You might have been reading a lot of reviews about bike racks that included trunk mount bike rack, hitch mount bike rack, and roof bike rack. Depending on how you want to travel and attach your bike, you can pick the one that is suited the most. In my own opinion, a hitch bike rack is a good choice for anyone who has a low clearance apartment or house.
Any veteran biker will tell you how necessary it is to have a roof bike rack of your own if you have to ask. For those first-timers, finding a suitable one is undoubtedly a tough challenge for them. When they search on Google, the first two brands displayed would be Thule and Yakima – two rivals that dominate the universe of racks (and they’re my favorite too). Netizens often compare the rivalry between these two, just like Coke vs. Pepsi or Marvel vs. DC.
Let’s Take A Look At Both Sides, Shall We?
Thule – A Sweden bike rack brand gives you simply life
First thing first, Thule is a perfect rack for a nuclear family due to its capability of storing four bikes at the same time. And if you might have heard that installing a frame would be a nightmare, then this rack is your remedy for that fear. Forget about bolts or drills; you don’t need them to put the Thule rack on the car; setting up this rack to your vehicle will be like playing Lego. Bike racks coming from this brand can fit any vehicle coming from different sizes and shapes.
Another plus point for Thule, the manufacturer also offers you a locking system on this rack. So, when you possess this item, be ready to say “goodbye” to bike robbery and wobble while driving. Moreover, this item is integrated with an anti-sway cage to prevent any contact between the bike and the car. You don’t want to have that polishing surface scratched, do you? The security for the bike during the driving time would be the pros due to the great holding frame function.
On the other hand, it will take you quite a fortune to purchase a Thule rack because of all those handy functions. But I think this will not be a big problem for your car.
Yakima – The more friends you bring, the more happy the trip!
The manufacturer will always ensure to keep up-to-date with contemporary design. So, rest assured that whatever you buy from Yakima will have the greatest and most modern system you might have in the time. Regardless of the car you ride, whether it’s a high-end one like Ferrari or a standard Ford, Yakima can offer a rack that could fit your vehicle. Easy to use, simple to comprehend, these racks are fully capable of protecting and keeping your bike in one place.
Besides, you will love the adjustable feature of Yakima racks. The slot between the stands could be adjusted with ease to fit any bikes you have (up to 29 inches). Unlike Thule, Yakima offers you a big trip with friends and family, when their racks could be used for a whole team of bikers. Various designs for use to choose depend on your using purpose – single bike racks or multiple bike racks. Unlike Thule, Yakima bike racks have a relatively modest price to afford with practical improvement serving their users.
Which one is better?
It’s tough to tell because these two companies have different market segments to serve, just like Zara and Uniqlo in the universe of fashion.
For Thule, as I mentioned previously, this is a well-respected brand, so it is on the pricier side of bike racks. You will have to pay around $40 to 750$ for an item coming from this company. Especially for hitch bike racks, the price will run along the upper edge of this range. Nevertheless, this is a wise investment you are doing for protecting both your bike and car coating. The quality is undeniable, coming alongside with a lifetime warranty will add up Thule worth.
On the other hand, as for Yakima, hitch bike racks are their specialty accounting for over half of their product line. The company offers bike racks at a more affordable price for its customers. What Yakima does is to ensure that your bike will sit safely in your car. You can bet that the manufacturer knows really well what they design when it comes down to protection. These Yakima hitch bike racks come with different sizes and shapes for you to choose from. The majority of the bike rack is equipped with a locking system. Therefore, if you accidentally leave your bike on the frame, don’t worry, it will stay there when you come back.
Recommendation Hitch Bike Rack:
Thule
As I mentioned, yes again the price of the Thule T2 Pro bike rack could be a little bit over your regular budget, but it has the reason.
Specifically, this is the platform hitch bike rack for a couple, with weight of 60 lbs and it can carry a maximum 120 lbs. The carbon frames is hard to break also really easy to adjust and fit any type of wheels (from 20 to 20 inches)
You will also get the set of tools that help to set up and attach the system to the car. So it’s not the problem if you’re a girl doing it. It’s also easy to install if you follow the guideline.
Yakima
I believe I had mentioned this bike rack in one of the reviews about Top 5 Best Bike Rack, and yes it’s Yakima!
The HoldUp EVO +2 receives my score of 10 with a good mid-range price around $399 and it’s super flexible for a family of 4 or a group of friends. From big, fat, thick tires of a BMX to road bike small tires, this bike rack can handle it all.
The security is maintained by the StrongArm hook that you won’t have to worry about when driving on the highways or mountains road.
There’s another pros that I have to mention, the rack can be tilted down and reach the road to make it easy to take the bike off or hang it back on.
Conclusion
Thule and Yakima, whichever you choose, they will not disappoint you. Thule aims for customers prioritizing the beauty and everything else that has to do with beauty. Yakima, on the other hand, suits those with a budget-conscious mindset and prefer functionality to beauty.