# Trunk bike racks for cars?



## Stormwalker (Feb 23, 2011)

For the past few years, I've been hauling my bikes around with a Jeep Cherokee, with a hitch mount bike rack. I figured that perhaps I should get a car with better gas mileage, at least for summer use, for running all over the place to mountain bike trails. So I am going to buy a relative's Saturn car.

I will need a new rack. Cars use a trunk mounting rack, right? I guess I am looking for suggestions on one. I'm not too worried about the paint/finish on the car where the rack would mount. It's main purpose in life is simply to transport mountain bikes around. The important thing is preventing damage to the bike. It has been a long time since I have had a car instead of an SUV (besides my old Mustang I keep around), so I haven't really had need to research car bike racks until now.

I have an Allen rack on the Cherokee right now, which is stable and secure, but damages the paint and finish on bikes, I have to wrap rags around any bike I care about (or simply transport them inside). So I'd like to stay away from that brand this time around.

Any suggestions on what to look at? Thanks for any help.


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## imahawki (Apr 17, 2012)

You can get a hitch installed on a regular car too.


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## Fourtango (Mar 26, 2012)

I use a Sarris bones for my girlfriends Saturn, works pretty good and secures nicely


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## Mugochap (Nov 12, 2010)

I also use a Saris Bones 3... it fits great on both my 2008 Mustang GT and my wife's 2004 Mazda6. Both cars have spoilers and it fits without issues. The rubber feet leave little marks, but polish and wax take them right off. 

The Bones 3 fits three bikes, but I wouldn't put three mountain bikes on it. I've put two road bikes on there several times and would feel comfortable with three of those since they are typically quite a bit lighter than mountain bikes.


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## Stormwalker (Feb 23, 2011)

The car is an older high mileage car that I just picked up for 500 bucks. So I'm not worried about the rubber feet leaving marks on it or anything.

I'm also not too hot about the thought of throwing money into a hitch for the car.

Sounds like the Saris bones is the way to go. All I'd need is the two bike rack. Looks like Amazon has it for $126.


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## mestapho (Sep 3, 2011)

I feel that the Thule Raceway 9003 Platform is the best trunk rack out there. Give it a look too.


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## cman8 (Jul 27, 2011)

or get a seasucker and never have to worry what car you drive. It might be a bit more than others but well worth it IMHO


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

pick up the bones on CL for about 60 bucks if you'd like to save some money.


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## Stormwalker (Feb 23, 2011)

mestapho said:


> I feel that the Thule Raceway 9003 Platform is the best trunk rack out there. Give it a look too.


That looks like a pretty nice rack. Doesn't look very friendly for a Pugsley though. I'll probably be hauling my pug from time to time over the summer.

I also see a Thule Gateway trunk rack for a similar price to the Saris bones. Reading reviews, the Saris rack seems to have plastic screws that strip out easily. Might the Thule be a little higher quality?


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## mestapho (Sep 3, 2011)

Yeah the Pugsley wouldn't fit on a tray carrier.
I'm really happy with the quality of the Thule, but its the only 
non Walmart rack I've owned so I can't really compare it to anything.

The thing with the Bones and Gateway type carriers is that they really
don't work well with most modern FS bikes. The arms don't fit under the
top tube because of the shapes of most bikes, so you end up using one
of those adapters that connects to the stem and seatpost. I didn't feel
comfortable with that because I have a dropper and didn't
like hanging my bike from it while driving down the road.


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## Stormwalker (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't have any FS bikes. I'll be buying a 29er hopefully sometime this week. My wife's bike is typically too small for most racks, so I have one of those bars that attach to the bike so it can go on the rack.

Ordered the Thule.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

CBRsteve said:


> I also use a Saris Bones 3... it fits great on both my 2008 Mustang GT and my wife's 2004 Mazda6. Both cars have spoilers and it fits without issues. The rubber feet leave little marks, but polish and wax take them right off.


Wax doesn't take off scratches, it can hide them sometimes. Give it a little time though, the scratches will get worse and the wax won't help anymore. This from experience.


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## Country Cat (May 21, 2012)

Do the trunk mount racks mess up the paint on cars (in general). I just found one at my inlaw's, just got back into riding and need to rack the bikes up soon. I installed a hitch on my car but can't use it for bikes, so I need to make something work on the trunk.

Thanks (First post btw)


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

ya, sure, of course they do. you can d a jillion things to try to make it NOT mess it up, but it's going to happen. i put pieces of "clear" grip tape on my car where the rubber feet and the straps touch to keep the feet from scuffing the paint. but, you know, you can see those pieces all the time. okay for me, bc my car is not pretty. if I had a pretty car, i would buy "helicopter tape" and put it on my trunk where the pads and straps touch. it would probably be nearly invisible, and do a good job of protecting the finish.


