The 10 Very Best Car Bike Racks

Rack style:hitch tray| Weight limit:60 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:2 bikes

The NV 2.0 is one of the highest-rated racks on the market, and multiple experts recommended it to us because of its versatility and ease of use. “It’s great because the trays aren’t too far off the ground, so it’s easy to lift bikes into position,” says Kristen Bonkoski, the founder ofFemme Cyclist. The NV 2.0 is loaded with features that make it extremely user friendly like a foot-assisted pivot system that allows you to lower the rack into place with the tap of a foot. It has integrated cable locks so your bikes are secure and an integrated bike stand so you can work on your bikes at the trailhead. The best feature might be the adjustable tire trays, which you can slide into three different positions so your bikes never rub against each other. The NV 2.0 is built to handle two bikes, but you can add additional trays if your needs expand, and it can handle any size from 20-inch kid’s bikes to 29-inch tire mountain bikes. Installing the rack to the hitch doesn’t require tools, but it’s heavy (56 pounds), so moving it can be tricky.

Rack style:hitch carry-arm| Weight limit:70 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:2 bikes

The Allen Sports 2-Bike is a solid option for carrying bikes on your hitch at a fraction of the price of many other hitch-mounted racks. It even has some high-end features you might not expect at this price point like a tilt-away main mast that gives you access to the trunk and carry arms that fold down when not in use. It’s built for 1.25-inch hitches but comes with a two-inch adapter, and reviewers on Amazon note that both options offer a “no-wobble” carry as long as you install it according to the instructions.

The Allen Sports 2-Bike uses carry arms that secure the bikes via their top tubes, which is a system that’s been used for hitch- and trunk-mounted racks for decades. It’s secure and trustworthy, but is not recommended for higher-end bikes as racking can damage the paint over time, especially if the bike isn’t secured tightly enough and is allowed to wobble (and even if you do take care, dirt and dust that inevitably build up in the clamps can still mar frames). This design may also struggle to fit modern bikes with oddly shaped top tubes or full-suspension frames. If you’re carrying road bikes, gravel bikes, or hardtail mountain bikes, this rack might be a great budget option for you. And if you have more bikes you need to carry, Allen Sports makes similarthree-andfour-bike racks.

Rack style:hitch tray| Weight limit:55 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:2 bikes

Senior writer Michael Zhao hasused this compact tray rack since it launchedand is impressed by its ability to fold up into a carry-on suitcase-sized package that is much easier to stow than your typical hitch-mount rack: “I appreciate that I can easily fit it in my trunk to prevent theft — and license plate-obstruction tickets — when I’m not using it, which is most of the time,” said Zhao. “It stores as easily as a trunk-mount rack, but is much more secure while driving.” At just 33 pounds, it’s also easy to carry to and from his apartment. Even so, it’s still strong enough to carry bikes as heavy as 55 pounds — good enough for many e-bikes.

Rack style:carry-arm hitch| Weight limit:40pounds per bike (150 pounds total)| Bike capacity:4

If you’re looking for a sturdy way to carry a family’s worth of bikes, this Yakima is a time-tested design. Like the aforementioned Allen Sports, this carry-arm rack may damage your bike’s paint on long drives and may not work on some mountain bikes, but it’s made of higher-end materials and is backed by a lifetime warranty. You’re likely to pay twice this price to carry four bikes on a tray-style rack. I also like that the rack tilts down, providing easy access to the trunk, and the latest model folds completely flat, so it’s easy to store when you’re not using it.

I’ve used an older version of the RidgeBack for years and have kept it in my stable of racks because it’s so light (just 35 pounds) and easy to install, and it fits four bikes in a relatively small space compared with tray-style hitch mounts. If you’re not carrying skinny road bikes, it can be difficult to squeeze all four bikes on the racks, especially if you’re dealing with different-size bikes.

Rack style:tray hitch| Weight limit:67 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:2

Most tray-style hitch racks use arm clamps that secure the bike by the front tire, but these racks can be incompatible with e-bikes, many of which have fenders that interfere with the arm clamps. Kuat’s Piston Pro X has a dual-arm design that can secure the bike on the tires below the fenders. “It’s an innovative design and just one cool feature on the Piston,” says Byrne. “This is the cream-of-the-crop bike rack right now, and the price reflects that. But you’re paying for excellence.” Among the notable features on the Piston Pro X is integrated tail lights and a “OneTap” system that moves the arm clamps into position with just the push of a lever. The rack holds two bikes up to 60 pounds each and accepts add-on trays if your needs expand. You can also add a ramp if your bikes are particularly heavy.

