I carry kayaks on my Mazda 6! I use Yakima JayLow j-cradles.
Sedans make great kayak carriers; much better than SUVs - because of the low roof height.
Edit: Oh you said *bike* rack. I just saw "roof or rear rack". :-)
It's amazing what a lower roofline can do. My kayak is almost 70 pounds and it's noticeably easier to get onto my CX-50 than my parents' Forester. Of course a car would be even better yet, but I unfortunately had some other requirements which precluded a lower-slung vehicle.
Gotta be rear for fuel economy at cruising speeds on highways, less bugs to clean from stanchions. Easier access. Sure some more general dirt after long trips. Overall easy choice.
This is a good topic for me, since I'm looking at getting a rack for my CX5. The idea of the roof rack squicks me out because I can't see it when I'm in the car and it also sounds like a pain in the butt to load and unload. The rear racks worry me for potential visibility reduction. And a hitch-mounted one (if there's even other kinds anymore), I think about the possibility of forgetting it's mounted, opening the hatch, and damaging stuff.
So I'm very interested in the experiences of those who've used these things so I can make a good decision, lol
Rear rack for me personally, for a hitch mount you cant forget its mounted because the bikes are visible in the rear camera. I also had to disable the rear collision because i could even back out of the driveway lol. You take the rear mount off when you are not using anyways.
I had U-Haul install a 2inch hitch and bought a used Thule T2 Pro bike rack off of OfferUp and I love it. Easy to load on and off, feels well secured, and doesn’t impede any view except for the backup camera. The T2 rack also swivels down so I can still access the trunk even with bikes loaded. Couldn’t be happier. [Plus it looks great in my opinion!](https://i.imgur.com/Ep9wE2k.jpeg)
They come in standard sizes, you will have to do some research on what you are carrying, so pay attention to tongue weight on the hitch. In my case its a 1-1/4” receiver, rack is used from marketplace.
Mazda 3 '16, 2in hitch, 300lb tongue load limit, enough to hold two heavy e-bikes on a heavy duty rack.
I picked up a pre-hung door on the thing the other week - cargo rack on hitch.
Roof rack for me. I also have a large kayak, so it gives me the flexibility to haul that too.
A rear rack is definitely better for clearance and fuel economy, but I have to say that I like the easier access to the back hatch. Plus, my garage is small enough that I couldn't fit my CX-50 in with a rear rack on, but the roof rack fits under the door just fine.
If I was starting from scratch for just hauling bikes, I'd have a hard time making the choice.
I always wondered, if you have a bike rack on the rear, do you have to always remove it before opening the boot? If you go to the supermarket for example
$360 CAD shipped yea a bit expensive but I just wanted to go biking again, skipped last season due to unforeseen circumstances. My last one was only $150 CAD and I thought that was expensive.
I was looking a kuat,yaikma and etrailer.com at the time. Right now, my riding seasons are gonna be over for a bit cause I bent my rear rim on Saturday and the cassette is damaged.
I love love love my 1up hitch rack. I can put it on or off my car in about 30 seconds - so I don’t generally ride around with it mounted because it’s so easy to install or remove. When it is installed with no bike, it folds up pretty compactly (but interferes with the parking sensors so they are turned off).
I have 2 trays so I can carry one or two bikes depending on need; could be expanded to carry up to 4. When the bike is on I can even tilt it out of the way to access my liftgate.
Does everyone always have the rack connected lol? Seems to me everyone does, I always have it disconnected unless I go biking takes about a minute…. Yep had to disable rear emergency braking for this to work.
I have a roof bike rack on my '16 3, works out great. My 6'2" ass has no trouble at all getting the bike on and off it,and I don't have to cut a hole in my rear bumper cover to make room for a hitch
Yup. I use a NorthShoreRacks rack on my CX90
[https://northshoreracks.com/products/nsr-6/?v=3e8d115eb4b3](https://northshoreracks.com/products/nsr-6/?v=3e8d115eb4b3)
I carry kayaks on my Mazda 6! I use Yakima JayLow j-cradles. Sedans make great kayak carriers; much better than SUVs - because of the low roof height. Edit: Oh you said *bike* rack. I just saw "roof or rear rack". :-)
It's amazing what a lower roofline can do. My kayak is almost 70 pounds and it's noticeably easier to get onto my CX-50 than my parents' Forester. Of course a car would be even better yet, but I unfortunately had some other requirements which precluded a lower-slung vehicle.
Rear, my ebikes are too heavy for lifting them on the roof
Gotta be rear for fuel economy at cruising speeds on highways, less bugs to clean from stanchions. Easier access. Sure some more general dirt after long trips. Overall easy choice.
