# Help me buy a bike rack **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-bike-rack/914738 "2020-07-08T14:01:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-bike-rack/914738/21 "2020-07-09T15:30:22Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Fortunately it was snowing and the license plate was covered by wet snow and I never got a ticket, so there is some benefit to the driver from an obscured plate (front plate, anyway). Hence the reason they’re illegal in the UK. Kinda defeats the object of having one. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-bike-rack/914738/22 "2020-07-09T15:32:40Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > The Yakima UK site does not list anything other than rooftop carriers as compatible with a 500X. The US cite lists trunk mount carriers. With the Fullback mounted on my RAV4 the license plate is somewhat obscured as the bikes hang in front (and the lower rung of the carrier surrounds the license plate). Maybe that’s why they do not list it as compatible in the UK. You can certainly buy racks which obscure the plates - there’s plenty of similar brands that sell them here. But the driver would be expected to make sure their plate and lights are visible. Hence the prevalence of lighting boards ([like this one](https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/bike-rack-accessories/halfords-cycle-carrier-lighting-board-910612.html)) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-a-bike-rack/914738.md?page=1)