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Sturdy and dependable, these bike racks for your trunk, hitch, roof, or truck bed keep your ride secure.

If you ride your bike even semi-regularly, at some point you’ll probably want to try pedaling beyond your local streets and trails. Although it’s hard to beat riding from your front door to the trailhead and back again, sometimes driving to a ride is the only feasible way to go—and that’s where a good bike rack comes in handy.

The first step when shopping for a bike rack is to determine what type will work best with your bike and your vehicle. There are five main types of modern bike racks. Knowing a little about each will help you choose the right one for you.

➥ Hitch Racks: These racks attach to a hitch receiver—the square socket mounted under the rear bumper of many vehicles (it’s where you can insert a hitch ball for towing). Not all vehicles have hitch receivers, but they can be installed on most cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans. There are two common hitch receiver sizes for passenger vehicles: 2 inches and 1.25 inches. Before shopping, check which size you have on your vehicle and ensure the rack you buy is compatible.

Hitch racks themselves can be either a tray style, where the bike tires rest on a metal tray and an adjustable arm(s) and straps secure them, or hanging style, where the bike hangs on arms that support its frame and straps hold the bike to the rack.

➥ Trunk Racks: Trunk racks attach to the trunk or rear hatch of a vehicle using an array of straps with hooks. The hooks grab the edges of the trunk or hatch, and you cinch down the straps to give the rack a secure hold on your vehicle. Compared to hitch racks, which attach to your vehicle at one just point, getting a secure fit with a trunk rack requires some extra attention: careful setup and finessing of all the hooks and straps. In addition, those straps can loosen over time, so it’s a good idea to check them during longer drives. That said, when installed correctly, they can be very secure.

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➥ Roof Racks: As the name implies, roof racks attach to crossbars on your vehicle’s roof rack system. That’s also the catch—if your car doesn’t have crossbars, you’ll need to buy and install those before using a roof rack. Some roof racks require you to remove your bike’s front wheel and attach it via the fork dropout; others utilize a “wheels on” style with straps and an adjustable arm to secure your bike.

➥ Tailgate Pads: These are a relatively simple bike-carrying solution for pickup trucks. A tailgate pad is essentially a heavy-duty padded cover that you place over your truck’s tailgate and secure with straps. Your bike rests on top of the tailgate with the fork and wheel hanging off the back of the truck, and you anchor it in place with straps. Most pads allow you to carry lots of bikes (five or more), but they only work with pickups.

➥ Suction Cup Racks: A relatively new type of rack, these attach to your vehicle’s roof or rear window using suction cups and provide a secure anchor point for hauling a bike. Aside from using suction cups to grab onto a vehicle, these mounts carry bikes in a variety of ways, including by the front fork, by gripping the wheels, or even by gripping the handlebars.

To recommend the best bike racks, I researched the latest offerings from top brands, talked with brand reps to get more info on these products, and called in several test units to try them out myself. I also read online reviews and combined them with my own firsthand experience and product knowledge to select the racks below. I aimed to include at least one rack in each of the five categories described above. No matter what you drive or what kind of bike you ride, one of the racks below should work for you.

1UP has developed a devoted following for its well-built, made-in-the-USA bike rack designs. The hitch-mount Quik Rack Single is a good model to start with. It’s made from lightweight, durable anodized aluminum, and the tray design secures your bike using adjustable arms that grab the wheels—so it won’t scratch or mark your bike’s frame. Thoughtful innovations make it very easy to live with: An included adapter fits 1.25- and 2-inch hitch receivers, the rack tilts and folds for access to your vehicle’s tailgate or to reduce its footprint when not in use, and the adjustable hitch mount allows you to dial in the fit within the receiver so the rack stays snug and doesn't wobble.

Although it’s probably overkill for most people, if you want a hitch rack with premium features and supreme ease of use, you can’t do much better than Küat’s Piston Pro X. The struts wear a gold-colored Kashima anodized finish (the same material used on high-end mountain bike shocks) for smooth operation, the wheel arms unfold with the push of a lever, and the whole rack has an ultra-tough black powder coating. The rack tilts and folds for tailgate access and a tidier footprint when unloaded, and its generous weight and wheel capacity (up to 67 pounds and tires up to five inches wide) means it can handle beefy e-bikes without issue. The built-in LED taillights connect to the four-pin electrical plug used for trailers and boost safety, especially considering that many racks block your vehicle’s tail lights. The integrated hitch lock and 12-millimeter bike lock cable discourage theft when you step away from your car.

I own an earlier version of the Gateway Pro trunk rack, and in the four years I’ve had it, this rack has never once let me down—even while hauling two bikes from New York to Los Angeles in the middle of winter. Like all trunk racks, getting the arms and straps set up for your vehicle takes some effort (in particular, the locking mechanism for the bike-carrying arms is tough to adjust), but once you have it dialed, this rack is relatively easy to attach and remove. The latest version comes with ratcheting straps to secure the bikes—an improvement over the rubber straps on my version—and includes an integrated lock for securing bikes to the rack. More importantly, it feels rock solid once set up: The arms don’t wobble, unlike another trunk rack I tested.

