How To Carry Your Bike On (Or In) Your Car

It's a pain trying to force your bike into the car. Wheels off, bike chain grease making a mess on the seats, it's less than ideal. There are alternative transportation options but which are the best? The GCN gang are here to talk you through the different bike transport solutions, discussing the pros and cons of the bike car racks available.

00:00 Intro
00:32 Bike roof rack
02:38 Bike boot rack
04:17 Suction-mounted bike rack
05:54 Bigger car

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How do you transport your bike in the car? 🚗

Let us know in the comments below 💬

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[gcn]

How have you transported your bike by car? 🚗

[lordlucan]

In my opinions the best choice is a tow bar mounted boot rack . This offers the advantages of multi bike loading / locking secure of both rack and bikes, quick fitting and removal as well as leaving the tailgate free for vision and easy opening / access as well as having a doubled up set of tail lights, indicators and brake lights, number plate visible . The only disadvantage is needing to install a tow bar either fixed or removable and also not being able to rely on reversing cameras etc .
However having a fixed tow bar also has the advantage without rack of keeping tailgaters at bay …

[MichaelSmith-fnci]

Opted for a tow bar rack, this being versatile, secure and simple to use. Carries up to 4 bikes and doesn’t obscure your rear vision, lights or number plate.

[juliantaylor]

3 bike rack on the towbar. Nothing beats it. Dead simple and quick to load up, absolutely secure and you don't smash your bike up driving into a carpark 😅

[burtmabel]

I opted for a 1UP hitch bar rack. Have a trailer hitch installed to your car, so easy to use and great for almost any bike and many rack options available.

[gingerdaniel]

I’ve had the first two options in the past. I decided to stop messing around and bought a Vw transporter. Easiest method yet!

[jacksonbangs]

The method I use to haul my bicycle is a hitch rack. This allows me to use a wheel mounted rack. This is safer than a roof rack and won't make any contact with the frame. Good video.

[thesea]

I have a Honda crz (small 3 door coupe 2+2 seating) and i put the "rear seats" down and took the front wheel off my bike when i was moving back home from uni. Worked really well.

[gregh]

Great options. I used to have a roof rack. Hit the garage one time and started putting a saw horse at he front of the garage when I left with the bike on the car. That was very useful in preventing any more garage incidents. Since I got a new car a few years ago, I now use a tow hitch rack. Attachment for up to four bikes. No clearance issues. Also locks.

[geoffreyhoney]

Super helpful video Manon, Hank, Connor and gcn! I was surprised that you didn't cover our most common one. Maybe it's a North American thing. We use a insert bike rack into the trailer hitch. Can lock the tongue, rack itself, & bike to the rack. We can do 2 or 4 bikes, depending on the size. Folds up when not in use or you can detach it. Great gas milage, like the boot rack, but more secure and can take more weight like an ebike. Sadly North America is overrun with pickup trucks, so often the bikes go in the bed of the truck. I hadn't yet come across the suction cup option. Great idea and one to consider for vehicles we don't own and way more compact than boot racks that I have used on other's cars!

[Barryens]

Love how you got the tallest presenter to demonstrate how to put a bike on the roof. 🤣🤣

[cWayne]

Hitch bike carrier is best of the options, tried boot/trunk, roof rack and eventually found it worth fitting a tow hitch and buying a rack.

[nickdehnel]

Use a hitch mounted bike rack for 4 bikes love it and prefer it over a roof mount as that gets expensive quickly when you forget the bikes are on the roof.

[smudger]

Downside of the rear rack from Hank - visibility through rear view mirror is blocked (more bikes worse it gets). Also, on some cars your numberplate and lights could be obscured which is a traffic offence in the UK, so you may need an additional light/plate rig.

[hicky]

I use a boot mounted rack, for local short journeys. When we go on holiday, especially abroad, the wheels come off and its packed inside the car. Surprising how much stuff you can get in with clever positioning. I take my bike, my wifes electric folding bike and 2 weeks of luggage in our Yaris.

[jennifercrosland]

In North America ( Canada for myself) the hitch or tow bar racks are also very popular and secure. Easy to install and remove and comparable to the roof rack.

[BreakawayB]

🐙 I have a SeaSucker mount for my small car and LOVE IT.

[johnhufnagel]

we bought a Yakima 4-timer hitch mount carrier many years ago. It was by far the best bike-related investment I've ever made. the speed at which we can get 3 bikes on and off makes going to destinations for biking a dream. even multiple times a day on and off is no longer a chore.

[BenKlassen]

Hitch rack is best: you can still access your trunk and no clearance issues.

[bertsimmons]

No discussion of bike carriers fitted to tow hooks. Expensive but effective. Also no mention of not obstructing your lights/ numberplate. Also pay a premium for increased height on ferries for roof rack mounted bikes