The best roof bike racks are among the most affordable ways to safely transport your bike, especially if you already have a roof rack on your car. Most roof-mounted carriers clamp securely to your car’s factory rack or aftermarket crossbars, so they're easy to set up. And most are relatively light, so they won’t weigh down smaller cars like a hitch bike rack can. Because bikes are on individual mounts on a rooftop rack, there's less of a chance bikes will bang into each other while driving, reducing the chance of damage to your bikes and, in some cases, your car, which is why we love a good roof-mounted bike rack.
Roof-mounted bike carriers hold bikes securely, and they do it without blocking your hatch, license plate, or obackup camera. But you do need to remember that you have a bike or bikes on the roof, which if forgotten, can have disastrous consequences. You'll want to steer clear of any low-hanging obstacles like tree branches and low bridges, plus always avoid parking garages, most of which are too low for a car with a bike on top to enter.
There are a lot of roof-mounted bike racks on the market, so we tested out some of the top options to find out which racks work best for most situations. Here are out top six picks of the best roof racks for bikes you can buy.
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A roof rack that can be converted to a hitch rack, Kuat’s Piston SR takes the smooth-operating, easy-loading design of the brand’s acclaimed Piston Pro and turns it into a rack that mounts onto most bars including factory, aftermarket, T-channel crossbars, and overlanding bars that can carry up to 67 pounds. You can even get a round bar adapter if needed. I use this rack on a Toyota Rav 4 Prime both on the roof and on the hitch.
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The Piston SR is one of the most user-friendly racks you can buy, because both wheels stay on the bike when loaded, and there are no additional parts and pieces required to carry fat bikes up to 5 inches, long wheel-base bikes up to 53 inches, or anything else. It’s my favorite rack overall, because it carries standard road, gravel, mountain, e-bike, and kids' bikes without touching the frame. And, in nearly all cases, without adapters.
The Kashima-coated struts are sharp-looking and I love the blingy look, which matches my Kashima-coated Fox Shocks mountain bike fork. I’ve been using this rack for more than a year, and the all-metal construction means this bike rack lasts. It’s also covered by Kuat’s No Worries Warranty.
The rack comes with a legit cable lock that stores separately inside your vehicle. It locks into a specific cable portal on the body of the rack, lending peace of mind. It's much thicker and, therefore, harder to cut than most other theft-deterring rack locks. The rack mounts and dismounts quickly and easily with Kuat’s proprietary hex-wrench-style tool.
The other reason I love this rack: I can use it on my roof or, with an adapter, on my hitch. On my roof, it makes accessing my trunk easier. On my hitch, it saves me from schlepping a heavy e-bike overhead and onto my car roof. Bonus: the rack comes fully assembled, and can be mounted on either the driver or passenger side with no modifications. Kuat includes a jute carrying bag with every rack that makes it easy to keep track of the tool, extra keys, and more.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Mounts on roof or hitch (with a hitch adapter, $159) | Pricey |
Fits up to 5” tires | |
Easy to load |
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Yakima HighRoad is a roof bike rack that uses universal mounting hardware to fit most crossbars, as well as T-slot roof systems, which is what I have on my car. The rack has a welded metal loop on the backside of the front wheel tray for an aftermarket cable lock or U-Lock, which is what I use to lock the bike to my roof. It also has a built-in locking cable. While it’s a theft deterrent, it has a narrow gauge and looks easy to cut. Yakima sells SKS lock cores for the built-in lock separately. The HighRoad holds bikes with wheels from 26 to 29 inches and up to 4-inches wide. I use it to carry a dirt jumper, mountain bike, and a plus-size tire bike, though it's too narrow to carry fat bikes with 5-inch tires.
HighRoad has a front wheel receiver that tilts back for loading, then tilts forward to cradle the bike’s front wheel, which frees your hands to strap down the back wheel with the ratcheting rear wheel strap and lock the front with a twist-to-tighten knob.
