Mountain bikes are different from regular bikes. They are designed for adventure. That’s why you wouldn’t want to leave them back home when you’re going on your next camping trip or hike.
But to carry them on top of your vehicle can be a hassle. Especially if you’re doing it for the first time. You’d need the assistance of equipment called a roof bike rack.
Since you’ve searched and found this article already, you probably know what a roof rack is. But what kind of roof rack would be the best match for your mountain bike? What are the aspects you should be looking out for when buying one?
In this article, you’ll find all that. And… a bunch of relevant information that might come in handy for you in finding the best roof rack for mountain bikes. Keep on reading!
Best Roof Rack for Mountain Bike – Quick Chart
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | KEY FEATURES | price |
|---|---|---|---|
Top Pick | Thule UpRide Roof Rack |
| |
 | YAKIMA Roof MTB Rack |
| |
 | Rhino Rack MTB Rack |
| |
 | CyclingDeal Roof Rack |
| |
 | ROCKBROS Suction Roof Rack |
| |
 | Thule OutRide Bike Rack |
| |
 | RockyMounts Roof Bike Rack |
|
Top-Rated Roof Racks for Mountain Bikes – My Picks
To be honest, you’ll find numerous roof racks for your mountain bikes if you open up Amazon.com or any other online shopping website. However, not all the racks are meticulous enough to take care of your bike. Sure, they’ll claim to be the best in the business. Very few of them are. Let’s take a look at some!
1. YAKIMA FrontLoader Wheel-On Mount Upright Roof Rack for Mountain Bike
- Material: Carbon Fiber
- Dimensions: 56.5″ x 8.5″ x 10″
- Item Weight: 18 lbs
- Bike Capacity: 1
- Load Capacity: 40 lbs
- Brand: YAKIMA
The YAKIMA FrontLoader is an upright bike carrier that sits on top of your vehicle, securing your mountain bike onto it. Meaning, it would hold your bike in an upright position on top of your vehicle.
But it’s actually a lot more than that. It’s an aerodynamic bike rack. Simply put, It’s aerodynamically designed to be almost zero weight and takes up almost no space on top of your vehicle while doing its job that is holding your bike firmly into place quite amazingly. How? We’ll get to that in a bit.
Let’s take a look at the thing first. What I liked most about this carrier was its versatility. It can carry basically any type of bike virtually, not just mountain bikes. By any type of bike, I mean literally any type of bike. Including the ones that have disc brakes, thru-axles, and even full suspensions.
You won’t even need to remove your bike’s wheels to set it up. Neither is it required to have direct contact with this rack. Just load your MTB onto this fully assembled rack, and you’re all set to go.
Apart from holding your MTB secure without any hassle, the added benefit of this construct is that it protects any customized paint job you might have on your cycle.
When it comes to keeping your bike secure and protected, it’s got what you can call a two-factor authentication of bike racks to ensure your bike’s safety. The revolutionary 2 SKS (Same Key System) locks will lock your bike to the mount as well as the mount to the base of the rack.
The locks are sold separately, and it is recommended that you get them too, if you’re buying this rack for your MTB.
There ARE a few things that you need to keep in mind when setting this roof rack up. Firstly, the spread of the crossbar must be of an area that measures between 16 to 48 inches. It can hold up to just one bike. So, if you’re carrying more than one, you should go for the ones that can carry multiple bikes.
The maximum weight capacity of this rack is 40lbs, while the rack itself weighs around 13.00lbs. Super lightweight, right? It can hold bikes that have wheels between 20 to 29 inches in diameter, and tires that are up to 3 inches thick in width.
The tray rack design of this hitch mount allows it to provide more spacing between bikes by tilting and swiveling out of the way when it’s loaded.
The design also makes it easier for you to access your vehicle’s trunk or hatch without having to remove the bike from the rack first. Installing this rack is also super easy, as it requires no tools at all.
How To Set It Up:
- Set the cross bar according to your bike’s tire size.
- Place the bike rack on top of the cross bar.
