Best Bike Cargo Racks of 2024
The best front, rear, and seatpost racks for commuting, touring, MTB, and bikepacking
Home > Gear Reviews > Cycling
July 5th, 2024, updated with a new winning model
Bike cargo racks are the most secure way to carry heavy and bulky loads on a bike, and they’re downright necessary to use bike panniers to carry gear with your bike.
Most bike racks are adequate to carry cargo with your bike, but not all bike racks will work with all bikes. Some bike cargo racks are inexpensive and practical, while others are designed for a specific use case.
Not all bike racks are created equally. We’ll lay out the differences between some of the best bike cargo racks and let you know what each rack is best for.
Our main bike cargo rack tester and the author of this review, Sam, has ridden a bicycle across the United States with a set of bike racks and four panniers. He bikepacked all over the American Southwest and spent years commuting by bike. He has also worked as a bike mechanic for ten years, installing all kinds of cargo racks on tons of bikes.
Whether you’re looking for a rear bike cargo rack for commuting to work, racks for multi-day touring adventures, a front rack for taking that to-go pizza home, or a simple bike rack for just riding around, we found something that will suit your needs.
Related: Best Bike Panniers
Read more: Best Bike Saddle Bags and Seat Packs
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Comparison table
| BIKE RACK | TREELINE AWARD | MATERIAL | MOUNT POSITION | WEIGHT LIMIT | RACK WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soma Porteur Rack | Best front rack Read why |
Aluminum | Front | 22 lbs | 2.65 lbs |
| Tumbleweed Chromoly pannier rack | Best rear bike rack Read why |
Chromoly | Rear or front | 45 lbs | 1.23 lbs |
| Axiom Transit | Best for commuting Read why |
Aluminum | Rear | 110 lbs | 1.21 lbs |
| Planet Bike Eco Rack | Best affordable Read why |
Aluminum | Rear | 55 lbs | 1.42 lbs |
| Axiom Lowrider Front rack | Best front rack for bike touring Read why |
Aluminum | Front | 40 lbs | 1.29 lbs |
The Winners
Best Front Bike Rack:
Soma Porteur Rack
Material: Aluminum
Mount position: Front
Weight limit: 22 lbs
Rack weight: 2.65 lbs
What we liked:
Multiple mounting options
Big rack platform
Great for odd-sized loads
Lightweight
Has pannier mounts
What could be improved:
Mounting is more difficult than some racks
The Soma Porteur Rack is the best front bike rack we tested. It’s hard to find a good fork-mounted cargo rack, and this one shines for its wide platform that can fit large and heavy cargo. We think this is the perfect rack to strap anything on top of for commuting, bikepacking, and general stuff-hauling. We love the wide top platform on this rack and think it’s the perfect option for mounting a basket on the front of your bike.
Compare Prices Of The Soma Porteur Rack
It also has mounts to attach panniers, which is rare with a front rack with a wide top platform. We put this rack on our Surly Krampus and used it for a bikepacking trip, then continued using it while commuting around Denver when we finished the backpacking trip.
This rack is made of high-quality aluminum, so it’s lightweight despite having a lot of material. It mounts to your bike at the dropouts, either on the axle itself or on the dropout eyelets of your bike. It also mounts to mid-blade fork eyelets and the center of the fork crown. This five-point mounting system is super secure, and we never felt like we were overloading this rack.
Its massive 14.25 by 12-inch platform is big enough for wider and odd-sized objects. This platform is the perfect size to mount a basket on top. There are extra threaded eyelets around the rack platform, which work to mount lights or other accessories.
While we love almost everything about this rack, it’s not the easiest to figure out how to mount. We had a friend who’s less mechanically inclined attempt to install this on their bike, and the large bag of rack hardware was too much for them to figure out quickly. This is not impossible to install yourself, but if this is the first rack you install, you’re probably in for a few head-scratching moments. It also doesn’t fit all fork sizes, but we could mount this on a Surly Krampus even though the fork is longer than Soma says will work with this rack.
However, we think this is an excellent option for a wide-platform front rack with pannier mounts that’s been time-tested by cyclists for years. It has many positive customer reviews online, and we’ve known many cyclists who swear by this rack over the years. We think it’s pretty great, too.
