Versatile and Well matched Bicycle Racks for Cars 

Are you getting tired of the hassle of attempting to cram your bike into your vehicle? Acquiring a bike rack not only makes this unnecessary but can also free up a bunch of room within your vehicle. 

There are various types of bicycle racks for cars, described here:

Roof Racks 

If your vehicle already has a standard roof rack, you can get a bike rack that attaches to it. If not, you can drill holes in the roof of your car and attach a bike rack permanently to the car. Or you might put in a standard rack for hauling general stuff and then purchase a bike rack that fits it, which lends you increased versatility in hauling things but requires that you take off the bike rack on and off.

Yet another alternative is to obtain a detachable roof rack with mounting feet that attaches to your car's door frames or rain gutters. You can buy them for any particular make and model of automobile.

Roof racks can carry more cycle shorts than can other varieties, and bikes on them are harder for thieves to steal. But roof racks create the most wind drag, which lowers your gas mileage. They also cause the most noise and are normally the hardest to install and use. 

Strap-on Trunk Racks 

A trunk rack has ties that attach one, two or sometimes three bicycles to your vehicle’s trunk, fender or hatchback door. The frame of the bicycle rests on plastic-coated or padded support arms. 

These fit a wide collection of vehicles, so they’re wonderful if you every now and then rent a car for trips or if you plan to use the rack for more than one vehicle. These are simple to store and to lift bikes onto.

The disadvantages of these are several. They’re the most likely to damage your vehicle and to get bikes stolen from. You can’t open the trunk when you have one of these on it. You also need to routinely check the straps to make sure they aren’t fraying or working loose.

Tandem bicycles normally can’t be carried on most kinds of trunk racks. 

Hitch Racks 

These attach directly onto a trailer hitch. Some offer mounting trays that securely hold the bikes, while with other varieties you need the strap the bikes in. Hitch racks are the least likely to damage your car.

It’s simple to install a hitch rack; simply slide it onto your hitch. It’s also easy to lift and secure the bikes cycling clothing onto the rack. An additional advantage with some of these is that you don’t need to take the bike cycling clothing wheels off.

With a few of these racks, it is advisable to take extra care to help keep the bikes from scratching each other. Certain hitch racks don't have adequate provisions for locking your bicycles. Hitch racks obstruct part of the driver’s view out of the back window. 

Specialty Racks 

A spare tire bike rack for cars is made for cars that can carry a spare tire on the rear. These have arms that collapse or fold down when you aren’t carrying a bike. Some of these can only hold one bike, others two.

There are also specialty racks designed for trucks or for using within vans or SUVs.