- Twist the turn knob on the side of the rack to loosen it up and then adjust it onto the cross bar into a secure grip.
- Adjust the underbar bracket accordingly.
- Once the rack is locked securely on top of the bars, rotate the front hoop of the rack up and over to create an entrance for your bike.
- Set the bike up into a secure position on top of the rack.
- Spin the red knob to adjust the grip the rack has on the bike.
- Secure the rear wheel using the rear wheel strap of the rack.
- Wait till you hear it click.
Voila! Installation complete!
2. Swagman UPRIGHT Roof Rack For Mountain Bike
- Material: Aluminum
- Dimensions: 3″ x 8″ x 34″
- Item Weight: 5 lbs
- Bike Capacity: 1
- Load Capacity: 35 lbs
- Brand: Swagman
Swagman was one of the first companies in the world to design, manufacture, and market a hitch-style bike rack back in the ‘90s. Since then, they have been making bike racks and gears, and accessories for automobiles while still remaining one of the leading brands in the industry.
The name of this product has the word ‘Swag’ in it, and it goes without saying that the bike rack itself is full of swag. Especially if you’re a fan of sleek minimalistic stuff like I am, you’d fall in love with this one at the first hike.
The feather-light, sleek, and stylish bike rack could just turn out to be the best bike rack for a mountain bike you ever purchase. I’m not exaggerating. See for yourself.
One of the best aspects of this roof rack is its versatility. It can fit almost every kind of crossbars out there. Round, square, oval? Name any kind of crossbars, this baby has it all covered. Just one thing. The width of the crossbars needs to be 3” max, then it’s good to go.
The motto of this brand is, “Ride, paddle, explore: seek your adventure“, referring straight to the purpose of the products they produce. To put it simply, this rack is made for mountain bikes. It yearns for them. The maximum weight capacity of this rack is 35lbs per bike. That’s pretty decent and fits the weight category of most mountain bikes out there.
The security offered by this bike rack is pretty tight. It locks down the wheels of your MTB to the crossbars with the help of their tie-down straps.
On top of that, there’s the locking feature that locks the bike securely to the rack. Whether you’re on the road or parked somewhere, you can rest assured about the safety of your bike because it’s got a locking system with keys.
The rack is super easy to assemble. It requires no tools and no removal of your mountain bike’s wheels. Just follow the instructions and install it in a matter of minutes.
How To Set It Up:
- Set the cross bar according to your MTB’s tire size.
- Place the bike rack on top of the cross bar.
- Twist the turn knob on the side of the rack to loosen it up and then adjust it onto the cross bar into a secure grip.
- Adjust the under bar bracket accordingly.
- Once the rack is locked securely on top of the bars, rotate the front hoop of the rack up and over to create an entrance for your bike.
- Set the mountain bike up into a secure position on top of the rack.
- Spin the red knob to adjust the grip the rack has on the bike.
- Secure the rear wheel using the rear wheel strap of the rack.
- Wait till you hear it click.
Just like that, you have successfully installed the rack onto your car and your bike onto the rack.
3. CyclingDeal Alloy Car Roof Bike Rack For Mountain Bike
- Material: Aluminum, Metal
- Dimensions: 50.79″ x 7.09″ x 13.39″
- Item Weight: 12.3 lbs
- Bike Capacity: 2
- Load Capacity: 66 lbs
- Brand: CyclingDeal
The CyclingDeal Alloy car roof bike carrier really serves up to its name. It takes its business seriously and performs as a strict, no-nonsense bike rack whose sole purpose of existence is ensuring your mountain bike’s safety while you hit the roads in your car.
If you’re looking for a lightweight bike rack for carrying multiple mountain bikes, this is the one for you.
Made by CyclingDeal, one of the most trusted manufacturers of bike racks in the industry. this baby also happens to be one of the lightest ones out there in the market. Weighing just 12.3 lbs, this little monster has the power to hold onto bikes as heavy as up to weighing 66 lbs. Quite the surprise, this one is.
