Saris Solo Bike Rack – Trunk Mount, 1-Bike Carrier for Cars & SUVs – Lightweight, Compact & Tool-Free – Ideal for Beginner Riders – USA Made – Check Fit Guide Before Purchase

I bike to work and my son bikes to school. I was looking for a bike rack for days when bad weather or other circumstances make it impractical to bike home and we need to be picked up. I specifically wanted something inexpensive, and easy to install and use. Also compact and light, if possible. This rack does all those things. It is extremely easy to put on or remove from the car. I have a 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback and installation is very simple and direct: put the four clips in place and cinch up the slack. The only caveat is that mounting at the recommended angle on my car obstructs the rear window wiper. Otherwise, the rack is small and light enough to keep in the car's trunk until needed. It installs quickly - just make sure to test-fit the rack on the car before you need to use it. It helps to keep the top straps set and only loosen the bottom straps to remove/replace. The straps are very long, so you might want to use rubber bands or something to keep the slack wound up. The mounting straps use spring loaded metal buckles to hold tension. The top buckles rest on top of the strap material, but there is a possibility they could slide around and the metal may come in contact with your roof/spoiler/trunk lid. My car is old and has its share of scratches and dings, so I won't notice another mark. If you have a nice car, you might want to put something under the buckle. This rack only holds one bike, obviously. The bike's top tube is cradled at the end of the arms and held in place by fairly robust ratcheting plastic tabs/buckles that are easy to use. The ends of the arms are scooped out semicircles about 1-5/8" across. I tested this rack with a bike that has an 1-1/2" aluminum top tube and it fit fine. The left arm has another fabric strap that you can loop around the seat tube or a rim or pedal to keep the bike from swinging. This spot will be different on each bike, but I really couldn't cinch that strap tight against anything on any bikes I mounted. What happens is you can pull that strap tight on the frame until it a tire snugs against the bumper. Also, you're going to have to find the sweet spot for the inner crank/pedal so it doesn't rub or scratch the car. These issues are common to any rack that hangs a bike from its top tube. I only rated it four stars on sturdiness because the rack itself is plastic and may not be as durable as a metal rack. I don't know how well it or the straps would hold up long term on a permanent-ish installation with sun/rain exposure, but everything about this rack seems to be made with portability/temporary use in mind. It does feel solid and sturdy for being made of plastic. No issues holding a steel frame road bike. The more vertical you can mount the arms, the more stable it will be. If you want a more permanent rack or something really heavy duty, you might want to spend a little more on something else, but for my specific use, this is a perfect solution.

This is lightweight and easy to install but the hardware is of the lowest quality. The straps never tighten as much as you need them to. I made a few stops on my way to the bike trail, and each time I had to reconnect a strap hook. I think the plastic rack is strong enough to hold the bike but when I take a corner everything flexes enough to make the straps pop loose. The bike sits too close to the car with this rack. The peddle rest on the hatch and scratched my car. Don't Buy This! Saris needs to go back to the drawing board on this one. I spent the whole drive worrying the bike would fall off my car. I've been driving to the bike trail for 25 years now. I've had a several different bike racks. This one is total junk!

I’ve only had the rack for about 4 weeks. So far, it has worked out well. It is very lightweight so it is easy to put on and take off. The ratchet straps are easy to operate and hold the bike well. Note: to avoid potentially scratching the paint on my car, I bought fuzzy Velcros seatbelt covers to wrap around the straps to cover the metal clamps. Perhaps an over abundance of caution, but for a few extra dollars ($10) it was worth the peace of mind. I also purchased rubber pads ($7) to fit over the metal hooks that hold the rack to the car. Again, maybe not needed, but better safe than sorry. The bike tends to sway a bit so I purchased some bendable rubber “straps” that are like a giant twist tie. I got them from Lowes. I use them to stabilize the bike to prevent swaying. So far, I am happy with the purchase for the price and the added ($30) was simply precautionary to protect my car.

