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June 24, 2008
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Is a hitch rack still considered the way to go for hauling bikes?
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Softride Access Dura Hitch Rack (courtesy, REI)
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I had to give up my truck, so now I’m looking for a bike rack for my car (for
three bikes). I am very short, so a roof rack probably won’t work. Do you
recommend a hitch rack?
— Janice
House Springs, Missouri
Do you have a question of your own?
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 Well, I hate the idea of anyone giving up their truck. But maybe it’s the best
thing, given the price of fuel.
Most cars can take some kind of trailer hitch, so if you can do that, great.
That’s because I think hitch racks are usually the best way to go. They’re easy
to use, there’s no drama getting them on/off vehicle, and they come in a variety
of configurations. Yakima’s
DoubleDown four-bike rack ($229), for instance, holds four bikes in an
easy-access upright mount. It’ll hold most any bike securely, and it tilts out of
the way so you can get access to the car’s trunk.
Thule’s Ridgeline ($339)
also can take four bikes, and it has a little wider swing on its arm for better
back-of-car access. In between the two racks, price-wise, is Softride’s four-bike Access
($275), which actually is a really nice rack for the money.
The easiest hitch racks to manage are those that use a tray to hold the bike,
such as the Saris Cycle-On ($360). It’s a two-bike rack that can accept a
two-bike extension, although at that point you have a very long thing sticking
out of the back of your car.
Saris also makes a pretty good
three-bike trunk-mount rack called the Bones 3-Bike Trunk Rack. At $150, it’s
very affordable, but in time it will leave some wear marks on your car,
regardless of how careful you are.
So there you go. Thanks for writing!
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