Carrying Two Bikes on a 2018 Honda CR-V

Question:

I need to carry my 2bikes on my new 2108 CRV. What's teh best way?

asked by: Gabriella

Expert Reply:

You have three options to carry bikes on your 2018 Honda CR-V; roof mount, hatch mount, or add a trailer hitch and use a hitch mount. All of which have their advantages and disadvantages.

A roof mounted carrier is nice because the it's completely out of the way when you're not using it. You technically never have to remove the carrier from the roof so there's no need to store it. On the other hand if you don't already have a roof rack to connect the carrier to it can get costly adding parts just to carry the bike. Plus, loading bikes on the roof is more difficult than the other options.

Trunk mount carriers are easy to use, easy to install, and generally less expensive than the other options. You don't need additional parts, like a roof rack or trailer hitch, that add to the cost. The downside is they aren't as secure on the vehicle and are limited to reasonably lightweight bikes. They also need to be removed to open the rear hatch and access the cargo area.

In my opinion a hitch mount bike carrier is your best option. The initial cost is higher than a trunk mount but it's much more versatile and you have more available choices for the rack itself. Also, the trailer hitch could potentially be used to tow a trailer or a cargo carrier so it adds some value to the CR-V as well. A trailer hitch is fairly easy to install and loading bikes onto a hitch carrier is a lot easier than loading them on the roof.

Starting with the trailer hitch I recommend the etrailer.com hitch, part # E98848. I like how the cross tube is completely hidden behind the CR-V's rear bumper and all you see is the receiver opening underneath. The picture I've attached shows how it'll look once installed.

A great rack I like to recommend is the Saris Freedom, part # SA4412B, because it can carry almost any kind of bike. It holds up to two bikes that weight 60 pounds each, which is higher than a lot of racks. It also has adjustable clamps to hold bikes by the frames and can adjust to almost any frame design. The Freedom also includes a lock. It's also one of the lightest platform racks we carry at only 22.5 pounds. I've linked a video of it being demonstrated for you to take a look at.