Bike racks are there to give you pleasure; don’t let them become a liability on the car. The racks fit well with vehicles but a permanent carrier at the back of your car will rob you of the pleasure of driving. If a hung rack is not an invitation to an accident, it surely is a constant threat of such an incident. It is just not comfortable to keep track of the vehicle when moving in tight parking places, garages or city traffic.
Here are the best hassle free removable bike racks for your car.
Car Hitch Mount Tray Bike Rack with 2-inch Receiver
Best Overall
- Reasonably priced
Pros
- Rugged with high-quality component
• Lightweight
Cons
- No access to the cargo compartment when on load.
Allen Sports 4-Bike Hitch Racks for 2
Budget option
- Best value for money
Pros
- No wobble hitch
Cons
- No locking system
Retrospec Lenox Car Hitch Mount Bike Rack with 2-inch
Premium option
- Great all around option
Pros
- Adapter to minimize wobbling
• Durable, easy to install
Cons
- Cargo cannot be accessed
The bulge of a bike rack at the rear of the vehicle is pressure on your mind even if it is compactly fitted. You know well that swaying straps at the rear of the vehicle is a huge distraction for the driver and a loose nut on the rack could cause a mishap.
Don’t get misled by the folding bike racks which collapse on the rear of your vehicle when not in use. Folding racks allow you to keep them installed between rides or for the duration of the cycling tour or vacations. Moreover, a folding bike rack could restrict taillight, access to rear cargo and view of the rear camera. They can compromise with aerodynamics and make your travelling noisy.
Your search for a folding bike rack may tell you that most racks don’t come clean on how easy it is to fold a rack on the vehicle. You might end up buying a rack, which is a struggle.
Here is a shortlist of bike racks with unique features which makes them user-friendly. These are easy to use, fold, remove and store. Think about a compact rack that can be kept in a nylon shoulder bag and unassembled on a count of five. It will occupy less space in the cargo compartment. You will be impressed by the features of these racks.
Car Hitch Mount Tray Bike Rack with 2-inch Receiver
This universal bike rack is a favourite carrier for a small family or an avid cyclist. Allen Sports Deluxe can haul your kid’s colourful bike, your wife’s sleek bike or your traditional adult bike in no time on biking day. The Allen trunk-mounted rack has a universal tray to haul a wide range of bikes including bikes for kids and women. And if the storage space comes at a premium to you, this is the rack for you. This folding bike rack can accommodate bikes of different frame sizes and it gets folded in seconds when you do not want it for hauling purposes.
Allen also scores high for being a safe and reliable bike rack. Bike racks come at a cost and losing them to theft when you are on the road will hurt you hard. You could be stranded with bikes if the rack is stolen.
Allen Sports is easily assembled and takes up a small corner of your storage when not in use.
When you come back from the biking session, the Allen rack takes a few minutes to reassemble on the trunk of your car. To make the installation simple, the company has designed it with a single configuration that fits a wide range of vehicles. The middle frame on the rack keeps bikes away from the vehicle.. The Allen trunk mount bike rack can haul two bikes with a maximum weight of 70 LBS.
The Allen sports deluxe bike is backed with a lifetime warranty. The Allen sports bike rack has an individual tie-down system that secures each bike haul on it. For the safety of the bike haul on the carrier, the rack comes with two straps in addition to rugged top and bottom straps which gives exceptional stability to your bike and rack.
Allen Sports 4-Bike Hitch Racks for 2
You can remove and fold the Allen Sports hitch rack in a few minutes and keep it in the cargo compartment of the car. This is no mean feat for a heavy-duty feature-rich bike rack to be so simple to use. This rack is a blessing when you want to safely haul four bikes. But when you roam around in city streets, you wish the trunk of a car to be clear. Allen Sports has sorted this out as this rack comes with easy to remove features.
This rack fits a 2-inch hitch for installation, which is there in class III and IV vehicles. Its installation and removal are quick and smooth. Just spare five minutes from your day-long schedule to install this rack on the hitch of your vehicle. This rack has a loading capacity of 140 LBS for four bikes.
