Bike racks

[Moderator1]

All of us have bought bikes, for some silly reason, in the past month. My son got a fancy one yesterday for his 30th birthday.

We're going to the beach in two weeks and would like to take them.

So help me, PLEASE, clear up the confusion and find decent, relatively inexpensive bike racks. I know a bunch of you ride, what do you use?

I last bought a bike rack 30 years ago. It was a ***** to put on the car and it scratched it all to hell (probably because I was putting it on wrong). I never felt the bikes were secure. There are SO many out there it makes my head spin.

We're taking two cars. A two-bike rack is good.

We thank you in advance.

(and by relatively inexpensive, I meant not several hundred. I saw a rack the other day for two bills. Uh, no)

 

[Vombatus]

I use a rooftop Yakima on a Subaru Forester, but I don't recall how expensive it was.

The non-rooftop version requires a trailer hitch, and is probably more expensive.

You might also want one that locks in case you leave them unattended.

VB

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Does your car have a factory rack with crossbars? Or trailer hitch?

If not, then your cheapest option is a trunk mount. Check with REI.com, which has a rack fitter app.

 

[TigerVols]

Can't go wrong with Saris

http://www.rei.com/product/724094/saris-bones-3-bike-trunk-rack

 

[Moderator1]

Thanks Anyone know anything about this model?

http://www.amazon.com/Yakima-KingJoe-Pro-3-Bike-Rack/dp/B004NT4BYA/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1373905334&sr=1-2&keywords=yakima+king+joe+3

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Thanks Anyone know anything about this model?

http://www.amazon.com/Yakima-KingJoe-Pro-3-Bike-Rack/dp/B004NT4BYA/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1373905334&sr=1-2&keywords=yakima+king+joe+3

Not that specific model, but I've got a Yakima hitch rack on my Jeep and a roof rack on my wife's SUV. They're great products.

Does that model have lockable straps/steel cables? If you're going to leave your bikes on the rack very much, I'd make sure it has those. Thule makes a trunk mount that does, not sure about Yakima.

 

[wedgewood]

Just spend $250 on a two-bike trunk rack made by Thule. It's pretty great. Took a couple bikes 10 hrs to Michigan and back, everything was peachy. Rubber latches make it nice. You don't have to adjust.

 

[Football_Bat]

I thought this thread was about this:

http://gawker.com/couple-driving-to-dave-matthews-show-spots-a-hitchhikin-786539838

 

[Madhavok]

You'll be fine with the trunk mount. Only bummer is you have to get in and out of the back on the trip. My lady friend at the time and I drove to Mount Hood and back from CO with the trunk/hatch mount on my Outback. It was fine, drove 80 here and there, no rattle or bike shaking everywhere. Also had a bungy on them tied together though.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I thought this thread was about this:

http://gawker.com/couple-driving-to-dave-matthews-show-spots-a-hitchhikin-786539838

IJAG totally harshed my mellow about that story.

 

[wicked]

In the market for same as Moddy... I just learned to ride (shut up, just shut up) and I'm itching to ride more and more.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

In the market for same as Moddy... I just learned to ride (shut up, just shut up) and I'm itching to ride more and more.

It can get addictive. I'm up to 200 miles per week now.

 

[MileHigh]

Oh, it's very addictive.

 

[wicked]

In the market for same as Moddy... I just learned to ride (shut up, just shut up) and I'm itching to ride more and more.

It can get addictive. I'm up to 200 miles per week now.

I assume you do a lot of road riding? My riding so far has been limited to paved trails. Haven't had the confidence yet to plunge into the world of riding busy streets and roads, but must do that soon.

 

[DanOregon]

Just spend $250 on a two-bike trunk rack made by Thule. It's pretty great. Took a couple bikes 10 hrs to Michigan and back, everything was peachy. Rubber latches make it nice. You don't have to adjust.

I've got a Thule where the mounting bars (where you hang the bikes) fold down for easy storage. Good stuff.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

In the market for same as Moddy... I just learned to ride (shut up, just shut up) and I'm itching to ride more and more.

It can get addictive. I'm up to 200 miles per week now.

I assume you do a lot of road riding? My riding so far has been limited to paved trails. Haven't had the confidence yet to plunge into the world of riding busy streets and roads, but must do that soon.

Luckily I don't have a lot of busy streets. I can get from my house out to some deserted county roads via neighborhoods, one major road and then a bike trail.

Just be confident and make eye contact with drivers when you can. It sounds odd, but if you're staring directly at them it will catch their eye. And get a Road ID, just in case.

 

[DocTalk]

http://www.bikesomewhere.com/Swagman-Bicycle-Cross-Country-Platform/dp/B001DMJPLO

I'm a fan of this swagman hitch model but it is $200

 

[dooley_womack1]

Whenever I visit Anything Goes, I keep hoping the thread title becomes "Big Racks." Alas...