Bike Racks for Cars

Roof mounted bike racks attach directly to your existing roof bars, so if you already have compatible roof bars fitted such as Thule roof bars most roof bike racks will fit. They’re ideal if you want to keep full access to your boot and don’t have a towbar installed. If you don’t yet have roof bars, you’ll need the correct vehicle specific roof bar kit first, which you can find using our registration lookup tool.

Tow Bar mounted bike racks connect securely to a standard towball and are one of the easiest options to load, as bikes sit at a lower height. They’re especially suitable for carrying multiple bikes or heavier e-bikes. As long as your vehicle has a standard towball, most towbar bike racks will be compatible.

Rear door bike racks clamp onto the tailgate or rear door of your vehicle, making them a good option if you don’t have roof bars or a towbar. However, fitment is vehicle specific and not all racks fit all cars. We recommend using our vehicle lookup tool to confirm which rear mounted bike racks are compatible with your vehicle before purchasing.

Please note that not every Thule bike rack is suitable for any type of bike (eg. e-bike with full suspension, we don't have Racks for tandem or tricycles). More specific information is available under each product page on our website.

Our recommendation is to choose a bike rack where your bikes are comfortably held by the wheeltrays and straps, and where the bikes are not rubbing against each other, such as our Thule Easyfold 3 and Thule Epos. Because most heavy bikes makes transporting e-bikes on the roof/or hatch mounted carriers hard, we recommend a tow bar mounted one. Please check technical/specification information listed in the product.

Most modern towbar mounted bike racks are designed with a tilting or sliding mechanism, which allows you to open the boot or tailgate even when the rack is installed. By tilting the rack away from the vehicle, you can usually gain access to the boot without needing to remove the bikes.

However, the amount of access can vary depending on the type of vehicle, the size of the tailgate, and how many bikes are loaded onto the rack. Larger vehicles with bigger tailgates may require more clearance, and in some cases the boot may only open partially when bikes are mounted.

We recommend checking the product page information for the specific bike rack you are considering, as it will confirm whether the rack has a tilting feature for boot access.

Compatibility when mounting a tow bar rack is less dependant on the car design and more specifically dependant on the car's tow bar specifications. As a general rule tow bar must meet the following criteria:

- The towbar should be normalised (ISO50).
- The maximum load capacity of the tow bar must certainly exceed the weight of the bike rack AND the weight of the bicycles you wish to load.
- The tow bar must be made out of steel or at least an equivalent material. Tow bars made out of cast iron (GGG40) or aluminium are not to be used in combination with our bike racks.
- The electrical connection must be 7-pin or 13-pin (see your local & legal specifications).
- The socket cannot be located directly on or just below the tow ball.

There are specific requirements depending on each of our tow bar mounted carriers. For more information about that, please read our product information manual available on each product page on our website.

Yes, most Thule bike racks are suitable for carbon bikes. Many modern racks are designed to safely support carbon frames, but it’s important to ensure the bike is secured correctly and not overtightened when using a frame clamp.

Roof mounted bike racks such as the Thule ProRide use a padded frame clamp to hold the bike securely. When transporting a carbon frame bike on a ProRide rack, we recommend using the Thule Carbon Frame Protector 984, which helps distribute the pressure from the clamp and protect the frame. This accessory can be found on all ProRide product pages under Recommended Accessories.

Most towbar mounted bike racks can also carry carbon bikes as they typically support the bike by the wheels. However, it’s important to check the product page information first, as some carriers may require an adapter, while others may not be suitable for carbon frames.