To ensure that your bike is in good hands, or should I say, claps, it’s equipped with adjustable down tube clamps that hold your bike firmly and securely in place.
Not to mention, the 2x brake tie straps and quality wheel tie-down straps. These will provide maximum protection to your bike while you hit the road. Last but not the least, the foldable arm design and the secure mounting makes it both safe and easy to mount the bike on top of your car.
Let’s take a look at its build and design. Made of the finest 6063 Aluminum, the rack turned out to be much sturdier and more durable than I expected it to be (I mean, aluminum is kind of soft, or so I thought). But this baby took me by surprise.
Despite being made from aluminum, it’s capable of bearing a maximum weight of 66lbs (almost 33 Kgs), which roughly sums up to the weight of 2 bikes, while itself being only 12.3lbs. (5.6kg). It’s an almost weightless multiple bike rack. Could this get any better?
Yes, it could, and it did. The bike rack is not only suitable for carrying more than one bike at once, but it’s so versatile that it’s compatible with just about any bike.
The maximum diameter of the adjustable down-tube clamp is 10cm/4”, which means it can hold any bike that has a wheel diameter between 20” to 29”. The maximum tire thickness compatible with this rack is 2.4”, and the maximum rim depth is up to 50mm.
How To Set It Up:
- Take the spacers for height adjustment (included with the rack) off from the rack and adjust them on the cross bars using the easy-turn knobs.
- Tilt the supporting arm of the rack up.
- Use the brake tie straps (also included) to fic the brakes of your bike firmly into one position. This will prevent your bike from rolling over from the top of your vehicle if in any case the locks get loose.
- Mount the bike onto the rack. No need to take off the wheels.
- Lock the wheels using the straps of the rack.
- Lock onto the down-tube or seat tube.
- Install the rack on one side of the roof of your vehicle for ease of reaching your bike and taking it down. If you’re mounting two bikes, it is recommended that you fit the inner bike first, then the outer one after that. This makes the installation much easier and smoother.
- Also, if you’re loading two bikes, fit them in a way so that they face opposite directions to each other. Again, this will make taking them down easier.
Tada! Now you’re all set to go.
4. ROCKBROS Suction Cup Bike Rack for Mountain Bike
- Material: Aluminum, Rubber
- Dimensions: 37″ x 8″ x 6″
- Item Weight: 5 lbs
- Bike Capacity: 2
- Load Capacity: 88 lbs
- Brand: ROCK BROS
Okay, this bike rack is quite different in terms of design from the ones we talked about so far. The first difference, as you can see, is in the mounting mechanism. Instead of clamps, it used suckers to attach itself on top of your vehicle.
But that does not mean it’s any less secure than those clamp-based locking mechanisms. In fact, some of you might actually prefer this system over that one after getting to know it better.
So, what makes the suction cup locking mechanism so unique? Well, first of all… it turns the ramp into a universal one. It allows the ramp to be installed on top of just about any car, and…wait for it, without any crossbars! Yes, you’ve read that right.
You won’t have to undergo the hassle of getting separate crossbars to set this ramp up with your vehicle. Just stick it on top of your car with the suction cups, and voila! You have your ramp ready for your bike to be fitted into. Isn’t that amazing?
It fits on top of sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, SUVs, vans, RVs, you name it. Basically, anything with four wheels and a roof will go with it.
As I was saying, the suction cup design of this rack does not make it any less secure or reliable than other racks with clamps. The body of this rack is made of lightweight aluminum alloy, which also makes it extremely sturdy and durable.
On top of that, since it doesn’t require the use of any crossbar whatsoever, your car’s paint job will remain intact and well-protected from accidental scratches or dents. It also comes with a strap for fixing the crank to protect your vehicle from scratches.
Not just all kinds of cars, this rack is compatible with all kinds of bikes as well. It’s perfect for road bikes, trail bikes, and of course, mountain bikes.
