Car Bike Racks Tips
 |
Many new cyclists who take up the sport of cycling tend to forget a very important piece of equipment when they are starting out. It isn’t the jersey or the shorts or the helmet but rather it is a good quality bike rack. Transporting a bicycle is not that easy and even if you are able to ride from your house, inevitably you are going to want to transport your bicycle for one reason or another, whether it be for vacation, a group ride or simply taking it down to the bike shop to be serviced. There are a large number of different varieties of bike racks that you should consider.
The Types of Bike Racks
Hitch Mount Bike Rack – Hitch mount racks are quite popular and common, especially given the popularity of SUVs and trucks. These racks do just what they say, the mount into the hitch of the vehicle and keep the bikes secure and safe behind you. The downside is that you lose the use of your hitch if you are transporting bicycles.
Spare Tire Bicycle Rack – These types of bike racks mount directly to the vehicles spare tire either via ratcheting straps of some kind or some will even bolt directlty to the spare tire lugs. Most commonly found on Jeep type vehicles but any vehicle with a spare tire that hangs off the rear of the vehicle is a candidate.
Roof Mount Bike Racks – Roof Mount racks employ a rail system and some form of hold down that will keep the bike tight and in place. These types of racks are great in that you don’t lose the use of your hitch BUT they can be difficult to load as you need to lift the bike over your head to get it in the rack. You also need to watch out for overhangs, drive throughs and your garage door as well.
Truck Bed Bike Racks – If you are driving a pickup truck then you also have the option to mount a bike rack in the bed of the truck. These types of racks usually employ a rail system that either grabs the front wheel or that you remove the front wheel and mount the front forks right to the rack directly.
Pros and Cons
All of these styles of bike racks have their pros and cons. The trick is to determine what each one has for pros and what each one has for cons and then match these up to your own personality, vehicle choice and lifestyle. Do you want to be able to use the rack on more than one vehicle? Do you want to leave it mounted permanently? Do you need to use both your trailer hitch and your bike rack at the same time?
Now that you know more about what to look for, read up on some of the reviews, ask yourself those tough questions and then purchase the bike rack that best fits your needs.
Learn more about bike racks. Stop by Jack Duncan’s site where you can find out all about a Hitch Mount Bike Rack and what it can do for you.
Softride 26260 Velcro Soft Wrap - Pack of 4Softride Velcro Soft Wrap is versatile and is a great accessory for the Softride Bike Rack. It is 12 inch long and secures bike frame and tires together. This wrap is made up of a durable red Velcro material and is sold in a pack of 4.
Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball SetA Little Tikes toy is always a great investment. However, if your child aspires to become the next Alex Rodriguez or Ryan Howard, then the T Ball Set... Read more...
Related Videos:
Chose Crocs As Your Summer Shoe
Making Carp Bait
Exercises Feed
What do you think about this write-up?