Bicycle racks - types, their advantages and disadvantages, prices, photos
Bicycle racks are mounted on the roof of the car, on the trunk lid or on a hook. Check which solution is the best.
Going on vacation or a weekend out of town, you don't have to give up your bike. We will buy trunks for most cars. Depending on the type of trunk, it can fit from one to six two-wheeled vehicles. We do not recommend transporting a bicycle in a car with the rear seat folded down, firstly for safety reasons, and also because the upholstery can be damaged. In addition, placing the bike in the luggage compartment of the car will mean that we won't fit in there anymore.
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Roof racks
– Roof racks are easiest to install on station wagons with factory fitted roof rails. Then we only install special beams, preferably steel and composite or aluminum and then the trunk,” says Bartosz Radziwonowski from Norauto in Bialystok. - If the car does not have roof rails, you will have to buy the entire basic system and, of course, the trunk. Base racks - the so-called bases - cost from PLN 200 to 900. They include beams, legs, that is, elements that connect them to the body, and the corresponding kit. Before buying, you need to check if the car has factory holes for attaching the base.
As Robert Senchek from Taurus explains, the difference between installing roof racks for cars with and without holes is such that in the first case, the car manufacturer has provided for where the trunk should be located. It sounds trite, but if we do not have holes, then we ourselves must measure where exactly to mount the base. Usually we cling it to doorways with metal claws. This shouldn't be a problem, as detailed instructions can be found in the manuals. Most often, measuring cups are also included in the set. It is worth noting that the cheapest solutions may not be suitable for most cars and we will install them only on the most popular models. The warranty is also important - for poor trunks it is a year. Goods from well-known manufacturers - often up to five years.
We can buy the cheapest cross bars for around PLN 100, but low price often goes hand in hand with low quality. Might be a one-season purchase. Good beams cost at least PLN 300 and more, they should serve us for several years. The cheapest roof rack / bike carrier – for transporting one bike – we get for about PLN 40, prices can reach over PLN 100. If we want to buy a solid rack for several bikes, we must take into account the cost up to PLN 500. It would be nice to choose a trunk that locks. Then we will be more relaxed if we get off the route for dinner at a roadside bar.
We can carry up to six bikes on the roof. The limitation is the size and load capacity of the roof. Typically, a maximum of four two-wheelers are carried on the roof of an average car. Installation of such a rack is not difficult, just follow the instructions on the package. This activity usually takes about half an hour if we have some practice and manual skills. Roof racks consist of rails on which the bike is placed, it is fastened with sponges to the frame, and the wheels are additionally fastened with straps or straps.
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Jacek Radosz, commercial director of Taurus, who distributes bicycle racks in particular, explains that when choosing a handle we must pay attention to such features of our bike as: the size and shape of the frame, its weight and even the height of the tire with the rim - some straps fastening the wheel may be too short. There are also bikes whose frames cannot be compressed by the jaws of the bike holders. Then you will have to choose another solution - for example, a bicycle holder that grabs the fork. Important, when transporting several bicycles, place the largest ones outside or alternately with the smaller ones. The most important thing is not to place the weight disproportionately on one side, because this will interfere with the control of the car.
Safe, high-quality handles should not come off even at high speeds. However, when driving with them, you should maintain a slightly lower speed than permitted by the rules and traffic conditions. According to ProfiAuto expert Vitold Rogovsky, there are at least two reasons. Firstly, there is the problem of mounting, which at high speeds and at the time of hard braking or collision is more prone to damage and failure of bicycles. Second, air resistance. Leaving behind noise barriers, trucks, buses or forest fences, we must be prepared for crosswind blows.
– Bikes on the roof work like a sail. The increased center of gravity and their surface make a sudden gust of crosswinds more dangerous than when we ride without them, says Rogowski. – When riding bicycles, I would also advise you to be careful when cornering. The behavior of a car can be compared to the situation when we replace a sports car with an SUV. Just driving technique should be a little different.
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When moving with bicycles on the roof, we must also remember that we will not drive the car into some kind of underground parking. We emphasize that bike racks on the roof have many advantages. With such transportation, two-wheeled vehicles do not interfere with light and registration. Moreover, we have normal visibility through the rear window. There is also no risk of scratching the varnish.
luggage racks
Another solution is luggage racks on the lid. At the same time, cars with a sedan body fall off. Such a trunk is suitable for hatchbacks, station wagons or minivans. Mounting roof racks is easier and faster than roof racks. Bicycles are also easier to mount here, as they don't have to be lifted to roof height. It must be remembered that in this case the rear of the car is loaded and its center of gravity changes. That's why driving takes some getting used to. Although there will be more air resistance than when carrying bikes on the roof, the car will be more stable.
Due to the parts sticking out on the sides of the bike, the cabin is noisier, especially at high speeds. Moreover, you must be careful when installing this type of rack. You can damage the windshield or scratch the paint around the tailgate.
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In order not to damage the hatch, we usually carry two or three bicycles with a total weight of no more than 45 kg on such a trunk. They are intended more for men's bikes with a frame, as the bikes are attached to the frame. If we want to put ladies on them, we have to buy so-called adapters. These are additional costs in the amount of PLN 100-150. For the rack itself, we will pay from PLN 150, depending on the manufacturer and the number of bikes that will fit in it. Having decided to buy such a rack, it is worth measuring it in the store - the sellers on the spot must have at least one installed. The idea is to make sure the headlights and license plate of the vehicle are not obstructed when bikes are mounted on it.
Hook posts
Another possible option is platforms/stands on hooks. This option is intended more for larger vehicles. Also on such luggage carriers it is possible to transport from one to four bicycles. There are also bike holders with a hanging hook, the so-called Spectrum. Both have the advantage of quick and easy assembly and disassembly. A dozen minutes is enough. The risk of scratching the vehicle's paintwork is also lower than with luggage racks mounted on the tailgate.
Another advantage of this choice is low air resistance when riding and no need to lift the bikes to a great height. In addition, thanks to the tilt system - it would be nice to ask if it is available before buying - it is possible to open the trunk of the car. As with the roof rack, remember that it will lengthen the rear of the car. Therefore, crashing while parking is not difficult.
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– As in the case of luggage carriers, the rear of the car is loaded, so the front of the car is raised. With this type of rack, it is easier to transport bikes without a frame, because they stand on a platform, explains Bartosz Radziwonowski. - As a rule, the rear lights and license plate will be covered here. Therefore, you often have to buy an adapter with backlight and a place to mount a license plate. Prices for the simplest shelving - platforms and hanging, without additional lighting, start at about PLN 150. But here, too, price goes hand in hand with quality.
Hook platforms are more expensive than hanging grips. Those for three bikes, one-piece, branded, with space for a license plate and lights, usually cost from 700 to 900 zł, although they are more expensive. Decent pens - the so-called. We will buy a fork for PLN 450-600. Hanging racks are less convenient and safe than platforms. The bikes hang on them, so while they are swinging, the rider must concentrate on whether the bikes stay in place. As we already mentioned, more money should be allocated to platforms, but they are more stable racks, and transporting bikes is safer. Parking here can be a little worse, because the platforms lengthen the car more than the forks. According to Jacek Rados, according to research carried out by the German company ADAC, when transporting three bicycles, fuel consumption increases the most when we use a roof rack attached to the tailgate, and the least when it is attached to the tow hook.