Easy to install and operate, Yakima HighRoad mounted to my roof rack without tools. Once in place, it's easy to load my bike and lock down. Regardless of which bike I have on my roof, it feels secure and stable. And when I'm not bringing my bike along and want to pull the rack off my car, it only takes a minute or so—and only requires a step stool. Unless I'm doing a longer trip without my bike, I mostly leave the rack on my roof. When the front wheel holder is folded down, the rack is low-profile.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Light | Awkward to lock a bike to the mount |
Works on small-roof cars | |
Touch-free |
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With a trim profile and an articulated tray, Thule Upride is a streamlined, low-drag roof-mounted bike rack that’s easy to install. It holds bikes with 20- to 29-inch wheels securely on the roof of most cars. In fact, that's my favorite feature: It holds kids' bikes as well as adult bikes, and it does so with no frame contact. To carry a fat bike, I had to get an adapter that accommodates 5-inch tires, which is sold separately, but the rack holds every other bike I load onto it without any additional parts or pieces.
To add or swap the rack to different sides of your car, unscrew and re-screw the plates at the front and back of the rack. Once locked to your car, use the integrated cable lock to lock the bike to the rack (just note it's narrow gauge). (When I plan to leave a bike unattended on the roof for any length of time, I use my own cable lock or U-lock for peace of mind.) Lock cores to secure the rack on the car and to lock the integrated cable lock are both sold separately.
Thule Upride looks light and aerodynamic. The full-length tray has undulations to keep it as quiet and fuel-efficient as possible. Thule puts the locking mechanism at the base of the rack instead of high up on the rack to make it easier to lock bikes. If there's one nitpick, it's just that I was a little confused by the locking mechanism at first, which looks open even when it’s shut.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Works for 20” wheel bikes | With bike clamped in, the locking mech looks unlocked |
Rack locks to the roof | |
Fat bike adapter available |
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If you’re looking for a rack that barely adds weight to your vehicle, and is quick to get on and off your roof, Yakima HighSpeed is the one. The roof bike rack can carry a variety of different bikes, from gravel to mountain to fat bikes. However, to carry my fat bike, I use an extra-long Voile strap to secure my back wheel, because the ratcheting strap that comes with the rack isn’t long enough. The High Speed is best for modern crossbars. While Yakima says the rack has universal mounting hardware, it’s universal to aerodynamic crossbars, not old-style square or round ones. If your bars have T-slots and you’d prefer to mount the rack that way, buy Yakima’s SmarT-Slot Kit.
It's tool-free to install the rack.
To Load:
Yakima doesn’t include its SKS locks with the rack; SKS locks are sold separately. I plan to get a set so I can lock the knob shut to prevent theft and lock the rack onto my roof bars. I’ll also get a core and key for the TailWhip cable. It can deter theft, but it's not a full-fledged cable lock.
This rack attached easily to my crossbars and has excellent hatch clearance on my Toyota Rav 4 Prime. Yakima says the carrier fits most roof racks, but you should go to Yakima’s website and use the handy fit calculator to confirm this mount will fit your vehicle before you buy.
Many roof-mounted bike carriers are complicated if you want to carry bikes with different size skewers/thru axles. This one has a universal clamp in front that can hold 9mm quick releases typically found on road bikes and older bikes, as well as 12-, 15-, and 20-mm thru axles, found on mountain, gravel, and fat bikes. It’s easy to toggle between carrying different bikes without stress or headaches.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Light and streamlined | Pricey |
Carries quick release and thru axle bikes | |
Lockable |
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This two-piece roof bike rack from SeaSucker uses suction to attach to the roof of a car. The front piece, which holds the bike’s fork, has three suction cups—each with its own built-in pump. It's a little unnerving to load a very expensive mountain bike onto a car roof with suction cups, then go hurtling down the highway, but I did it over and over again with no issues.
SeaSucker sells Huske plugs for a 9mm skewer and thru axles up to 20mm, including skewers for bikes with boost spacing. For the purposes of this review, I primarily loaded this rack onto my car roof, but it just as easily loads onto a back window or trunk. And you can load any single-rider bike with this rack. There are no short or long limits to a wheelbase so long as the bike isn’t longer than your car. The rack comes with a spare sea sucker pump, crank arm straps to prevent pedal contact with the roof, and a Lube Tube for vacuum pump maintenance.
I didn’t get cable anchors from SeaSucker, but the company does sell a metal piece that goes into the car window that allows you to string a cable lock through the bike and the metal piece as a theft deterrent. Having been robbed by thieves who popped out my car window, this system doesn’t give me a lot of confidence. It should be thought of as a deterrent only.
