Your bicycle is almost like a member of the family. Not only did it cost a lot of money, but it has brought a lot of joy to your life. And it should be treated well, especially when being transported to your favorite biking trail.

Which means you have to have a good system when it comes to transportation. Whether you are driving a compact car or a pick up, there is a way that is going to get your bike to the destination safely.

In this article, I will go over what you need to do to get your bike secured to your vehicle to transport it.

1) The Trunk Rack

The most ubiquitous rack for transporting bikes is surely the trunk rack. It can be swapped between cars and is set up in a snap so you don’t have it permanently attached to your car.

They are usually low cost so if you are on a budget then this is a good way to get started.

These can be tricky, however as you have to make sure everything is as tight as possible to avoid your bike getting loose. Make sure to have good tie downs with extra strong metal hooks to avoid any accidents with your bike coming loose while underway.

The frame of the rack is not nearly as important as the straps, so if you went with a budget rack, then be sure to swap out the straps for much stronger ones than it likely came with.

There is also the possibility of having your bike damaged in an accident if you get rear ended. Hopefully those driving around you are paying attention!

2) The Roof Rack

A very secure way that you can transport your bike is to use a permanent roof rack. This system allows you unfettered access to your trunk and doesn’t rely on straps that can get loose. Instead it is gripped by an arm that holds onto the bike frame.

In addition to that, there is also a locking mechanism that allows you to secure the bike to your car for when you have to stop for a while.

There are a couple of downsides to this system. One is that it isn’t always easy to get the bike up on top of your car. Another is that you are adding quite a bit of height to your car which may pose a problem if there are lots of underpasses along your route.

3) Truck Bed

If you are driving a pick up then this is the easiest and one of the safest ways to transport your bike. All you need are some good tie down straps and some hooks on the sides of the bed.

You can also put a couple of other bikes alongside it since there is usually plenty of space. Ratchet style straps that can be tightened up quickly are best, but you can also use bungees with hooks if that’s all that you have.