March 8, 2015
Rack Attack Team
If you don't have a trailer receiver on your vehicle, and you want to carry bikes on the rear of your car your best bet is a high-quality trunk mount bike rack, like the Thule Raceway 9001PRO or 9002PRO.
Not all trunk mount bike racks are built the same. Because of how these racks mount to your vehicle, it's important to get high-quality rack to ensure the safe transportation of your bikes without damaging either your bikes of your car. In addition to being one of the highest quality trunk racks available, the Thule Raceway is also one of the easiest trunk mount racks to install on your car.
Instead of the common 6-strap system, the Raceway uses just four, increasing the ease of installation without sacrificing stability. The instructions will tell you were to place the legs and hooks on your vehicle, then just turn the knob the appropriate number of clicks. It's honestly the easiest trunk mount rack we have ever installed, and we have installed them all. A huge bonus for this rack is the ratcheting strap system. Not only does it simplify mounting the rack, it prevents the rack from working its way loose as you drive. With many trunk racks you need to check and re-snug the straps periodically, and while it's always a good idea to check, the Thule Raceway seems to avoid this annoying trait.
Best of all, this trunk rack will actually lock to your vehicle, and will lock all bikes to the rack, making it one of the most secure trunk mount bike racks on the market. The difference between the 9001PRO and 9002PRO is the number of bikes the rack supports: two, and three respectively.
The rack will hold up to three bikes, and it's dual arm and soft rubber cradle design will accommodate nearly any style of bicycle. Like many of Thule's rear-mount bike racks, the Raceway's incorporated ‘anti-sway' cradles, keeping your bikes from rocking to and fro as you drive.
To be entirely honest, trunk mount bike racks are the third most desirable way to transport your bikes. They can be annoying to install, and any accessory that rests against your paint by design has the potential to cause problems. But the Thule 9001PRO almost entirely removes these worries from the process. As long as your car is clean where the rack meets your paint, it's simple to install and the most solid and secure trunk mount we have ever seen.
Since it fits nearly any car you would want to put it on, the Thule Raceway 9002PRO should be the first trunk mount bike rack you consider. And when you're not using it, it folds up for easy storage.
Here are some pictures of the two-bike 9001PRO installed on a minivan:
