A bike rack is an easy addition to a car to help you transport your two-wheeled, pedal-powered vehicles anywhere. Most bike racks are designed to fit simply on either a compact car with a trunk or a minivan/SUV with a hatchback door. Methods of hanging a rack can vary (so it is important to read the instructions), but there are some common techniques to installing two-bike racks.
Place the bike rack on the trunk, making sure it is on the center of the trunk lid. The bottom frame (which is usually a long, bent U-frame) will touch the trunk's edge where it meets the bumper, the top frame lies on the trunk lid and the swiveling U-bar is on top of the frame. The bars for the bikes stick out and upward.
Connect the rack's two upper straps to the trunk by inserting their clips onto the far edge of the trunk where it is hinged. Pull the straps toward you, grabbing them at the ends, to tighten them against the trunk.
Attach the lower straps to the trunk by hooking their clips underneath the lower edge of the trunk, close to where the bottom frame rests against the trunk. Tighten the lower straps by pulling them like you did the upper ones.
Test to make sure the bike rack is snug against the car trunk. Grab the frame on both sides and try to jostle it back and forth, making it moves as little as possible.
Insert the bike rack's upper strap clips onto the top edge of the hatchback door so the rack hangs from there. Make sure the straps hang parallel to one another and the rack is placed in the middle of the door.
Lift the rack up by pulling on the straps to make sure the rack is positioned above the door latch. Another person can hold the carrier in position above the latch while you pull the straps to fit the position.
Hook the lower clips onto the door's bottom edge and pull the bottom straps tight. The rack should be positioned over the door latch with its frame pressing against the door/windshield and the U-bar resting above the main frame. Make sure the rack isn't tilted and won't jostle from loose straps.
