While road trips are fun, nothing beats hitting the trails with your bike for a day. Once in a while, every bike enthusiast wants to explore new terrains, hit new spots, and enjoy the feel. However, at times the trails you wish to visit are too far away to ride there. Instead, you would rather use your car to transport your bike utilizing car safety and then enjoy the trail once you get there.

Ways to safely transport your bike with your car.

While your car can help you transport your bike to your desired spot, it is also crucial to ensure safety for both your car and bike. Here are five ways you can transport your bike with your car.

1. Using a roof rack

Mounting a roof rack, even on a sports car, is one of the most popular ways of transporting a bike. There are two primary options for bike roof racks: one that can carry your bike without removing the front wheel and one that requires you to remove the front wheel. With the front wheel removed, the racks have a front fork grabber to secure the bike. Using a roof rack leaves space in your car’s interior for passengers and other luggage and allows you to access the trunk freely.

 It is also the most stable and secure way to mount a bike on your car. However, getting the bike on a roof rack will require stretching and reaching, and the wind resistance might also affect your gas mileage. Ensure you also learn the different ways to fix roof rack to prevent whistling and wind noise

2. Using a trunk rack

A trunk rack is one of the easiest ways to haul a bike with your car, especially when you don’t want a permanent rack mounted on your vehicle. Trunk racks are cheap and easy to swap between your bikes and cars. And while most might ask, are rear bike racks illegal? The truth of the matter is that rear bike racks are legal.

3. Mounting the bike on your truck bed

A truck’s primary purpose is to carry stuff, so it’s natural to want to haul your bike on your truck bed. While you can simply leave the bike in the bed unsecured, it will likely shift around and get damaged while you drive. Fortunately, there are a few ways to carry your bike on a truck bed.

One was is by using a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) bike rack. A DIY method allows you to make a bike rack for your truck bed using PVC pipes. While it might not look as grand as commercial options, it secures your bike and saves you money.

Using bungee cords or soft straps is another alternative. One of the most affordable but reliable ways to carry a bike on your truck bed is by strapping it down with bungee cords or soft straps. Securing your bike’s front and back will keep it from bouncing around while you drive and get it to your destination in one piece.

4. Using a hitch rack

According to Velosurance, you can also install a hitch rack into the tow hitch receiver at your vehicle’s rear. Unlike trunk racks, most hitch racks can carry multiple bikes, making them ideal for a family getaway. Some hitch racks secure your bike by hanging it in plastic or rubble cradles, while others allow you to load the bike onto a wheel-rail and lock it into place. Hitch racks are easy to install and can be swapped between cars and bicycles. They are also easy to load, with some models allowing you to access your trunk while the bikes are loaded.

5. Using your spare tire racks

Some vehicles come with a rack on the trunk to mount a spare tire. According to Erie Insurance, this can be a safe way to haul outdoor gear, including bikes. There’s a wide variety of spare tire racks, but they work the same as trunk racks. Most of them allow you to mount the bike on top of your spare tire, which is a challenge for trunk and hitch racks. In addition, these tire racks allow you unimpeded access to your trunk, even when the bike is mounted.