Roof rack for a bicycle: features and choice

The bicycle luggage rack on the car roof is a simple solution that allows you to travel and make trips, comfortably placing your own "iron horse" in the cabin or in the back. Technically, this mounting method is easiest to implement on a wide variety of vehicle models. A simple bicycle rack device does not cause trouble during installation, and the technical features of such a mounting make it easy to solve the problems of transporting one or more two-wheeled vehicles.

Car luggage for travel can be called family or universal. They are extremely easy to operate and always ready for use in the most extreme conditions. And in order not to be mistaken in the choice, it is worth exploring in advance all the features of the acquired roof rack on the car in more detail.

The bicycle roof rack is a mount on which 1-6 two-wheeled vehicles can be fixed. It differs markedly from the classic “grilles” well known to machine owners. There is an element in the bike mount design that provides a connection to a fixed vehicle. It consists of the following elements:

• supporting guide beam, on which the load stands;
• movable clamp holder for the frame;
• wheel lock in the form of clamps (option);
• cross overlay on existing roof rails or trunk.

In addition, additional shields, lifts and other devices may be included in the composition, making it possible to make the process of transporting a bicycle on the roof even more convenient. The simplest bike carrier looks like a pair of rails on which a gutter beam fixed to the standard wheel width is fixed. Such bicycle mounts may be intended for the transport of one or more vehicles. Thanks to the adjustable frame holder design it can be adapted to bikes with different wheel diameters.

Fixing on the body of two-wheeled vehicles is carried out by clamping the pipe between the jaws of the clamp in a vertical or horizontal plane. The frame holder itself has 1 or 2 arcs; in the first type, fasteners are located on the side. And also here can be present as an option fixing the pedals in a stationary position. Holders with 2 arcs are equipped with a screw that determines the compression rate and the rigidity of the frame.

To the arches of the trunk, such a mount can also be fixed in different ways.

• As guides that are inserted into the groove of an existing trunk. This option is adapted only for cars with hollow arches. It allows you to provide the most gentle handling of the most fragile and expensive bicycles.
• In the form of brackets, which are pressed against the arches of the trunk central guide channel. A universal solution adaptable to any type of luggage structures.

Among the useful options that facilitate the process of using the boot for transporting bicycles, special damping inserts can be noted to mitigate shock loads during transportation of equipment. Also, interchangeable clamps for mounting bicycles with different types of frames can be included in the kit. Another important addition is locks to protect your bike from theft. They can be code or on keys.

To begin with, it is worth considering what advantages the car carrier mounted on the roof has. Among the obvious advantages of this design are the following:

• high traffic safety - the bike is fixed as securely as possible, does not distort the dimensions of the trunk, with sharp braking and maneuvering it remains in place;
• possibility of constant use - auto-fastening can not be dismantled, subsequently applying it as necessary;
• wide range of capacity - from 1 to 6 pieces of equipment can be transported by car, depending on the fastening;
• high placement - during transportation, dirt, dust, stones, car exhausts do not get on the bike;
• preservation of the trunk functions - the roof mount does not block access to it; you can safely use the compartment for its intended purpose;
• easy dismantling and reinstallation - when changing a car, the mount is easy to transfer and reuse as intended.

In the ranking of popular brands that manufacture bicycle mounts on the roof of the car, there are leaders. A review of the most popular companies will allow you to find the right option for each owner of a two-wheeled vehicle. Among those who deserve attention, there are several companies.

• Thule. European brand, one of the market leaders, in the product line you can find models with different types of fasteners. For the manufacture of products used high quality stainless materials.

• Atera. A German company known as the first developer of car roof racks with special lifts. The Bike Lift is equipped with a customizable spring-loaded beam that needs to be adjusted during initial installation. Further, this device will greatly facilitate the life of a lover of cycling.

• Mont Blanc. A producer from Sweden who chose the name of a peak in the French Alps. The company tries to regularly please fans with original new products, it is considered a trendsetter in design. Often it is at Mont Blanc who manages to find new or rare bundle configurations.

