The last mile to the car is a bumpy, exciting, fire road descent. The bike practically pilots itself down the hill, the suspension eating up the hits. Mud splatters across the down tube, rocks kick up behind the bike. A quick skid-stop and you come to a rest beside your car. A perfect ride.

Then the struggle begins. For the next ten minutes, the bike is twisted, pushed, and crammed into the back of your sedan, mud staining the upholstery, grease from the chainring smearing the carpet.

Obviously, it's time to get a rack.

Only for people who need to bring
their bikes . . . by bike

Rack-a-bye Baby

Unless you are fortunate enough to live in the High Sierra, with miles of single-track outside your back door, riding a bike will involve a familiar ritual of inserting long awkward bike (A) into narrow, short car (B). A rack system, whether mounted on the roof or on the rear gate of a vehicle, will make cycling more enjoyable by easing the transition from driving to riding. Rack systems are available from a number of manufacturers and at a wide range of price points. But, much like that expensive bike dripping oil all over your car's interior, you get what you pay for.

The two major players in the rack market are Yakima and Thule, though some smaller companies produce a number of systems, as do some car manufacturers. With Yakima and Thule, however, you get rock-solid racks for just about any and every car on the market, as well as accessories for every sport from skiing to kayaking.

Considerations

The essential considerations in choosing a rack system boil down to mounting location, price point, and sport needs.

Generally it's important to pay enough to get a solid rack that can grow with your needs, rather than being limited by a lack of hardware options. When driving down the road at highway speeds, the only thing protecting your bike investment is the rack. A good solid design will last years, if not decades.

If the rack is going to have to carry more than just bicycles or skis (for example kayaks, canoes, and gear boxes) then a roof rack is the only way to go. Rear, or hitch mounting systems just can't carry the range of accessories that a good rack system can.

Move on to What a Rack — Rear Mounts

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David Schloss founded and was editor in chief of GearHead.com, the award-winning bicycle Web site that blazed trails online and off. Schloss, a full-time sport and technology journalist, writes for more than a dozen magazines and Web sites, and spends as much time on his bike and in his kayak as possible. He his written for GORP about bike helmets, bike locks, bike clothes, and cycling computers.

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