I wasn’t that impressed with the quality of this until my father in law visited and was thoroughly impressed with it. This is my first time buying one of these so I didn’t think it seemed that sturdy since I thought my bike was moving while I was driving, but it turns out that I wasn’t doing a good job of securing it. There is definitely a learning curve involved but once you figure out that you need to turn the pedal so that you can get the bike close enough to pull the strap, it’s tight enough. I also find that you can slide your bike until it finds a natural resting spot where the weight settles. Once you find that, then you can secure it enough that it doesn’t move around while driving. I have this on my Prius V wagon but it did not fit on my husband’s Honda. I am giving this 4 stars because I feel that it should have come with two straps, one on each side rather than just one. Someone else mentioned that a bungee cord could be used to correct this problem. All in all, not bad for the price but I only drive 2 miles to the bike trail and back so I cannot speak to it’s performance on a long trip or on a trip with speeds over 35mph.

Bought this to use on a 2014 Toyota Corolla. Nothing to construct as this comes as one piece straps attached and all. My car wasn’t listed by the Saris website as verified compatible, but it fits well and has not wobbled or become loose after a single drive consisting of 3 speed bumps, city and highway driving for 30 minutes to a trail and 30 minutes back on a different route with residential roads containing >3 additional speed bumps, followed by the initial 3 speed bumps to park at home. Assembly/disassembly takes me 2-3 minutes (rubber feet on side and top of trunk, tighten 2 straps to the top of the trunk and 2 straps to the bottom opening of the trunk). Bike attachment and removal takes me 5-10 minutes (two straps to tighten at the top, I always use the 3rd strap tightened on the vertical bar that holds the bike seat to prevent swaying, and I separately bought a $4 adjustable rope with clip ends to run through the front and back tires to prevent the wheels from spinning which prevents the pedals from moving and spares my trunk from scratching if the pedals are placed in the inset groove of the trunk where they do not touch the car). The only scratch damage I have incurred so far has been a result of me scraping the pedal against my trunk as I was putting the bike on the rack and not due to the rack placement/functioning on the road. My bad. Overall, I am extremely happy with the product performance so far on multiple trips (above is just one example, but I have been using it for a few weeks all around the city). Aesthetically pleasing as well, some dude at home depot randomly complimented it in the parking lot. I chose this brand based on a friend’s recommendation after good experience for years with one of Saris’ two bike racks that held up nicely on several hour highway trips across the US. Quality and for a good price compared to many others I considered purchasing. I would and have already recommended this product to friends.

Easy to put together and lightweight yes. However, the straps wore through fast and tore. I got no use out of it and it was trashed.

*I am not being paid for this review nor do I endorse it for any reason other than to share my experience.* Car type: Honda Odyssey Minivan (2007) Bike type: Trek men's hybrid road bike Bike weight: Approx. 18 pounds Distance traveled: 1,200 miles Usually, I do not take the time to review a product unless I really have strong feelings about it. This bike rack worked SO well for me, so I wanted to share some of my insights. Earlier this month I relocated and drove across the country with my bike on the back of my car. I was very nervous because when looking to buy a rack online, it seemed I was seeing more horror stories of bikes flying off the back of someone's car and causing an accident than positive reviews. After several hours of looking at different products and reviews, it seemed that Saris was the brand trusted by most bikers and this particular model worked for many. I did not have one problem with the rack the entire time, you can still open the trunk while it is mounted (although the rear windshield wipers will not work), and every time I checked while stopping to get gas, the bike was secure. A few pointers: -I did wrap the left pedal with protective cloth because it would have scratched the car -The rack does not come with a strap or cord to secure the front tire and handlebars from moving back and forth, so I used a bungee cord to do so and it was very simple. Some people strap it to the back tire, too, to stop it from spinning -MAKE SURE you have the rack centered and all straps pulled taught equally... If the tension is different on different straps, that is when the straps are more likely to break or the bike will not be centered, increasing the potential for an accident. Overal 10/10. I am so happy with this rack and it is extremely lightweight and small, so I just keep it in the back of my car. Thumbs up.

Does not seem secure and cant tighten straps as tight as they should be. I used this on a subaru outback. One side of the bike rack slides down my window during travel and the other time the foot pad of rack didn't stay secure on window. My bike also sways during travel and had to add more straps as i was afraid it would come loose. Straps don't stay tight either. The plastic strap the goes around the bike pole doesnt tighten enough around it so the bike sways and even with using the wheel strap. Unfortunately sending it back.