The towbar bike carrier is known as the hitch mount bike rack in the bike rack world.There are a number of good reasons why people go for this type of rack. This article will look into why it's a good choice,some recommended brands and where you should look to get them.

First of all this bicycle carrier is fitted onto a hitch receiver. If you don't have a tow-hitch fitted, pop down to your local garage or hitch receiver outlet and get a quote on how much it will cost to get one fitted. Although this might seem like a more expensive option, read on to find out why people go for this type of bike carrier.

The reason people go for this type of rack is because of:

1. Less wind resistance
Bike Roof Racks add considerable height and drag to the vehicle, not to mention the amount of gas it will chew!

2. Bikes are protected
The bicycles are protected by the body of the car.

3. Ease of access to the back door
The towbar bike carrier is fitted separately to the body of the car. This means that you can get in and out of the back of the car. But it might be limited so you should look into getting a swing away type of hitch bike rack.

4. Speed of loading and taking off bikes
Because the bicycles are loaded at the back of the car, it's just a matter of unclipping them from the rack. This beats having to climb on top of the vehicle to get them off bike roof carriers.

5. Taking weight of the back door
Some bike racks are designed to fit the spare tire but if you are going to be carrying more than 1 bike and over rough terrain then the stress caused by the weight of the bikes can damage the rear door. A hitch mount solves this problem

6. Security
The rack can easily be locked to the car and the bikes to it. It's a bit of a safety deterrent.

The main makers of this type of bicycle car rack are Thule, Saris and Yakima. They seem to come out tops in terms of reviews so if you go for any of these three, you should be in safe hands. Other makers are Hollywood, Allen, Sportsrack and Topline. Although not as popular, you might be able to find some good deals.