Rack style:Tray hitch| Weight limit:75 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:Up to 4 bikes

1Up has earned a nearly cultlike status among cyclists because of the lightweight (just 28 pounds per tray) yet heavy-duty design and excellent ease of use. “It’s so light; it’s easy to get it on and off your car,” says Lorri Lee Lown. “And the rack itself is very straightforward to use.” Lown also likes the fact that she can addextra trays(up to four at $435 each) if she’s leading a group ride and needs to transport more than one bike. The Super Duty is rated to hold bikes up to 75 pounds and built to handle the bumps of off-road driving. This high weight limit also makes it a good option for e-bikes if you don’t need all the bells and whistles of our e-bike pick.

Rack style:Rooftop| Weight limit:45 pounds| Bike capacity:1

The BrassKnuckles mounts to existing roof racks and is compatible with crossbars from a variety of brands. Some roof racks require you to remove the front wheel, but the BrassKnuckles features an arm that secures the front tire to the rack, working with a variety of bike styles with a carrying capacity up to 45 pounds. And there’s no bike wobble on top of the car. “It’s totally bomber,” says Alex Howes, a professional road and gravel cyclist with Team Education First who uses the BrassKnuckles on his Subaru. “The bike never moves up there, and it can handle my road bike, gravel bike, or mountain bike. That versatility is key for me.” Byrne likes the BrassKnuckles because it offers a simple way to carry a single bike at a budget-minded price. Online reviewers tend to agree with Howes about the solid no-wobble connection, with some adding that they like that you don’t have to take the wheel off, which streamlines the process. One Amazon reviewer notes that the rack is sturdier than other rooftop options they’ve used in the past and was impressed with how well the ratcheting arm secures the front tire.

Rack style:Rooftop| Weight limit:35 pounds| Bike capacity:1

Swagman makes budget-friendly bike rack options in various styles, and the Upright is one of the more popular racks on Amazon with many users boasting about how the rack can handle a variety of bikes, from 29-inch mountain bikes to 16-inch kid’s bikes. One user commented on how well the rack worked “on windy and cobblestone roads in the Azores, making it easy to transport bikes on the Island.” The aluminum rack fits to most brands of rooftop crossbars — even factory bars — and uses an arm and a clamp to secure the bike by its bottom tube. Some users have noticed wobble from the bike when driving aggressively and added an extra strap, securing the bike frame to the crossbars of their roof rack to help reduce the wobble of the bike. Strategist editor Simone Kitchens’s husband got the Swagman rack for driving two days cross-country to a gravel race and plans to use it again for the same race next year.

Rack style:trunk| Weight limit:35 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:2

Trunk racks are designed to be removable, so they’re a good option if you only need to transport your bike occasionally. And as long as they’re installed right, they’ve proven to be reliable on the road. “Trunk racks get the job done,” says Byrne. “They’re good if you’re looking for something compact and simple.” Byrne likes the Bones EX2 because it’s lightweight, secure, and easy to use. The Bones EX2 is compatible with most cars on the road, attaching to the trunk via a series of straps and cushioned bars. A hanging arm extends from the rack with straps that lock down the top tube of your bike. But be aware of the bikes you want to carry: It only holds bikes up to 35 pounds, which means some e-bikes are out, and frames with awkward top tubes — like some kid’s bikes and full-suspension mountain bikes — can be tough to arrange on the rack.

Rack style:trunk| Weight limit:35 pounds per bike| Bike capacity:2

You might think that for the low price of $32, the Allen Sports Deluxe would crumble under the weight of your bike, but this inexpensive trunk rack has thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon with users noting how easy it is to install and how sturdy the system is for carrying bikes. One reviewer admitted she was nervous at the onset of a 14-hour road trip, but “there were no issues, even at high speeds of 90mph.” The Deluxe 2 Bike is similar to Allen Sports’ hitch rack in that two carry arms secure the top tubes of your bikes, and it has the same benefits (easy to use, secure) and limitations (can be difficult to carry certain styles of bikes) of that rack. It fits a variety of style of vehicles, from SUVs to hatchbacks, though some users noted the metal hooks have the potential to damage the car’s paint and recommended adding a layer of silicone or duct tape to those hooks.