I bought a different car and my old bike rack no longer works. How should I transport my bike moving forward?

[TLC1957]

If you have a hitch rack that blocks your license plate, you can (and people have been) ticketed.

How is this any different then a truck mount rack, my truck mounted unit blocks my plate when the bikes are on the car. I do not see how any carrier will not block the plate when the bikes are in place.

[Earl Lemongrab]

If you have a hitch rack that blocks your license plate, you can (and people have been) ticketed.

How is this any different then a truck mount rack, my truck mounted unit blocks my plate when the bikes are on the car. I do not see how any carrier will not block the plate when the bikes are in place.

I report the facts. This came to my attention originally from a report on the lo-cal TV news. You can search for incidents and discussion if you'd like.

[F150HD]

bike racks aren't cheap.

[Shallowpockets]

WOW. This thread morphed into getting a new bike. Previous threads on bike advice will leave your head spinning.
You need a rack that fits your new car, which you have not let us know what that is.
Thule and Yakima bike racks are available for almost every make and model. Simple as that, but not necessarily the cheapest. Still, a quality bike rack for them will probably cost less that a new quality bike. Go to there websites and you can probably put in your exact modal and the will tell you what you need.
There are two types of bike racks basically, on the back or on the roof.
The back ones are available online and places like Walmart. Look there. Trunk mount, hatchback mount. Slanted hatch, straight hatch. Buy Walmart rack as appropriate and try it out. They will take it back it it does not work for you.

On BH most bike threads relate to casual riding. Anyone into serious riding will not have any problem with spending extra dollars and getting a real good rack from Thule

or Yakima.

Only you know how often you transport your bike and what would be convenient or not. While taking off the wheel/wheels, is a viable option, it may not be as convenient. You are already used to your present method of transport.

Seems as if the advice about buying a new bike when you actually only need a new rack sidesteps the point. A new bike will also maybe require another rack for your new car.

[tony5412]

Go with a hitch rack

[Shallowpockets]

Ford Fusion. Has a trunk, not a hatchback.

I googled Walmart bike racks. Found this.

Allen Sports rack. 102DN Deluxe. $34.84

A trunk mounted rack. It has a picture.
Go buy this and see how it works. Not for you. Take it back.

I know you stated you would like a trailer hitch rack. All of these are for a car with a square hitch mount already installed. Or else you will have to get one. Cost of hitch mount and the installation. You are running up some dollars there.
You said you ride infrequently. You are not riding 3-6 days a week. So you can just put on a trunk mount as needed.
Don't overthink this. Not for $35.

[TLC1957]

Ford Fusion. Has a trunk, not a hatchback.

I googled Walmart bike racks. Found this.

Allen Sports rack. 102DN Deluxe. $34.84

A trunk mounted rack. It has a picture.
Go buy this and see how it works. Not for you. Take it back.

I know you stated you would like a trailer hitch rack. All of these are for a car with a square hitch mount already installed. Or else you will have to get one. Cost of hitch mount and the installation. You are running up some dollars there.
You said you ride infrequently. You are not riding 3-6 days a week. So you can just put on a trunk mount as needed.
Don't overthink this. Not for $35.

I have a trunk mount Hollywood rack and just came back from a 1200 mile trip to Prince Edward Island (PEI). I have a 2013 Honda Accord and the trunk mount rack sits on the rear bumper and has 3 straps on each side to hold it in place. The problem is the weight of the 2 bikes on the rack resulted in the bumper cover flexing and the straps would loosen over time. I really tighten the straps now the bumper cover has a low spot in it. Most likely going to get a 2018 Honda CRV when they come out next year. Going to go with a hitch type bike rack to avoid the problem.

By the way PEI is a beautiful place to ride bikes along the Confederate Trail an abandoned railroad bed that runs and width of the island. Beautiful views of red sand beaches and green potatoe fields, just wonderful.

[tractorguy]

I am using a Saris freedom 2 hitch mount tray type bike rack. I have used Thule roof racks and a Yakima trunk mounted rack. The hitch mount is by far the easiest to put on the car and put bikes on.

[Sand101]

WOW. This thread morphed into getting a new bike.

That's because getting a new bike isn't that much more expensive than buying a new rack and hitch.

It is if you do it right.

Personally, if someone wants my bike they're going to have to break into the car to get it. Bikes getting stolen off of racks at restaurants, etc. is very common. A bike with quick release wheels makes taking the front wheel off easy.

[wrongfunds]

how many of you actually read that OP has Walmart bike?

[tony5412]

Get a new bike

[spectec]

WOW. This thread morphed into getting a new bike.