BEST (REAR) BIKE RACK:
TUMBLEWEED CHROMOLY PANNIER RACK
Material: Chromoly
Mount position: Rear or front
Weight limit: 45 lbs
Rack weight: 1.18 lbs
What we liked:
Lightweight
Works as a front or rear rack
Strong
Easy to mount
Has threaded bosses for bottle cages
What could be improved:
Doesn’t work with large panniers
The Tumbleweed Bikes Chromoly Pannier Rack is a lightweight and minimalist rack with the most functionality of any rack we tested, so we’ve deemed it the Best Rear Bike Rack. This rack works as a front or rear rack, has a set of threaded bosses on either side for mounting bottle cages or dry bags, and is super easy to mount. We love the versatility of this rack.
View The Tumbleweed Chromoly Pannier Rack
This year, Tumbleweed redesigned this rack and gave it a new name. It looks pretty similar to the Mini Pannier Rack, the rack we tested, but there are a few key differences. The newest version has an open loop platform design, so it’s now a u-shaped platform. It also has a redesigned mounting hardware to make it less likely it will loosen over time; two sets of 350 mm mounting struts, one straight and one offset (along with the shorter struts for mounting onto the front); and a Dynamo wire routing port next to the light mount. We’re looking forward to testing the updated version of the Chromoly Bike Rack and will report back here when we do.
During a bikepacking trip in Arizona this spring, we used it as a rear rack. With this rack, we stored a dry bag on top of the rack and two bottle cages holding 80 ounces of water on the sides of the rack. We also used this as a rear rack with a set of mini panniers for commuting around town. And we mounted it to our Surly Krampus fork for commuting with a front rack.
The Chromoly Pannier Rack is made of 10 mm steel tubing. When we hear steel, we don’t usually think lightweight. However, this rack is lighter than most of the aluminum racks we tested, even though it’s made of steel.
Chromoly steel is strong enough for the tubes to be much thinner than aluminum. This rack is light enough that we often forgot it was there, while most of the aluminum racks we tested were more noticeable when riding without cargo.
It mounts easily with interchangeable rack struts, so you can quickly mount it to the front or rear of your bike. If you want to mount it to the front of your bike, you’ll need to have fork crown eyelets or get one of these adaptors. And we love that you can mount water bottle cages to the sides of this rack. This is a unique feature for a rack, and it adds functionality that we’ve never seen in a bike rack.
While there are tons of great things to say about the Chromoly Pannier Rack, we should mention that it doesn’t work well with large panniers. You won’t be able to mount your massive rear panniers for touring to this rack. Many racks will work with your 45-liter panniers if that’s what you’re after, but the Chromoly Pannier Rack won’t.
However, we think this rack is the perfect size for modern bikepacking, bike touring, and commuting. Bikepacking.com gave this rack glowing reviews, and BikeTouringNews also has great things to say about this rack. Tons of cyclists have also gone to the internet to talk up Tumbleweed racks, and the newest version is once again creating a buzz.
Best Bike Rack for Commuting:
Axiom Transit
Material: Aluminum
Mount position: Rear
Weight limit: 110 lbs
Rack weight: 1.21 lbs
What we liked:
Simple
Effective
Strong
Durable
Inexpensive
What could be improved:
Could be lighter
The Axiom Transit is a simple, effective aluminum rear rack perfect for commuters. This rack isn’t fancy, but it doesn’t try to be. This is a reliable rack you can count on to transport everything you’ll need to commute by bike. It’s super durable, mounts easily to most bikes, and doesn’t cost very much. This has everything you’d want in a rear rack for bike commuting with nothing you don’t.
Compare Prices Of The Axiom Transit
The Axiom Transit is strong, tubular aluminum rigid enough to hold most loads securely. It has a wide top platform and mounts to the bike with durable steel struts that you can bend into place.
The top platform is a solid sheet of aluminum, so nothing on top of the rack will fall through onto your rear tire, and nothing from your tire will end up on the seat of your pants. It comes with high-quality stainless steel hardware and has a 110-pound weight capacity.
While this is an excellent rear bike rack, it isn’t fancy. Bike racks don’t have to be fancy to carry gear for commuting, recreation, or travel effectively. But there are sleeker-looking, lighter bike racks, too. If you’re looking for a lightweight rack that will look great on your brand-new bike, there’s probably a better option than the Transit.
However, we think the simplistic look of the Transit does look good in its own way, and this utilitarian rack is a reliable choice if you want that. Tons of cyclists use this rack, and there are countless positive reviews online from those customers. We think this is a great option for an inexpensive rack for your commuter bike.
