Trunk/Hatch bike racks question.

i had a trunk rack before my hitch rack- i have the yakima king joe 3. it works well- very secure and never had issues with it. just i wasn't a fan of it on the trunk. not that it scratched it, i just didn't like it like that because there was a bigger chance the bikes would hit the car.

i actually still have the king joe 3 and if you live in the chicago area, i'm willing to sell it. would be a pain/expensive to ship it i'm thinking. pm me if you want.

later.

+1 on the Yakima king Joe 3, I bought one for my wife as a 15th anniversary present (she loved it ) because it would mount up to both of our cars unlike some other racks. It does block trunk access in use but our cars have fold down rear seats so there is some trunk access. I have hauled 3 bikes regularly and other than keeping the pedals of the inner bike clear of the bumper, placement and contact are not an issue. Road and cyclocross bikes hang right on it, mountain bikes need a top tube adapter. I also have a Thule roof rack on one car but use the trunk rack for overflow.

I suggest you try out bike fit for which ever rack you choose. Some bike frame geometries/shock position/ and or frame sizes just don't work well with certain racks. good to know it works with your bikes b4 you buy.

Thule, Thule, Thule. The Yakima King Joe racks are fine... Until you've had a Thule. Then they feel flimsy and unsafe. Here is the one to get

http://www.artscyclery.com/descpage-1122128.html

very stout without paying the top price.

thule is going to be coming out with a new product called the raceway platform..it's essentially like a thule t2, but in a strap style. due out in march, but not confirmed yet...it's a new design, and that can sometimes slow things down.
i will post when all new thule products come available.
i agree that the king joes and the speedway racks are both good racks....but with any racks like this, with dual bike arms, you run into difficulty mounting full suspension mtb frames (esp. smaller frames).

I have a used Saris Bones 2 I picked up for $50 or so and it's rock solid with all 6 straps on. You can shake the car with it.

I'm happy with it.

I bought a Saris Bones 2 a few weeks ago, and I'm very happy with it so far. It seems to hold the bike securely, even at speed over railroad tracks.

Ultimately, I'd prefer a hitch rack but I wanted something that could be easily put on either my car or my girlfriend's car without having the expense of installing hitches on both cars.

Another vote for the Saris bones 2. Using one right now with a Cadillac CTS and a Transition Preston FR with the top tube extender.