Bike Racks
The Best Bike Racks Without a Hitch
Most cars in America have no receiver. These are the two routes that work anyway, and the trade-offs are genuinely different.
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No hitch is the normal case, not the awkward one. Two routes work.
A trunk rack straps to the back of the car, costs the least of anything here, and stores in a closet. Its cost is contact: straps and feet press on paintwork, and bikes hang by their top tube, which suits some frames and not others.
A roof carrier needs crossbars, so it is the more expensive route unless you already have them. In exchange nothing touches the paint, nothing hangs by the frame, and you can still open the trunk. The price is lifting a bike over your head and remembering it is up there before you drive into a garage.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up below. Scores are our editorial judgment on published specifications — not a star rating, and not a product we claim to have tested.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Saris Bones EXInjection-molded legs shaped for hatchbacks and spoilers, and no metal part touches the car. | Best trunk rack, best for hatchbacks | 7.7 | |
| 2 |  Thule OutWay Hanging 2Thule's strap-on rack — more hardware and better pads than the budget end, for cars where a trunk rack is the only option. | Best-built trunk rack | 7.5 | |
| 3 |  Allen Sports Deluxe 102DN-RThe long-running budget trunk rack. It works, it costs very little, and it asks you to be careful with the straps. | Cheapest way to carry two bikes | 7.1 | |
| 4 |  RockyMounts BrassKnucklesClamps the front wheel and never touches the frame — the right answer if you already have crossbars. | Best roof carrier | 7.4 | |
| 5 |  Thule UpRideFront-wheel clamping with a wide fit range, including fat tires and unusual frames. | Roof carrier for awkward frames | 7.7 |
Prices checked November 11, 2026. Product photographs come from Amazon and are refreshed with the prices. Affiliate disclosure.
#1 · Best trunk rack, best for hatchbacks
Saris Bones EX
Injection-molded legs shaped for hatchbacks and spoilers, and no metal part touches the car.
- Type
- Trunk rack, up to 3 bikes
- Construction
- Injection-molded, no metal-to-paint contact
- Fit
- Shaped for hatchbacks and spoilers
- Storage
- Folds flat
What works
- The molded frame means no metal touches paint anywhere
- Leg geometry designed around hatchbacks and rear spoilers
- Genuinely holds three bikes, which most trunk racks pretend to
- Folds flat for storage
What doesn’t
- Bikes hang by the top tube — awkward for step-through and full-suspension frames
- Blocks the trunk while loaded
- Straps need re-checking on every trip
Our scoring
7.7overall
#2 · Best-built trunk rack
Thule OutWay Hanging 2
Thule's strap-on rack — more hardware and better pads than the budget end, for cars where a trunk rack is the only option.
- Type
- Trunk rack, 2 bikes
- Mounting
- Strap system with padded contact points
- Security
- Integrated locking available
- Storage
- Folds
What works
- Better pads and strap hardware than budget racks
- Locking options built in rather than bolted on
- Thule's spares network means straps are replaceable
What doesn’t
- Two bikes only
- Costs more than most trunk racks
- Same top-tube hanging limitation as all trunk racks
Our scoring
7.5overall
#3 · Cheapest way to carry two bikes
Allen Sports Deluxe 102DN-R
The long-running budget trunk rack. It works, it costs very little, and it asks you to be careful with the straps.
- Type
- Trunk rack, 2 bikes
- Mounting
- Straps
- Arms
- Folding carry arms
- Price
- The lowest here
What works
- By far the cheapest route to carrying two bikes
- Simple enough that there is nothing to go wrong
- Folds small
What doesn’t
- Minimal padding — clean the contact points and check them
- No locking
- Bikes touch each other unless you use a spacer
Our scoring
7.1overall
#4 · Best roof carrier
RockyMounts BrassKnuckles
Clamps the front wheel and never touches the frame — the right answer if you already have crossbars.
- Type
- Roof tray, 1 bike
- Clamping
- Front wheel, frame-free
- Needs
- Crossbars
- Wheel removal
- Not required
What works
- Nothing contacts the frame, which suits carbon and odd tube shapes
- No wheel removal — the bike goes on complete
- Trunk and tailgate stay usable
- Stainless straps fit square, round, factory and aero bars
What doesn’t
- You are lifting a bike above your head
- Needs crossbars, which is a significant cost if you have none
- Lock cores are sold separately, so it arrives unlockable
- Garage clearance becomes a live issue
Our scoring
7.4overall
#5 · Roof carrier for awkward frames
Thule UpRide
Front-wheel clamping with a wide fit range, including fat tires and unusual frames.
- Type
- Roof tray, 1 bike
- Clamping
- Front wheel arm, frame-free
- Needs
- Crossbars
- Fit
- Wide wheel and tire range
What works
- Handles fat tires and full-suspension frames without adapters
- Frame never contacts the carrier
- Quick to load once the arm is set
What doesn’t
- Premium price on top of the crossbar cost
- Still an overhead lift
- One bike per carrier
Our scoring
7.7overall
Trunk or roof: how to decide
Choose a trunk rack if cost matters, if you have no crossbars, if you cannot comfortably lift a bike overhead, or if you park in a low garage. It is the pragmatic answer and it is why the category outsells everything else.
Choose a roof carrier if you already have crossbars, if your bike has a frame you do not want clamped or hung, if you need the trunk accessible, or if you are carrying an e-bike a trunk rack cannot take.
Choose neither if you can fit a receiver. A hitch is a one-off cost that unlocks the best carrying method there is — see our hitch rack picks and the full three-way comparison in hitch vs trunk vs roof.
Protecting your paint with a trunk rack
Trunk racks get a bad reputation for paint damage, and the damage is almost always grit rather than the rack.
- Wash the contact areas before every fitting. Grit under a pad is sandpaper under load.
- Check the pads themselves for embedded debris, and wipe them.
- Do not over-tighten. Tension holds the rack; crushing it does not help and does dent.
- Take it off between trips. A rack left on for three months in the rain is a rack that marks.
- Consider clear protective film on the contact points if the car is new.
More on this in do roof racks damage your car.
The frame problem with trunk racks
A trunk rack hangs bikes by the top tube. That is fine for a traditional diamond frame and awkward for everything else.
Step-through and women’s frames have no horizontal top tube; full-suspension bikes have a shaped one that fouls the arms; some carbon manufacturers advise against clamping the frame at all. The fix for all three is a top tube adapter bar — a bar that clamps between the seat post and the head tube to give the rack something straight to hold. It costs little and it is the accessory most trunk-rack buyers need and do not know about.
Common questions
Will a trunk bike rack damage my paint?
Can I carry an e-bike on a trunk rack?
Do I need crossbars for a roof bike rack?
Can I carry a step-through bike on a trunk rack?
Sources
Not sure it fits your car?
Our vehicle pages carry the published roof load limit, the roof type by model year, and what actually mounts to it — cited, and honest about what the manufacturer does not publish.
Read next
Hitch vs Trunk vs Roof Bike Rack
The three ways to carry a bike, compared on cost, loading, capacity and fuel.
The Best Hitch Bike Racks
Platform hitch racks ranked on fit range, weight rating, loading and security.
The Best Roof Racks for Cars Without Rails
Clamp-on systems for a bare roof, what a fit kit does, and the honest cost of getting started.
Do Roof Racks Damage Your Car?
The three habits that cause rack damage, and how to avoid all of them.