Best Affordable Bike Rack:
Planet Bike Eco Rack
Material: Aluminum
Mount position: Rear
Weight limit: 55 lbs
Rack weight: 1.42 lbs
What we liked:
Affordable
Simple design
Works great
Reliable
What could be improved:
Not the lightest
Nothing fancy
The Planet Bike Eco Rack is our favorite affordable bike rack. This rack doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel, or in this case, the rear cargo bike rack. The Eco Rack relies on the time-tested and straightforward design that cyclists have used for years to carry panniers and other cargo on bikes. We’ve used the Eco Rack many times over the years and will continue to turn to this rack when we need an economical and practical option for hauling cargo on the back of our bike.
View the Planet Bike Eco Rack
The Eco Rack is made of Oversized, 6061 tubular aluminum. This aluminum tubing is extremely strong and can support up to 55 pounds without issue. The rack attaches with two bendable steel rack struts and comes with high-quality stainless steel hardware to bolt onto your bike. It’s compatible with most pannier styles and has a place to attach a rear light.
It has a sheet of aluminum welded across the top, which is helpful compared to racks with only welded tubes because the sheet makes any cargo you strap on top less likely to fall into your rear wheel. And since nothing can get through this aluminum sheet, it doubles as a rear fender.
While the Eco Rack is a great overall rack, it isn’t anything fancy. You might want to look for other options if you need the lightest, sleekest rack for your shiny new cargo bike. However, if you’re simply looking for a rack that will work and doesn’t cost a lot, this is for you.
The Eco Rack has tons of positive reviews from satisfied customers online, and NYT Wirecutter also has great things to say about it. We’ve used this rack for years and will continue to use it whenever we need a no-frills rack that works.
Best Front Bike Rack for Bike Touring:
Axiom Lowrider Front rack
Material: Aluminum
Mount position: Front
Weight limit: 40 lbs
Rack weight: 1.29 lbs
What we liked:
Holds panniers low for weight distribution
Easy to install
Durable
Lightweight
What could be improved:
Low-rider rack only has one use case
The Axiom Lowrider Front Rack is our favorite front rack for bike touring. This rack allows you to attach a set of front panniers low on your bike’s fork, which is the optimal place to place a heavy load on the front of your bike. If you attempt to put two panniers’ worth of gear into a single handlebar bag, you’ll understand what we mean. This rack allows you to carry tons more than you could in a single handlebar bag.
Compare Prices Of The Axiom Lowrider Front Rack
You barely notice the weight when riding when two evenly-loaded panniers are on this rack. Of course, you feel it if you try to lift the bike's front end, but a bike loaded with gear on the Lowrider rack steers better than every other type of front rack.
The Lowrider is two separate racks that mount independently to the outside of each fork leg. Its design is simple: two aluminum rectangles with added material for strength. It mounts to the fork dropout eyelets and halfway up the fork to the mid-blade fork eyelets. If your fork doesn’t have mid-blade eyelets, this rack has hardware that can be used instead of bolting it directly to your fork. Each rack side has a loop at the bottom for attaching a pannier bungee and tabs at the top so the pannier doesn’t slide off the side.
While it’s an excellent rack for bicycle touring, the Lowrider rack is only good for bike touring on paved roads. If you’re using a low-rider style rack, having an evenly distributed load on both sides of your fork is very important. With only one pannier or an unevenly distributed load on this rack, your bike will pull strongly in one direction, making it challenging to ride.
Since you can’t use one pannier with this rack, it’s not great for commuting unless you want to commute with two panniers. Also, in our experience, lowrider racks make off-road riding difficult since those low-hanging panniers are susceptible to catching on rocks along a trail. So, the Lowrider isn’t a great choice for bikepacking either.
But if you’re looking for a front rack for paved bicycle touring, the Lowrider is the best choice. Touring cyclists have relied on this rack for years, and it has tons of positive customer reviews online. For a front rack for bicycle touring, we don’t think you can beat this.
Best Rear Bike Rack for Bike Touring:
Axiom Journey
Material: Aluminum
Mount position: Rear
Weight limit: 154 lbs
Rack weight: 1.54 lbs
What we liked:
Durable
Mounts easily
Very strong
Extra aluminum tube keeps large panniers away from the wheel
What could be improved:
Pretty heavy
The Axiom Journey Rack is a solid, durable rear bike cargo rack ready for adventure. We love how strong this rack is and how easy it is to install. We first used the Journey Rack on a bike tour through the American Southwest nearly a decade ago, and we’ve considered it the best rear rack for extended bike tours ever since.
