theshoemaker

Undoubtedly, my bike gets the most visible damage from being carried for miles on the rack. This is of course not major structural damage, just scratched metal and paint, and the like. Seems I can ride endlessly and after a cleaning find no new wear, except maybe tire wear. Most of the damage while racked, I'm sure, is due to carrying 2 or more bikes (I'm usually carrying my wife's bike too). I'm using a fairly typical Thule hitch rack for 4 bikes. Seems like no matter how I strap things down, by the time we've arrived there's bound to be new bits and pieces here and there that have gotten worn.

Do any of you guys have any tricks for avoiding this on a hitch rack?

Impoliticus

get a roof rack?
But really, I feel your pain. I ALWAYS have problems with my trunk rack. I recommend placing lots of padding (rags, whatever) between the bikes and then bungy cord everything together really tight.

theshoemaker

Yeah, the problem with rags is that it gets rediculous due to the number I need and the fact that they each individually need fastening somehow too. S'annoying.

Remy

Dude! I totally agree. The guy at the local LBS talked me into the trailer hitch mount. He explained to me that roof mounts on a SUV is a tall reach. I may scratch up my vehicle trying to rack the bike, or try driving into my garage spacing that I’ve got bikes on the roof. (This is something I know I would do.)

The first time I used the trailer hitch rack it rubbed cables against the underside of my top tube scratching off paint. I now place my riding gloves between the cables ant top tube. Most recently two bikes were racked and I managed to scratch paint off the down tube! Man did that burn me up.

Scorer75

I've got two spots down to the metal due to my rack @#%$#@.

Now I use pipe insulation on my top tube and just put a strip of masking tape to keep it in place. Not a big deal to put on and take off but sure saves the bike.

theshoemaker

You know, what we need is for somebody to create some rubber on oneside, smooth and soft fabric on the other velcro straps that can be strapped all over a bike to prevent rubbage problems. ...strap them to the rack when not in use.

...or something like that.

theshoemaker

Wait that sounds cool. What kind of pipe insulation?

kleng

+1 on the pipe insulation, just cut it to length to fit the top, down and seat tube, slit them down length wise and slip them over the tubes, now you can tie or strap anything to the frame without any problems.

theshoemaker

Sounds great! Going to Home Depot tomorrow!

ADlBOO

Pick-up + fork traps + wheels in cab= no problems... :-)

But the foam insulation tip would work for clients that come into my shop... Good Idea!

urbanknight

I don't have nearly that much of a problem with my roof rack. Still a scratch here and there, but usually it comes off the way it went on. Too bad for me my bike doesn't fit into the parking garage at my new apartment so I have to take it off before driving in, so I gotta get a trunk rack now. Wanna trade?

VanceMac

Why would that (rough) foam be any less abrasive than the rubber mounts? I'm very interested, because I'm about to buy a hitch mount rack, and my primary roadie has matte/flat black paint that is very soft.

ADlBOO

I dont think its so much the rubber mounts as it is the cables bein routed under the top tube and other bikes bangin into each other.

<sales pitch> We carry saris hitch and trunk mounts, both of which are very nice and use a three point securing system compared to hollywood/ yakima who only secure the bikes via the top tube. The third point secures around the seat tube to prevent the bikes from swaying and consequently hitting each other and ur car. </sales pitch>

Edit: we also carry the saris tray rack too... :-)

urbanknight

I would agree, I don't think it's the mount that's the problem. The problem is the bike(s) swaying back and fourth, or the bungee you use to keep them from swaying rubbing against the paint. I am slightly concerned about this for when I buy a trunk rack, which is why I am considering a Saris brand. Too bad they don't fold very flat when not in use. I don't worry too much, though, because I have a 6 year old bike with paint chips (even more now thanks to my crash) and rub marks galore, and I only carry one bike which makes it easier to tether and keep from swaying.

khuon

Unfortunately, anytime you use a rack that contacts the frame, you will get abrasion damage. You can minimise it with pads and such but you won't totally eliminate it. If you get fed up enough that you want to switch to a different rack design, consider tray racks. These racks generally don't secure the bike by the frame. Mine secures via the wheels and a clamp to the seatpost. And all points of the "plane" are secured so there's no swinging.

Remy

The tray rack looks like the perfect solution but it sure looks expensive. What does something like that run?

khuon

I think I paid $250 for it. It's no longer made but there are others like it. You might want to check out the ones from Thule. They purchased Sportworks (the company who makes bike racks for busses) and are now rebranding those racks. The Thule racks has trays for the wheels and secures the bike via an arm that captures the top of the front wheel so there's no frame contact.



Also, Saris (works much like the Thule rack) and Performance have tray racks as well. The Performance rack lists for $119 but it still secures by the top tube. However, since the wheels are captive, there won't be any swinging to aggravate the rubbing. Performance also sells the Thule and Saris racks.

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_id=4411

mlts22 

What type of fork traps are you using? I used to have one that mounted on the rail of the pickup's bed, but I took it off when I wondered if mounting a bike sideways (not facing the direction of the wind) would mess up the suspension fork, when mounting it near the rear window caused the rear window to scratch up a good amount

I wonder if anyone still sells removable (as in no drilling holes needed) bike racks that mount on the rim for pickups.

The nice thing about in-bed bike racks for a pickup -- a rear-ender or going through a low-clearance garage won't total your steeds, and if you keep the front wheel in the cab and have a locking fork skewer system, it will take a very determined thief to steal the bike.

mikeoverly

I use a Yakima hitch rack with -0- abrasion problems. The Yakima secures the frame vertically and horizontally with strong soft rubber straps & soft plastic cups. Simple, smart engineering that's missing in some other racks. I use a long plastic-covered twist wire (the kind that seems to come by the annoying hundreds nowadays, securing toys to the bottom of their display boxes) to tie the handlebars to the rack to prevent the fork from moving. Except for the rear-end collision risk, there's nothing to worry about with this setup.

For 2+ bikes we alternate orientation and twist-tie the front wheel of one bike to the rear wheel of the other (convenient rubber-to-rubber contact). Nothing moves, nothing gets scratched.

aham23

I wrap two "rags" around the frame where it comes in contact with the rack. Seems to work fine. Later.

rockrates

+1 on the pipe insulation, works like a charm

i also try to bind the bikes together (with insulation between) to reduce their motion

San Rensho 

Uhm, ever thought of putting your bike in the trunk or hatch? Out of the weather, less likely to get stolen.

Several have posted photos of huge, honking SUV with cargo bays big enough for a casket, and a bike rack on the back? I don't get it.

khuon

Yes, I posted a photo of my bike on a rack. I have a rack because I sometimes carry more than one bike. and for those times that I carry three bikes and three passengers, I'm actually at capacity.




Also, another thing to keep in mind is that despite many misconceptions, many SUVs do not have that much carrying capacity. My Jeep ZJ (Grand Cherokee) has the footprint of a Nissan Sentra and the internal cargo capacity of probably a Honda Accord. With the backseats folded down, I can carry quite a few bikes internally (four if I take out my spare, two with the spare in place) but would then only have room for myself and a single passenger. With the rack, I can seat three in comfort and carry three bikes (one inside and two externally). When not carrying passengers in the back seat, I have the cargo area stuffed with camping equipment and the back seat area with biking paraphenalia.

Coyote2

I just picked up a new Honda Fit. Small car, good gas mileage, and my 57cm road bike will go in the cargo area (with one seat folded down). Screw the racks!

7.rider

I agree with mikeoverly, I have used a Yakima hitch rack for over a year and have had no problems.