That's because getting a new bike isn't that much more expensive than buying a new rack and hitch.

It is if you do it right.

Personally, if someone wants my bike they're going to have to break into the car to get it. Bikes getting stolen off of racks at restaurants, etc. is very common. A bike with quick release wheels makes taking the front wheel off easy.

Potential theft is another good argument for a hitch-mounted bike carrier (if you don't have a bike you can fit in the trunk). Just thread a locking cable through the bike frame and also through the stay-chain connector on the hitch. Provided the hitch is also installed with a locking hitch pin, a thief will need some heavy-duty tools to swipe the bike.

[2pedals]

If you have a hitch rack that blocks your license plate, you can (and people have been) ticketed.

How is this any different then a truck mount rack, my truck mounted unit blocks my plate when the bikes are on the car. I do not see how any carrier will not block the plate when the bikes are in place.

I report the facts. This came to my attention originally from a report on the lo-cal TV news. You can search for incidents and discussion if you'd like.

This is true they can, but in practice for over 20 years with driving I have never experienced it. I drive to multi-use trail about 3 times a week. I have also taken it on long vacation trips. I suppose if you get pulled over for doing something else illegal they might give you a ticket. Local law enforcement also might have different policies for this. YMMV

For racks I like the Kuat hitch beta racks, quality design and light weight aluminum. If you get the a hanging rack you should also have a Swagman adapter bar for bike with slopping tube tops. I prefer the hanging hitch rack types, I am never afraid that the bike will "pop" off. I had a platform type rack and it popped off going over a big bump, not something I ever want to experience ever again.

[beyou]

Had both roof rack and temporary trunk attachment.

Trunk rack was a pain to install, a new adventure each time. Scratched car paint. Dumped it at some point.

Roof rack holds two bikes securely, has lasted a very long time, and I can add a 3rd bike to the inside of my cargo of the smal SUV (Forester) and crossover (Outback).

Lifting bikes onto the roof was the lesser evil compared to problems with my trunk rack.

[nitro4214]

Ford Fusion. Has a trunk, not a hatchback.

I googled Walmart bike racks. Found this.

Allen Sports rack. 102DN Deluxe. $34.84

A trunk mounted rack. It has a picture.
Go buy this and see how it works. Not for you. Take it back.

I know you stated you would like a trailer hitch rack. All of these are for a car with a square hitch mount already installed. Or else you will have to get one. Cost of hitch mount and the installation. You are running up some dollars there.
You said you ride infrequently. You are not riding 3-6 days a week. So you can just put on a trunk mount as needed.
Don't overthink this. Not for $35.

I went to Wal-Mart and picked it up although it was $60 and not $35. It is not as easy to attach to the car as the old rack but does fit with the exception of the bottom strap clip. There are a couple of workarounds that I can try.

Still pondering a new bike that I can fit in the trunk though. Even though this is only a cheap Wal-Mart bike, I never liked the idea of leaving it out (or even leaving the rack on the trunk while riding or making another stop). Maybe I'll just go with this option for now but start looking around at other bikes. I'm only riding maybe 2-3 times per month so I'm pondering whether it's worth the investment.

[wrongfunds]

This is BH. We will *always* recommend you buy a bike from local bike store and make sure you spend thousand(s) of dollars on it. We will also tell you that if you buy such a bike you will use it lot more often. We know the best. Trust us. We have all the answers.

[Peter Foley]

My retirement job is working as a bike mechanic in a bike shop. I see a lot of bikes. My 2 cents.

A folding bike is fine, but not a great choice for many recreational riders because of the smaller wheel circumference . Better to get a bike with 700 cc wheels and a quick release. You do not need a disk brake.

Trek, Giant, Specialized, Diamondback and Novara (REI) are all mid quality brands at moderate prices. You can get a good used Trek Multitrack for about $250 to $300. (I have a lot of bikes available to me for minimal cost because I can repair them; my ride of choice is a mid 1990's Trek hybrid.)

[JupiterJones]

A folding bike is fine, but not a great choice for many recreational riders because of the smaller wheel circumference.

I'm not so sure about that, given that many people successfully do long bike tours on folding bikes. Bromptons seem particularly popular in that regard:

http://www.pathlesspedaled.com/2011/09/ ... n-touring/

http://www.bromptontraveler.com/

http://www.shanecycles.com/the-genius-o ... n-touring/

http://clevercycles.com/blog/2010/11/26 ... -brompton/


Moreover, not all folders have smaller wheels! The OP could get any of these, for example:

https://www.montaguebikes.com/

https://www.nycewheels.com/tern-eclipse-x221.html