How to Choose a Trunk-Mounted Bike Rack

A trunk-mounted bike rack rests on the trunk or back of your vehicle, held in place by straps that connect to the trunk, hatch, or bumper. A trunk-mounted rack is a good choice if:

• You don't have a hitch or crossbars on your vehicle (and you don't want to install them)
• You have standard bike types
• You don't use a bike rack very often
• You want the most economical option for hauling your bikes

Consider the following when choosing a trunk-mounted bike rack:

• How many bikes do I want to carry?
• What kind of bikes do I want to carry?
• Will a trunk-mounted bike rack fit on my vehicle?
• What features should I look for?

Do you just want to look for a bike rack?

Use our fitguide to shop for a bike rack that fits your vehicle

or...

Shop all of our trunk-mounted bike racks

Bike Compatibility

Trunk-mounted bike racks work with most types of bikes. To make sure that a rack will work with your bikes, consider the following:

Number of Bikes

Bike racks are available with maximum capacities from 1 to 3 bikes

1-Bike rack	2-Bike rack	3-Bike rack

Standard Frames

Trunk-mounted bike racks work best with bikes that have a large frame and a horizontal crossbar. The rack's arms will easily fit inside the frame and the horizontal crossbar will ensure that the bike rides level. Remember that your bikes should ride as level as possible, and they should have adequate ground clearance so that they won't contact the ground while you're transporting them.

Alternative Frames

Bikes that don't have standard frames - step through frames, women's bikes, children's bikes, bikes with small frames - may not fit well on a trunk-mounted bike rack. But you can usually carry these types of bikes if you remember the following:

Arm Spacing

Arm spacing varies among different brands and models of bike racks. If your bike has a small frame, consider racks that have narrow arm spacing so that the arms fit. (But remember that wider arms will provide a more stable ride for larger bikes.)

Popular racks with wide arm spacing

Thule Passage 2-bike carrier	Hollywood Racks Express 2-bike carrier	Pro Series Duette 2-bike carrier

Popular racks with narrow arm spacing

Thule Archway XT 2-bike carrier	Saris Bones 3-bike carrier - adjustable width	Thule Raceway PRO 2-bike carrier - adjustable width

Adapter Bars

If you can't mount your bike on a trunk-mounted bike rack because its frame is too small or it lacks a horizontal crossbar, you may still be able to take your bike by using an adapter bar. An adapter bar clamps onto the seatpost and head tube of your bike and provides a support that rests on the bike rack's arms. Most adapter bars adjust in length to allow them to fit a range of bike sizes. To ensure that a specific adapter bar will work for you, measure between the seatpost and head tube of your bike and then check the dimensions of the adapter bar.

Vehicle Compatibility

Trunk-mounted bike racks work on many different kinds of vehicles. In fact, most racks adjust so they can adapt to fit different vehicles.

Vehicle Fit

Trunk-mounted bike racks fit most cars, vans, and SUVs.

Use our fitguide to shop for racks that fit your vehicle

Shop for a trunk-mounted bike rack that fits your vehicle

Vehicles with Spoilers

Don't let a spoiler spoil your fun. A vehicle spoiler can get in the way of a bike rack, resulting in the rack's mounting straps pushing against it, which can cause damage. But some racks are designed to be mounted on vehicles that have spoilers. These racks are usually designed to clear the spoiler on a taller vehicle - like a van or SUV - or to clear the spoiler on a sedan.

Shop for a rack that clears a spoiler

Notes

• Trunks and rear hatches must remain closed while a trunk-mounted bike rack is installed.
• A rack can interfere with the operation of a rear windshield wiper. If your vehicle has an automatic rear windshield wiper, you should not install a trunk-mounted bike rack.
• To avoid damage to your vehicle, follow the manufacturer's installation instructions. Be careful not to overtighten the mounting straps and not to overload the rack. Make sure that the mounting surface of your vehicle is clean to avoid scratching the finish.

Trunk-Mounted Bike Rack Features

Some racks have extra features that make them more useful and convenient. Check out some of these features, below, to help narrow down your choices of bike racks.

Read more about the following topics:

• Bike rack construction
• Theft protection
• Anti-sway
• Ease of vehicle fit
• Number of straps
• Adjustable arms

Construction

Most racks are made of steel. Some manufacturers make racks of injection molded plastic or nylon. These racks are light, rust resistant, and available in a variety of colors that are molded into the plastic.

Popular Steel Bike Racks

Thule Passage 2-bike rack	Yakima HalfBack 2-bike rack	Hollywood Racks Over-the-Top 3-bike rack

Gas-Injected Nylon	Injection Molded Plastic
Thule Raceway PRO premium bike rack	Saris Racks - Many Saris racks are made of molded plastic and available in many different colors

Protect Your Bikes and Rack from Theft

Unsecured bikes and racks can be an easy target for thieves. If you want to leave your bikes on your rack unattended or even leave your rack on while you go riding, you might want to consider locking your rack and bikes. Cables are available to lock your bikes to your rack. And straps are available to lock your rack to your vehicle. These straps usually have a steel core to resist cutting and a puck- or tube-shaped anchor on one end. The anchor is placed inside your trunk or hatch, and when the trunk or hatch is closed, the anchor can't be pulled out.

Cable locks secure bikes to rack	Thule security strap	Yakima security strap

Some racks have built-in locks, which can make locking your rack and bikes more convenient.

Shop for a locking trunk-mounted bike rack

Anti-Sway Cradles

The motion of your vehicle accelerating, slowing, and turning can cause bikes that are mounted on a rack to rock back and forth, possibly scratching each other or your car. To help keep bikes from swaying, some racks are made with built-in anti-sway cradles. These cradles usually have extra mounting straps that grasp a downward bar of your bike to hold it securely.

Shop for a bike rack that has built-in anti-sway

Ease of Installation

Some racks are easier to adjust to your vehicle and to install than others. The following information can help point you to racks that are easier to install.

Fit Adjustment

Thule FitDial system	Yakima HUB system

Bike racks have to be adjustable so that they can fit the many different shapes and sizes of vehicles out there. When you install a bike rack, you must adjust it to fit your vehicle. In most cases, you have to work with the adjustments until the rack fits correctly. To make installation easier, some manufacturers design their racks with vehicle-specific settings to make it easy to fit your exact vehicle. You can adjust these racks to the correct position (just follow the manufacturer's instructions), and you'll know that you have the best fit without any guesswork.

Popular Racks That Have Built-in Vehicle-Specific Settings

Thule Passage 2-bike rack	Thule Archway XT 2-bike rack	Yakima HalfBack 2-bike rack	Thule Raceway PRO 2-bike rack

Number of Straps

Most racks use 6 straps to hold the rack to your vehicle. Some racks, however, have only 4, which can make installation of a rack simpler and easier.

4-Strap bike racks	6-Strap bike racks

Adjustable and Folding Arms

The support arms on some racks can be adjusted. This useful feature lets you position the arms to hold bikes level. And some racks allow you to fold the arms down out of the way when you don't have bikes loaded.

Racks with adjustable arms	Racks with folding arms

Updated by: Raymond P.

Last updated: 6/26/18