Originally Posted by
Koyote
I bolted mine to a 2x8. Notice that I've got a qr mount next to a thru-axle mount, so I can take a newer bike or an older one.
Couple tips:
1) It's easiest to maneuver the bike in and out of the vehicle if you stick the rear wheel in first...Then you can fiddle with the front dropout more easily from the hatchback area.
2) This will work better or worse depending on your bike's size and the model year of your CR-V. I ride 58 frames, so a bit longer wheelbase than some. It's a tight fit in our 2011 CR-V, since that has rear seats that fold up against the front seats, thus reducing the length of the cargo space. In that car, I have to wedge the bike in sideways, which restricts room for other cargo. On our 2022 CR-V, the rear seats fold down, and so there's more room for a bike to be parked lengthways. (I don't know when the design changed.)
I do the same thing, but a a little different. I don't know if you can see from the pictures, but I have the QR fork mount behind the thru-axle mount. I can mount two bikes, with either type of fork. (pickup is loaded for a 2 month trip pulling the travel trailer).
The whole contraption is mounted on the plywood so I can slide it out onto the tail gate for loading and slide it back in for transport. I didn't need that when I was transporting in the SUV because it didn't have a tailgate.
The little white block you see is to act as a "third hand" to hold the fork in position to thread on the thru axle. Not needed for the QR forks.
I have a couple of neodymnium disc magnets glued to the board to hold the hex wrench for the thru axles if needed, and the red thing is just a piece of hardware I had on hand which works as a handle to pull the mount in and out.
The QR skewers shown are locking and the chain you see locks the whole thing to a metal cargo loop inside the bed. Haven't really figured out a locking mechanism for the thru axle forks, other than not leaving the hex key. I used "security" screws to attach the mounts. I did all this security stuff before I got the topper. With the locking topper, it's probably as secure as if I could put them in the cab of the truck or the trailer, so I don't utilize any of these features anymore, although I might if I need to store the bikes and truck in a storage lot.
Years of evolving design!
