bike racks

Hi, all!

First, I love the site. It is very cool, seems like an excellent community, and I have already learned a lot in my short time being here!

Now, a quick question on bike racks for my car. I have a 2006 Toyota Corolla S (so it has a small spoiler) and I was wondering if anyone had input on these racks - or maybe input on other ones.

http://www.bikerackshops.com/HRF6.html (more expensive)
http://www.bikerackshops.com/HRBAJA.html (middle of the road)
http://www.bikerackshops.com/HRE3.html (inexpensive)

I am thinking the "middle of the road" would be the one I go with. I did check compatibility with all these racks so I know any would work. I like that the middle one has stabilizers. Is it worth spending the extra $50 for the more expensive rack? If so, I might drop down to a two bike rack instead of the three. But I thought three would be good if friends wanted to carpool in the future.


Thank you!

I have a rack similar to these which I have on a Mitsubishi sedan. It was $140Australian dollars, 3 bike rack. I actually ended up taking one of the bike holders off as I thought the bikes were too close together. So I can take 2 bikes without damaging either one. I really like these racks - I can drive my bike to wherever I want to ride, then take the rack off and toss it in the trunk of the car so no-one tries to steal it or damage it. Really easy to put on although I also took the hooks off that hook under the car and simply run the straps through the tow hitches underneath. And it is amazing the number of people who ask what you are doing when you get the rack out and start putting it on the car - everyone is really fascinated by the simplicity of the whole thing.

We have a Saris "Bones" rack that we use on DH's Corolla. According to their website it "fits over most spoilers." Plus, it comes in colors!

http://www.saris.com/p-354-Colored-Bones-3-Bike.aspx

We're very happy with it. Fits very well for use on our mini-van, too.

Oops! Didn't notice the price differential. The Saris is the most expensive of all the racks mentioned.

Still, compared to many other bike-hauling systems we looked at the Saris was actually pretty reasonable. It's very sturdy. It easily handles our two touring bikes (relatively very heavy bikes) as well as a third bike when necessary. The bikes are totally secure and we've had no complaints.

I think I'd be a little leary hauling our bikes on a cheaply-made rack. Is there any place you can go to actually see some of your choices in person? An in-person comparison would be very helpful, I should think. After all, as is true so often, to a large extent you do get what you pay for.

Good luck!

I've learned that it's better to have too much than not enough when picking any product. If you ride with friends, you may want to consider the top pick. Plus, if you have a sweetie and there's wedding bells in the future....;) A good rack should last a pretty good while so you should get your money's worth out of it.

Another thumbs up for the Saris Bones rack !!!

It worked out so well that when I ended up buying a roof rack I stuck with the Saris brand.

My big consideration was ease of use--if it became a hassle, or I couldn't go without my DH to help load--then it wasn't going to happen! We put a hitch rack on my Honda Accord. It just fits in the garage without taking the rack off--so the bikes can stay on if we want. In the winter, I can take it off. We don't have a problem with theft around here--but you can buy a lock to secure it to the hitch.

If I did it again I would get one that folds down. Yes, if we get rear-ended my "baby" would take the brunt of it--but I had hurt my back at the time and didn't want to lift the bikes on the roof (plus couldn't leave them on in the garage).

Is there a reason you decided against a roof rack?

I have used both trunk racks and roof racks, and I am much, much happier and more comfortable with my roof rack (I have a Yakima rack -- I think they are called "sprocket rockets" or something like that).

We had trouble getting a really good fit with two same-size bikes on the trunk rack (such that nothing that could potentially scratch a frame, such as pedals/cranks/etc were in contact), and also shaped/oversized carbon tubes were a sketchy fit (we had a Thule rack). Plus the rack moved a lot while we were driving, and the bikes swayed a fair amount on the rack, causing more potential for scratching... It was mounted correctly and I"m sure it never would have been a problem, but that always made me nervous. Plus whenever we were in traffic I was always worried about getting rear-ended.

The roof rack is REALLY solid. Once the bikes are locked in, you can shake the car with just a light pull on the rear wheel. The bikes don't move at all. They don't touch each other, there's no chance of them getting rear-ended, and it's actually a little more secure if you want to leave them on the car for a minute while you run into a store. I have a set of locks locking the rack to the car, and a set of locks lockiing the bikes to the rack -- and while I still wouldn't leave them unattended for hours in a high-theft area, I feel comfortable parking and running in to pick up some tubes or something. With the trunk rack, I always felt like one of us had to stay with the bikes.

I wouldn't go back.

Just my two cents -- I know there is a cost difference (that's why we got the trunk rack to begin with) but it's really worth it to me.

We have the Saris Bones RS rack which is quite a bit more expensive but the ease of this rack is incredible. I can put this on the car, put the bikes on or take them off without any help and it's very simple, no guessing about where anything goes or how to secure it.

We were considering the bones rack since it was cheaper and you can usually find them on craigslist and I'm so glad we decided to get this one...

Thank you for all the responses. I am going to a few lbs so hopefully I will be able to find something in person rather than over the net. I agree that being able to *feel* the product can be very telling. And I am definitely willing to pay a little more for the sake of the security of my bike (and friends' bikes!).


As for the roof rack... well, I just never really thought about it for my car. I don't have any bars going across the top so I'd have to get stuff installed. I figure a rear mount is good because then I can throw it on my car, boyfriend's car, friend's car, etc... I like having that flexibility. Though I can understand the fear of being rear ended. I will check with my insurance to see if the bike(s) would be covered in that type of event.

Again, thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate it.

Wait! I live in NoVa and have a bike rack that I want to sell - only used once and stored indoors so it's clean. If you haven't already bought one, PM me and I'll send you photos.

pm sent! :D