View The Axiom Journey
The Journey is made of tubular 6061 aluminum and has several varieties that will fit most bikes. It uses three aluminum tubes instead of the traditional two found on most rear racks, and the third tube sweeps back from the rack. This strengthens the rack and prevents large panniers from hitting your rear wheel while you ride.
Using the Axiom Journey Rack to transport a large box that exceeds the rack's weight capacity.
It has adjustable Versalock stays that make mounting it on a bike easy. Unlike some adjustable aluminum stays like these, you can bend the Versalock stays up to 30% without affecting the strength. We didn’t find we had to bend these stays since they’re so adjustable, but it’s nice to know you can.
The Journey comes in a few varieties. We tested the standard Journey, but there are a few other versions of this rack: one has a spring-loaded clip on top to hold a jacket or other flat items in place, another is height adjustable, and another is compatible with disc brake bikes.
Photo from a 2014 bike tour, there’s an Axiom Journey Rack under all that gear.
While we love this rack, it’s pretty heavy. You want a heavy rack if you’ll be approaching the Journey’s 154-pound weight capacity. But for lightweight loads, this rack is downright overkill.
However, if you want a heavy-duty rack like this one, you can’t do better than the Journey. Tons of satisfied customers have left positive reviews of this rack online. And, BicycleTouringPro also has great things to say about this rack in their review. This cargo rack is second to none when hauling two fully-loaded panniers on an epic adventure.
Best Bike Rack for Mountain Bikes And Bikepacking:
Axiom Streamliner 29er DLX
Material: Aluminum
Mount position: Rear
Weight limit: 110 lbs
Rack weight: 1.12 lbs
What we liked:
Fits modern bikes
Clears disc brake calipers
Modern-looking
Works on bikes without rack mounts
What could be improved:
Expensive
Smaller top platform
The Axiom Streamliner 29er DLX uses a modern approach to the rear bike cargo rack. For this reason, we think it’s an excellent choice for mountain bikes and bikepacking. This rack features tabs to ensure it clears the disc brake calipers on any bike. It also comes with multiple types of stays for mounting and will even mount to a bike’s quick-release skewer. You can mount this rack to your road bike with a seat post collar with threads for a rear rack.
View The Axiom Streamliner 29ER DLX
The Axiom Streamliner rack features tabs to ensure it clears the disc brake calipers on any bike.
The Streamliner looks sleeker than some racks we tested. The top platform is narrow, and the sides of the rack slope outward to reach the width of your bike’s rear dropouts. This makes the rack not as good for putting things on top of it.
A set of panniers won’t hang as far off the sides of your bike with the Axiom Streamliner, making it slightly more aerodynamic and better for tight spaces.
But this also means that a set of panniers won’t hang as far off the sides of your bike with this rack, making it slightly more aerodynamic and better for tight spaces.
We tested the Streamliner 29er DLX version of this rack, but it also comes in a road version that’s even narrower for road bikes, a standard version that isn’t quite as tall, and a wider version for fat bikes.
Close-up of the adjustable rack stays on the Axiom Streamlined 29.
Close-up of the adjustable rack arms from another angle.
This is a great rack, but it’s pretty expensive compared to some racks we tested. But this is a great option if you need a disc-brake-compatible rack or you’re trying to fit a rack to a bike that isn’t quite rack-compatible. If you don’t have the specific needs that this rack addresses, there are less expensive options, though.
The top platform on the Axiom Streamliner is narrow, and the sides of the rack slope outward to reach the width of your bike’s rear dropouts.
The Streamliner Rack has tons of positive customer reviews online, and TreadBikely has great things to say about it, too.
We think this rack looks great and works even better for 29-inch mountain bikes and other bikepacking needs, too.
Best Bike Rack for Mountless Bikes:
Thule Tour
Material: Nylon
Mount position: Rear or front
Weight limit: 25 lbs
Rack weight: 2.2 lbs
What we liked:
Attaches to frames without mounts
Lightweight
What could be improved:
Expensive
Complex mounting system
Removing the rack requires a special key
The Thule Tour Rack is the only rack we’ve found that works on the front or rear of any bike without any eyelets or mounts. This rack straps onto the frame, so it will work for most size tubes, including the wide tubes of suspension forks and full-suspension mountain bike frames.
