The best Honda CR-V bike rack

Step-by-step guide for selecting the best Honda CR-V Bike rack?

Step 1: Comprehend what type of vehicle is Honda CR-V and its features relevant to bike racks

Honda CR-V is one of the top-selling Compact Crossover SUVs in the USA. A compact crossover SUV is basically a vehicle that has the base of a compact car while offering most advantages of an SUV such as additional room, safety, and higher visibility. CR-V stands for Compact Recreational Vehicle (Per a British Honda review) and is built as an SUV with a lot of features for a family or an outdoors individual. Features specifically pertaining to bike racks include

• Roof rails: Currently we see that only the 2022 CR-V Touring comes with roof rails factor installed on it.  
• Hitch receiver: Honda CR-V all variants come with a towing capacity. It comes with a factory-fitted 2-inch size or 1 ⅞-inch size hitch receiver. Other included parts
  • Drawbar
  • Retaining pin
  • Clip
  • Honda CR-V Tow Hitch (commonly known as the “trailer hitch harness”)
• The good thing about Honda CR-V is that its towing experience is really good because of different features such as Real Time AWD, VSA, Hill Assist, and Brake Assistance.

Step 2: Know the type of bike racks that exists out there.

There is a wide variety of bike racks out there and they can be categorized based on many factors such as the number of bikes they can carry. Part of the vehicle they attach to? Which brand? Etc. What matters the most is that is the rack compatible with your vehicle Honda CR-V. Very broadly the types can be divided into

• Roof bike rack (click for more details)
• Trunk bike rack
• Hitch bike rack
• Truck bed bike rack (Not compatible with Honda CR-V

All types of racks have their pros and cons. Hitch bike racks offer more convenience for the users but bike racks for SUVs with no hitch can save you from spending extra money on buying trailer hitch or roof rails. We recommend roof bike racks if you want to use the space on the car roof. Roof rails are not as expensive as trailer hitches. We have compared four Thule roof bike racks in our article. This article will help you choose the best roof mount rack if you are considering them. 

Step 3: What are your biking necessities?

Just make sure you know the number of bikes you would be carrying on your bike rack. You can of course decide that based on the bike you and your core family members have or even include if you would be traveling with your friends (with their bikes). Also, you need to make sure the bike rack is compatible with the type of bike. Some e-bikes or fat bikes don’t fit in a number of bike racks.

Generally, hanging-type bike racks are economical options if you are traveling with more than 2 bikes. But if you have very expensive bikes (carbon frames etc.), it’s more prudent to go for a platform-type bike rack. Platform type comes in the option of a single hitch bike rack but you can find racks that can manage two bikes. Other than that there are multiple 4-hitch bike rack options as well.

Step 4: Check rack compatibility.

Now that you have determined the type of bikes along with the number of bikes you would be traveling with. Check the compatibility of the rack with your vehicle and also your biking requirements. We have done a basic checklist in order to help you in your selection

• Roof bike rack – Compatible with Honda CR-V
• Hitch bike rack – Compatible with Honda CR-V (Hitch included)
• Trunk bike rack – Compatible with Honda CR-V
• Truck bed bike rack – Not compatible

Step 5: Select from the shortlisted best bike racks for Honda CR-V

In this section, you will find some racks suitable for the different needs of Honda CR-V owners.

Saris Bones EX: Best trunk mount rack for Honda CR-V

• 3 Bike

• Trunk

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• Works for SUVs and cars
• Compatible with most spoilers
• Strong structure
• Does not damage the vehicle

• A separate lock has to be bought

Saris Bones EX is a popular rack for the trunk of Honda cr-v, and we believe its popularity is justified because of its heritage and compatibility with SUVs. This rack is very light in weight and the 3-bike version only weighs around 11 lbs. The arc-shaped structure provides great strength and durability to the rack and prevents the bikes from coming in contact. A special thing about the bike rack is that even with a spoiler you can attach it to your car, SUV, or van. The unique leg design contributes greatly to the compatibility with vehicles.

Limitations to the bike rack are that, unlike hitch bike racks mentioned below, it will only let you carry bikes with a maximum weight of 35 lbs. This means that you will not be able to carry heavier bikes such as some mountain and e-bikes. It also has a reasonable price as compared to hitch mount racks. It costs around $220 which brings the per-bike cost to nearly $70.

Apart from a single consumer who had issues installing it on a honda cr-v 2021, most customers are extremely happy with this hitchless bike rack for SUVs.

Thule T2 Pro XTR – Premium Platform Honda CR-V Bike rack

Do you own heavier bikes that a trunk bike rack cannot carry? T2 Pro is the best solution. This rack requires a 1 ¼” or 2” hitch receiver and once you have that, it will take care of the rest. This rack is the most convenient to use because it lets you lock the bikes on the rack and the rack to the vehicle. It would also let you open the car trunk because of the tilting features. Overall, it is among the premium quality options for Honda CR-V. It would also let you carry your expensive bikes without leaving any scratches on them. This makes it suitable for carbon bikes as well as e-bikes. The only issue is the price. T2 Pro XTR would cost you more than other racks but with a high price, it is also offering high value and ease of use. 

Honda CR-V Compatibility Yes

Pros Can be used for Ebikes, no frame contact
Cons Price
Rating 4.6 out of 5
Price Around $700

Allen Sports 2-Bike Hitch – Budget Choice Honda CR-V Bike rack

If you do not want to spend a higher amount on a bike rack but still want a hitch rack, we recommend the Allen Sports bike rack for 2 bikes. This rack is the most economical yet good quality rack. This brand produces economical racks but focuses on their usability. The hitch bike rack serves its purpose but since it hangs bikes, check the bikes that are compatible with it. You can install it on a 1 ¼” hitch receiver but in case your car has a 2” hitch receiver you can buy the adapter separately from Allen Sports and install it on the hitch. 

Honda CR-V Compatibility Yes.

Pros Inexpensive
Cons Swaying side to side reported
Rating 4.5 out of 5
Price Around $100

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MAXXHAUL 2-Bike rack for CR-V

Most hanging-style hitch racks hinder the rear visibility but Maxxhaul can save you from the trouble. This rack works for both 1 ¼” and 2” hitch receivers so as long as you have the required hitch, the rack would be compatible with Honda CR-V. You can carry two bikes on this rack and it comes at a good price. 

Swagman XC2 Hitch – Economical Platform

If you are looking for a popular bike rack tested by lots of people and at a good price, the Swagman XC2 hitch mount bike rack is one of the most popular racks selling on Amazon currently at a 35% discount. The rack is compatible with a 1-1/4 inch and 2-inch receiver. The one drawback we see is that you have to buy a locking hitch pin security cable separately.

Pros Reasonable price
Cons Separate security system
Rating 4.5 out of 5

Allen Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

An economical Honda CR-V Bike rack that can be mounted on the trunk. This rack has high compatibility with various vehicles and also works great for CR-V. If you own lightweight bikes and are not very conscious about frame contact, you can save a lot of money by purchasing this rack. The rack is compact yet durable and serves the purpose well. 

Pros Compact
Cons Minimal features
Rating 4.3 out of 5