Allen Sports rack offers two options to store it. The carry arms on your rack can be easily folded down out of the way when not in use. Another option is you can remove it and store it in a garage or rear compartment of your vehicle. All it takes is to remove it from the hitch.
The safety of the bike rack is not an issue with this rack. It has a no-wobble bolt that secures the rack inside the hitch. It has 22 inches long carry arms which secure each bike individually with Allen’s patented tie-down system. The tie-down system is fixed in position on the carry arm but rotates so that it can engage a wide range of bike frames, sizes and styles.
The Allen bike rack’s carry arm can accommodate mountain bikes, kid-size and adult road bikes with safety and security. The hitch bike rack has a mainmast which can quickly be tilted back for easy lift-gate access when the rack is installed on your vehicle. The black-coloured Allen hitch sports bike rack weighs 23-pound. For its long life, the bike rack has powder-coated finishing. The bike rack has dimensions of 26.38 inches in length, 12.2 inches in width and 13.98 inches in height.
Retrospec Lenox Car Hitch Mount Bike Rack with 2-inch
Car owners don’t prefer to keep a heavy-duty carrier rack installed on vehicles when it’s not loaded. A heavy bike rack sitting idle in the car is not a good choice.
Retrospec removable bike rack for five bikes is a solution to this hurdle. This rack can be assembled just before you begin the journey to your favourite biking destination.
Retrospec Lenox is designed to haul bikes for an entire family, friends or avid cyclists. This rack is a blessing for the biker’s community and group cycling excursions. But at the same time, the rack maker has ensured that the rack is easily folded into a compact size for easy storage.
The sturdy steel construction of the bike rack gives it the strength to carry two bikes of 80 lbs load, four bikes of 140 lbs and it can carry five bikes with a weight load of 170 lbs. This stylish heavy-duty rack is designed to match up with any swanky and sturdy four-wheeler drive. All it requires is a 2” receiver on the vehicle. The rack looks stunning on the class II and IV passenger car and trailer. The Retrospect bike rack, which is made of steel, weighs 23-pound.
Lenox’s toughness is not just for the eyes. The company has provided tie-down cradle and strap systems with this rack to secure each bike individually. It protects bikes from swaying on uneven road travels. The bike is designed to accommodate an array of frame styles and sizes. It comes with an adapter that minimizes the wobbling of bikes and cuts noise on bumpy drives. The rack is foldable and occupies little space in a store.
It is easy to install a rack and can unassembled when not in use. But access to the rear cargo is compromised, which is a drawback on long travels. The step-thru bikes need a frame adapter for a perfect fit.
Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack
Can you imagine that a bike rack can be kept in a shoulder bag while you pedal through a cycle trail? Yes, you read it right; with an Ultra-compact trunk-mounted bike you can do this. The patented design of the Allen ultra-compact bike rack shrinks itself so small that it appears to be a show box when folded. Thankfully, this advantage doesn’t come at the cost of safety in this rack which is extremely stable when installed.
The Allen ultra-compact trunk-mounted bike rack is a single bike carrier. The patented design of this trunk-mounted rack is compatible with most of the sedan, SUV, hatchback and minivan. The compact size of this rack makes it easy to transport and store in a garage. Allen’s patented individual tie-down system and dual-compound cradle of the rack protect and secure the bike perfectly. The tie-down is fixed on carrying arms but rotates so that the rack can accommodate a wide range of frame sizes and styles. The nylon bag is included with an ultra-compact bike rack. This provides a handy way to transport and store your rack when not in use.
The Allen sports steel bike rack is 2.7 Kg which can haul the bike of 35 LBS. The Allen ultra-compact bike rack has a large soft TRP landing pad on the main spins which keeps the bike away from the vehicle to prevent damage to the bike and car. The Allen ultra-compact bike rack is backed by the company’s customer service and lifetime warranty. The grey powder-coated bike rack is made in the USA.
It's a wrap, the final say on removable bike racks for cars
A bike rack is an obligation when sitting idle in the car. It is a nuisance for drivers and can even cause accidents. The best folding bike rack on your car will make the hauling of the bike simple and safe for you.