Off the Roof: Alternative Bike-Rack Options

Looking for a car bike rack that you don’t need a step ladder to get your bike on and off your roof? Manufacturers have really stepped up their game to make racks for any sized person and any sized vehicle, be it a bike rack for an SUV, car or truck.

Rear Mounted Bike Racks

The two main options here are hitch mount bike racks and universal bike rack attachments.  Let’s start with the easy universal attachment.

Universal Mount Bike Rack

Earn Cash Back on the Saris Bones 3 Bike Rack >

Universal bike racks attach to your car, SUV, or van by inserting rubber coated hooks at the seams of your doors, trunk, or hatch. They are adjustable for the smallest of smart cars or biggest of #VanLife cargo vans with included straps. You can buy them for a single bike or multiple. If you want to get really fancy, some have arms that fold down when you’re not carrying any bikes.

These car bike racks do come with two drawbacks though. For one, there is no way to confidently lock them to your car. Thule tries to mitigate that a little with a passive bike lock, but if you’re in a not-so-friendly neighborhood, someone could still walk off with your rack with very little effort.

The other drawback is that you have to remove the entire rack any time you want rear-access to your vehicle because it either sits entirely on your truck, hatch, or rear doors.

Hitch Mount Bike Racks

If you want more security and more flexibility to get in the back of your car, the next choice is a hitch mounted bike carrier. These come in two varieties, platform and hanging, and it should go without saying, you’ll need a receiver hitch mounted to the frame of your car in order to utilize these.

Earn Cash Back on Kuat NV 2 Bike Hitch Rack >

Your bike attaches to platform hitch bike racks in the same way as roof mounted racks: either over the front tire (or frame), or by the front fork. Check out our article discussing roof mounted racks in greater detail.

Hanging bike racks are similar to the universally mounted rack in that the bikes will hang from their frames on the arms of the rack.

Earn Cash Back on the Thule Apex Swing Away Bike Rack - 4 bike >

The plus side to any rear mounted option is that they save on wind drag, so you shouldn’t see a noticeable drop in fuel economy.

The downside is that you’ll have to spend a little more money to get a tilt-away or swing-away hitch mounted rack if you still want access to your rear cargo area without removing the bikes from the rack every time.

Specialty Bike Carriers

Do you have a truck, cargo van or RV without a hitch, or just using your hitch for something else? No worries, we’ve got you covered.

Truck Bed Bike Racks

The beauty of a truck is that you can literally just throw your bikes in back and take off. Maybe throw a strap over the top for good measure. But if you care for your bikes, a simple tailgate cover with some attachment loops should do the trick.

Earn Cash Back on the Troy Lee Designs Tailgate Cover >

For more security, and a fork mounting system.

(You can always throw caution to the wind and get a roof mounted rack for your truck too.)

Front Mounted Bike Rack

Alright, so, you can’t use or don’t want to mount your bike on your roof? Your hitch is being used to tow a trailer? You don’t even have a truck? Now what?  

Some enterprising individuals will actually mount a regular tow hitch to the front of their vehicle frame. Due to the size of bikes and the positions they sit on the racks, this is only recommended for larger vehicles so the rack doesn’t obstruct your view. This isn’t for your standard Subaru Outback (though, it’s been known to happen).

If you decide to go this route, all you need to do, after attaching the hitch, is buy one of the hitch mounted options above, and viola! You have a front mounted bike rack!