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Anyone who likes to ride a bike needs to know how to install a bike rack on their car. If you’ve ever tried to travel with your bicycle, you know that you face a few challenges. With attention to safety and measurements, you’ll be able to transport your bike with ease.
While there are many different ways to strap your bike to your vehicle, some methods are easier than others. Mounting a bike rack on your car will allow you to take your bike with you easily so that you can fulfill your sense of adventure in various locations. Whether you want to paddle through a scenic park or hit the trails, a bike rack will make this possible.
Before you purchase your bike rack, you need to consider the installation process and how many bikes you’re going to need to carry. Once you know the number of bicycles you may be toting with, you will be able to purchase an excellent bike rack, and with this article, you will know precisely how to put it on your vehicle.
Bike Rack Car Mounting
For some people, mounting a bike rack on their car is a bit of a challenge. Based on your vehicle’s style, make, and model, the capability features may be limited. Most people say that it’s relatively simple to mount a rack on a truck, van, or SUV, but it is a bit more complicated with a car.
Because more people Mount racks on trucks, vans, and SUV’s the number of racks available for cars are limited. There are two main categories for bike racks that are going to work well on smaller vehicles. Once you’re familiar with the differences between roof racks and trunk-mounted bike racks, making an informed decision will be simple.
Roof Racks: Installation and Information
Many people choose to use roof racks to travel with their bikes because they’re very versatile. You can purchase a variety of different add-ons to make carrying specialized bikes simpler. Before deciding whether or not roof racks are the best option for you, consider the height of your car. Will you be able to quickly hoist your bike so that you can secure it down safely? If not, will you have help when it’s time to load your bicycle? Once you have answered these questions, it should give you a pretty good insight into whether a roof rack will work with you and your bicycle for traveling adventures.
If you decide to utilize roof racks to carry your bicycle, your car must have crossbars. If you don’t already have crossbars on your vehicle, you will need to purchase them and install them. Some people find it is easiest to have their mechanic take care of this for them.
Most roof rack options will have four points of installation. Two of them will be in the front and two in the back. You will need to measure for installation points because each car is going to be sized differently. When taking this measurement, you should start from the central pillar at the front and move toward the back of your vehicle.
When it’s time to mount the rack, you will start by installing rubber pads at the feet of the crossbars. From there, you will mount the rack and tighten the clamps so that they don’t move. Once your roof racks are in place, you simply need to load your bicycle and strap it down. You also need to pay attention to safety rules, such as not exceeding speed limits of 75 mph.
Trunk-Mounted Bike Racks: Installation and Information
Many bikers prefer a trunk-mounted bike rack. The positioning on your vehicle makes it easy when you’re trying to load your bike by yourself. Additionally, they are simple to use. There is a downfall that comes along with trunk-mounted bike racks. They do take up a decent amount of space in the trunk, limiting your access to utilizing that space.
Overall, installing your trunk-mounted bike rack is simple. You need to make sure you choose a rack that’s going to fit in your car. To do this, you will want to take accurate measurements of the trunk and compare them with the manufacturer’s instructions before purchase.
Once you have double-checked your measurements and receive your trunk-mounted bike rack, you’ll start by putting the base of it against the bumper. The top piece should sit on the rear window or the trunk. This is based on the type of rack you buy and the type of car you drive.
Most of the trunk-mounted bike racks that are currently available will have six different straps. Each one of these can be used to secure your spikes in the car. When you’re securing your bike, you must use the top straps and make sure that they are tight. This not only keeps the bike in the proper position and stops it from wobbling, but it also makes the rack itself more secure.
After securing the top straps, secure the side straps. To ensure that the trunk-mounted bike rack is in a perfect position, check every belt and make sure that it’s pulled tight.
Conclusion
As you can see, installing your new bike rack is not extremely difficult. Many people find that using a trunk-mounted bike rack is easier than roof racks, but they do not offer much versatility. After installing your bike rack, you can easily take your bicycle on any adventure that you’ve dreamed of.
