5 Reasons Cyclists Prefer a Hitch Bike Rack for Long-Distance Travel

The decision to transport a cyclist bicycle is as significant as the selection of the route when cyclists get ready for their adventure. The hitch bike rack has become the preferred choice for cyclists who aren’t satisfied with convenient but inferior straps. Unlike roof mounted options or trunk mounted stands, a hitch mount bike rack balances all the features and you must enjoy a convenient, safe and practical drive with your bicycle. Whether you’re dreaming of the ultimate cross-country trek, a weekend trail or camping trip with your favorite bikes in tow, knowing why cyclists prefer hitch-mounted systems will help guide you in making the right choice for your next adventure.

Unrivaled Hitch Bike Rack Stability and Security

It’s all about stability when it comes to successful bike transportation long distances. Cycling several hundred or a few thousand miles puts your bikes through impressive amounts of vibrations, wind and road travel that demands everything after the mounting location be as tough as possible. A hitch mounted bike rack secures to your vehicle’s receiver and keeps a rock-solid platform under your cycles, no swaying or bouncing, as they stand at ease attention behind the stable swinging gate.

Stability and frame protection

This increased stability is absolutely crucial for long drives. Platform-style hitch racks support your bikes by the tires rather than their frames, resulting in less contact between fragile bike parts and the mounting system. This design approach secures investment grade carbon fibre frames / detailing, cherished paintwork and delicate wiring on modern e-bikes. Many cyclists have arrived at their destination only to find their bike covered in scratches, dings or worse, issues that hitch-mounted solutions largely eliminate.

Security features

Long travelers The security aspect is also an important consideration. Hitch racks feature built-in locks often hardened steel cables and combination locks to lock the rack into your vehicle and bikes onto the rack. When you need to stop for food, your hotel stay or simply just taking a break during your long journey, you can keep the bikes protected. It is very difficult to find peace of mind simply driving out into parts unknown and then back 1) alone or with a woman, children, or loved ones 2) after parking your vehicle and walking away from it for an hour or especially overnight.

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And one of the most low-key advantages of hitch-mounted solutions comes into play on long road trips: Loading and unloading your bikes again and again can be so much less stressful. Picture yourself loading your bikes when you leave home, repeating the process midway through and then unloading them at your destination. Multiply that by multiple bikes and multiple stops, and the cumulative advantage becomes clear.

Hitch bike racks elevate your bicycles to a comfortable working height, usually around waist level or higher. This ergonomic benefit is particularly welcome for cyclists of all ages and fitness levels. Older riders, as well as people who deal with back issues or anyone looking to haul multiple bikes, will love being able to load without the help of a ladder or some decent upper-body strength. This ease of access is especially important for parents carrying childrens bicycles.

The access is not limited to loading your bikes. Several platform-style hitch racks come with an integrated tilt-down or swing-away approach that enables you to open your trunk or even hatch without having to remove your bikes. On a long trip where you have to get out of the vehicle every hour when you could just hit one button and remote-open it, or if your spare is stored in the back as mine was with my built-in fridge/freezer, this becomes truly game-changing. No need to sacrifice one for the other, you get to keep all of your gear.

Superior Fuel Economy Compared To Other Mounting types

Long-distance equates to long stints on the highway so good fuel economy is a genuine financial factor. This is where hitch-mounted bike racks really come into their own. Roof racks cause a lot of drag as they make your vehicle taller and give more surface area for the wind to push against. A study has shown that roof mounted bike racks can decrease fuel economy by as much as two to twenty percent, depending on the speed of travel and type of vehicle.

Hitch-mount systems, on the other hand, sit much lower and closer to your vehicle’s own, natural airflow. A loaded hitch bike rack does contribute some weight and a modicum of aerodynamic drag, but the effect on fuel efficiency is usually only one to five percent, not bad compared to other options. This divergence becomes stark over the course of long journeys. A 2,000-mile cycling trek to a destination will make the miles spent using a hitch mount versus roof rack more easily comprehensible.

The weight also plays in favor of hitch-mounted options. A good hitch rack will add some weight to your vehicle, but they should also be far less heavy than the competition if you have one from a solid manufacturer. Trends toward new aluminum ultra-light materials means these weights are continuing to be shaved while actually gaining strength and capacity.

Compatible with Various Types of Bikes and Vehicles

Cyclists also don’t all ride the same bike, and travel logistics vary. A hitch mount bike rack is able to accommodate this diversity with more flexibility. Road bikes with skinny tires, mountain bikes with fat ones, full-suspension rigs with awkwardly shaped tubes: quality hitch racks play nice with them all.

