Making the right choices when you kit out your car with accessories makes every drive and every trip much easier and more comfortable. Why do we say that? Because when it comes to bike racks, things are fairly simple: the best approach is to choose your rack according to your needs. What does that mean?

It means choosing a rack that suits both you and your car. First of all, your rack has to fit your car. There are several types of bike rack, such as racks that go on roof bars and racks that attach directly to the tailgate or boot lid, so we thought we would clear things up a little and help you choose.

Below we compare bike racks that go on roof bars with bike racks that fit on your car's towbar. We look at each type in turn, so you can see exactly what fitting one to your car involves and how useful each rack can be for carrying your bikes.

Roof bar bike racks

These racks are very easy to fit, but your car needs roof bars. You also need to check that the rack is compatible with your roof bars. First, choose a set of roof bars, if you do not already have one.

Once the roof bars are fitted, you can attach the bike rack.

Fitting roof bars to your car also means you can add other useful car accessories later on. Like what? You can fit a roof box to carry your luggage. You can also fit ski & snowboard racks, or even attach kayak & canoe racks to the roof bars.

So choosing this type of rack to carry your bike could open the door to other accessories you are bound to need at some point.

One small drawback of roof-mounted bike racks can be that they are not as easy to fit and remove. Why? Because every time, you have to reach up to the roof bars to take the rack off. The alternatives? Rear racks that fit on the tailgate or boot lid, and towbar bike racks.

Now let's look at racks that attach to your car's towbar.

Towbar bike racks

This type of bike rack is very quick and easy to fit. As you have probably guessed, towbar-mounted racks attach to the back of the car. Before you fit one, make sure your car's towbar wiring is in full working order.

Towbar bike racks come with a lighting board, so you stay visible to other traffic while you drive with the rack fitted. You get a set of rear lights that connect to your car's towbar socket with a 7-pin or 13-pin plug. A rack of this type can carry up to 4 bikes, but always follow the manufacturer's guidance on the maximum load.

A big advantage of towbar bike racks is that, as well as standard bikes, they let you carry e-bikes and fat bikes. With e-bikes, though, it is important to make sure the rack's clamping system is suited to them. Why? Because these bikes tend to be much heavier than standard ones. And before you set off, check how many e-bikes you are loading: never exceed the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer.

Another advantage of these racks is that they can come with anti-theft locks, both for the rack itself and for the bikes you carry.

These two locks are very handy when you do not want to take the rack off the car. As you can imagine, a bike lock is a feature every rack should have, no question. Say you stop for a break on your trip: you can leave the bikes on the rack with peace of mind, because the lock protects them.

You may have wondered whether a towbar rack will get in the way when you need to get into the boot. At first glance you would say yes, right? Well, these racks can have a tilt function.

This is a very important point, and Menabo has thought of it. So you do not need to worry about being unable to get suitcases, or anything else you take on your trips, out of the boot.

How does a towbar rack attach?

How the rack attaches to your car's towbar is the most important thing to consider once you have decided to buy one. There are two ways of attaching a rack to the towbar.

The first is to fit the rack to the towbar with a special bolt made by Menabo. This is the more traditional method, and it takes longer to attach the rack.

The second is a lever system. This is the more modern method and needs no special spanners or extra tools. Fitting takes very little time: in just a few steps the rack is on your car's towbar.

So which rack should I choose?

Whichever type of rack you go for, towbar or roof-mounted, start from your own needs and always choose the one that meets them. For advice on choosing a bike rack, you are welcome to visit our showroom at Drumul Lunca Corbului 2, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.

We stock a wide range of bike racks, roof bars, roof boxes, child car seats and many other car accessories, and we are happy to help with advice.