Recommendations For Carrying Four Bikes On 1996 Honda Civic Sedan

Question:

Will the Yakima Doubledown work for a 1996 Honda Civic sedan, or should I look at a different 4-bike rack? I have already installed a 1/4inch receiver hitch.

asked by: Jennifer

Expert Reply:

All of the trailer hitches we offer for the 1996 Civic are Class l hitches. This limits you to be able to carry 2 bikes in the hitch. The excessive stress a four bike carrier would add to the hitch would be more than the hitch or vehicle could handle.

Since the most bikes you could carry on a trunk-mount bike rack is three, I recommend installing a roof rack for two bikes and then using a hitch mounted two bike rack for the other two bikes.

I recommend a two bike rack like the Swagman Trailhead, part # S63360.

When carrying bikes with alternative frames like kids bikes or women's bikes I recommend using an adapter bar like part # 64005. This attaches between the seat post and the handlebar stem and allows the bike to be carried more level in the carrier while providing additional ground clearance. I have attached a product review video for this adapter bar.

You said you had a Civic Sedan. The roof rack I recommend for a 4-door sedan is the SportRack Semi-Custom Roof Rack, part # SR1010. This is a reasonably priced roof rack with square crossbars.

The bike rack I recommend to carry your bikes on the roof rack is part # TH598004. This carrier is a frame mount bike carrier and has a weight capacity of 44 lbs.

You will want to make sure you do not exceed the roof weight capacity for your Civic.