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Just about every cyclist has had the experience of hauling their bike somewhere on the back of a vehicle. It's basically a necessary step if you're ever going to ride someplace instead of jumping on and just going straight out of your driveway.  And toting your bike by car mostly involves strapping your bike on a rack -- either mounted on the rear of your car or wrestling to get it on top.

However, there can be some problematic aspects of this.

  Your bike is vulnerable as it hangs exposed outside your car.  It can get rained on or baked by the sun.  And with bike theft being a problem, it is a target for thieves if you leave your vehicle unattended with the bike on it. And just the simple act of travel can cause problems.  I once ruined a tire on a bike mounted on a rear rack that was hanging just right so that it was blasted by a stream of hot exhaust on a Florida day for hours on end, enough to literally cook the tire and melt the rubber out of place.  And with roof-mounted racks, your bike can get plastered by enough bugs so that a thorough scouring is necessary upon arrival at your destination.  Worse is if you forget the bike is on top of your vehicle and drive straight into your garage. It's possible to smash the bike, damage your car and the garage, all in one miserably awesome incident.

However, now you have another option with the CycleRest Bike Transport system, which allows you to tote your bike upright and protected inside your vehicle, safe from weather, bugs, thieves and your own absentmindedness.

  All you need a car with enough interior storage space (height and length both) to allow the bike to stand up inside with the front wheel removed.  Additionally, the vehicle needs to have rear passenger seats which can fold down yet still have the headrest exposed and partially extended on which to mount the device.  Generally this will be the case with most SUV's, minivans, hatchbacks, and the like.

We had the chance to check out the CycleRest Bike Transport system and were impressed.  The device is basically a simple clamp that mounts on the metal posts of the headrest between the seat and the headrest. It goes on quickly and easily and will not damage the seat, headrest or metal posts.  On the top of that clamp, facing upward from the back of the seat when it is folded down, one then finds a quick release fork mount attachment. To use the CycleRest Bike Transport system once installed, you simply remove the front wheel of your bike and drop your front fork into the mount and tighten the quick release mechanism to hold the bike securely in place.  It is a simple, nifty and sturdy design.

Is there any downside to the system?  Not really. The only question I would have, as a guy who himself regularly throws his bikes unsecured in the back of a minivan, is if I'd take the time for the couple extra steps needed to use this.  When traveling with my bike on a longer trip, sure, I'd probably take the front wheel off and mount the bike on the seat back. The bike remains upright and stable, and the interior of the vehicle stays neater and more orderly.  On a short trip, however, I may be likely to still just stow the bike in the van's interior laying it on on the floor or leaning against the side of the van.

So if transporting your bike inside your car is attractive to you, it's work checking out.  $100 may seem simple but it's cheap insurance, and worth it especially if you can get this in lieu of a full outside rack which are easily 2-3 times more expensive.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.