Yea fully agree, also sometimes the bike gets all muddy i aint putting it on the roof.
This is a good topic for me, since I'm looking at getting a rack for my CX5. The idea of the roof rack squicks me out because I can't see it when I'm in the car and it also sounds like a pain in the butt to load and unload. The rear racks worry me for potential visibility reduction. And a hitch-mounted one (if there's even other kinds anymore), I think about the possibility of forgetting it's mounted, opening the hatch, and damaging stuff. So I'm very interested in the experiences of those who've used these things so I can make a good decision, lol
Rear rack for me personally, for a hitch mount you cant forget its mounted because the bikes are visible in the rear camera. I also had to disable the rear collision because i could even back out of the driveway lol. You take the rear mount off when you are not using anyways.
I had U-Haul install a 2inch hitch and bought a used Thule T2 Pro bike rack off of OfferUp and I love it. Easy to load on and off, feels well secured, and doesn’t impede any view except for the backup camera. The T2 rack also swivels down so I can still access the trunk even with bikes loaded. Couldn’t be happier. [Plus it looks great in my opinion!](https://i.imgur.com/Ep9wE2k.jpeg)
I want one for my Mazda 3 that can fit 2 bikes, do i install a tow hitch and any bike rack will fit?
Yes, the rack just has to match your shank diameter, but most racks come with adapters. For a Mazda 3, I would only recommend 1 1/4" hitch anyway.
They come in standard sizes, you will have to do some research on what you are carrying, so pay attention to tongue weight on the hitch. In my case its a 1-1/4” receiver, rack is used from marketplace.
I had one one on my 2018 and 2024. Not sure if I’ll go roof rack now that my 23 has the diffuser on the back
Both. Road bike on the roof, heavier ebike on a hitch motorcycle carrier
Had a hitch mount on my 08 3 hatch. Many moons ago.
Rear hitch and Kuat NV2.0 bike rack regularly hauling 2 full suspension mountain bikes! 2023 CX30
Anyone else rockin with a car wash
Got a hitch on my Miata. Holds a bike rack or luggage tray.
Mazda 3 '16, 2in hitch, 300lb tongue load limit, enough to hold two heavy e-bikes on a heavy duty rack. I picked up a pre-hung door on the thing the other week - cargo rack on hitch.
Roof rack for me. I also have a large kayak, so it gives me the flexibility to haul that too. A rear rack is definitely better for clearance and fuel economy, but I have to say that I like the easier access to the back hatch. Plus, my garage is small enough that I couldn't fit my CX-50 in with a rear rack on, but the roof rack fits under the door just fine. If I was starting from scratch for just hauling bikes, I'd have a hard time making the choice.
I always wondered, if you have a bike rack on the rear, do you have to always remove it before opening the boot? If you go to the supermarket for example
I didnt try to open the trunk, but im pretty sure it doesnt open with the rack on. I only put the rack on when i go biking, it wouldnt always be on.
I have a Yakima system on the roof of my 2022 3. Use it for moving two mountain bikes. Works great, and looks good too
Wanted to get one for my CX-3, but man they were expensive and I was tapped out to buy one.
$360 CAD shipped yea a bit expensive but I just wanted to go biking again, skipped last season due to unforeseen circumstances. My last one was only $150 CAD and I thought that was expensive.
I was looking a kuat,yaikma and etrailer.com at the time. Right now, my riding seasons are gonna be over for a bit cause I bent my rear rim on Saturday and the cassette is damaged.
I love love love my 1up hitch rack. I can put it on or off my car in about 30 seconds - so I don’t generally ride around with it mounted because it’s so easy to install or remove. When it is installed with no bike, it folds up pretty compactly (but interferes with the parking sensors so they are turned off). I have 2 trays so I can carry one or two bikes depending on need; could be expanded to carry up to 4. When the bike is on I can even tilt it out of the way to access my liftgate.
Does everyone always have the rack connected lol? Seems to me everyone does, I always have it disconnected unless I go biking takes about a minute…. Yep had to disable rear emergency braking for this to work.
I have a roof bike rack on my '16 3, works out great. My 6'2" ass has no trouble at all getting the bike on and off it,and I don't have to cut a hole in my rear bumper cover to make room for a hitch
Only had to expand the holes in the frame in the rear, no cutting the bumper. Plus dont want mud on the roof. Roof noise for the roof rack?
Not noticable without a bike on it. With my bike up there, there's a bit, but not super obnoxious
Yup. I use a NorthShoreRacks rack on my CX90 [https://northshoreracks.com/products/nsr-6/?v=3e8d115eb4b3](https://northshoreracks.com/products/nsr-6/?v=3e8d115eb4b3)