Searching for the best bike racks for minivans is an important job that I proudly take up the challenge to do. I want to present you with as much information as possible so that you can make an informed decision.
I love my Chrysler voyager minivan, it has many features that I really adore. A minivan is a great vehicle to carry the family around to sports events, the park or to bike trail to have some regular old fun.
The most popular searches for minivan bike racks are for bike racks for minivans like the Toyota Sienna, the Kia Sedona and the Chrysler Pacifica.
The best type of bike rack for your minivan will depend on what equipment you have already and whether the hitch-mounted, roof-mounted, or trunk-mounted are the best option for your special circumstances. Which will you choose?
I did not mention storing the bikes inside the minivan, when traveling to the trail, because of the inconvenience of taking off the wheel, greasing up the interior of the vehicle with the bike chain, and scratching the interior with the bike pedals.
There may be many other reasons but I can only think of these reasons at the moment.
Finding the perfect bike rack for your vehicle will take a little thought. First you have to decide where on the vehicle you want the bike rack to be attached?
Hitch mounted bike racks for minivans
If there is a hitch for minivan on your vehicle already then it is more practical to use the hitch mount bike rack. You could try the Allen Sports 4-Bike Hitch Racks for 2 in hitch because it is highly recommended on Amazon.
Another very good hitch mounted bike rack is the Thule T2 Pro XT2 Bike Rack. It is one of the best on the market. You can view some of the amazing five star reviews on Amazon by clicking here.
I did a review of the Thule T2 Pro XT2 bike rack, you can have a look at it here where I detailed all the reasons when it is loved so much.
The Kuat NV 2.0 bike rack is another great option if your minivan already have a hitch. A full review of the Kuat bike rack have also been done for your convenience. Check our the Kuat NV 2.0 Review here.
Roof-mounted bike racks for minivans
The bike racks for minivans can be attached to the roof of the vehicle. It you need a room mounted bike rack for your minivan then this CyclingDeal Bike rack is a good choice. Another good choice where you do not have to remove the front wheel is the CyclingDeal 1 Bike Car Roof Mount Rooftop Carrier. You can find good reviews of this product on Amazon.
Roof Mounted bike racks are not my favorite place to carry my precious bikes around because it is so inconvenient to load and unload the bikes.
Because they are so high up I am the only one that can put the bikes on the roof. My wife can load it up but she has to stand on a platform.
Some bike rack will require that you take off the front wheel in order to load the bike. So imagine that you just finish the trail and need to go home.
All your friends upload their bike on the Kuat NV 2.0 but you have to first take off your front wheel, put it inside the van, then upload the bike.
Mounting the bike rack on the roof will require that you be mindful of low bridges.
It is so easy to forget that the bike is on the roof. Depending on the bike, the roof rack may be unsuitable, I sure cannot and will not put my 60 lbs bike on the roof of my dear minivan.
The space on my minivan is for me to put my roof box, we all have our little extra camping gear that we need to carry on the trip.
Trunk-mounted bike racks for minivans
The trunk mount bike racks for minivans are a good choice also but it comes with it own set of problems.
If you are looking for a good trunk mount bike rack then you can look no further than the Tyger Auto TG-RK1B204B Deluxe Bike rack if you are going on a solo journey.
The Allen Sports Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack is a good bike rack for transporting two bikes.
The Tyger Auto TG-RK3B203S Deluxe 3-Bike Trunk Mount Bicycle Bike Rack is
The Hollywood Racks F4 Heavy Duty 4-Bike Trunk Mount Rack is good if you need to transport four bikes.
Conclusion.
Now that you have some basic information about the different types of bike racks and the reasons when I prefer one over the other.
You are now able to choose the bike rack that best suits your minivan. The top of the minivan is more suitable for carrying the roof box with your extra gear.
Even though it is not suited for me that does not mean that your should not buy it if it perfectly suits your needs. The hitch mount racks are great because it helps with the aerodynamics of your vehicle.
The trunk mount bike rack prevent the try from opening when the bike rack is loaded.
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