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To Load:
Check what size thru axle your bike has. The front fork holder uses dedicated Huske Plugs (sold separately for $20 to $35) for every size axle or skewer. Because I carry different styles of bikes with different-sized thru-axles, I bought holders for both a skewer and multiple thru-axles.
The tried-and-true SeaSucker held firm and the bike rode as securely on this rack as any other. While it's slightly inconvenient to keep track of extra parts, the rack’s compact size makes it easy to transport and mount on any roof. That outweighs any minor inconveniences. I love to travel with my bike, but that means once I get to my destination I have to rent a car that’s big enough to hold my bike, or multiple bikes if I'm traveling with a friend. This is so small and compact, I now throw it in my suitcase so I can carry my bike on the roof anywhere I go.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Easy to put on and take off | Different Huske plugs (sold separately) are required for each skewer size |
Attaches to any smooth glass or roof surface |
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Inno INA391 Fork Lock III is a no-tools-required roof-mounted bike rack that clamps onto most roof bars, including square bars, round bars, and teardrop-shaped bars. If you’re looking for a rack for the bike you have now, not one you may have in the future, this is one of the most affordable options. While many high-end modern mountain bikes and gravel bikes now use front thru axles, just as many bikes still use 9mm quick-release skewers. This rack is for 100mm fork-width only, which is the spacing and spec that most bikes historically have. If that’s your bike, this rack is compatible. The rack fits bikes with 20- to 29-inch wheels and tires up to 2.7 inches.
It took me less than five minutes to mount the rack on my teardrop-shaped roof bars.
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To Load:
It’s also well-made, light, affordable, and quick to install. The mount is compatible with disc brakes. And, I was psyched the rack comes with a lock core and keys to lock the bike onto the rack (most are sold separately).
Nitpick: Unfortunately, while the bike locks to the rack, the rack doesn’t lock onto the car. When I leave my bike on the roof for any length of time, I use a cable lock wrapped around my car’s locked crossbars and through the frame of my bike to deter theft.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Affordable | For front skewer bikes only |
Streamlined | Rack doesn’t lock to the car |
Light | |
Oversized quick release is easy to operate |
Almost all roof-mounted bike carriers attach to a roof rack system that includes either front-to-back factory rails, side-to-side factory crossbars that attach to those rails, or an aftermarket rail and/or crossbar system. Some modern roof-top bike mounts can attach to a variety of crossbar shapes. Make sure the mount you’re considering is compatible with your crossbar. If you have an older roof rack system, you could have round or square bars instead of more modern teardrop-shaped crossbars that are quieter and have less drag. Some companies sell adapter kits to fit their roof mounts to older crossbars.
Some roof-mounted bike carriers hold your bike with both front and back wheels on. Some hold the bike with the front wheel removed. Wheel-off mounts are usually the most affordable. Most people who use wheel-off bike mounts store the front wheel inside the vehicle, though some brands sell a roof-mounted front wheel carrier.
Many racks ship set up for either driver or passenger side mounting. Most can be changed over for installation on the opposite side of the car.
Depending on the weight of your bike and your strength, hoisting a bike overhead onto the roof of a car can be awkward. Carrying a bike on a roof-mounted carrier will likely have some negative impact on your gas mileage or your range. Roof-mounted bike carriers can also be loud, particularly on cars with a moonroof.
Rooftop carriers are not suited for most e-bikes due to their weight. If your e-bike is of the SL, or super-light, variety and comparable to a pure pedal bike, a rooftop carrier could be suitable. Check the weight rating of any carrier before loading it with an e-bike.
I'm a Vermont-based writer, photographer, and outdoor adventurer, who reports on gear, adventure travel, and environmental issues. I also serve on the board of Richmond Mountain Trails, Vermont Mountain Bike Association, and Vermont Huts. I've developed and guided hiking and cycling trips in the U.S. and South America, and biked across the U.S. I ride bikes most days and I've reviewed dozens of bike racks on the market with road, gravel, mountain, fat, touring, commuter, e-, and kids' bikes. Not only do I review gear for Men's Journal, but for multiple endemic bike magazines.
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