company out of Florida. I hv a sports sedan and didn't want anything permanently affixed to my vehicle. I've tried them in the rain, extreme cold and at a hundred miles an hour. And the bike has not moved. It's a perfect solution for someone who doesn't want to drill holes or put a hitch on their vehicle.
I like the pivot mount that clamps onto the wheels. Not sure you can get those in the UK so have a hitch one with irritating arms that you have to connect to the head tube, very annoying with multiple bikes. I just put the bike on the roof now for short trips. Pick up looks awesome though but frowned on over the pond. 🤛🏻💥
Thank you so much for these pros and cons comparison. Mine is a Volvo XC70. I ended up buying a roof bike rack because adding a trailer hitch is too expensive.
I put her upright and diagonally on the back of my truck. Have permanent eye bolts on the bed of the tray ,use 2 auto retractable tie downs from the eye bolts to the seat rails . Takes like 10 seconds to put on and take off🤙
What about the spare tire mount? I have the Thule whateverthehell on my 92 wrangler. Not a huge fan of the frame adapter though. My Grand Cherokee has a hitch rack and my 💩 Saturn has a roof rack. I like the roof least because 💩 Saturns have plastic bodies and mine is 20 years old. Can’t even see if the bike is about to ghost send it. I’m with the guy that says he likes to be able to see the bike. It’s comforting to look in the rear view mirror and know it’s stable. I literally ordered from you yesterday because your videos crack me up.
I liked my Thule Insta-gater when I had a long bed truck, but now with a short bed I have to put the bike at a daft angle to fit. I think I’m going to get a Kuat NV2 for my Raptor because I don’t want to risk a tailgate pad buffing the paint. Plus it comes Grey and Orange to match the Orange Fox shocks on the Grey truck 😎
I have been using a Thule Vertex 2 for about a year now without any problems what so ever , My car dealership threw it in free of charge when I bought my new SUV last spring.
you forgot the one i think it's the best one, the van! where you can just open the back of it and put your bike in! of course it works only if you have a van
SportRack 1 1/4" hitch rack for many many years has never failed with wheel hoops. Recently upgraded E-bike to 27.5 plus tires. Hoops were too narrow, however, bent the hoops out a bit for new custom fit. No need to buy a new rack or wider replacement hoops. Thumbs down for the others. 1up rack my fav!
You missed the truck bed rail clamp racks. Much better than tailgate pads and the bolt on fork thing. My INNO clamps were $80, but I can stand up 2 bikes in my truck bed with nothing hanging out of the bed and I don’t have to remove wheels. I can also easily remove the clamps as needed and they store out of the way easily in my truck. Way better than any other truck option for 2 bikes unless you have a camper shell.
Just a PSA, the Kuat Sherpa only allows for a maximum of 47in wheelbase. I've got a xl bike with a wheel base about 49.5 inches and plan on upgrading to a 1Up Usa Equip-D once they are available.
My personal pet peeve is when the bike is on the rear rack and say you go down a highway or gravel road, the rocks fly up and chip the crap out of your expensive rims. It took a toll on my Mavic crossmax st rims, need some kind of wheel covers!
You can install a trailer hitch on any car (I think). Doesn’t cost a huge amount (~$250, P & L) and some are an easy DIY job. I installed one myself on my Prius with no special tools. Cost about $150. But I had to pay someone for the install on my wife’s sooby. Yes. A Prius.
Tailgate pad is nice. Up until I purchased a folding bed cover. Yes it folds up out the way. But then your view out the back is gone. Can’t see the bikes. Can’t lock the bed up because the folding cover won’t close all the way. This is a major problem especially if you’re heading out on vacation with outage in the bed with the bikes. Currently looking for something different.
Thanks for the great video.. I'm in need of a hitch mount and was looking for some great name brands! The rest of the video was great entertainment, especially the last option. :-) Great job guys!
Best way to transport your bike is if you have a full size SUV (Yukon, escalade, suburban). These vehicles have enough room for 2 bikes and 2 people to sleep. Using bolt on axle mounts you can lock your bike to the floor. Even better yet is you can drive anywhere to ride and have a place to sleep for free. Bikes are secure inside the vehicle at pit stops and no risk of loosing your bike on the highway.
Lol my friend has a subaru and he bought a roof rack with bike set up but never has mountain biked or dont even own a bike lol but i have tailgate pad and has never left my truck for 5 years but i did own the bones when i first started
A coworker of mine use to use a tailgate pad until he developed a crack at the down tube and head tube joint on his Ripley. Ibis asked him which rack he used and when he told them what he had, they did not warranty it. Just FYI......
I saw a Trust_Performance front fork peeking out that tailgate! NICE! I'd LOVE some feedback as to how that's doing (rake, travel, climbing affect, etc etc)
Hello. Thanks for your video! I have a Subaru Outback 2020 but have 2 bikes w/ carbon frames. I've never transported my bikes because they've always fit nicely in the back of my previous Subaru... is there a recommendation between hitch vs roof for carbon frames? I'm getting ready to do some driving where I'll need the interior space and possibly access to it, so leaning towards a roof mount but concerned about how my bikes will hold up. Thanks!
Man trunk racks scare the crap out of me I was nervous back in the day hauling Huffys on them. My ghetto tailgate pad (rear floor mat) works just fine in all actuality I really need to get a tailgate pad but priorities.
I have a back strap to my sudan (# 5) and I transported my hardtail like that for a year and now I have a multi thousand $ bike and I need to figure something new out. If you live on a dirt road then you can kick up rocks to the tire that hangs out of the side of the car... I don't want to damage my rim.
All i got out of this is get rid of my beard and keep the stache. What if my stache is the weakest link in my beard? Thanks for the vid! I think i decided I the gate cover.
i drive a suv so hitch rack for me! JEFF, what do you think about those seasucker suction cup roof racks? i'm kinda intrigued, easy make any car able to carry a bike.
