9 Simple Steps – How to Put a Bike on a Bike Rack on Any Vehicle

How to put a bike on a bike rack – Bike racks are the handiest way to transport your bike when you’re going on cross-country trips, or anywhere where you’re going to be riding your bike.

Once you’ve installed a bike rack on your car you can easily mount your bike, which is especially convenient if you don’t have space for the bike inside your car- and the majority of bikes don’t have that kind of space.

They require a lot of faith, though- what if the bike isn’t properly secured and falls off? Read on for a step by step guide to securely installing your bike rack and mounting your bike. 

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Guide to Setting Up Your Bike Rack

If you follow these simple steps, you should have minimal trouble installing your bike rack- but be sure to check the instructions in the manual first, as there may be some small differences.

The shape of the rack can vary depending on the design and model, but the majority of bike racks open in a big arc. 

Adjust the tusks so they’re sitting in an upright position. Hold your bike rack quite close to the car bumper, and away from the glass. The further down you position it, the less risk there will be of damaging the car.

Next you’ll be strapping the rack to the back of the car. You’ll know which side of the rack is supposed to face upwards because of the clamps on this side. In most cases, one side will attach to the back window and the other will go against the trunk.

Attach the rack’s hooks to the part of the trunk that comes away from the car when you open said trunk- it must be spots where the bike clip attaches easily, though.

Don’t try to force the clips. Each clip should have writing on it, like ‘top’ and ‘bottom’, which indicate where they each should go. It’s important to take good care of these clips or hooks, because they’re vital to the integrity of the bike rack. 

Tighten the straps to secure the rack. This should be as simple as pulling the strap sticking out of the clip. If the clip doesn’t seem to be tight enough, you may need to replace it.

You should also be using additional straps to lash your bike rack to the car, and all that will entail is mounting the tube above the rack. This can be done with the excess straps. 

Now, your bike rack should be secure. Test its strength by trying to shake it with both hands. If it shakes, it should shake with the car, rather than on its own. This means that the bike rack is sufficiently secure.

If the rack does shake on its own, then check that every strap is correctly fastened. You may need to adjust the hooks if fixing the straps doesn’t solve the shaking problem. 

Pull up the bike rack arms until you feel them lock in place. It’s these arms that are going to be holding your bike. If they don’t click into place, you might need to screw them in.

Your next step is mounting the actual bike to the rack. Make sure you’re doing this with care, to avoid damaging your bike or your car or both. 

The top of the bike’s frame should lie against the bike rack arms. Try to distribute the bike’s weight as evenly as you can, and place a rag between the bike and the bike rack to prevent the paint from getting scratched. 

Clamp the arms of the bike rack down on the bike. Usually the arms will click into place, but you may need to use additional straps to secure them.

Again, shake the bike with both hands to make sure it’s not moving freely or making any kind of rattling or knocking sound. 

Secure and transport your bicycles properly and safely with this Ratchet Tie Down Straps

Each Type of Bike Rack

So, that’s how to install the majority of bike racks. But while the instructions will be identical or very similar for every kind of bike rack, it’s important to know the distinction between each type, of which there are three. 

Roof Bike Rack

Roof bike racks are mounted on your car’s bare roof using suction cups that can be sealed securely to most surfaces. You can mount your bike on a roof rack either with the front wheel attached, or with it off.

Taking the wheel off will decrease the height of your bike on top of the car, as well as the weight- but you may not want a bike wheel inside with you, especially if you’re returning from a cycle and it’s all muddy.

Use this 4-Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack to secure your bicycles while you transport them

Hitch Bike Rack

This is usually the most convenient bike rack, mainly because you won’t have to lift your bike overhead to mount it on the car. These racks simply slide into your car’s receiver tube, at which point you can strap in your bike.

The majority of hitch racks nowadays can be folded up against your car when not in use. Their only real downside is that, because they stick out from the back of your car, they’re essentially increasing the length of the vehicle. 

Disassemble and transport your bicycle in this Compact Outdoors Bike Transport Bag for Cars

Trunk Bike Rack

This tends to be the most popular kind of bike rack, which is why we focused on it in our step by step guide.

The main reason it’s as popular as it is, other than just being an effective way to mount your bike, is that they’re the cheapest and lightest types of bike racks available. Installation and removal is very easy.

 

Conclusion: How To Put a Bike On a Bike Rack

Installing your bike rack on your car can be stressful if you’re not completely sure how it should be done, but the vast majority of bike racks are very simple. It just depends on the type of bike rack you have.

If it’s a trunk rack then you’re hooking the rack to the opening of your trunk, if it’s a hitch rack then you’re sliding it into the car’s receiver tube, and if it’s a roof rack then you’re mounting it on the roof of the car using suction cups.