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## TenSpeed (Feb 14, 2012)

Country Cat said:


> Do the trunk mount racks mess up the paint on cars (in general). I just found one at my inlaw's, just got back into riding and need to rack the bikes up soon. *I installed a hitch on my car but can't use it for bikes*, so I need to make something work on the trunk.
> 
> Thanks (First post btw)


Curious as to why? Are you towing or hauling something else that will prevent you from using the hitch? I would definitely aim more towards a hitch rack than a trunk rack. Had a Saris Bones 3 on my wife's Nissan Rouge. It did a lot of damage to the paint, which neither of us were happy with. I took preventative measures, but it still happened. Now I will only go with a hitch mounted rack.


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## Country Cat (May 21, 2012)

I pull jetskis with the hitch, otherwise I would use it. I might still use it at times when the skis aren't hooked up, but most of the time they are. I was thinking of throwing the bikes on the trailer too, I would have to get creative though.


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## ClaytonOregon (Jun 3, 2012)

cman8 said:


> or get a seasucker and never have to worry what car you drive. It might be a bit more than others but well worth it IMHO
> 
> That would scare the poop out of me.


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

Oh, sheesh, tray mounts crossways in front of the jet ski winches. no brainer.

Or, bolt the upright piece of a normal bike rack to one of the trailer crossmembers.


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## Mugochap (Nov 12, 2010)

Jayem said:


> Wax doesn't take off scratches, it can hide them sometimes. Give it a little time though, the scratches will get worse and the wax won't help anymore. This from experience.


It's not scratches, otherwise I would have said scratches... it leaves rubber marks.

Having a show car, I know a thing or two about detailing vehicles... :thumbsup:


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## spiritfly (Jul 12, 2012)

I'm about to buy trunk rack from a local store, so do they leave marks now or not?  I guess I will be taping the contact points as Bill suggested just in case.


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## mtbscott (May 11, 2005)

Maybe it's just me but I cringe a little every time I see a bike being transported on a trunk mount rack. I love both my cars and my bikes so I want a solution that won't harm the finish of the car, and that will secure the bike in a way that it is also not rubbing anything. I am currently blessed with two cars that offer OEM roofracks that are designed to fit into slots built into the cars so no rubber marks, and very secure. I have had hitchmounts in the past and only the type of racks that hold the bike in trays, never a "dangly" one. If you're not that picky about your car or bike, I guess the trunk mount can work, but please make sure you secure it well.


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## sanjuro (Sep 29, 2004)

I used a trunk rack for many years on my Honda Accord.

If you put your bike in the car 3-5 times a week, be aware that accessing the trunk is becomes an issue. I avoided using the trunk for the most part.

As for damage, the rack itself (I had a Graber Guardian, the best in my opinion), never damaged the paint, but the pedals contacting the car would. If I was careful, I could have avoided paint damage, but when you throw your bike on your car 6-8 times a week, you forget.

Only once did I ever have a bike fall off the rack. I overloaded my rack, and I did not secure the last bike on well enough (but I did have it locked, so it didn't get far). Since then, I use several extra bungies as well as the rack's own attachment strap.

As a shop employee, I've heard my share of stories about bikes falling off trunk racks, but everyone was an inattentive rider. 

I have always despised roof racks and I know many stories about garage crashes, even with careful riders. The bottom line is that riders get tired on the drive home and they forget what is on the roof.

Since my trunk rack days, I use a hitch rack, and while the most expensive and difficult to install, I have never had a problem. It also has an added feature of 5 extra feet of space from tailgaters. Only once did a tailgater try to push it, and she ended up with a nice square hole in her bumper.


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## spiritfly (Jul 12, 2012)

I plan to use it maybe once in a week or in two weeks, and my longest driving distance would be about 125 miles, driving 80mph max, and that's with caring two to three bikes.

Do you think I can have any significant problems? Any tips on what I should look out for or how to secure the bikes properly?


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

mtbscott said:


> Maybe it's just me but I cringe a little every time I see a bike being transported on a trunk mount rack.


Heh heh heh. I cringe everytime I see an empty roof rack, costing the driver 5-10% on his hwy fuel economy day in and day out. I guess we all cringe at different stuff.



spiritfly said:


> driving 80mph max, Do you think I can have any significant problems?


Speeding tickets.


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## borborpa (May 24, 2011)

I didn't lose any gas mileage that I noticed with mine. With bikes on I only lose about 10%, but without the bikes it's the same. I think I just got lucky. I do have the fairing.

Sent from my VS910 4G using Tapatalk 2


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

Yeah, it's pretty dependent on how fast you drive.


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## ferko (Jun 25, 2012)

i have a 2004 strap mount on my 96 lumina. i have a steel cable thrown inside the trunk so i dont have to worry. i just like the looks i get for having more money in bikes on the rack than the car is worth =D


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