One of the most frequent questions we get here at Basically Bicycles is “How do I put that recumbent bike on my car?” Here’s what you need to know about choosing a car rack to carry your new recumbent bike, recumbent trike or other bicycle.
Consider your needs and preferences. How many bikes or trikes do you need to carry? How do you feel about lifting your recumbent bike or recumbent trike over your head? Will you park in a garage with low clearance? Will you need to carry other gear, such as skis or kayaks, on the rack? How many passengers will you carry with the bikes?
Keep in mind that not all racks will fit all vehicles. Your choices may be limited by the make, model and year of your vehicle. Although most
recumbent bikes will fit on traditional style racks, some racks are
better suited for recumbent bikes than others. We carry racks that are
well-suited for recumbent bicycles and trikes.
Rack types
Hitch mount racks Rack are available to fit into either a 1.25 or 2 inch receiver hitch on your
vehicle.
Pros:
Easy to use.
Easy to install, once you have a receiver hitch.
Can carry multiple bikes.
Cons:
Must have a receiver hitch.
Sticks out from the back of the vehicle.
May block access to the rear door or trunk.
Roof mount racks Roof mount racks systems are
the most versatile.
Pros:
Offer flexibility for carrying
several types of bikes, plus other sports equipment with optional
accessories.
Leaves the trunk/rear door accessible.
Easy to
install.
Bikes on the rack do not touch each other or the automobile.
Cons:
Must
lift at least part of the bike onto the roof
Must remember to remove
the bikes before entering the garage
Trunk mount racks Mounted
on the rear of the vehicle, trunk mount racks are an economical choice.
Tips for choosing a carrying rack for your recumbent bicycle
Because of
the wide range of frame configurations and wheelbase lengths on
recumbent bicycles, not all racks are well-suited to carry recumbent
bicycles.
Many of the racks designed to mount on the trunk or
rear of the vehicle have holders that are made to be used with
conventional bike frames. Sometimes these holders get in the way for
recumbent bikes. Racks with simpler designs, such as the SportRack Eurotrio,
usually work better for recumbent bikes.
Look for a hitch-mounted
rack that allows you to place the wheels in the rack rather than
securing the rack by the frame, such as the Thule Sportworks Transport T2. This takes less lifting and eliminates
the problem of having the frame design interfere with your ability to
mount the bike on the rack. Many of these bike racks, including the SportRack 2EZ (pictured here), allow you to adjust
to the wheelbase of your bike and to carry bikes with differing
wheelbases.
If you are planning to
carry your recumbent bike on a roof rack, you may need to remove the
front wheel and the seat. We have roof racks that are extra long to
accommodate long wheelbase recumbent bikes and tandems, which can’t
usually be carried on standard roof racks.
Tips for transporting your recumbent trike
Since transporting a recumbent
trike can be a challenge, they are best carried on racks designed for trikes.
If you have a hatchback, station wagon, minivan,
SUV, or truck, most tadpole recumbent trikes and some delta-style
recumbent trikes can be carried in the vehicle. This may mean that you
can only have two passengers while you carry your trike.
Consider
a roof rack or a hitch-mounted rack designed to carry a trike, such as the Sunlite Recumbent Hitch Rack or an Alpaca rack, which can carry two tadpole-style trikes, such as those from Catrike.
Hitch mount racks
Roof mount racks
Trunk mount racks
Look for a hitch-mounted
rack that allows you to place the wheels in the rack rather than
securing the rack by the frame, such as the