View The Thule Tour
This mounts to bikes with nylon straps, rubber, and a ratcheting mechanism. Each rack support arm has two straps and ratchets, and they tighten a rubber shoe onto the bike frame to secure the rack in place. The rest of the rack is a simple platform to attach gear to the top. Additional side frames allow you to use this rack with panniers, but you’ll have to buy those separately.
While this rack is pretty cool and will mount to any bike, it’s pretty expensive compared to most bike cargo racks, and we don’t think the mounting system is as secure as a bolt-on rack. This is one of your only options if you need to put a rack on your full-suspension mountain bike. But for other bikes, mounting a rack to your bike is likely a less expensive and more secure option.
This bike has many positive customer reviews online but also has some negative reviews due to its complex mounting system. We didn’t think the mounting system was too difficult to figure out, but you can’t just bolt this rack and go.
WhileOutRiding and Road.cc both have positive things to say about this rack but only recommend it if you need to mount a rack to a bike without rack mounts. We agree that this is a unique rack that fulfills a specific need and is great for that.
Buying Advice
Throughout the buying advice section and article, we reference several bike terms. See our diagram of bike parts and where they are located on a bike below to help you conceptualize what we’re talking about.
Bike Compatibility
No matter the bike, you can probably put some kind of rack on it. However, there are some things to consider about bike compatibility when selecting a bike cargo rack.
The Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack (left) and Soma Porteur (right) both have extra threaded eyelets to attach lights or other accessories to the rack.
Bike Rack Mount
Most bikes designed to be used with a bike rack have threaded eyelets on the frame for bolting a rack in place. If your bike frame doesn’t have threaded eyelets or bike rack mounts, securing a rack to your frame will be more difficult.
Your bike needs threaded eyelets like these to install a cargo rack.
Close-up shot of threaded eyelets on a bike's seat stays.
Close-up of threaded eyelets near the dropouts on a bike's fork.
Wheel Size
Bike racks are made in different sizes to fit over different-sized wheels. Since a 26-inch wheel is smaller than a 29-inch wheel, a larger rack will be needed to fit over a 29-inch wheel.
Type of Brakes
Most bikes designed to be used with a rack use a brake mounting system that works with racks. However, some bike racks will get in the way of specific brakes. Here’s a quick explainer on each kind of brake system and things to consider when installing a rack on a bike with those brakes.
The Axiom Streamlined 29 is designed to work with disc brake bikes.
Disc Brakes
Disc brakes are the most common type that complicate rack mounting. Disc brakes often get in the way of a rear rack because the disc brake caliper is mounted to the bike frame near where a rear rack mounts. Some racks, such as the Axiom Streamliner 29, are designed to be compatible with disc brake bikes.
V-Brakes
V-brakes can sometimes get in the way of a rear rack’s mounting struts. V-brakes are commonly found on older mountain bikes but are less common now that most mountain bikes have disc brakes. If you have v-brakes on your bike, the vertical arms on the rear brake calendar might contact the rack struts when you squeeze the brake. In this case, you may be able to bend bendable steel rack stays in a way so the rack doesn’t interfere with the brake.
Side Pull Brakes
Side pull brakes can also get in the way of a rear rack’s mounting struts. Side-pull brakes are commonly found on road bikes. Like v-brakes, you may be able to bend a steel rack stay around a side-pull brake.
In the case of v-brakes and side pull brakes, double-check that your brakes still work properly after you install a rack on your bike before you go on a big bike ride.
Cantilever Brakes
Confusingly, cantilever brakes are shaped like a V (not the less-aptly-named v-brakes). Cantilever brakes are the most compatible with racks. We’ve never seen an issue with rack compatibility on a bike with cantilever brakes. However, cantilever brakes aren’t very common anymore because they don’t have as much stopping power as disc brakes, v-brakes, or side pull brakes.
Close-up of different types of rack stays on rear racks, from left to right Planet Bike Eco, Tumbleweed Mini Pannier, Axiom Journey.
Accessories Compatibility
You can place anything on top of a rack as long as it doesn’t exceed the rack's weight capacity, and you can secure the item in place. However, some racks are designed to be compatible with certain accessories better than others. We’ll list some things to consider with specific rack accessories below.
Here are some common accessories you can use with bike cargo racks.
Panniers
Most rear racks work with bike panniers. Panniers are also sometimes referred to as bike saddle bags, even though they attach to the rack and not the saddle.
Panniers are bike rack bags with a hooked system to grab onto the rack. There are many ways panniers can attach to a bike rack, but they all attach near the top of the rack, usually with hooks, and along the bottom so the bag doesn’t swing while you’re riding.
