Is It Hard to Put a Bike on a Car Bike Rack?

The short answer is that it is not necessarily easy, but quite manageable for most people to put a bike on a car bike rack. To be more specific, it depends on your physical condition, bike rack type, bike model and bike rack model.

If you are planning to buy a car bike rack but not sure how easy it is to load a bike on a rack, then the first thing you need to learn is that “putting a bike on a rack” consists of these two steps:

• Step 1. You need to perform some lifting and physically position a bike on a rack,

• Step 2. You need to secure a bike on a rack so that it won’t fall off while you are driving.

In a nutshell, there are four main factors that determine the answer to the question of whether it is hard or not to load a bike on a car bike rack:

• The bike rack type is a very important one. It affects how easy both steps will be in a big way. It is really easy to put a bike on a hitch bike rack, whereas roof bike racks might give you a hard time. Trunk-mount racks are somewhere between,

• The bike itself plays a big role as well. The heavier your bike is, the harder it will be to put it on a rack. On top of that, some bike types (for example, women’s bikes) will require you to mount an adapter before you can load the bike,

• The model of a bike rack. Since there are dozens of bike racks on the market, some of them are doing a better job of  making the process of putting a bike easier than others,

• Last but not least, your physical condition is the biggest factor, I would say. You don’t have to be a heavy lifter, but if you are in a good shape, it will definitely help a lot.

With that being said, let’s go through each bike rack type. Moreover, there will be some tips on how to make your life easier.

Is it hard to put a bike on a roof bike rack?

Is it hard to lift a bike on a roof bike rack?

There is no doubt that this is the toughest bike rack type. You need to lift 15-30 lbs on the roof of your car.

Here your car’s body type will matter a lot. Sedans and hatchbacks will be easier, whereas SUVs (especially luxury SUVs that tend to be higher) will require more effort.

Is it hard to secure a bike on a roof bike rack?

There are two different ways of how a bike cab be secured on a roof bike rack.

Does not matter which type you are planning to buy, this step will be fairly easy. The only challenge you are going to face is that you will have to maintain your bike in a vertical steady position for some time.

A Tip on how to make the process easier

The best way to make it easier (and lower the risks of damaging your car in the process) is to buy a gym step stool like this.

It costs only $10 on Amazon. Moreover, you can turn it over and use it as storage space so it won’t reduce your trunk’s capacity.

Is it hard to put a bike on a trunk bike rack?

As I have mentioned earlier, you will probably need to buy an adapter for women’s bikes, and any other bikes with step-through-like frames.

Is it hard to lift a bike on a trunk bike rack?

I would assess, that for the absolute majority of people it will be relatively easy. Some heavy bike models might be challenging, but these are pretty much rare.

So yeah, if you don’t have serious medical conditions, you are going to be fine (I assume most grandmas will pass this lifting test).

Is it hard to secure a bike on a trunk bike rack?

Securing a bike on a car bike rack is really easy. At this point, the bike is hanging on its own so that you don’t need to physically maintain its position.

The only thing left to be done is to tighten the straps, which won’t take longer than a few seconds.

Is it hard to put a bike on a hitch bike rack?

First of all, there are three types of hitch bike racks:

Is it hard to lift a bike on a hitch bike rack?

Platform (tray) hitch rack

This will be super easy since this bike rack type is positioned near the ground. On top of that, some tray racks include the lift-assist system so you won’t need to perform any lifting at all.

Horizontal hanging hitch rack

This rack type is very similar to trunk bike racks. Only people with serious medical conditions will struggle to lift a bike on it. 

Vertical hanging hitch rack

The same can be said about vertical hanging hitch racks. The only difference is that you are supposed to lift a bike a bit higher.

Is it hard to secure a bike on a hitch bike rack?

Platform (tray) hitch rack

It will be super easy since you only need to maintain their steady vertical position while you are attaching them to the rack. It won’t be a problem for anybody.

Horizontal hanging hitch rack

If you have successfully put a bike on a horizontal hitch rack, then securing the bike on the rack won’t be a problem for you as well (very similar to trunk racks). 

Vertical hanging hitch rack

Very similar to horizontal hanging racks. The most challenging part is to lift a bike on it. Once it is done, you will easily secure the bike on the vertical hanging rack.

Conclusion

The hardest part is to lift a bike on a car bike rack. Roof bike racks are the worst in this sense, whereas tray hitch racks are the best choice. 

The truth is that an average person without serious medical conditions will manage to load a bike on a car bike rack. Even your grandma will probably be fine though it won’t be the most pleasant experience for her.

Securing a bike on a car bike rack (assuming it has been lifted) won’t be a challenge, does not matter which bike rack type we are talking about.