Which bike carrier rack would you recommend?

Question

To transport 4 bikes attached to a minivan.

Answer 1

buy a hacksaw from any harware shop.... cut all four bikes up into lil pieces, be care ful, you want to put each bike into a seperate box so you dont get bits mixed up..... then when you get to your race take all the peices out of the box and uses duct tape(from any hardware store) and tape it all back together!!! trust me it might work!!

Answer 2

Your local bike shop and/or REI store are great places to go for a rack.  They should be able to explain all the ins and outs of how to carry your particular bikes on any given rack system.

In addition to what Paul M says, you may want to consider the following.

Hitch racks largely hold the bikes behind the vehicle out of the airstream.  Thus, you might get slightly better milage with a hitch rack.  Carefully, examine how the rack holds your bike, though.  Some allow easy mounting of bikes and hold securely.  Others are kind of tough to use.  If you need to get into the back of the van while the bikes are on the rack, make sure it will fold down, but don't expect it to be entirely out of the way.  Yakima, Thule, Saris all make pretty good hitch racks.

Roof racks get the bike entirely out of the way of your rear door, but put them right into the air stream.  This will knock several miles a gallon off your milage.  Depending on how high your minivan is, and how tall you are, it may be tough to get the bikes on and off the roof.  (You may need to carry a small stepping stool with you.)  The good news is a variety of mounts are made to hold any and all types of bikes incredibly securely.  Plus, as Paul M mentions, there are no end of options and attachements for roof rack systems.  If you need a flexible cargo system, a roof rack is the way to go.  Take a look at Yakima and Thule.  Saris also makes nice mounts that will fit your Yak or Thule rack.

Trunk racks are the least expensive option, but are a huge pain to use.  For one, they will tear up the paint on your bicycles as you get them off and on the rack.  The straps will also tear up the paint on your car.  Unless you get the straps incredibly tight, they will vibrate in the wind and make lots of noise.  

Most trunk racks are made for 2 or 3 bikes.  You may be able to find a 4 bike rack, but I've never actually seen or used one.  

Most truck racks are made to accommodate adult sized road bikes.  To get kids bikes, mountain bikes, etc. on a trunk rack requires a lot of creativity and coersion.  Due to the weird positions you wind up hanging the bikes, the number of bikes you can get on the rack may be limited.

Forget about getting in and out of the back door of the van when you have the trunk rack mounted.

It might sound like I hate trunk racks and, in fact, I do.  Nothing has eased my life like getting a roof rack.  On occasion, though, I need to haul more bike than my roof rack will accommodate.   Out comes the dreaded trunk rack and (in its own ugly fashion) it serves its purpose.  

If you want a trunk rack, I'd go to your bike store (and/or REI) and take a look at the trunk racks they stock.  Tell them what types of bikes you need to haul and carefully question if and how you can get 4 bikes on the rack.  Buy only after making a careful decision.

Anyhow, I hope this helps with your decision.

Answer 3

The standing racks like the Thule T2 can be expanded to carry 4.  It's expensive though.  The hanging hitch racks say they hold 4, bit it's really hard to get 4 bikes on it.  If there's enough room in the minivan, put one bike in there and 3 on the hanging hitch rack.

Answer 4

trailer hitch racks are pretty nice, but you need a hitch, they are sturdy and secure. but you cant open the rear hatch with the  bikes on. $150-250 for the rack. $150-200 for the hitch (if you dont have one)

roof racks are great but can be costly ($300-500) also they can be difficult to get on and off. the accessories are nearly endless with roof racks, boxes, ski, kayak racks etc, this all will add in cost. look for brand names like yakima or thule

hatch racks are cheaper ($75-200). they strap to your rear hatch with straps. they are less secure than roof or hitch racks but are much cheaper. look for names like saris. it seems they make pretty nice hatch racks. also you cant open the rear hatch with bikes on.

any way there are lots of options and cost differences. it all depends on how much you plan on transporting and what your budget is. also you can check craigslist.org for used stuff.

good luck hope this helps/