Roof Rack or Trunk Rack for my Bike ?

Question

I have Trek Road and Mercury /Mariner (SUV) vehicle with factory installed Roof-Rack. This the picture of my car

http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/mariner/exterior.asp

I am interested about this (Thule 969 Thruway 3-Bike Trunk Rack) at PerformanceBike

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=23639&subcategory_ID=4412

My fear, I will lose the bike in the Interstate. Actually how safe and secure these "Trunk Racks" really are? The mount just "clips with the trunk". Are they reliable or can cause a serious multi-car accident in the Highway, from fall off? What about the Bike and Vehicle paint? Is it safe for the paint? Have you used it (Trunk Rack) without any fall off incident?

I do not have Hitch Receiver. So the other Option will left is "Roof Rack". I am 5'7", how difficult would it be to load/unload the bike from SUV roof?

Answer 1

Here's my personal experience:

1)Yakima Roof Rack ($350).

It's hard to wash the roof and even harder to load a bike on it (tried it and have scratches to prove it).I ride road and mountain, and nothin like putting a muddy bike on the roof of a 35k vehicle.

2)Saris Bones Trunk Rack ($145).

Stayed put, had no problems with bike moving, and looked cool. Scratched the c**p out of the hatch lid and bumper with pedals while loading bikes.

3)Hitch online ($100) and had it mounted it in 2 hours myself. Sportrack on e-bay ($120) http://www.sportrack.com/a30901 Very easy to load bikes and works great.

4) Divorce shortly thereafter, partly over cycling obsession.

Answer 2

You can get a hitch receiver for your Mariner for less than $150.  If you don't want to do it yourself, you can go to U-Haul and have them install a hitch for you.

A hitch-mounted rack will be a lot more solid than the strap-retained trunk rack, and it will be a lot easier to load and unload than a roof rack.

I remember answering your earlier question about roof racks.  All I can say is that my old '96 Jeep Cherokee sits lower than your Mariner, and I already have a hard time loading my Yakima roof rack on the Jeep.

Answer 3

Roof racks are very secure. However, like me you are short and have an SUV. Most people don't like this set-up as it's difficult to put the bike on and take it off.

I don't like trunk racks but have used one on occasion. If you will use the rack only a few times a year and want to go cheap - this is the way to go. I never had a proplem with using one.

That leaves hitch racks. If I was to use one on my Explorer, this is what I'd get. A hitch installed would run about $100 (check around) and a rack on sale about that too. A roof rack would likely cost $200+ so the cost is similar.

Answer 4

Hello,

You're looking at a good brand of bike racks (the Thule model) so as far as it damaging your vehicle or falling off it will be up to you. By that I mean you shouldn't have any issues whatsoever as long as you install the bike rack correctly and according to the instructions. Every trunk bike rack that I have seen/used has a rubber coating or a thick durable paint coating on the hooks that mount it to prevent scratching the vehicle and to prevent vibration/noise. Anyway though, the trunk rack sounds like the best solution for you as you're 5'7'' which would make loading and unloading your bike off the roof pretty difficult on your vehicle unless you use a wheel step like the ones found here: http://www.discountramps.com/copperhead-...

Answer 5

I have a trunk rack, but I don't really trust it for high speeds or long distances.  I've never had a problem with it coming loose, but I only use it if I need to take my bike to the shop, or if I want to go to a nearby MTB trail.  I use it on a Cavalier that already has a lot of scratches, so I'm not too worried about the paint, but I do think it would cause damage if I used it  a lot.  A bike on a trunk rack would be very easy to steal, so I wouldn't put a bike that I'm very proud of on it.  Just cut the straps and a theif could be gone in seconds.  A real concern with the roof rack is how tall those bikes make your vehicle.  That could cause some real damage if you forget about the bikes on the roof and drive under a low-hanging tree limb, power line, garage roof, etc.  A small stepstool would make it easier to get the bikes up there.  I think the best option is a receiver hitch rack.  It's expensive, and heavy, but it is also very secure, lockable, and you can use the hitch for towing if needed.

Answer 6

Sorry I can't give you a direct answer to your question, but maybe this will still help... I've found Amazon to be really helpful with product reviews.

I didn't find the exact model # you're looking at, but you might want to take a look at this:  

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00...