Most people do not understand the importance of a bike cover for bike rack. And only after risking and ruining the bike frames and chains, do they realize that bike covers are a necessity and not a luxury.

Bike covers made for protecting bikes in the garage are common but have you heard about covers for bikes on a bike rack? Hitch bike racks put the bikes at risk of damage because the bikes are loaded close to the ground, exposing them to dirt and road grime. So better take the precaution than regret it later.

In this article, you will know all about bike covers for bike racks, why they are essential, and how to choose the right one. In the end, we have shortlisted the top 5 bike covers for bike racks for your convenience. 

Bike covers for bike rack	Max no. of bikes	Liked by	Compatibility with vehicle	Compatibility with bike rack	Price
Pro Bike Cover	3	90%	Traveling version	Hitch and roof mount	$35 – $60
Puroma Bike Cover	1	88%	Compatible but not durable	Platform hitch mount	$17 – $22
Formosa Bike Cover	4	86%	RV, van, truck bike rack, larger SUV, trailer	Hitch mount	$90 – $140
Team Obsidian Bike Cover	3	90%	Cars and RVs	Platform hitch mount	$30 – $125
Velo Sock Bike Cover	1	90%	Compatible for short-term use	Trunk	$48

What protection is offered by bike rack covers?

Bike cover for bike racks is important especially if you own expensive bikes and do not want to take the risk of damaging them. These covers can benefit you in two ways. 

Storage 

Storing the bikes indoors as well as outdoors requires the protection that comes with a bike cover. When keeping the bikes outside the garage, the bikes can be damaged by dirt, rust if it rains, or UV from the sun might damage the paint. 

And even when you store the bikes indoors say in your garage, the bikes can be damaged if you do not use them frequently. Surprisingly, the chains might be damaged if there is humidity and the bikes are not used for some days. Also, dust particles can settle on the surface or seep inside and can slowly ruin the shine and functioning of the bike. 

Traveling 

A bike cover is even more essential when you are transporting the bikes by carrying them on a bike rack installed on your car. The rear-mounted racks especially hitch bike racks are close to the ground and while your bikes are loaded, they are subject to road grime, dust, and dirt. 

Other than that, no matter how many times you check for weather updates before leaving, you can never be too sure about wind or rain. So it is better to take precautionary measures instead of risking expensive bikes. These reasons portray why a bike cover is a necessity, not a luxury. 

How to select the best bike cover for bike rack?

To select the best bike cover for a bike rack, you need to think about the following.

What cover material would be the best suited?

The choice of cover material should be based on its durability and resistance to different weather stresses. Bike covers can be made of polyurethane, polyester, or nylon. Each material has merits and demerits which you should be aware of before purchasing a bike cover.

For example, polyurethane is a common bike cover material because it is stretchable and these covers are easy to put on bikes. It is also waterproof which means it will protect your bikes from rain and you can easily clean them.

You can get affordable polyurethane covers because it is cheap but they will not be soft and unless treated with a flame retardant, they would not resist heat so you will have to compromise on durability.

Other than that, a nylon bike cover for bike racks is also a good option because it is soft, durable, washable, water, heat, and UV resistant. But it is a bit expensive. Polyester covers also have these qualities and are also economical but they are not as fine in appearance as nylon covers. 

What is the Denier of a fabric?

When looking for bike covers for your bike rack, you will come across the Denier of fabric. It is mostly mentioned as ‘D’ followed by a number. This number represents the durability and sturdiness of the fabric used to make the cover. So you should look for a higher denier number if you want a cover made of good quality material able to protect your bikes. 

What cover size would be the best suited?

Most covers are available in a range of sizes, accommodating different numbers of bikes. You can check the dimensions of the cover and then see if it can fit your bike(s). But still most of the time, the cover does not fit the said number of bikes because bikes also vary in size.

We suggest you go for one size larger because you can always strap down the extra fabric but you will not be able to fit all your bikes in a smaller size. 

Does the bike cover have safety features?

Some types of bike cover for bike racks come with drawstrings or buckles. This useful feature prevents air from filling in the cover otherwise your cover would swell up like a balloon and would hinder the rearview. This could lead to inconvenience while driving.