With variations compatible with 1.25-inch and 2-inch receiver sizes, most hitch racks can adjust to whatever size of a hitch your vehicle has. That compatibility means you can move your rack from one car to another, say, from your everyday-driver sedan to a buddy’s truck for that specific adventure, without buying multiple units. For families with more than one car or for cyclists who rent cars for getaways, this flexibility provides real value.

Bike capacity also grows with you. Some hitch racks hold two bicycles, for example, while others can carry three, four, five or even six bikes. Add-on kits increase capacity without breaking the bank. This modularity allows your hitch mount bike rack to grow with you, but not become obsolete the way a bolt-together rack can.

Your Bikes and Your Car Fully Covered During Long-Distance ADVENTURES

Venturing far makes your vehicles and bikes vulnerable to many dangers. Hitch-mounted systems address a problem that those rack alternatives create or worsen: challenging low-clearance obstacles such as parking garage entrances, underpasses and covered parking structures. A rooftop rack can put your favorite bike at risk, subjecting it to wind and followed by a wallop from low-hanging branches at each street and trail head.

And traditional trunk-mounted racks, although easier on clearance, push right up against your car body, which can lead to scratches in the paint, dents and damage to your car’s trunk (particularly for longer trips where equipment vibrating against paint and shifting slightly over time equals potential marks). Hitch racks keep the paint job on the bike pristine and prevent damage to the bike frame. Rest assured that even those who have realized too late that their trunk rack is leaving scratches and dents in the place behind them had hoped all along that it wouldn’t be true.

Most importantly, riders who have spent considerable amounts of money on their bikes will admire the “watch jaw drop” factor of platform-style hitch racks. Your bicycles stay safe in the support arms with rubber cradles, even on rough highways that throw dirt, dust and moisture your way. This protection benefit alone makes the expenditure on a hitch rack worthwhile for anyone carrying bikes that cost $300 or more.

A few travelers and an extra bike or two parties

These long-range cycling vacations usually have a number of riders, bikes or both. A family putting together a biking vacation has to schlep everyone’s gear effectively. Hitch bike racks are great for situations like these. Composite A single two bike hitch rack that can hold up to four bikes using an add on extension kit. Bigger Vertical Carry Rack can carry 5 or 6 bicycles in one go readily.

This ability to fit moves the needle on group travel logistics. For those times we convene more than one vehicle or have to make hinterland decisions about what bikes to take and which ones should be left out, your crew can simply load it all up in one space-efficient system. The added security features make all bikers bikes equally secure whether you like to ride as a family or individual.

The corresponding psychological benefit of this group travel ability should not be underestimated. Cyclists who have had the anxiety of loading a bike onto a rack or bearing witness to their bicycles tossed for hundreds of miles behind an RV in what amounts to little more than having faith are now free to invest in hitch mount racks and be spared the extra haul already completed by your tow vehicle into mountainous terrain, singletrack worthy desert escapes, or picturesque Sunday park loops.

Different Kinds of Hitch Bike Racks

Choosing a good Hitch mount bike rack for long distance travel: Exploring your options will allow you to decide on the right product.

Tray racks / O tray racks

Tray racks are chosen by more serious cyclists who prefer travelling for longer periods of time. These racks only hold bikes by their tires with arms that clasp around the front wheel and rear wheel straps. This tire only contact prevents any damage to the frame, fits almost all styles of bikes, and it’s secure enough that you’ll have no worries about leaving your bikes on it unattended.

Platform racks

Platform racks are usually sold in a two-bike configuration, with add-ons ( kits ) available to carry up to four bikes. Weight limits commonly extend to at least sixty pounds per bike so they can handle e-bikes and other heavier bike models. The downside here is money, decent platform racks cost from around $500 to a thousand depending on brand and convenience features.

Vertical carry racks

Vertical carry racks, which can carry a large amount of bikes, have become increasingly popular. These mount on the handlebars, or fork crown, and keep a bike upright. Though four to seven bikes fit on vertical racks, they are much heavier and harder to stow, and need careful loading for use. They’re great for ferrying mountain bikes to trailheads, but not so much for roadies with drop bars and different frame geometries.

Top-tube hanging systems

The least expensive option is a top-tube hanging system, where bikes hang from their top tubes on stabilizing arms. However, the serious long distance cyclist tends to avoid this approach as frame contact leads to paint damage, questionable stability when compared with a platform system and that it can be difficult to make fit different styles of frame. The savings is rarely worth these limitations for more than minimal travel.