• Peruzzo Italian manufacturer, popular in many countries of Europe. It produces steel universal bicycle fixators for fastening to standard roof racks of any type on the car roof. The double frame clamp is designed to hold tubular elements with a diameter of 20-50 mm.

The brand suggests fixing wheels with textile belts. The withstanding load on the bike carrier is not more than 15 kg.

• Menabo. A manufacturer focused on the mass market segment. The company sells fasteners for bicycles weighing up to 15 kg, offers the most lightweight aluminum bicycle luggage carrier weighing 1.5 kg. Fixing is carried out on the crossbars of the car trunk, the front wheel is first removed. The Alphard model is focused on the transport of two bicycles weighing up to 50 kg, the design itself in this case weighs 16.5 kg.

• Amos Rover. The Polish manufacturer of bicycle mounts, which manufactures products for fixing one vehicle, comes complete with frame holders, tape wheel clamps. The accessory model is designed for equipment with a frame diameter of not more than 50 mm, it is clamped with an adjustable clamp. The products are not designed to carry heavy bicycles - weight restrictions are 15 kg. The company is focused on walkers, but serious athletes and extreme sportsmen are unlikely to be interested in its products.

• LUX. Russian manufacturer of lightweight, aluminum-plastic roof mounts. The original design of the mounts allows for easy installation of the product on cars of different types and widths. Installation is possible on any aerodynamic profile or trunk, you can find solutions for electric bikes and bicycle models with an open type of frame. Wheels are fixed by persistent shoes and belts.

These manufacturers deserve attention and have proven themselves according to the reviews of cyclists and motorists. Equipment of little-known Chinese brands may look quite attractive, but in terms of workmanship it is much inferior to the branded one, not so durable, and subject to corrosion.

To choose a bike mount on the roof of a car, it’s better from the very beginning to decide on the important parameters that should be considered when choosing the right model. It is worth noting the main selection criteria.

• Class model. The simplest and most minimalistic options are rather cumbersome, often requiring an additional fit. In the middle class are bicycle mounts with a high level of convenience, but imperfect in terms of versatility. Premium level bicycle racks allow you to transport bicycle models with different characteristics, easily adapting the mount to the desired parameters, ensuring their automatic descent and ascent.
• The number of bicycles transported. It is directly related to the width of the trunk of a car. On average, up to 3 bicycles can be placed on the roof of a sedan.On an SUV it is installed up to 4, but everything is very individual, it is necessary to take into account the availability of sufficient free space.
• Price. Yes, the temptation to save and buy the cheapest bike carrier is great. But in this case, both the build quality and the components themselves may be disposable. If you plan to take a bicycle on trips regularly, you should not save. High-quality fastenings will not damage the paint on the roof of the car, they will carefully fix the vehicle.
• The material of manufacture. The trunk must have anti-corrosion properties, be made of stainless steel, aluminum, high-quality metal alloys. Budget trunk made of cheap black metal will rust after the first rain.

Most often, the bicycle is fixed in the classic version with the wheels mounted on the guide rail and the frame fixed with a clamp. This is a convenient solution that makes it easy to deal with the transport of one vehicle. But it’s rather difficult to fix several pieces of equipment in this way.

In addition to the most popular mounts, there are other options that are less convenient to use.

• Pedal hooks. They fix exclusively the pedal part and require the additional use of clamps and a guide for the wheels.
• Frame and fork. They allow for the convenience of fixing several bicycles in a row. For installation, the front wheel is dismantled from the frame, the rear wheel is installed in the gutter, fixed with a flexible clamp. A wheel fork is fixed on the front of the rail.
• Behind the wheel and saddle. In this case, the bike is mounted upside down on the trunk, fixed quite reliably, since the center of gravity is as low as possible. But installing a heavy bike on the roof in this way is quite difficult.

For example, if we are talking about transporting two-wheeled vehicles on a family trip, it is better to choose fixing with frame-fork mounts. On a long trip it is better to choose retainers with the best aerodynamic properties - behind the wheel and seat.

An overview of the various bike mounts on the car roof awaits you further.