Mini panniers are also becoming a popular rack accessory in the bikepacking world. These are just what they sound like—smaller panniers, like the Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack, are designed to work with ultralight bike racks. To test this rack and others designed for small panniers, we used a prototype set of mini pannier bike bags made by Colorado bike bag maker One T Designs. You can purchase other mini panniers, too. Swift makes a great set of mini panniers, and there are tons more made by small bike bag makers.
Light Mounts
Many bike racks have a place to mount lights. The traditional handlebar and seatpost mounting positions can be blocked with gear mounted on top of a cargo rack. The easiest solution for a rear rack is a light mounting tab on the back of the rack. You may need a light mount that bolts onto a front rack or fork to mount a light on the front of your bike with a fully-loaded front cargo rack.
Baskets
Many people use zip ties to attach a Wald Basket to their front-mounted bike cargo rack. A basket like this and a cargo net make carrying various items easy. Some forego the Wald basket and use a milk crate instead, but this works better on the back of the bike because a milk crate is too tall to fit on the front of most bikes.
Rack Top Bags
Many bags are made specifically for the top of a bike rack. A bike rack trunk bag, like this one from Axiom or this one from REI Co-op, mounts to the top of most rear bike cargo racks. There are also bags designed to mount to the top of a front rack, like the Swift Industries Sugarloaf Bag.
Planet Bike Eco (left) and Axiom Streamlined 29 (right).
Material
Most bike cargo racks are made of aluminum or steel. Aluminum is lighter than steel, but steel is stronger than aluminum. Both of these metals work well as bike rack materials.
Though aluminum is a lighter metal than steel, a high-quality bike rack made of stainless steel can sometimes be lighter than an aluminum rack. Since steel is a stronger metal than aluminum, thinner steel tubes can be equivalent in strength to thicker aluminum tubes.
For instance, the Tumbleweed Bikes Mini Pannier Rack is made of Chromoly steel and weighs 560 grams. The Axiom Transit Rack, a similarly-shaped aluminum rack, weighs 570 grams.
If a steel bike rack breaks, any welder anywhere can repair it. You can’t weld aluminum like you can with steel. Though you can technically repair aluminum through a specialized type of welding called brazing, it would be much more expensive to repair a damaged aluminum bike rack and more difficult to find someone to repair it.
Left to right: Axiom Streamlined 29, Tumbleweed Mini Pannier, Planet Bike Eco, and Axiom Transit.
Weight Limit
All bike cargo racks have a weight limit or load capacity. You shouldn’t regularly put more weight on a rack than it’s designed to hold, but we’ve found you can push the capacity of most racks for short periods.
For instance, if you add an item on top of your rack for a 30-minute ride home that exceeds the weight capacity of your rack by 10 pounds, your rack will likely be able to handle this. But if you ride your bike daily with a rack overloaded by 10+ pounds, you’re pushing your luck. If the rack looks like it’s buckling or bending, it can’t handle the weight. If your bike frame feels like it’s twisting while you ride, it probably can’t handle the weight.
If you regularly exceed your bike cargo rack's weight limit, you will break the rack, your bike, yourself, or all of the above. Plus, an overloaded rack isn’t as fun to ride for long distances. It’s better to disperse the weight of what you’re carrying between a front and rear rack if you can.
Soma Porteur and Axiom Transit Racks.
Durability
Like all the cargo racks we tested here, high-quality bike racks are incredibly durable. In nearly 20 years of riding bikes, working in bike shops, and running non-profit bike shops that reuse old bike equipment, we’ve only seen a few failed bike racks.
When considering which bike cargo rack to purchase, we recommend getting a rack made by a trusted manufacturer. Some of the best bike rack manufacturers, including Axiom and Planet Bike, offer lifetime guarantees on their cargo racks.
If you’re considering a bike rack that looks flimsy, with thin tubing and a too-good-to-be-true weight, make sure a trusted manufacturer makes it or has been thoroughly field tested. Just because we haven’t seen many bike racks fail, doesn’t mean there aren’t cheap bike racks out there made of soft, thin metal just waiting to break.
Left to right: Planet Bike Eco, Axiom Transit, Tumbleweed Mini Pannier, Axiom Journey, Axiom Streamlined 29.
Ease of Use
Most bike cargo racks are easy to use with the right accessories. With a set of panniers, a basket, or other bike cargo rack bags, most racks make life easy for cyclists.
