The Best Trunk Mounted Bike Racks

The Best Trunk Mount Bike Rack for You?

Or Bike Rack for Car Without Hitch

It’s a sunny weekend, the weather’s not too hot, and you’re strapped and buckled for a bike ride on the trails or with your friends, but how will you carry your bikes? You’ve probably already looked at the best bike racks for RVs, vans, or even a sedan. Most bike racks are designed to be attached to the hitch receiver of your vehicle, but there is a bike rack for car without hitch.

No-hitch bike racks or hitchless bike racks are designed to be attached to your vehicle’s trunk using a safe multi-strap system. They come with anything between 3 and 6 straps that go in the tiny gap between your car and trunk and lock in place securely. The rack stays on the trunk and holds the bike’s frame. With these racks, you don’t need to worry about the shape of your car, or the size of the trunk or bother with reaching the roof of your car as with roof racks. They can also be used as a bike rack for a van without hitch, or with a hatchback. So, to answer your question of do trunk-mounted bike racks work?….read on.

Benefits of Bike Rack For Car Without Hitch

Trunk-mounted bike racks are sometimes the only option for people looking to carry bikes safely without investing in hitch receivers or expensive roof racks. Some people buy them simply because they are lightweight and easy to install.

Here are a few reasons you should look into a bike rack for car without hitch.

Lower price compared to hitch-mounted racks and roof racks
Easy to install and remove
Compatible with most vehicles unlike other racks
No assembly required
Secure, as the rack has to be taken off when parked. Deters thieves.
The same rack can be used interchangeably on different vehicles

Disadvantages

While they might look like the ideal bike rack, you should consider a few limitations.

Removing the rack every time you park, is a hassle
They aren’t the most sturdy racks for off-road use
The rack arms can’t hold smaller frames or slanted tubes
It can block the rear-view camera
Trunk access can be limited or not at all
You might need to buy extra straps to completely secure the front wheel to the rack.

Saris Bones EX

The Saris Bones EX has been a rider favorite for years. The hitchless rack is available in 2 or 3 bike options and it is one of the easiest to install and remove. The rack uses ratcheting straps for that extra grip and peace of mind. A quality feature from Saris Bones Ex is the rubberized feet that contact your vehicle. The bike rack can support a weight of 70 lbs. with 2 bike options or 105 lbs. with the 3 bike option – the Saris Bones EX 3. The EX version fits cars with spoilers and fits 90% of the top makes of vehicles sold.

Allen Sports Premier 2-Bike Trunk Rack

Allen Sports Premier is a feature-filled trunk rack designed to hold 2 bikes. The Allen Sports bike rack uses a five-strap system to attach to the trunk securely. The cradles are soft and do not damage the bike’s frame. Another attention to detail is the feet that rest on your car to anchor the bikes. These feet are padded and wide to disperse the heavyweight effectively and protect your car’s paint. The rack folds completely and can be easily stored in the trunk when not in use.

Buying extra straps and frame adaptors is always a negative, but this rack is also not the sturdiest for 70 lbs. It is safe but shakes at high speeds. The straps can also get a bit loosened and need to be tightened on longer road trips. Other than that, this rack is a great fit for all sedans and a great bike rack for a van without hitch.

Thule Passage Trunk Mount Carrier

Thule has always had an impressive build quality with its bike racks. They are an industry leader and the Thule Passage Trunk Mount Carrier is nothing inferior. The carry arms have rubberized cradles that protect the bike frame. The attaching system uses 6 straps to securely tie down the rack and the anti-sway cradles prevent bike-to-bike contact. There’s a cushioned bar that protects the car and there’s enough road clearance when using this rack.

The straps aren’t the quality Thule boasts. They are not strong enough to hold the bike and the attaching straps need to be extremely tight for a reliable grip. Smaller frames are a no-go on this hitchless rack and spending extra isn’t worth it.

Yakima FullBack 2-Bike Trunk Rack

The Yakima FullBack 2 is a premium trunk bike rack that goes light on your wallet and offers the best value. The FullBack is designed to carry 2 bikes up to 35 lbs each, but the 3-bike option can hold a total of 105 lbs. Before getting into the rack features, the technical specs of this trunk-mounted bike rack list the wheel sizes between 20” – 29” and tires not wider than 5”.

What really gives this rack the premium tag is the design and functionality. The rack has a composite construction with a steel frame for durability and rubber paddings to protect your car and bikes. The rack has a very simple installation with 4 anchoring straps that provide constant tension and the thick cushy paddings protect your car. The Yakima FullBack’s carrying arms can be raised from a folded position using a rotating hub where you can lock the arms into the adjustment points. Unlike other trunk racks, Yakima have gone with a set of Zipstraps which are U-shaped stiff ratcheting straps to hold the frame of your bike into soft rubberized cradles. There’s an extra Zipstrap that can hold the frame from below or the stem to remove any sway avoiding bike-to-bike contact. The rotating hub makes the bike worth the money, with a quarter rotation, you can fold the carry arms and use another rotating hub to remove the anchoring cushy padding on the car and fold everything for easy storage when not in use. Included in the price is a cable lock for the bikes and extra straps for the wheels, to tie them to the frame for further antisway capability.

Hollywood Express 3 Bike Car Rack

Hollywood Racks is one of the more economical options for trunk-mounted bike racks. The Express 3 is made from a single tubular steel design and holds two bike carrying arms. The rated capacity of the rack is 35 lbs per bike and fits most trunk shapes. It’s a budget rack and the design’s major focus is carrying the bikes safely for as little as possible. This trunk rack has 6 straps with hooks which make it sturdy and two rubber paddings for the contact points with your vehicle. The Hollywood Express is recommended for sedans with the bottom pads sitting on the bumper and the top pads have the freedom to rotate to any position, where they can be tightened using knobs for a rigid fit. The carrying arms have rubber cradles and straps that hold the bike from the top tube. An extra nylon strap goes around all three bikes for further safety.

Buying Tips for Bike Rack For Car Without Hitch

When purchasing a hitchless bike rack always look at the compatibility table from the website and make sure your car matches the rack. Try to buy a rack from a store that has good customer service for quick queries and return policies. You can also follow the advice below

Look for a rack that matches your purpose and use
If you plan to carry bikes of your family, trunk racks aren’t the best choice
Large and heavy bikes can damage either the frame or your car
For jeeps, look for racks with wide clearance
Try to position the rack away from the exhaust heat

Conclusion

No matter what your purpose and car are, there’s always a bike rack that can help you transport your bike or bikes safely. Trunk-mounted racks are designed for this and allow the quickest installation of racks. For sedans, this might be the only option, but a great one, if you research your options. The attachment can extend the rear of your car and parking with the rack might need some care, but overall a good choice.

You may like our review on roof-mounted bike racks. Read more….