Bicycle rack for the car – correctly selected and properly installed

Which bike rack is the most popular?

The classic for transporting bicycles by car is still the roof rack. It has the advantage that it does not change the length of the vehicle: an important advantage when parking and cornering. Many manufacturers offer roof rails, especially for station wagons and SUVs, which form the basis for the wheel carriers. However, they can also be mounted without this railing: The base bracket then has its screw connection in the door frame and is additionally secured when the door is closed while driving. When assembling, it is particularly important that you adhere to the specifications of the carrier manufacturer: This is the only way to create the necessary safety. To assemble and attach the wheels to the structure, you need two people. However, there are also roof racks that transport bicycles lying down and have an auxiliary device. They pull the wheels up from the side of the car. It is important to know that the total height of the vehicle and roof structure must not exceed four metres. The manufacturers limit the permissible maximum speed with bicycle roof racks to 120 km/h for safety reasons. After installation, please take a short test drive with curves and braking manoeuvres to check and get used to the different driving behaviour of the car: the roof rack makes it susceptible to wind. And after a few kilometers, the screw connection is checked again for strength. With a roof rack, the fuel consumption increases by about 30 percent.

Bicycle rack for the roof: inexpensive, but not practical

Roof racks for bicycles are available for 50 euros, so they are not too expensive. However, they are much more complex to attach than rear carriers. Two people are generally needed to install the roof rack, so if in doubt, you should rather contact a workshop. On the roof, the wheels are held in place by two cross beams, into which the tires of the wheels are guided as if on rails. In most cases, two to three wheels can be transported on the roof rack, and the weight must be evenly distributed over the car roof. Most vehicles can transport between 35 and 100 kg (including the weight of the support structure) on the roof, depending on the model. So you have to buy the roof rack to match the car in any case.

Tailgate carrier – ideal for mountain bikes

The bike rack on the tailgate is a particularly good solution for mountain bikes. It rarely works on a notchback sedan, but almost exclusively on cars with hatchbacks and hatchbacks. Especially with such a type of carrier, it is particularly important that you use models specially developed for this vehicle series. The reason for this is that cars below the luxury class are becoming lighter and narrower today. The gaps, which are important for attaching the tailgate carrier, are getting smaller and smaller. However, if the dimensions of the car and the carrier technically match, this type is a good choice: stable with a solid holding function. The carriers usually have a fold-up holding function: This means that the vehicle length increases only marginally when unloaded. Disadvantages of the tailgate carrier are a worse view to the rear and an additional fuel consumption of about 20 percent.

Clutch carrier – the petrol saver

If you have a towbar on your car, mount the bike rack on it. This is the most frequently sold alternative to the roof rack, accounting for 80 percent of total sales. These fastening systems are also called universal girders and are standardised in the European Union (EU) area. Therefore, the clutch carrier can be mounted on any car make. For example, there is space for two bicycles in the basic version, and some versions can be expanded to accommodate more two-wheelers. The most important difference to other systems, however, is that the coupling carrier also accommodates e-bikes and pedelecs. It can handle up to 30 kilograms per wheel. Another advantage is the low height, as you can do the convenient loading and unloading on your own. In addition, the view to the rear remains largely unobstructed and the additional fuel consumption is limited to about ten percent. One disadvantage of the hitch carriers is the rear-heavy handling, so it's best to make friends with it briefly on a short, safer route.