Front racks with a basket or a single rear pannier are the easiest for commuters because front racks with a centered load don’t negatively affect the steering as a single pannier on the front of your bike does. It’s also extremely easy to use a rack and basket combination, whether it’s on the front or rear of your bike.
Panniers are also extremely easy to use with most bike racks. Quick-release panniers simply slide into place and come off just as quickly when you need to take your gear off the bike.
Ease of Installation
Bike cargo racks are relatively easy to install if you’re mechanically inclined. Our main rack tester, Sam, has been a bike mechanic for over a decade. In that time, he’s become quite proficient at installing racks, but some are easier to install than others.
Loosening the bolt that holds the adjustable rack stay in place on the Axiom Journey Rack.
Racks with adjustable stays, like the adjustable Versalock® arms found on the Axiom Journey Rack, Axiom Streamlined 29, Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack, and Soma Porteur Rack, make installing a rack very easy. With these adjustable arms, you only have to loosen a pair of bolts to slide the arms to the length you need to mount the rack onto your bike.
The Axiom Streamlined 29 (top) has adjustable rack stays, while the Planet Bike Eco Rack (bottom) has bendable steel rack stays.
Racks with bendable steel stays, like the Axiom Transit and Planet Bike Eco Rack, require the extra steps of undoing four nuts and bolts to set the length of this piece of the rack mounting system. You’ll likely also have to bend the rack stays to align with your bike’s seat stay rack mounts.
The bendable steel stays on the Axiom Transit Rack are bent to be attached to a bike's seat stay rack mounts.
Always apply grease to the threads of every bolt when installing a bike cargo rack. It will make the bolt installation easier, and you’ll be less likely to damage the threads on your bike if you use grease. We also recently discovered this plant-based grease that’s safer to use than traditional petroleum-based grease.
Always apply grease to every bolt when installed a bike cargo rack.
Mount Position
All the racks that can be used as a front rack, from left to right: Thule Tour, Soma Porteur, Tumbleweed Mini Pannier, Axiom Lowrider (bottom).
Front Rack
Front racks mount to a bike’s fork and come in cargo/“porteur” and low rider/touring styles.
Most front racks are cargo-style racks mainly designed to hold gear on the top. They are a one-piece system with a platform attached to legs on the sides that extend down to attach to the sides of a bike’s fork. These front racks usually also connect to the bike near the top of the fork, called the “fork crown.” Most front cargo racks use one or two adjustable struts to attach the rack at the fork crown, so your bike will need threaded eyelets on the fork crown or this adapter.
The Soma Porteur Rack is a cargo or porteur front rack that uses a single strut to attach the front rack to the fork crown.
Close up of threaded eyelets on a bike's fork crown.
Lowrider racks are front racks that mount in two separate pieces on the outsides of the fork. These front racks are called lowrider racks because they sit over the bottom of the fork, low to the ground. Lowrider front racks are best for bicycle touring or other applications where you’ll be using two panniers. The low mounting position of the panniers doesn’t affect the bike’s steering as much as a heavy load higher on a front rack. However, you need to evenly distribute the weight into both panniers because an uneven load will cause the bike’s handling to pull strongly to one side.
Axiom Lowrider Front Rack is an example of a lowrider rack.
Seatpost Rack
A seatpost rack attaches to the seatpost of a bike. These racks quickly clamp onto bikes without rack mounts. They work for lightweight loads but aren’t as sturdy as a rack that attaches to your bike frame in four places.
Rear Rack
All the racks that can be used as a rear rack, from left to right: Thule Tour, Tumbleweed Mini Pannier, Axiom Streamlined 29, Planet Bike Eco, Axiom Transit, and Axiom Journey.
A rear rack is the most common bicycle cargo rack. This rack mounts near the bike’s rear dropouts and to the seat stays. Rear bike racks are commonly used with a set of panniers, but they’ll work just as well with a single pannier or a basket on top. Of course, you can also strap gear directly on top of a rack.
Soma Porteur and Axiom Transit Racks.
Type of Riding
Many kinds of riding use bike racks. We’ll explain the differences between the most common types of riding and their bike rack usage.
Commuting
Commuting by bicycle is an excellent application for bike racks. The best bikes for bike commuting have rack mounts, and the best commuter bike setups use racks. With a cargo rack, you don’t have to show up wherever you’re riding with a sweaty back from a backpack. Plus, you can often carry large, bulky loads with a rack, and this need often arises when bike commuting.
