Recumbent - Best hitch rack for 2 LWB Recumbents???

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA
murphydog
03-10-05, 08:09 PM
We have 2 Tour Easy EZ Races. The wheel bases are 70 1/2" and 67 1/2". We have a Jeep Cherokee with a 2" hitch.

Since we have a kayak rack on our roof rack, we need to use the hitch for the bikes. Vertical models like the Draftmaster will not work as the bikes would hit the kayaks. Many of the horizontal hitch models such as Sportworks only go up to 63" wheel base.

The Bager Rack ( www.badgerrack.com/recumbent.htm ) and the Alpaka ( www.alpacacarriers.com/indexc.htm ) seem like they would work. Has anyone had any experience with these? Any other recommodations for hitch-mounted racks.

Thanks!

BlazingPedals
03-11-05, 07:04 AM
For a TourEasy, you should be able to use just about any 2-arm hitch rack. Due to the width of recumbent seats, you need a rack with long enough arms to handle at least 3 uprights, and be aware that the bikes will stick out a bit on each side. The Badgerrack looks nice if you are willing to take the front wheel off every time you carry it. Turning the forks like that would require removing the fairing, but that's advised anyway when you carry the bike on the outside of the vehicle. The Gold Standard seems to be the Sportworks racks, which is the kind you see on busses.
BentKent
03-11-05, 09:04 AM
Have you considered a small trailer? I have a small trailer called a SportsRig that uses proven motorcycle wheels, motorcycle shocks, tongue extentions for kayaks, spare tire and will fold up. It weighs about 250 lbs., 66" loadbars and recently I've see on their website that they now will carry up to 750 lbs.. I've put 6 bikes on it (4 of which were recumbents) and pulled it to FLA on vacation. You really don't know it is behind you. www.sportsrig.com . If you live in the mid-west you can see one at Valley Bikes in Indiana, that's where I got mine.

pwerff
03-11-05, 07:22 PM
I have a 3-bike carrier sitting on my trailer hitch. With some pieces of 2 by 4 and c-clamps I've put together a rack with front fork clamps that holds my recumbent and a mountain bike, sort of in humping position to the car. Seems to work fine..., as far as carrying the bikes.