Riding a bike in the summer morning or afternoon is a fun activity many of us enjoy. It freshens our minds as well as keeps our bodies fit.
Sometimes, carrying those bikes in your car becomes a problem. That’s when a bike rack can come to the rescue.
A bike rack basically holds your bike on the back or on the top of your car and makes sure that they won’t fall from the car. Some might think that setting up a bike rack can be hard work. But let me just assure you that it is easy as it can get.
First Thing First
Before installing a bike rack, you must decide which type of rack you want for yourself. There are different types of bike racks available in the market like roof-mounted rack, trunk-mounted racks, and hitch-mounted racks. All of them work perfectly with a hatchback or SUV car like Subaru Forester bike rack.
In my opinion, a trunk-mounted bike rack is a great option as it fits with most car models. The hitch-mounted rack requires a hitch that many cars don’t offer.
But if your car has a hitch, then you can definitely go for a hitch-mounted rack. They will offer minimum assembly time and you will be able to use the trunk too.
Now, as the most used and versatile option, the trunk-mounted bike rack will be the focus of today’s article. I will explain all the details you need to know about the installation of this type of bike rack. So, let’s start.
My Favorite Rack
Personally, I like the trunk-mounted rack the most and I recommend it to all the average riders too. Trunk mounted bike racks are the most affordable rack option in the market as this rack can be installed on many car types and with different sizes too. They are very easy to install and you can fold them up in no time. You just have to place it on your car’s hatch and attach the straps by passing it through the hatch door.
Table of Contents
7 Easy Step Bike Rack Installation
Now, I am going to break down the bike rack installation part into 7 steps that you can follow. Follow them and you will be able to set it up in a snap.
1# Make An Arc Shape: The first thing you need to do is to open the rack and make it into an arc shape. Shapes may vary as per the model. Your car type will also impact the shape. Like, for SUVs, one end mounts on the bottom side of the trunk and the other can be hooked onto the rear window.
2# Putting On Clips: The clips will help to split the trunk and rack away from each other. Just find a spot where you can easily put the clips. Do not force them in and make sure you left no clip out before proceeding.
3# Straps Strengthen: In this step, you have to make sure that you pull and tighten the straps as much as you can. This step is very important as a loose strap might cause your rack to come off of your car with your bike. Now you don’t want that, right? So, double-check this part.
4# Testing: After putting all those clips on and tightening the straps, you now have to test it. You can try moving the rack side-by-side. If the rack moves side to side with the car then you can be sure that it’s secure. If it feels loose, go back to the third step and tighten it again.
5# Putting The Load: You have done the complicated part, Congrats! You now have a rack attached to your car waiting to carry your bikes. Let’s not make it wait much longer and start loading up the bikes on it.
Let’s start by locking the bikes in place. To do that, you have to pull the arms of the bike up enough and set it in place. Those arms will be holding your road bike when you hit the road. The bike arms should look like they are at an upward angle and standing away from the car.
6# Fitting All Of Them: After locking the arms, you can now put the bike on top of the rack. Be careful not to damage your bike or car. The top of the bike should be on top of the bike rack. The weight of your bike should be distributed equally. You can put a clean rag between the rack and the bike to avoid any scratches.
7# Clamp The Arms Down: This step varies depending on the model and type of rack you have. After putting the bike in, make sure to tighten your bike on the frame with the strap. Then, fasten both the arms of your bike so that the bike won’t move. Shake it to confirm that it is fully secured.
Conclusion
A bike rack is a great accessory you can buy for your car. It will be the extra helping hand that you will enjoy having on a fine summer day.
Once you install a bike rack, portability won’t be the reason for crushing your biker dream. Now you will be able to ride as much as you want and as far from home as you want. Just make sure the rack will fit in your car before buying it.
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