More and more people are discovering better ways to exercise. The main reason people can’t seem to keep up a habitual exercise regimen is that most of them are boring.
Running on a treadmill for an hour while looking at the wall is not something you can endure along with the strenuous exercise.
That’s why many have turned to not only bike riding, but riding on bike trails as more and more cities are creating dynamic, beautiful parks with trails in the forest for those with mountain bikes.
But unless you live within a mile from these trails, it seems counterproductive to ride your bike to a location meant for you to ride your bike.
This is why bike racks for mounting on vehicles have become more and more popular. But the sheer abundance of options may be daunting for a first-time purchaser of such amount.
You have to consider the size of your vehicle, the type of rear access it comes with and the number of bikes you may want to transport. Some people even rent vehicles on occasion but always have their bike with them when a certain hilly trail calls.
For those who want a less-permanent and vehicle altering option, trunk bike racks may be the most ideal variation of bicycle mount for your vehicle.
Trunk mount bike racks are the most affordable type of mount on the market. It involves strapping on a frame apparatus consisting of plastic-coated support arms onto the trunk of your vehicle, most often a compact to a mid-sized car.
This is especially a preferred option for those who do not have a tow hitch attached to their vehicle. Some trunk racks even have padded and foam insulated arms to further prevent damage to your bike and your vehicle.
Almost all such racks are extremely easy to install with no small parts to account for. Proper tightening and optimal balancing adjustment are necessary before installing your bikes.
Most trunk mount styles come with a certain level of strap management, which means additional straps provided can help prevent any unintended damage to your vehicle.
The anti-sway cages are extremely effective at handling the contact between bike and car. Once this adjustment is accomplished, this style is one of the more versatile and portable options available for those attempting to exert a little effort as possible.
The main reason these types of cycle conveyance apparatus are desirable is often price. Most of these types of racks range from $40 to$140 dollars. Most typical trunk mount bike racks can easily fit in even a compact car’s trunk, and they are very easy to carry around from place to place.
This allows for greater security when not in use. There are versions of these racks that can hold up to three or four bikes at once. Some manufacturer’s quality may vary, but most construction is sturdy and durable with little to no risk of collateral damage to the bicycle itself or your vehicle.
For those who don’t have to travel very far from their home to their favorite bike trail, it is the ideal option for short transport.
Bike owners who are using a rental car or borrowing their friends ride for the day can easily mount this rack onto the trunk without risk of damaging the paint, fenders or even the occasional rear spoiler of a sports car as the frame can be adjusted to clear almost all regulation spoilers (Customized spoilers may cause a problem, but if you spend all that money are your car, you probably aren’t a trail bike rider anyway).
Trunk Mount Bike Racks: The Main Advantages:
1) First all, it is much more aerodynamic than the more traditional roof mounted rack. The bikes are situated in the back and completely eliminates any wing drag that may be caused by your bicycle.
Bikes mounted to a roof often slow a car down with both the added weight and the wind resistance two wheels sticking up in the air can cause. This, in turn, increases fuel burn and cause you to pay more for gas if you plan on using bike mounts on a regular basis.
2 ) Also, bikes mounted on the back of your vehicle allow for better overhead clearance when traversing tunnels and underpasses.
There’s nothing more frustrating than spending $200 dollars on a nice 21 speed, 29 inch mountain bike and an additional $100 dollars on a roof mount only to knock your expensive bicycle off your roof while speeding through a low-clearance parking garage or bridge as well as ripping holes out of the fiberglass of your car’s roof at the same time.
3) Another advantage this rack has over others is that it is adaptable to almost any type of vehicle, including pick-up trucks (if for some reason your truck bed is already filled to capacity with something else).
If your vehicle doesn’t come with a hitch, as is the case with most smaller cars, then a hitch mount is automatically eliminated from your range of options. Adding a hitch to a car may involve a lot of extra work and require drilling into the chassis, which may not be an affordable option just to transport your bike to the part five minutes away by car.
That’s even if your car is tow-rated, which most smaller cars are not. And there is some hitch mount that may hold a higher number of bikes but is not designed to allow access to the rear of the vehicle, like your trunk or hatchback door.
With a trunk mount, accessing the rear is as easy as slipping off the straps and removing the light frame from your trunk.
4) Additionally, roof and hitch mounts can often be much more complicated to install and involve permanent damage or alteration to your vehicle, which is just not an option if you intend to resell your car or are using a rental.
Many deal breakers on Craiglist involve an attached roof mount atop your old sedan while you try and convince a person with a more sedentary lifestyle that the mount you drilled holes into the roof for can be used for other things beside bicycles.
For bike riders who prefer versatility, lightweight construction and exceeding portability over bulkier and more complicated mounts, a trunk bike rack is the most attractive and affordable mount available on the market.
Most mounts are easily available online and have a detailed description of their prices, specifications, and features.