Basically, any bike with a quick-release front wheel goes with it. There are two radians on the rear wheel sucker that are designed for both road bikes as well as mountain bikes. No matter what kind of bike you ride just fit it on top of this rack and hit the road.
However, despite all the funky features that this rack offers, there are some safety precautions that you need to maintain to keep the best experience with this bike rack remains that way.
First of all, please remember that the vacuum created by the suction cups is pretty strong.
Please do not install it on top of the front or back windshield. This may block the view, and the suction may cause the glass of the windshield to break.
This also brings the question of sunroofs. If you install the rack on top of a car with a sunroof, then please remember to keep the skyline closed while the rack is on top of it.
Do not open the skyline while the rack is still on.
Finally, please check the white line of the cylinder rod before using the rack, and when you’re driving with the rack installed and your bike(s) sitting on top of it, it’s a good idea t keep the speed to less than 120 km/h just for the sake of road safety.
How To Set It Up:
- Clean up the car roof and sucker to ensure no water, sand, and dust
- Install the sucker on the rooftop. In particular, press the sucker hard
- Press the sucker with great strength and press the cylinder rod till you can’t see the white line (usually 30-45 seconds)
- Fix the fork with quick release on the front sucker Step
- Confirm the rear wheel position and fix the rear wheel and pedal
That’s it! You’re all set to go.
5. Thule OutRide Roof Bike Rack For Mountain Bike Rack
- Material: Aluminum
- Dimensions: 54″ x 8.75″ x 3.25″
- Item Weight: 5.5 lbs
- Bike Capacity: 1
- Load Capacity: 37.5 lbs
- Brand: Thule
Here is a classic fork-mount bike rack with the most conventional design out there. Those who like it a bit old-school would definitely want to check this one out. It’s got a quick-release wheel strap that firmly secures the rear wheel to the bike tray.
On top of that, there are Thule One-Key locks that lock the bike in its place. The locks are sold separately.
The aluminum wheel tray just clicks onto the crossbars and then you can easily set up the rest of the rack on top of the car. We’ll show you how to do that in a bit.
But first, let’s take a look at its compatibility. Since it’s a classic design, it works with all classic axles such as the standard 9-millimeter quick-release axles and 15 and 20-millimeter through axles. Although you’d have to purchase them through-axle adapters separately.
It’s extremely lightweight (weighing just 5.5lbs and is compatible with both round and square crossbars using the camps that come with the package. If you’re using something fancier, say, elliptical or arrow bars, in that case, you’d need to use the T-slot or the channel to mount it.
The rear cradle of the rack is adjustable and is capable of accommodating wheelbases that have a radius of up to 48 inches. The entire rack is roughly about 54 inches long, which should sit quite comfortably on top of most cars.
Do keep in mind that when setting it up on top of your car, you’d want to keep some space for opening the rear hatch of your car if needed. Positioning is crucial here.
The build quality of the rack is pretty superior. It’s made of aluminum alloy and can take up quite the load. I mean, 37.5lbs is a pretty decent maximum load capacity for mountain bike, don’t you think?
On top of that, its unique lock system not only holds the bike firmly in place while you ride your car but also prevents theft when you have it parked.
How To Set It Up:
- Set the rack on top of the cross bar of your vehicle.
- Remove the front wheel of your bike.
- Adjust the axle according to the size of your bike, and the space between the roof lines of your vehicle.
- Make sure the bike tray is aligned in the correct angle with the roof lines of your car.
- Turn the knob to tighten or loosen the clamp of the rack and then lock it by snapping it down. Do the same on both ends of the bike tray.
- Set the thru-axle on the front fork of your bike.
- Set your bike up onto the bike tray of the mount and lock it into position, both front and rear.
There you have it. You just installed your bike and onto this rack!
6. RockyMounts Tomahawk Upright Roof Bike Rack
- Material: Aluminum
- Dimensions: 38″ x 3.5″ x 13″
- Item Weight: 18 lbs
- Bike Capacity: 1
- Load Capacity: 40 lbs
- Brand: RockyMounts
Last but not least on this list of best roof racks for mountain bikes is the RockyMounts Tomahawk. The name itself sounds like the hills, and the rack itself is specially designed for mountain bikes. It’s an upright bike carrier that allows you to carry your bike without having to remove either of its wheels.