Road Biking and Bike Touring
Road biking and bike touring often also use racks. Many road cyclists use a rear rack with a rack-top bag to carry food, tools, and warm layers while riding.
A typical bike touring bike and setup uses a road bike with larger tires, a front low rider rack, and a rear rack. Touring cyclists typically carry four panniers on those racks, on both sides of the front and rear racks.
Mountain Biking
Racks are less standard on mountain bikes, but older 26” mountain bikes often have rack mounts. These older mountain bikes make great all-terrain bikes, and people often use racks on these bikes to carry their gear, whether they’re using these older mountain bikes for commuting, touring, bikepacking, or mountain biking.
Bikepacking
Bikepacking bikes often use a bikepacking seat bag, frame bag, and handlebar bag. However, there are no rules that say you can’t use a rack while bikepacking. We recently used the Tumbleweed Bicycle Co. Mini Pannier Rack and the Soma Porteur Rack for a bikepacking trip. Bicycle front and rear racks are a great way to carry gear on a bike, and you need to do that while bikepacking, so why not use a bike rack?
FAQ
Will my bike fit a bike rack?
If your bike has threaded rack mounts and the rack is designed to fit bikes with the same size wheels, then your bike will likely fit a bike rack.
Is it better to have panniers on the front or back?
There are many great ways to carry panniers on your bike. Front panniers work great, but so do rear panniers. You should use a pair of front panniers because a single front pannier will negatively affect your bike's steering. However, using a single pannier on a rear rack doesn’t cause this problem.
Should I have one or two pannier bags?
One is fine if you only need to carry one pannier’s worth of gear. If you only plan to use one pannier, you should mount it onto a rear rack. One pannier on a front rack will cause your bike to pull sharply to one side.
Do all panniers fit all racks?
Most panniers fit most racks. Some racks aren’t designed to fit panniers, though. These racks have thicker tubes that a pannier won’t hook onto. If a rack has legs on the side that will prevent a pannier from swinging into the wheel, it will likely fit all panniers with the standard hooks designed for bike racks.
Do panniers slow you down?
Panniers cause more wind resistance while riding, so they can slow you down. However, riding a bike without a lot of gear on your back is fun, and having fun makes time go by faster. So even if panniers do slow you down, you might not notice!
Can I install my own cargo rack?
If you’re mechanically inclined and can follow installation instructions from the manufacturer, you can install your own cargo rack. If you can’t figure it out, bring your bike and the cargo rack to a bike shop and they can install it for you.
Will a shop install bike panniers for me?
A bike shop will help you install panniers on your bike if you already have the rack installed. But if you read the installation instructions for your panniers, you can likely install those panniers yourself. If you bring your bike to a shop when you’re buying panniers, they will also show you how to install them on your bike.
Touring across the United States in 2012, we’re 99% sure this was a Planet Bike Eco Rack.
How We Tested
We tested bike cargo racks biking in Denver, Colorado, and along the Colorado Front Range. We also tested bike racks while bikepacking in Arizona.
We mounted all the racks to our bikes, noting how easily they attached. Then, we attached panniers, bags, and other cargo and started riding. We used them while we commuted around Denver and on recreational rides.
We noted how sturdy each rack felt and whether any twisted under a lot of weight. We mounted the same two sets of panniers to every bike, a pair of custom-made mini panniers from One T Designs and a set of Ortlieb Classic Panniers.
Diagram of Parts of a Bike
Diagram of parts of a bike as they relate to bike cargo racks.
Throughout this article, we reference several bike terms. Sometimes a photo can better describe the parts. Here is our diagram of bike parts and where they are located on a bike below to help you conceptualize what we’re talking about.
About the Author / Why You Should Trust Us
Sam Schild has biked over 50,000 miles in the last decade. He is an avid bike commuter and has extensively ridden road, mountain, and gravel bikes. Sam has bike toured and bikepacked over 10,000 miles across the United States—on the Kokopelli Trail, Colorado Trail, and all over the American Southwest.
He has also worked as a bike mechanic for over ten years. Between his experience as a bike mechanic and his own cycling experience, he’s used a lot of bike racks and installed even more on other people’s bikes. He has sorted through piles of donated bike racks at bike co-ops looking for the perfect rear rack that can be modified to fit the front of his bike. He has designed and fabricated his own bike racks using salvaged metal and old bike parts. Frankly, he’s thought a little too hard about bike racks over the years, but he brings that expertise here.
You can read more about Sam on his author page or website.
