What Material Is Best For Bike Racks For Cars? Tips Choosing

What material is best for bike racks for cars? When you need a bike rack for cars, choosing the right material is essential. While price is an important aspect, you also need to consider your lifestyle and the size of the bike you are thinking about transporting.

As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links in this website’s posts from Amazon and other third parties.

Bike racks for cars are a popular accessory that allows cyclists to safely transport their bikes from home to their destination. According to the League of American Bicyclists, there are over 50 million bicycle commuters in the United States.

Car bike racks are a necessity if you lead an active lifestyle. 

The bike rack manufacturer Thule estimates that nearly 10% of all cars sold in the United States have bike racks.

Despite their popularity, choosing a bike rack for a car can be confusing. 

Here are the three most invaluable things to look for when you are choosing a bike rack for cars:

1. Size of the bike

The most important factor is the size of the bike, as you are going to need a rack that will hold all your bikes securely. The size of bikes can vary, but there are a few rules you should stick to. 

Bikes with 16-inch wheels or smaller ones are the most basic bikes. They can usually be folded and transported on the back of most cars. 

Bikes with a 17-inch wheel and smaller are intermediate bikes. These are slightly larger bikes that you can also fold easily onto a bike rack. 

Bikes that are 18 inches and bigger are larger bikes that are typically not folded. 

2. How simple is the installation

The next thing that you should look for when you are buying a bike rack for cars is how simple the installation is. You want to make sure that it is not too hard to install and that there will be a person to help you install it.

3. Material of the bike rack of the car

The third most important thing to look for when you are choosing a bike rack is the material. 

The six best materials for bike racks for cars that are mostly used:

1. Aluminum,
2. Steel,
3. Plastic,
4. Fiberglass,
5. Wood,
6. Steel wire.

Each material has its advantages and disadvantages. So, always choose a material according to the use you are going to put the bike racks for cars.

But among the six only three of them are more common and are handier in the construction of bike racks: aluminum, steel, and plastic. We will examine these three materials in this post since almost nobody buys and use the other ones.

What material is best for Bike Racks for Cars? – The most useful and common materials:

1. Aluminum bike racks for cars

Aluminum is the material most manufacturers use in the bike rack industry. Although it is very strong and relatively lightweight which makes them easy to move, aluminum can corrode over time when exposed to moisture. Aluminum bike racks except lighter are also simpler and cheaper. 

2. Steel bike racks for cars

Steel is heavier than aluminum. However, it is stronger and more corrosion-resistant than aluminum. Steel is the most durable material in bike rack construction. It can resist corrosion and is sturdy enough to handle the weight of most bicycles. 

Steel bike racks work great in warmer climates but don’t perform as well in colder climates as aluminum bike racks do. They’re also not as durable and stable as aluminum bike racks.

3. Plastic bike racks for cars

Plastic is the lightest material in the bike rack industry. However, it is less durable than aluminum or steel.

Plastic racks for car trunks are the least expensive and easiest type of bike rack.

They are easy to store, but they’re not as sturdy as other types of bike racks.

Plastic bike racks are the cheapest and easiest type of bike rack. Plastic racks for car trunks are the least expensive type of bike rack.

What to look for when buying a Bike Rack for a Car?

When you’re shopping for the best bike rack for cars, there are several important factors to consider regarding their materials:

• Is the material durable?
• Is it easy to install the bike rack?
• Does it fit your car?
• Does the material stand up to wear and tear?
• Does the material hold its shape?
• Is the material weather resistant?
• Is the material easy to clean?
• Is the material safe for children and pets?
• Does the material prevent bikes from slipping?
• Is the material safe for bikes?
• Does the bike rack support the needed weight?

Conclusion

In this post, we examined the advantages and disadvantages of each of the Bike Carriers for Car materials.

In a few words, Aluminum is lighter than steel, so it’s a popular choice. Steel is also lightweight, but it tends to rust. Plastic can be clear or colored but although it’s heavy, it is virtually unbreakable.

What Material is Best for Bike Racks for Cars? The answer is: Steel is the best, which is fairly weighted, safer for the job, durable, and affordable in price.

It is also the most popular material used in this industry. In other words, you can find far more bike racks that are made from this material.

We hope this article has been helpful! Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.