E-bikes are great, but the battery and motor come with one significant drawback: They’re heavy. Loading an e-bike onto a roof rack or even a typical hitch rack can be difficult or impossible, but the OnRamp offers a convenient solution. It features a built-in ramp that allows you to roll your bike right up onto the rack—no lifting required. It also has adjustable trays to keep your bikes from knocking into each other, and the frame clamps adjust to fit just about any frame design. Better yet, the OnRamp comes with integrated bike and rack locks, a hefty carrying capacity, and it tilts out of the way so you can access your vehicle’s tailgate without removing the rack.

If you have crossbars on top of your vehicle, the ProRide XT allows you to carry your bike on the roof. The single adjustable arm works with two straps on the wheel trays to secure your bike without having to remove and store its front wheel. The arm features a torque limiter dial to help you get a snug fit on the frame, and soft pads on the claws keep them from creating dents on your bike, though paint damage is possible. This design works with all kinds of frame geometries and wheel sizes, and it won’t interfere with fenders if your bike has them. With optional accessories, you can carry fat tire bikes on this rack and lock the rack and the bike for added security.

The T2, also known as the Fox Overland, is a well-built pad that offers pickup owners a convenient way to haul their bikes. The T2 stands out thanks to its generous cushioning: Thick rectangular pads (along with Velcro straps) hug the bikes’ downtubes to keep them separate and secure, and a generous cushion on the outside of the pad keeps the bikes’ forks from rubbing the tailgate. Four straps loop under the tailgate to keep the pad stable, six straps across the top allow you to adjust the fit (especially helpful on trucks with curved tailgates), and a brushed inner liner prevents the bikes from scratching your vehicle’s paint. The pad also has removable middle sections, so it won’t block the tailgate handle and backup camera (if your truck has one). Grommets on either end allow you to lock the pad and your bikes with a cable. Make sure you choose the size that fits your truck, and keep in mind they have different carrying capacities—the pad for full-size trucks can fit six bikes, and the pad for smaller trucks fits five. Added bonus: It’s also available in an affordable half size if you only need to carry two bikes.

The Inno RT201 doesn’t fall into any of the standard bike rack categories I described earlier in this article, but it’s a great choice for pickup owners who need to haul just one bike. It consists of two adjustable clamps that mount on the side of the pickup bed. (If your truck has a C-channel rack system, get the similar RT202.) The clamps have extendable rods with straps at the ends that attach to the fork and frame of your bike. I tested this one and was impressed. Setup is easy and intuitive, and I like that the RT201 allowed me to carry my bike upright in the bed. The positioning prevented the bike from blocking my rearward view, and the rack kept it secure even while I traversed winding mountain roads. If you need to carry multiple bikes in a pickup, however, a tailgate pad is the way to go.

The Seasucker Talon is a reliable suction-cup rack for cyclists who need to transport just one bike. This rack surprised me during testing. Setting it up was easy—the vacuum pumps worked well and the cups provided an exceptionally strong grip on the rear glass of my hatchback—and despite some slight wobbling of my bike, the suction cups held firm at highway speeds and while I drove along a rough gravel road. I like that the rack utilizes three suction cups; that provides added peace of mind in case one fails (the KupperMount, a key competitor, has only one cup). One nitpick: I wish the strap securing the bike’s rear wheel was a cinching or ratcheting strap rather than Velcro. It was hard to get a snug fit around the wheel. Even so, my bike didn’t sway excessively or bounce during my testing.

If you’re on shuttle duty for your next group ride and you don’t have a pickup, the VelociRax 7 could be just what you need. This hitch rack is built to carry seven bikes by their wheels, and it can handle a wide range of models, including full-suspension MTBs, e-bikes, and kid’s bikes. With the flip of a lever, the rack lowers downward for easy loading and unloading (a hydraulic damper keeps it under control when loaded), and each bike is secured by the wheels via a metal “basket” and sturdy rubber straps. It also comes with a hitch lock and a garage mounting post for convenient storage off your vehicle. One caveat: You’ll need a buddy to help you push the fully loaded rack into its carrying position.

RW: What’s your preferred type of bike rack? Why? MC: Although I currently use a trunk rack, I prefer hitch-style bike racks. Bolting a rack to a hitch receiver feels more secure and gives me more peace of mind than using trunk racks, which attach with straps that can loosen over time. In addition, I’ve found that a trunk rack’s straps and hooks can sometimes leave marks on my car’s paint—an issue that hitch racks don’t have.

Compared to roof racks, hitch racks cause less of a fuel economy penalty when driving. You also don’t have to worry about destroying your bike if you drive under a low overhang or into a parking garage. That said, the first consideration is finding a bike rack that fits your vehicle. If it doesn’t have a hitch receiver (and you don’t want to install one), a hitch rack won’t work, and there are other good reasons to choose another type of rack.

RW: What’s one non-negotiable you have when shopping for a bike rack? MC: It has to be secure. If the rack—or the bike it’s carrying—bounces or sways while you’re driving, it’ll be distracting at best and outright dangerous at worst. Any well-made rack, regardless of how it attaches to your vehicle, should pass that test.

RW: Any tips on how to avoid damage to your bike and car when using a bike rack? MC: First, always remember to account for the size of your bike rack and bike while driving. If you’re backing up, a trunk or hitch rack (and the bikes loaded onto it) will stick out several feet behind your vehicle. Roof-style racks significantly increase the overall height of your vehicle, so make sure to avoid garages and parking decks when driving with them. Finally, it’s best to remove the bike rack and store it inside when you’re not using it. That way, you’ll spare it from unnecessary wear and tear and keep it in good working order longer.