It’s suitable for mounting on top of almost any kind of crossbars (square, round, aero, factory, you name it). Not just that, it works with almost every type of bike, not just mountain bikes.
It’s compatible with road bikes, cruisers, kids’ bikes, and even fat bikes that have rubber as thick as up to 5 inches. Talk about versatility!
The Tomahawk is what you can call a hitch-mounted bike rack for roof-rackers. Meaning, it offers the ease of a hitch-mounted rack while still being a roof rack.
While the majority of roof-mounted bike racks are fork mounts, which means you have to take the front wheel of your bike off to install it onto the rack, the Tomahawk does not require that. You can load your bike onto it simply by using the foldable arm.
When it comes to the safety and security of your bike, then you can rest assured that your bike is in good hands, or should I say straps. It has wheel straps both at the front and the back for the front and rear wheels of your bike.
These easy load straps not just hold your bike safely onto the rack, but also make it easier to mount and unmount the bike from the rack.
The rock-solid attachment makes sure your mountain bike doesn’t fall off, get stolen, or even rattle while you’re on the road. Everything that a hitch-mounted rack promises to do, but without the hassle of having to remove neither the front nor the rear wheel of your MTB.
How To Set IT Up:
- Insert arm assembly into rear tray. Install two M6x22 bolts through plate and tray.
- Pull on the tab and remove cap.
- Turn bolt counterclockwise to loosen mounting straps. Loosen mounting bracket to install onto cross bar.
- Place head onto front crossbar. Slide rear plate above rear crossbar.
- Slide wheel straps onto wheel tray with buckles facing out. Install end caps onto trays. Reinstall top cap
- Fully extend load arm hook. Fully open back stop. Tuck wheel straps.
- Load bike on wheel tray. FRONT WHEEL SHOULD BE SECURE AGAINST BACK STOP.
- Rotate load arm over front wheel and tighten hook with MINIMUM GAP between fork.
- For both wheels: feed wheel strap through wheel and into buckle. Test bike by shaking.
- Pry off plastic cap on top cap using a flat head screwdriver.
- Insert key into core and line up large protruding metal wafer between tabs in housing. Install lock cores, turn key to “lock” position and pull key out.
- Remove top cap. Rotate load arm to show bolt on collar. Remove bolt and pry off collar.
- Loosen bolt and slide load arm out.
- Flip load arm and reinstall from the other direction. Install collar and retighten two M6 bolts.
- Flip mounting plate on wheel tray.
Just like that, you installed this bike rack onto your vehicle, and your bike onto the rack!
Buying A Roof Bike Rack for Mountain Bike for The First Time? Here’s What You Should Know
Several things ought to be taken into consideration when buying a roof-mounted rack for your mountain bike. Otherwise, you might end up buying a bike rack you don’t know how to work with.
Also, the best bike racks for mountain bikes have some specific criteria for different brands. I’ll be explaining my process of selecting one for the ride. Read on!
Are Cross Bars Important? Yes!
You’ll find several racks claiming to support your bike through the toughest of terrains. Not all of them do. This is not necessarily a fault per se. The rack can simply be too short for the mountain bike. Or, it can be too thin to absorb shocks.
The type and the size of the cross bars that you’d be installing the rack upon play a vital role in determining whether a certain model of roof rack be suitable with your bike or not.
For example, Thule racks often fit square crossbars. Yakima Bike Racks on the other hand, go well with “Round” crossbars. If you don’t feel like buying products that fit with specific crossbars, choose ones that go with all. You’ll find brands that make roof bike racks without preferences.
Meaning, these will fit with just about any crossbar you put out. Reason? They use “Universal Rack Mounting Kits.” These are viable options for people who are on a tight budget in my opinion.
