Hitch vs roof rack

I have a Yakima kingpin 2 bike hitch rack and I've never had any problems w it. I've had it for over 10 years and it still works great. I never looked at roof racks because they seem to be more difficult to get the bikes on and off of and I see photos on the Internet of people forgetting they're there and destroying bikes and garage doors and other structures. (Search google for a good laugh)

If you go w a hitch, I've found that my local Uhaul store had the best price for purchasing and installing the new hitch. And, when you get rid of the car, they only charge like $30 to pull it off so I can sell to someone or use on another car.

Also, my Yakima is compatible with different size hitch tongues, so you could get the lightest duty hitch and use the proper adaptor for the mount and be all set.

I don't like that both of these options leave the bikes exposed to the elements, so I've lately resorted to making room in the vehicle when at all possible. I did however purchase a bike cover that goes over my bike and the rack while on the road. I use that as a last option. It sucks to spend thousands on something and then leave it outside while you cruise down I75 with salt on the highway...

Let me know if you have specific questions, I'm happy to help.

Hitch

I prefer a hitch. I sometimes catch rides from people with roof racks and find it cumbersome to hoist my bike on top of the car. After a long tough ride, the last thing I want to do is lift my bike up in the air and load it. Hitch racks are nice and easy for me to load but do add a bit of length to the car so you have to be mindful with parking. The same can be said with the roof rack as I know a few people who forgot they have bikes on the roof and crashed into drive throughs, parking garages etc. :-)