What Bike Racks are Made in USA?

My family and I occasionally like to travel to the mountains with our heavy mountain bikes placed either in the trunks of our cars or in a separate van. Last month, my friend and his family also accompanied us on our trip. When he reached there, I saw him removing his bike from a thing attached to the hitch of his car.

I had never seen something like that before. Upon asking, he said it was a bike rack he had ordered from Amazon. So, I did my research on bike racks. Stay with me if you want to know the things I found out.

I’ll start with the basics before going into the details of bike racks made in USA.

What are the Different Types of Bike Racks?

In simple words, a bike rack (bicycle carrier) attaches to the hitch or roof of your car and is for transporting different types of bikes.

In the next few paragraphs, I will explain five different types of bike racks. You can find the brief discussion on the types of bike racks down below:

1. Hanging hitch Rack

As the name suggests, this rack connects directly to a car’s hitch receiver and holds the bike’s frame instead of the tires.

2. Platform hitch Rack

It is similar to the hanging hitch because it also attaches to the hitch receiver on the car. The only difference is that the bikes remain upright on a platform.

3. Roof Mount Rack

This type of rack is relatively more stable as it uses up the roof of the car rather than the trunk. Besides carrying bikes, it can be used for anything.

4. Truck bed Rack

It is only for trucks and vans and transports bikes more safely.

5. Spare tire bike rack

A spare tire bike rack is highly convenient as it fits directly in the place of the spare tire.

I know what you are thinking, what makes the American-made bike rack worth considering? Am I correct? Without any delay, let’s discuss this.

Why Should You Buy USA-made Bike Racks?

Just like every other product, the bike racks made in USA also stand out among others of their kind. Here is how.

The USA-manufactured bike racks follow the standards provided by the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials.)

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) checks quality management systems and thus provides numerous certifications like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 9000, etc. Bike racks manufactured in the United States also have these certifications.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) standards mean that the manufacturers use approved and new parts to make a product. The bike rack manufacturers USA also follow the OEM standards.

After understanding the importance of USA-made bike racks, down below you can have a look at the things you need to consider before buying one.

Factors to Keep in Mind Before Buying a Bike Rack

Deciding on a bike rack by yourself can be difficult. So, here are some of the things you need to consider if you want to end up with the best:

1. The type of bike rack you need is out of the types I have mentioned above.
2. Appropriate hitch size that would fit the hitch receiver on your car.
3. A bike rack with a tilting feature allows hassle-free access to the car’s trunk without the need to remove the bikes.
4. Number of bikes that the rack can carry.
5. The weight-carrying capacity of the bike rack.
6. A bike rack that provides ease of loading and unloading bikes.

List of Bike Racks Made in USA

The American bike racks are designed in the same way as the cars used in America. I have listed 5 best bike racks made in USA as follows:

1. Saris Freedom Hitch Bike Rack
2. Thule EasyFold Hitch Bike Rack
3. MotoTote Mini Bike Rack
4. Rhino-Rack Bike Carrier
5. Saris Car Trunk Rack

1. Saris Freedom Hitch Bike Rack

The American-made hitch bike rack comes with a universal hitch and protective rubber holders. It can fit every type of bike like step-thru frames, kids’ bikes, tri-bikes, etc. Besides, Saris also offers long wheelbase bars if you have a longer wheelbase bike. See the latest price here.

PROS:

• Lightweight
• Easy to install
• Best for electric bikes
• Can accommodate almost all frame types

CONS:

• Not suitable for bikes with heavy tires

Company Overview: Located in Madison, WI, Saris produce biking products that make cycling easy and accessible to every rider. Their products last much longer. Plus, you get a limited lifetime warranty with their products too.

2. Thule EasyFold Hitch Bike Rack

The bike rack Thule has a greater load capacity, allowing you to carry your heavy mountain bikes on it with ease. Also, with this rack, you do not need tools to install it on your car because it allows quick and tool-free installation. For longer wheelbases, Thule can provide an additional fat bike wheel strap kit and you’ll have to pay for it separately. See the latest price here.