Locking Mechanism of MTB Roof Bike Rack
Yes, these things require you to lock them in place as well. Bike racks use different locking mechanisms to keep your bikes secure and in place. Once you look hard enough, you’ll find three to be exact.
There’s the old-school clamp system, the strap system, and the new and innovative suction cup system. You’ll find different systems paired up with different racks.
All are fine and preferred for their own different functionalities. The type of locking mechanism you select will determine your bike’s safety and security, so be careful while choosing it.
However, I’d advise you to choose one based on the type of your bike (more on that later). Clamp system locks are more secured than others, in my opinion. Straps tend to get lost over time. Suction cups utilize the bike’s surface. It can be a bit tricky.
It Depends on the Type of Your Mountain Bike
Look… Several blogs will tell you; mountain bikes don’t matter. Others will tell you; one rack fits all mountain bikes. They are all lies. One, mountain bikes do matter. Two, a particular rack is good for a particular type of mountain bike.
For example, the type of bike you’ll be loading onto the mount matters to a huge extent. Not just the type, but the radius of the wheels, and the thickness of the tires. The whole math of it plays an important role in the performance and capacity of your rack.
This is why we see racks of different weight capacities, different hitch sizes, and so on. Check your mountain bike brand and type before you pair a rack with it. Most of the time, the store owner will suggest you stuff. Online shopping automatically pairs your bike up with a suitable rack as well.
Types Of Vehicles You Drive
By vehicles, I mean the car you’re pairing your rack with. Different types of vehicles have different kinds of roof surfaces. Some are flat, some are a little curved. Some are made of glass; some are solid steel.
Knowing the type of vehicle that you’d be mounting it on will make it easier for you to decide which rooftop bike rack to purchase and why.
The type of vehicle will also impact the kind of crossbars that go with it.
Price of the MTB Roof Rack You’re Buying
Price is an important factor when you’re buying anything, not just a bike rack. I understand if budget isn’t a concern for some of my readers. They can go and shoot the stars down. Trust me, with adequate dough and cheese, you’ll get the best product there is.
However, if your wallet isn’t too deep, choose with care. I’d suggest weighing the pros and cons of each product in the price range you choose.
Most bike racks of medium-range quality are not that expensive but serve their purpose pretty well.
Even if you do save up and decide to buy a fancier one, you’ll realize that there aren’t that many differences in their functionalities. Just the price tag is different.
Also read: Expert reviews of top mountain bike hitch rack
Durability of the MTB Rack Matters as Well
This relates directly to the material the rack is built with. Usually, bike racks are made with aluminum alloy to keep them lightweight. Lightweight roof bike racks are the ideal ones if you’re a frequent biker.
Aluminum also plays a role in the rack’s flexibility, prolonging its lifespan. Some racks use other materials in the making as well. Materials such as rubber work as a perfect protector for the exterior of the rack as well as a cushion padding between your bike and the car.
This will help the rack to be steady when moving through rough terrains.
Number Of Mountain Bikes You’re Carrying
You should get a rack depending on the number of mountain bikes you carry with you regularly. Even if you travel alone, it’s always a wise decision to get a mount that can carry multiple bikes.
This will keep you prepped for sudden companions who hitchhike in the middle of the road. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of them too. The more the merrier, they say.
While checking these things out, be sure of the fact that the strap diameter matches your bike’s handles. Otherwise, it’ll be tough to fit with the rack. Check the specifications out for proper measurements.
Before You Set Off
That concludes my guide on the best roof rack for mountain bikes. Well, you’ll have plenty of options after going through the guide. That much I’m sure of.
If you’re still confused, pick YAKIMA Bike Rack with your eyes closed. This thing served me for years before I switched to CyclingDaily and the others. You won’t be regretting the decision of buying it for sure. However, if you want something else (that’s not on the list), be sure to check my buying guide for… eh, guidance. Remember: There are a handful of extra accessories that are required for the maintenance of your bike rack. Usually, they’re sold separately. It’s recommended that you get them too, if you want to enjoy a long-lasting performance from your product.
