JimTjr

In a pick up truck? I will be bringing my new bike home tomorrow I hope. No rack. Don't want to just lay it in the bed,,,,

So my plan is either to take the front wheel off, and put it in the back seat on the floor, (My seat bottom raises up, (2011 F-350 Crew cab) Or strap it into the bed standing up? What do you all recommend?
Also, for future hauling, get a hitch rack? Something in the bed to hold it with?

Thanks

Oh, also what do you have to do to be able to put an avitar or signature picture in?

genec

Don't forget to wrap it in a blanket... after all, it is your "new baby."

JimTjr

LOL,, well my truck has a leather interior, so I'll be careful with BOTH thing for sure!

woodway

There are lot's of bed mounted bike racks available. Some that require you to remove the front wheel, some that don't. Thule and Yakima both have products available, and many others. A web search will show many options.

I put my bike in the back of my pickup all the time. I just lay it on it's side. Has not caused any issues I can see.

JimTjr

Ok, well, I doubt I'll do that! But I need to come up with something. I'll come up with something. Most of my riding will be from the camp site when I get the bike home, I doubt it'll have much transport... The other issue is if I get a hitch rack, my Super Duty's hitch has a 2.5" insert. Most have 2". They do sell adapter sleeves, but they usually have allot of slop, and it would wobble I imagine.

JimTjr

Also, is the preference Platform or Hanging for the hitch racks?

ericm979

I prefer to put the bike inside when I can. It's safer that way. When I had a full size truck with an extended cab I put the bike back there, with some sheets to protect the interior and a bungie cord to keep the bike in place. I removed the front wheel to get it in.

The problem is that it is difficult to get the bike in/out in a parking lot or garage. Other than that it works fine.

If you get an adaptor sleeve you can shim it, or drill and tap the receiver for a set screw if it's not tapped already.

jdon

One of these https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Bike-Hit.../dp/B000ACAM7E on a 4ft 2x4.

Garilia

I use this rack on the back of my pickup truck

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Deluxe-4...uct/B001PLG7UK

Here's some photos of it in action:





Even though it can fit 4 bikes, I haven't carried more than two at a time yet.

The arms can fold down, and the whole rack folds down so you can open the truck bed.

JimTjr

Ok, then what? Bungie or strap the bike to the hold downs in the bed?

JimTjr

I saw those fold down bike racks on ebay, I can make a hitch rack much tighter in the receiver. There are sleeves, and I can take the sleeve and weld it to the rack.

nutmegTN

Click on SETTINGS at the top right of this page. Then on the left side of the screen click EDIT AVATAR

rydabent

My pickup has a hard tonnneau cover and a rug on the bed floor. My baby can rest comfortably there.

BTW years ago Ford trucks had a commercial that said---if you own a car why buy another car, buy a pickup and have more versitility. That stuck with me for several years and in 1994 I bought my first Chevvy pick up. It was the smart and logical thing to buy. It is great for carrying my LWB bent.

jdon

Yes, that works. I also know several people that have bolted the fork mount directly to the bed or on a 4x6 sheet of plywood they lay in the box.

dahut

Take a look at my name; it says, "Ridin South Cackalacky." That is otherwise known as South Carolina.
In Carolina, we carry EVERYTHING in back 'o the truck - even bikes.

I keep a large piece of carpet back there to cushion whatever bike I'm totin'. Its big enough to fold over, too, like a sleeping bag. That way, prying eyes cant really tell what I have in the bed.

John_V 

Here is a PVC bike rack that I built from the plans found on the link below. It costs around $25.00 to make from Home Depot. I screwed it together rather than glued it in the event that I changed trucks, I can modify the width of the rack. I use 3' rubber bunji cords with slots in them to secure the bikes. The offset in the photo was a modification I did for my wife's recumbent trike and are not part of the original plans. The plans have the bunji cords attached to the rack via some holes drilled in the back but I used eye bolts through the rack to keep the cord hooks from coming off. The plans on the web site are for a Ford F150 so you may have to modify the width of the rack some to fit the bed of your truck.

Since the photo was taken, I have added foam pipe insulation to the wheel slots to protect the spokes from banging against the PVC. Nice thing about this rack is that you don't have to take the wheels off and using the original plans, you can hold 5 bikes in the truck. This one holds three very securely.





From the home page, go to the tab Articles then on the menu, select How To Do It. Select the link Truck Bed Bike Rack.

Ultra Mountain Biking

JimTjr

Ok, thanks! I like the idea of not having to take the front tire off, (Just seems like the more you remove and install it, the more trouble you ask for?_ Maybe I am over thinking it,, That PVC rack looks interesting for sure.

Nutmeg, thanks, I looked in Profiles, seems every other forum I frequent you edit those from the profile. I obviously didn't click on the settings button.
I thought maybe you needed enough posts or something, like the 50 post to be able to PM someone.

Dan Burkhart 

A forkdown mount and a couple of logistic track clips and voila.

Altamont

I got a hard tonneau for my truck and put my bike on a rubber pad back there. front wheel has to come off though. cable it to the tie down for extra protection. I have a Yakima hitch mount rack for when I carry two. the tray-type hitch mounts are the most secure.

fallsjohn

I have a tiny 2000 Honda Civic. My 88 Schwinn World Sport fits perefectly in the trunk with seats down and the front wheel off (of the bike, that is).

JimTjr

The Allez fits in the back seat of my Super Duty Crew Cab. Seat bottoms fold up, and it fits fine with the front wheel on even.

Sculptor7

On the roof of my Volvo station wagon. Which is why I am seriously considering selling my 38 lb. Schwinn hybrid.

doctor j

I use two pieces of aircraft cable with hooks on each end. One hook goes around a seat rail, and the other goes through one of the cargo hooks in the rear of the bed of the truck. One cable on each side. Ratchet strap goes from a front cargo hook through the front wheel to the other front cargo hook.

I built a little slack in the seat rail cables. When I draw the ratchet strap tight, the bike moves forward and places a little tension on the seat rail cables.

I've been using this system for several years. It works.

JimTjr

Yea, after a long ride, lifting that up on the roof would suck big time! LOL

StephenH

I have a rubber mat in the bed of the pickup, and just lay the bike in there. My bike is heavy enough, it's not going to blow out. I have a cable with lock, and if I'm going to be stopping in a 7-11 or something, I lock it up before I leave the house. (I wouldn't leave it for any length of time like that, though.)

I'm thinking of getting a hitch rack, mainly so I can carry two bikes if I need to, without just throwing them in like cordwood.