The 3 all time best bike rack for car roof
A roof-mounted bike rack is your safest bet to haul your bike to the breathtaking cycling trails located close to nature. A roof-mounted rack is popular for being a sturdier carrier than a hitch-mounted or trunk-mounted rack, especially on uneven roads.
The best bike rack on your car roof can revitalize your mind and body with a bit of biking at the cherished destinations. It can light up a kid when he sees his bike being loaded on the car on the next family vacation.
Let's have a look at the best bike racks for car roof
Upright Roof Mount Bike Rack
Best Overall
- Reasonably priced
Pros
- Do not have to take off the wheel to haul a bike
Cons
- Not suitable for kids bikes
Thule 516XT Prologue Fork Mount Carrier Rack
Budget option
- You can get however carriers you need
Pros
- Perfect for square and round bars
Cons
- Extra purchase of Key locks cylinders
Car Roof Bike Bicycle Carrier Rack
Premium option
- Great all around option
Pros
- No more clamp on the down tube
Cons
- For single bike
What a hassle free bike riding experience, then go for a single roof mount bike rack which will deliver a safe and tension-free bike hauling experience. But why is a roof-mounted bike rack your best choice, when there is a list of other bike rack options for your car? In this article, we will cover all your ‘why’s for choosing the roof-mounted car bike rack.
Roof-mounted bike racks are the best option for vehicles that have a low height profile. Also, these racks are compatible with various crossbars. The roof-mounted racks do not hinder access to your car boot area. They often have space for locks. Adding bonus to a user who installs the roof mount carrier is that you can use this rack to transport surfboards, cargo boxes or skis.
Most of the roof-mounted bike racks are not difficult to install on the vehicle.
They are affordable and easy to store when not in use. Roof-mounted bike racks will give you the option to haul bikes that weigh 35 LBS to 39 LBS. These racks give support to the bike through clamps and straps. Considering the bad weather scenario, the racks are built from corrosion-resistant material and also UV resistant.
Roof racks are not without some drawbacks. This rack is not the best option when it comes to loading and unloading your bikes. The mounting of the roof bike rack increases the drag and thus fuel consumption of your vehicle. It also increases the height profile of your vehicle which will restrict parking and other areas for your car. Another issue is if you are not tall and strong then lifting your bike and loading would be an issue. Let’s find out which rack is for you
Upright Roof Mount Bike Rack
If your weekend is all about exploring unexplored cycling trails then OMAC upright roof mount bike rack is your best choice. Why? The answer lay in the safety, security and durability which OMAC rack provides when you travel over long distances. It is compatible with most bikes, especially modern bikes. It does all this in style. This silver coloured roof rack brings a balance of muscle and swanky looks to your car.
This bike rack is made from high-quality corrosion resistance aluminium which makes it capable of holding your bike with ease. Mind you this 3-pound weight bike rack can haul your 39 LBS bike on all road conditions without breaking a sweat.
Roof racks need installation but the OMAC upright roof mount does not need your long hours in the garage to assemble the bike before loading it on the roof. All it requires is to place the bike on the rack without taking off the wheels and adjust the C-clamp to secure the bike on top. For added support, it comes with straps to support wheels while transporting the bike.
It has tie-down straps which can be adjusted according to the size of the wheel of the bike, which makes it possible to haul bikes of different sizes and frames.
Security is a concern with most bike racks especially when your vehicle is parked unattended. OMAC Upright has found a solution for this in an integrated locking system that keeps the bike secure against theft.
The installation of the bike rack is easy and quick.
The hardware for mounting the bike is included in the parcel.
Thule 516XT Prologue Fork Mount Carrier Rack
Awesome’ is the word that first comes to your mind when you review features of the Thule 516XT prologue fork mount carrier rack. Thule, a front runner manufacturer of quality bike racks, has designed this sleek black single-wall aluminium tray rack to accommodate bikes with a wheel size of 48” and a tyre width of 2.6’.
This fork-mount bike rack is compatible with the Thule square bars and round bars. The rack is 4.8lbs and it can accommodate bikes with disc brake sizes up to 9mm. But do not feel disappointed if you are looking to haul larger sizes. An additional purchase of an adapter (53015, 53020, 530l) makes the Thule 516XT fully compatible to work with 15mm, 20 mm and left fork.
Compromise is not a word in the dictionary of Thule when it comes to the stability and quality of the rack. Thule 516XT has a lockable skewer with a single side adjustment that ensures higher stability and safety of your bike when your vehicle hits the highway.
A key lock cylinder from Thule is also available as an additional purchase to safely secure the bike and rack. This lock is designed to secure the bike rack to the bikes. The product dimensions of the Thule 516XT prologue fork mount carrier rack is 51.5*8.6*4 inches.
The detailed manual guide makes it easy to install the Thule 516XT prologue fork mount carrier rack in no time.
Car Roof Bike Bicycle Carrier Rack
The Venzo roof-mounted bike carrier is a ‘one for all’ rack that is compatible with a carrying range of bikes like a kid bike, MTB or a BMX. With its compatibility with a range of bikes, it has all the makings to be a family rack. You can install this aluminium-built bike rack to carry your son’s bike or your professional bike with utmost safety.
Venzo has undergone intense testing before coming out of the factory. This rack doesn’t need to clamp on the fragile frames, especially on carbon fibre bikes. It is fit to haul a bike with a top weight of 35 LBS. This 10 kg rack clams on the front tyre and has a strapping mechanism for the rear wheel to keep it firmly in place.
This rack is ideal for passenger cars that have crossbars with a minimum thickness of 20mm to the maximum thickness of 35 mm and a maximum width of 100mm. The clamps of the roof bike rack are designed with aerodynamics in mind to make them as efficient as possible. The Venzo bike rack has adjustable rubber clamps which are compatible with wheels with size from 24″ to 29″ and maximum tyre width of 2.3”.
The Venzo bike rack is value for your money with its long-lasting life. This rack is built from high-quality aluminium, hardened steel and reinforced plastic to make it a rust-resistant and stretchable UV resistant roof bike rack.
Theft of either your bike or your bike rack can be a worry when parked in unfamiliar areas. To prevent any stress from this, Venzo has made provision to lock the bike and rack to the crossbar of the vehicle for double security.
If you still have doubts in your mind about this rack, just check out the vigorous testing it has gone through before the company launched it for sale. The rack has ranked high in tests for driving, pulling, vibration and swinging. It has passed the TUV test standards and with 1.5 times of maximum load weight, no bending or cracks were recorded during the after testing. The bike rack has a strong buckle for safety which has taken over 300 hours of rust testing. It has a rubber-coated hook to protect your car.
A strap pulling test analyzed the straps in six directions with a 550 LBS load. The components used in this bike rack have been tested for corrosion for 192 hours at the salt spray chamber. The rack is also made to cross a ramp at speed over three times of high-speed driving.
Conclusion
Roof bike racks are known for being very safe to transport a bike. The best-fit rack from the above list will add a whole lot of fun and your vacations. Get a best-fit roof rack for your car and see how a bit of biking on cherished nature trails shape your mind and body.