Reddit reviews Allen Sports Tension Bar Bicycle Cross-Bar Adaptor, Model 900B

How broke are you? Do younhave $15 left?

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Tension-Bicycle-Cross-Bar-Adaptor/dp/B000ELSSZE

An adapter like this that creates a top tube for carrying purposes is probably your best bet.

I’ve also seen things like this Cross Bar adapter at my local bike shop. Could be helpful?

Got a yakima 3 bike trunk rack for 70 on nashbar. Truck rack plus an adapter bar for your frame is the cheapest option. get on the googles

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-Tension-Bicycle-Cross-Bar/dp/B000ELSSZE

You can either get one of those crossbars that grabs the seatpost and the stem/steerer to create a horizontal holding point for the rack. Not the biggest fan of these because it's another thing to come loose and drop your bike on the highway, but it's the cheaper option.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-Tension-Bicycle-Cross-Bar/dp/B000ELSSZE

Or you can get a new rack that holds the bike up like a platform. If you're still married to the idea of a rack that attaches to your car with straps, then this:

http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/products/carriers-and-racks/bike-carriers/rear-door-mounted-bike-carriers/thule-raceway-platform-2-bike-9003-_-16002

Otherwise, consider investing in a hitch mount. They're really not that expensive, most of the time are easy to install, and very stable/safe mounting point for a rack. You can also find hitch mount platform racks for cheaper than that Thule. I don't know of any cheaper strap attachment ones.

I have a 2013 Exile Comp and an Allen hitch mount rack. It works, but just barely so. I ride a large frame which is long enough so that one of the arms just fits through the space between the shock and top tube, a size medium or small would probably not work without a top tube adapter.

With a heaver bike (compared to a road bike) I would definitely recommend a hitch mount. I almost lost two bikes on the highway with a trunk mount rack as one of the straps failed. A hitch receiver for a Civic should be ~$125-200 and if you get the three bike Allen hitch rack (a great rack) for ~$150 you are looking at around ~$300, but it's a solution that will work quite well.

I don't know specifically of any car rack that would work, but there is an adapter you can buy for bikes without a top frame post. It's an expanding metal tube that you attach to the seat post and the fork stem, and it allows for mounting of step thru bikes onto traditional bike racks.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ELSSZE

These Allen racks are pretty decent for the price. We used the 3 bike version on my wife's car for a while and it worked well. Eventually we upgraded to a 5 bike Thule rack when my wife got a new car with a 2" receiver. The Thule is nicer, but also more expensive. If you are set at the $150 price range the Allen rack is a good option. If you have a 2" receiver I would recommend going with the 4 or 5 bike version just to give you more room on the rack. The 3 bike version is a bit cramped with 3 bikes but it does work. With this hanging style rack you will probably need the cross bar adapters for full suspension bikes. Or any bike that does not have a straight top tube. Any brand will work but I linked the Allen one below since it is only $15. Also we used a bungee cord to keep the bikes from swinging.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Deluxe-3-Bike-2-Inch-Receiver/dp/B001M4KXDM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342733293&sr=8-2&keywords=hitch+bike+rack

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Deluxe-4-Bike-2-Inch-Receiver/dp/B001PLG7UK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342733293&sr=8-1&keywords=hitch+bike+rack

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Deluxe-5-Bike-2-Inch-Receiver/dp/B001M4H2Q8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1342733293&sr=8-6&keywords=hitch+bike+rack

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Tension-Bicycle-Cross-Bar-Adaptor/dp/B000ELSSZE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1342733293&sr=8-3&keywords=hitch+bike+rack

Bikes you are asking is a bread-and-butter bike @ any LBS. I think you should visit your favorite LBS.

My current "go-to" bike is Momentum bikes (aka Giant.) It's designed for urban/suburban use, relatively inexpensive, and quite useful. Any LBS that sells Giant should be able to get one for you.

http://www.momentum-biking.com/us

http://www.bikerumor.com/2015/05/06/giants-spinoff-brand-momentum-wants-you-to-move-happy-with-their-new-cruiser-bikes/

If money/budget is not an issue -

http://www.rivbike.com/Rivendell-Atlantis-p/f-atlantis.htm



> Do I need anything extra if I want to mount the bike onto a car or a bus?

If the bike is step-through, you'd need a cross bar.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-Tension-Bicycle-Cross-Bar/dp/B000ELSSZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458854492&sr=8-1&keywords=Adjustable+Bike+Frame+Adapter

I also picked up two of these Allen Sports Tension Bar Bicycle Cross-Bar Adaptor at $16.96 a piece for the bikes without crossbars.

They worked very well and required zero effort to put them on or take off. There's a big spring inside that comes under tension when you stretch them in order to hook the seat post, which holds them securely.

Super simple. Takes less then 20 seconds to put them on or off.