Riding a bike can be a great way to get some exercise and spend a little time outdoors. Many people love to add bike racks to their SUVs so that they can travel to new trails and parks to go biking. However, exploring the bikes racks SUV options online can be a little overwhelming at first. The following five steps will help you make a purchase that you will be happy with.
1) Figure Out What You Want
Before you start shopping, you should think a little about what your goals are. For example, are you planning to carry one bike or eight? Will you be attaching and removing your rack each time you use it, or will it stay in place? Do you need to fit through your garage door with the rack in place?
Answering some questions like these will help you narrow down your search. As you begin to get a clearer picture, start looking at some types and designs. You may determine that a bicycle hitch rack looks like the right choice over a roof rack.
2) Ask Around
Talk to your friends and ask them what they have used. If you know a local cycling group, that is also a great place to start. Consider joining some online communities and asking around there. Recommendations from users can help to guide you in the right direction. Just remember that other people’s goals may be different than your own.
3) Watch Some Videos
As you begin to home in on a few possible choices, watch some video reviews and other examples of them in use. This will help you to get a sense of how user-friendly each rack is.
You can even watch videos from the manufacturer. Most will likely have some videos of their racks being set up and used. While you can be certain that the video will be promotional, you can still see a little of how simple the rack is to use.
4) Read Reviews
By this stage, you likely have only a few bike racks that you are considering. Check some online reviews for these racks. Don’t just look at the star rating, also read the reviews themselves. You may learn from some of the negative reviews that there is a flaw that is a deal-breaker for you. Conversely, the positive reviews may make it clear that one rack fits into your needs perfectly.
5) Buy the Rack
Once you have a single rack, it is time to buy it. There are plenty of online retailers such as AutoAnything that have numerous bike rack options available. Double-check that the model you are looking at will work for you by filtering based on your SUV.
Consider picking up some other biking accessories such as seat covers for cars that can protect against your muddy clothes. Some storage boxes for the trunk can help too.
Get Started
Start shopping for your bike rack today. With the above steps, you can be confident you will find a great rack. You could be driving to take on new trails before you know it.