Moreover, some covers have holes for locks that go around bikes and the bike rack. This feature is a plus if you want to protect your valuable bikes from theft. 

How to install bike rack covers?

This can depend if you have a hitchless bike rack or a hitch bike rack but generally, bike cover for is installed by simply spreading them over the bikes and rack and then strapping them down with the help of drawstrings or buckles. This prevents air from entering the cover.

On the other hand, some bike racks are stretchable. For installation of such racks, you can first put one wheel inside, step in the back side of the cover, and place the second wheel inside. Then you can step down and cover the whole bike. 

How many bikes can the bike cover protect?

Each bike cover has a different capacity for accommodating bikes. Some are only made for single bikes, while others can fit 2, 3, or 4 bikes. These covers are so versatile that you can fit in any geometry bike frame and keep it protected from the harshness of extreme weather. 

Best bike rack cover products 

Pro Bike Tool Bike Cover for Bike Rack

The Pro bike cover is available in two versions, travel and stationary, and three different sizes for 1-3 bikes. These covers are made of high-quality material that saves the frames from damage by sun, rain, snow, and dust.

The stationary version is made to store bikes in a garage or outdoors. The travel version has 3 useful straps to tie down and stop air from entering the cover. This reduces wind resistance and makes it easier for drivers to have a rear view.

This bike cover also has loops that help lock the bike to the rack with more convenience. Overall it is a great cover that also has reflective loops for easier location of handlebars. This cover is made for hitch bike racks but it has been used on roof racks as well and it turned out fine.

Puroma Bike Cover for Bike Rack

The Puroma bike cover has a different design than other racks mentioned in this review. This cover has an elastic hem on the bottom which lets the cover fit perfectly around the bikes on its own. Once installed, it will protect your bikes from UV rays, and water.

The Puroma should also aid in preventing theft because it has steel grommets encircling a U-lock hole. We recommend this rack only for platform-style hitch bike racks. You can even accommodate e-bikes in this cover, but it is built with thin material which might tear easily so you will have to compromise on durability. Other than that, it is available in decent designs and is the most economical bike cover we have reviewed. 

Formosa Covers for Bike Rack 

The Formosa bike cover has some great features to protect the bikes as well as to provide you with the most convenient driving experience. This bike cover for bike rack is available in 1, 2, and 3 bike sizes.

You will not have to worry about the protection of bikes because it is made with D poly fabric that keeps bikes safe from sun and rain damage. We suggest this cover for hitch mount racks whatever the configuration of the loaded bikes.

The best thing about this rack is the PVC panels that allow the visibility of tail lights. But that is only prominent at night. This and the night reflector exterior ensure a safer night driving experience. Also, you can tightly cover the bikes, bike rack, and even the hitch thanks to the drawstrings.

This cover is recommended for larger vehicles such as RVs and vans and at around $140, the quad is a good cover option for up to 4 bikes. 

Team Obsidian Bike Cover  

The bike cover for the bike rack from Team Obsidian is another great option for 1,2 or 3 bikes on a platform hitch mount rack. It is available in a stationary version that cannot be used while traveling with bikes and additional 4 versions for traveling under different conditions.

These include a transportation version that you can use for shorter trips because it is made up of 300D waterproof material. The other versions are heavy-duty, made of 600D fabric and one of them is transparent for the visibility of tail lights.

Just like the Formosa cover, it will cover all types of bikes and has a drawstring for securing extra fabric but it is not capable to handle the high speed of vehicles when you use it for hatchbacks or smaller SUVs. But on RVs and bigger vans, it will work great. 

Velo Sock Bike Cover for Bike Rack  

This unisex bike cover from Velo Sock is the easiest to put on a bike. At less than $50 it protects your bikes from rain, dust, dirt, and salt. It would allow you to carry your bike inside the trunk of your car as well as on a bike rack.

The best thing is the stretchability which allows you to accommodate any bike type with any wheel size. You can use this versatile cover, to store bikes in your garage, on a wall rack, and carry them on a bike rack.

Also, it is available in more than 25 designs so you can select according to your aesthetic sense and protect the sensitive parts of your expensive bikes. We recommend it for short-term use.