Getting The Most From Your Long-Range Hitch Mounted Bike Rack

Biking Expedition Are you planning to go on an adventurous bike tour long-distance in your wonderful car? Seasoned cyclists know these practices that maintain the health of their bike and gear while on the road.

Practical tips:

• Covers on legs help prevent cosmetic damage to the rack.
  
• Velcro straps holding bike wheels in place provide additional vibration dampening and easy-to-use sway protection, especially on bumpy back roads or during extended highway travel.
  
• The cable routing should also be paid attention to during long trips. The position of the locking cables when routed correctly and run low on the frame stops rubbing and chafing that could wear down paint or components over time.
  
• A test of your security system and a check that doors are locking correctly can provide reassurance prior to an extended departure.
  

When resting overnight on long journeys, you will have maximum security by taking expensive bikes indoors to a hotel or apartment. As even the best hitch racks only provide decent security while you drive, I simply stored it indoors when not in use when taking more extended pit stops. This is something that distinguishes casual locally & also separates “serious” long hauiling riders, respecting the fact that having to lose a bike (that shouldn’t have been stolen in the first place) to thieves really ruins an entire vacation!

Conclusion: The Smart Choice for Long-Ride Travelogue, copyrights reserved.

For riders who take their bikes to distant locations and need it to stay secure, a hitch bike rack is the best choice. The combination of stability, accessibility, gas mileage savings and security, makes them the best trailer hitch rack in the industry; HITCH LOCK NOT INCLUDED. Great for any vehicle with a tow hitch your car or minivan receives complete access to toy haulers and boat trailers!

Whether you’re going on a solo bike ride or taking the whole family, hitch bicycle racks are ideal for those who want to bring their bikes wherever they go while keeping them safe and easy to access. Ease Of Use turns bike transportation into a logistics detail and not a concern, allowing you to just enjoy your adventure.

When planning your next cycling adventure think about the ease of adding a hitch bike rack to your camper, RV or trailer. The investment in a high quality system has such strong returns; protection, ease of use and peace of mind for every mile of adventure. Whether your bikes are en route to the open road or countryside trails, they arrive at their destination in as great a condition as when you shipped them.

FAQs

How much weight can a hitch bike rack support?

Hitch racks Platform hitch racks: Usually load 35 to 70lbs per bike depending on the rack you’re using. Higher-end models will accommodate e-bikes and heavier bikes to the capacity they were designed for. Confirm the weight capacity on your rack before you load, especially if you have more than one of those heavy bikes or will be adding some extra poundage.

Can I put a hitch bike rack on any car?

You can carry a hitch bike rack using any vehicle with a receiver hitch. That goes for most SUVs as well as a great many sedans, trucks and minivans. But check the size of your vehicle’s hitch receiver (usually 1.25 inches or 2 inches) before buying, as most racks are designed to fit one size and require an adapter to work with the other.

How much does a hitch bike rack impact the fuel efficiency of my car?

Hitch-mount racks almost universally decrease fuel economy by 1 to 5%, much less than a roof rack. The effect is different depending on vehicle aerodynamics, driving speed, amount of bikes and rack variation. RW.prototype High-speed highway driving arguably exhibits more inefficient than city driving at lower speed.

Are Hitch Bike Racks Safe for Expensive Bikes?

Yes they do, plus the quality hitch racks with locks keep everything secure on an expensive bike during transport. with hardened steel cables, combination locks and contact to the bike frame, tire only mounting secures a highly-toughened system}”. Meanwhile re-enforced chain locks and secondary preventative measures will guard you during stops.

Can I lower the hitch bike rack with bikes loaded?

Many platform-style hitch racks tilt down or swing away with bikes loaded for convenient rear-of-vehicle access. But your model device has to support this feature. Always refer to your rack’s documentation to confirm tilt load capacity and operating instructions.

How much maintenance does a hitch bike rack need?

Low-maintenance Keeps hitch racks rolling along. Occasionally, check the bolts and fasteners for tightness. Hose off the rack after reaching salt water or sandy environments to prevent corrosion. Occasionally lubricate any lock mechanisms with silicone spray in order for ease of operation. Normally this is the only maintenance good racks need.

How do I avoid damaging my bike frame when transporting it over long distances?

Choose a platform-style hitch rack that touches the tires, not the frame. Guard with tape or padding between the rack arms & your fork legs. Route lock cables correctly away from painted areas. Secure wheels in place and reduce vibration using velcro straps. (that include these two practices) together offer great framing protection.