PROS:

• Effortless folding and unfolding
• Lightweight yet sturdy rack
• Easy to use
• Well-built hitch mount bike carrier

CONS:

• Not recommended for heavy e-bikes

Company Overview: Thule is different from all other bike rack manufacturers in the sense that they test each of their car mounts for bikes in the Thule Test Center and also in real life by the Thule crew athletes. Thus, their products are safe for you and others on the road.

3. Rhino-Rack Take 2 Bike Carrier

The bike carrier of Rhino-Rack offers a warranty of 3 years and can hold bikes including cruisers, road bikes, hybrids, women’s bikes, mountain bikes, kids’ bikes, etc. Besides, it can fit a hitch receiver of 2” and is built quite tough. See the latest price here.

PROS:

• Reasonable price for a heavy-duty rack
• Can hold 2 bikes
• Well-built with heavy gauge materials
• Quite simple to assemble and use

CONS:

• Not for an electric bike

Company Overview: Rhino-Rack believes that there is an adventurer present in each one of us and with this belief, the brand manufactures world-ready outdoor gear. Their products go well with riding in the mountains as well as going for a casual ride in the morning.

4. Saris Car Trunk Bicycle Rack Carrier

Manufactured from 100% recyclable materials, this car bike rack made in USA has an arc-based design and is the strongest frame ever created. The best part about this rack is its compatibility with 90% of the top vehicles. Moreover, it remains free from rust throughout due to the injection-molded arms and legs. See the latest price here.

PROS:

• Can easily hold up to 3 bikes
• Easy to install and remove
• Lightweight 
• Reasonable price

CONS:

• Not good for small-frame bikes

Company Overview: Located in Madison, WI, Saris produce biking products that make cycling easy and accessible to every rider. Their products last much longer. Plus, you get a limited lifetime warranty with their products too.

5. MotoTote Mini Heavy-Duty Bike Rack

This heavy-duty bike rack can carry your motorbikes, fat tire bikes, electric bikes, and dirt bikes. Also, it allows a customizable platform and innovative attachments and can hold bikes of up to 200 Ibs. See the latest price here.

PROS:

• Great as it can hold almost all sorts of bikes
• Highly stable
• Perfect for a 2” hitch receiver

CONS:

• None

Company Overview: With its launch in 1997, MotoTote had only one aim and that was to produce excellent quality and reliable bike carriers. The company is successful in doing so as its bike racks take no time to load and unload.

Craving for more information? Have a look below at Some Useful Questions and Answers.

Why Do We Need a Bike Rack?

You may think that there is no need to purchase a bike rack at all. But, you are wrong. A bike rack is important because:

• It prevents the damage your bike can do to your car
• Saves space in your car
• Allows you to easily carry your bike anywhere

Do Bike Racks Damage your Car?

Despite being an excellent invention, bike racks have some drawbacks. The only design that might damage your car is the trunk-type bike rack because metal can scratch the paint if it slips on it. Other racks like Hitch mount bike racks may distract your rearview, while roof bike racks may result in poor aerodynamics.

Do you Need a Hitch for a Bike Rack?

If you want to buy a hitch-type bike rack, then you’ll need a hitch. Trunk-type and roof-type racks don’t need hitches. You can easily install these racks without hitches.

Can you Put a Bike Rack on Any Car?

Designers have developed universal bike racks that you can use with any car, like roof-type or trunk type. If you have a hitch receiver, you should buy a hitch-type rack, but otherwise, you can use a roof-type rack or a trunk-type rack.

Conclusion:

Purchasing a suitable bike rack would save you from the hustle of carrying your bikes in a separate truck or van and the costs that come with it. It assures that your bikes are safely transported wherever you wish to take them.

Related Article: What Bicycles are Made in the USA? – An Ultimate Guide