Chino, bike racks
 

I have a saris 3-bike rack. That uses all the straps. It works ok. But I hate putting the straps on, it's hard to get them to stay. I worry that the thing will fail (although it never has).

When I do drive somewhere with my bike, I usually use my truck and it's hitch rack. And I leave the hitch rack on all the time.

But hitch racks are more expensive, and you have to buy/install/have a hitch.

FWIW, I installed a front hitch on my truck, so I can transport my bikes in the front, if I'm hauling something in the back.

That complicates things. My bike is $180 and it doesn't make sense for me to get a hitch rack that costs more than $100.

my brother in law has a cheap bike rack kind of like you were describing, seems to do fine for him.

because you have a cheap bike doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't have nice accessories. Someday you will replace that cheap bike. And someday you might need to replace your cheap accessories.

Yeah, I often get cheap stuff that breaks. It's just an impulse.

buy once, cry once. buy twice, cry twice.

ancient chinese proverb.