Basic Bicycle Transport
Basic Bicycle Transport
So you just bought your new bike! You've rode it around your neighborhood and had a great time. Now you're thinking about doing a longer ride, maybe that road loop you've been thinking about or going down to the local off-road trail. How do you get your bike there? We can help! There are a couple kinds of bike transport options and the best one for you will depend on your car, your bike, and you.
The most common type of rack people go with is a strap style rack. These will strap onto the trunk or hatch of your vehicle and come in a two or three bike capacity. These are very portable, will fit a fairly wide variety of cars, and are relatively inexpensive. For this style rack there are two arms that extend from the back of the vehicle. The bikes rest on these arms and are strapped into soft rubber cradles. The downside to this rack is a little added complexity; most options have six straps to tighten down. There are also vehicles these won't fit depending on the shape of the trunk or hatch.
Roof racks are also a great option for many vehicles. A roof rack not only will carry bikes but also gives the option to carry paddle sport equipment, cargo boxes, and even Christmas trees. Sticking with the bikes though you have two types of "trays" that can hold bikes on the roof rack. An upright style will allow you to leave both wheels on the bike and the rack holds onto either the frame of the bike or the front wheel. The second style is called a fork mount carrier and you remove the front wheel of your bike, allowing the rack to clamp onto the fork of the bike. Roof racks can be added to most vehicles that don't have existing racks, crossbars can be added to vehicles with side rails, and trays can be added directly to most vehicles with factory crossbars.
Another option for many vehicles, usually a truck or SUV, is a trailer hitch rack. This rack will plug into the trailer hitch of a vehicle and allow you to carry 2-5 bikes depending on the model. This style rack is very simple to install on the vehicle. It just plugs into the hitch and either is attached with one bolt, or in the case of the new DoubleDown Ace, a tool free knob. There are a few different features that can come with this style rack. There are models that can fold down when not in use. A few models will swing away from the car for vehicle access while the bikes are loaded. There are even some that use "tray style" racks like a roof rack, this is ideal for women's style step through frames or full suspension mountain bikes.
The first step in getting one of these racks is stopping by one of our three stores. Our car rack experts can reference your car make, model, and year and let you know exactly what can fit on your vehicle. We carry much of this equipment in stock and sell all rack products at 10% below MSRP!
Nathan Loop- Agee's Tech Specialist