Every time you and your friends have got ready for a ride in the mountains, there has been one problem: getting the bikes there.

We are sure you have heard plenty of people say they simply put their bikes in the car and drive to the trail without a second thought. We would advise against it, though. With the bikes inside the car, you risk injury to yourself, to everyone else in the car and even to other road users.

The best way to carry bikes safely is to choose a bike rack that suits your needs. So if you have decided it is time to get one, here are a few tips to help you choose.

Tell us which mountain bike you ride and we will tell you which rack to choose

Your bike may be a mountain bike, but mountain bikes come in several categories. If you are one of those riders who use their mountain bike for rides in the park or in the woods near where you live, you will have a wider choice of racks.

If you ride a downhill bike, though, things change a little, because your bike's weight and frame geometry have to suit the rack you choose.

Likewise, if you own a freeride bike, you will need to take more care when choosing a bike rack. On these bikes the frame tubes can be thicker, and the bike's weight will count for a lot when you decide which type of rack to buy.

Bike racks: which one is right for my mountain bike?

There are three types of bike rack, and the main difference between them is how they attach to the car. Depending on the kind of bike you have, though, one type will suit you better than the others. For mountain bikes, these are the racks you can choose from.

Bike racks for roof bars

To use one, you first need roof bars fitted to your car. With a rack like this you should have no trouble taking your mountain bike wherever you want. The catch is that most racks in this category can only take bikes of up to 15 kg each, so if your mountain bike weighs more than 15 kg, it is worth looking at another type of rack.

Another thing to check is how thick your bike's frame tubes are. Why? When you load the bike onto the rack, the rack holds it by the frame. If the rack's clamp cannot close around the frame tube, you will not be able to mount the bike. That said, every bike rack for roof bars states the frame tube diameter it can take.

If you ride a downhill or freeride bike, you may run into compatibility problems straight away. Because these bikes are heavier and have thicker frame tubes, you will generally need a rack that holds the bike by its front fork, with the front wheel removed.

In that case we recommend racks such as the Menabo Pro Tour or the Menabo Bike Pro. These two models are the right choice for your downhill or freeride bike: they can carry heavier bikes and suit the kind of bike you ride.

Bike racks for the tailgate or boot lid

Bike racks can also attach to the car's tailgate or boot lid, and with these you do not need any other car accessories. In general, these racks suit 99% of standard mountain bikes, such as cross-country (XC) bikes and even hardtails. In our experience at SuportBicicleta.ro, we have not come across any compatibility problems with mountain bikes.

For tailgate racks, we recommend: Menabo Mistral, Menabo Biki and Menabo Main, or Saris Bones 3.

With downhill and freeride bikes, however, their weight is a major compatibility issue for tailgate racks. On top of that, their frame geometry and wheelbase will not allow a proper fit between bike and rack.

Even so, the most suitable tailgate racks for these bikes are those in the Menabo Polaris range.

Towbar bike racks

This type of rack is arguably the best match for every kind of mountain bike. It attaches to your car's towbar and gives you an extremely sturdy base for carrying your bikes safely.

Any towbar rack will take a standard mountain bike, but for downhill (DH) and freeride (FR) bikes we have a few pointers.

Once again, weight is an important factor with DH and FR bikes. Towbar racks, however, can carry up to 25 kg, which makes them the right choice for these bikes.

That said, measure your bike's wheelbase carefully and check that it matches the rack's compatibility specifications.

Towbar racks will carry these bikes too, and the most suitable models are: Menabo Sirio, Menabo Antares, Menabo Alcor and Menabo Merak.