A Brainiac recently put out the signal that she was in need of help choosing the best product for her needs. You see, this person, we’ll call her The Most Majestic Unicorn, was looking for a bike rack for the roof of her car. There were a couple specifications: it needed to accommodate two road bikes with quick-release front wheels, and it needed to have a locking option. Fortunately, she had a decent budget to work with. So, we found the best rack money can buy, which also ended up being fairly affordable.
The Best Roof-Mount Bike Rack: Yakima ForkLift Fork Mount Rooftop Bike Rack
Several of the experts in the world of cycling recommend the Yakima ForkLift, including Outdoor Gear Lab, one of my go-to sites for anything cycling related. It’s currently available for a smidge over $100 on Amazon. You can pay an extra $113.49 to get it installed. But, installation is so stupidly simple that you should save your money.
The ForkLift is designed to fit just about any aerodynamic, factory, square, or round crossbars. And, put that hammer away! You don’t need any tools to install this baby. You just open up the thing and pull it out, then move it closer to the crossbar and clamp it down. Though my technical explanation is all that you need, I still recommend you check out this YouTube video. You can effortlessly pop your bike on thanks to the easily-adjustable sliding wheel tray. Yakima backs up their rack with a limited lifetime warranty. The whole thing is about 53.5” long by 7.25” wide by 2.5” high.
The ForkLift does not come with a locking mechanism, though. Fortunately, Yakima has you covered. They offer Yakima SKS Lock Keys & Cores. For under $50, you get a four-pack of SKS (same key system) cores that fit all Yakima products. This also comes with two keys and a control key. And, the cores are backed by a limited lifetime warranty and can be installed in no time without the need of a saw or any other tools.
What Are People Saying about the ForkLift Rooftop Bike Rack?
Outdoor Gear Lab recommended the Yakima ForkLift to anyone with a factory equipped crossbar who is looking for a fork mount roof rack. They found it to be simple to install, stable, and secure. And, since it is versatile enough to attach to any crossbar, it will not be obsolete if you decide to trade cars with someone at a rest stop.
83% of the customers who reviewed the Yakima ForkLift on Amazon gave it a four- or five-star rating. The most common remark is how seamless installation is. Users report that it takes less than fifteen minutes. And, owners of a variety of different cars found that it fits perfectly and holds solid despite only having two bolts keeping the rack on. One buyer has had theirs for more than a year and driven over 3,000 miles with bikes on top and never had any issues.
See the Lowest Price for the Yakima ForkLift Fork Mount Rooftop Bike Rack on Amazon
Let us know if you need help deciding on an upcoming purchase. Check out the “Help Me Choose” section on our site.
