How to choose the best bike rack for your car

A guide on how to choose the best bike rack for your car, number of bikes and bike styles.

If you want to be free, explore the unknown, and bike on distant roads, you need a bike rack to get you there. We know that everyone's needs are unique, and that different bike styles and different car models require different bike rack solutions. That’s why we have written this guide – to help you choose a bike carrier that fits your needs without compromise.

In this article

• Types of bike racks
• Towbar bike racks
• Trunk bike racks
• Roof bike racks
• Bike rack sizes
• Find the right bike rack for your vehicle

At Thule, there are three different ways to attach a bike rack on your vehicle. On the towbar of your vehicle, on the roof, or on the trunk. Read on to see the differences!

This category of bike carriers is perfect for families or a group of friends with e-bikes, if you want to spend time on the forest trail or experience downhill racing. If you have an e-vehicle that can’t handle a lot of weight on the roof, or if you want a super aerodynamic solution to save on fuel consumption, a towbar bike rack is an excellent choice.

Great for people who

• Have a towbar
• Want to carry multiple bikes
• Need to transport an e-bike
• Want to free up space on their roof for a rooftop tent, roof box, or other carriers
• Want to easily load and unload bikes at a lower height
• Want to carry different bike frame styles
• Want an aerodynamic solution to save on fuel or electricity consumption
• Have an electric vehicle since these aerodynamic bike racks help maximize the range of their electric vehicle

Here are some of the towbar bike racks that we recommend here at Thule thanks to their super convenient features and ability to fit with almost all bikes...


Thule Epos: This bike rack fits all types of bikes. The innovative telescopic bike attachment system lets load or unload your bikes in any order, and lets you attach bikes of all geometries on the frame or the wheel.

Thule EasyFold XT: This bike rack safely carries your bikes to a destination, but when folded it’s no bigger than a normal suitcase and can be conveniently stowed away in your car or at home.  

Thule VeloSpace XT: Developed for large and heavy bikes – such as e-bikes, fatbikes, and downhill mountain bikes – it works just as well for city bikes and children’s bikes. It can also be combined with a Thule Backspace XT cargo box for extra load carrying. 

There are three kinds of roof bike racks

• Fork-mounted roof bike racks
• Wheel-mounted roof bike racks
• Frame-mounted roof bike racks


We’ll go into more detail below regarding the differences between these types.

In general, what all roof bike racks have in common is that they are perfect for the cycling enthusiasts who are heading for the road, MTB trails or the gravel path, with a road bike or a cross country bike.

While these styles require that you have roof racks on your car, roof bike racks are great for sedans and smaller SUVs with a lower loading height or car models that do not have a towbar or hitch receiver installed.

Great for people who

• Have a vehicle with a low roof height
• Want full access to the trunk of their vehicle
• Have a carbon fiber bike. The wheel and fork-mounted roof bike racks are great options that will protect your frame.
• Want to free up space on their towbar for a towbar tent, a towbar-mounted cargo carrier or other carriers

These roof bike racks attach to the fork of your bike. Simply remove the wheel and your bike can be securely attached.

Compatible bikes

• Modern thru-axle bikes (9-15mm)
• Bikes with traditional 9mm quick releases
• Carbon frames
• Carbon fork dropouts

Great for people who

• Want an iconic, sporty style that is popular with cyclists
• Need a rack that makes zero frame contact, perfect for carbon fiber frames

Recommended bike racks

Thule TopRide

These roof bike racks that attach to the frame of your bike.

Compatible bikes

• Thru-axles
• Carbon frames with Thule Carbon Frame Protector accessory (sold separately)

Great for people who

• Do not want to have to remove their front wheel
• Don’t mind a rack that contacts the frame

Recommended bike racks

Thule ProRide

These roof bike racks attach to the wheels of your bike. 

Compatible bikes

• Carbon frame
• Thru-axles

Great for people who

• People who want zero frame contact, perfect for carbon fiber bike frames
• People who do not want to have to remove their front wheel

Recommended bike racks

Thule UpRide 

This category of bike racks is perfect for cyclists who ride less often, who don’t have a towbar on their car or don’t want to lift the bike up on the car roof.

This style of racks can transport 1 to 3 bikes, are foldable, and store easily when not in use, which makes them a great option for cyclists who ride infrequently or have limited storage space in their garage or home.

Great for people who

• Do not have a roof rack, towbar or hitch receiver and don’t want to install one
• Use their towbar or hitch receiver for other sports carriers
• Want easy installation and removal
• Want a bike rack with a wide variety of vehicles – check the car selector on the website to see specific vehicle fit

• Thule OutWay Platform: This robust and secure trunk bike rack can be installed in seconds with no assembly required. The raised platform design makes sure that the rear lights and license plate are visible at all times.

The type of bike rack you want to choose also varies depending on how many bikes you plan on carrying. For example, since roof bike racks carry bikes on the roof of your car, you are limited on how many you can bring with you.

All of the bike rack types are perfect for 2 bikes. If they’re light and easy to lift, you can even use two roof bike racks. For heavier bikes, you might appreciate a bike rack on the trunk of your car so that you don’t have to lift the bikes so high.

If you’re carrying three bikes, there are hitch or towbar bike racks that can carry all three, or even trunk bike racks that can handle the weight.

Some bike racks also have the ability to be extended. Thule VeloCompact for 3 bikes, for example, can be extended to a 4 bike carrier. This leaves open the possibility to add yet another bike, if needed.

If you want to carry four bikes, a 4 bike hitch rack or towbar bike rack is the best option. If you have a tiltable bike rack, or a rack with swingaway technology, then you can have access to your trunk even with the bikes loaded.

Once you have decided what kind of bike rack you want to purchase, it’s time to see if it fits your vehicle or your roof racks. The roof bike racks will need to fit your roof racks. To see compatibility, head to the roof bike rack page and click “Select roof rack”.

For trunk bike racks you will need to see vehicle compatibility. To do this, head to the roof bike rack page and click “Select vehicle”.