Transporting bikes in Pickup
 

Does anyone else transport bikes in a pickup? I need something that can be taken out of the pickup bed when not transporting bikes. (I use my pickup for other things also)

I really wish Thule or Yakima made a rack that would fit on the roof of my pickup.

Any suggestions?

Build yourself a simple fork mount using a piece of plywood cut to fit in front of the wheel well and and existing bike mount like this one. or I also found this truck rack at Performance.

I see many bikes in open pick ups with one or two fork mounts bolted onto the top of the head of the bed.

Sure... I built myself a rack that works great. And it's transportable; I've attached 2 pics - the green truck is my old one, the blue is the new one. Same rack.

Start with Thule "Artificial Raingutters" and bolt them to your bed rails. That's the only permanent part. Then mount the rack of your choice (Yakima, Thule whatever) over the bed using the generic raingutter mount.

The whole thing comes off in 5 minutes and you have your whole pickup bed to use. Or, when you have, say 4 or 5 bikes you're carrying, you still have a whole bed for the rest of your gear.

You can use an upright mount like the Ankle Biter Duece (I use these for my MTBs) and/or a fork mount (I use these for my road bikes). I've had bikes up there at 80MPH or so with no problems at all. For longer road trips, I do recommend a bike bra, though.

I built a rack out of PVC that I can install and remove. I built it so I can just drop a tire in and we're off. I think I've got pics at my office computer. I'll post tehm when find them.
L8R

Get a few tie downs and strap the bikes in like an MX bike. You can also just lay the bikes down unless you are worried about scratching the bed of the truck. You could also invest in a hitch mount rack or just do what skiahh did.

:beer:

A friend used a load lock and added the fork mounts to that. A load lock is something truckers use to keep their loads in place. You could buy one at a truckstop. Then, take a hacksaw and cut it to fit. I have one too, but don't use it for bikes.

I modified an Enflite rack that I just throw in the pickup bed whenever I want to use the truck.

My husband got a two-by-four that goes across the bed and mounted two fork mounts near the end, and for the center he got one of those short handrails used in bathroom stalls for the disabled (got it at Home Depot) and mounted the third fork mount there. That way, the handlebar of the center bike is about 4" above the handlebars of the two end bikes, thus avoiding them bumping into each other. People marvel at the ingenuity of it because it works so well but costed us maybe $20 for the whole thing. The fork mounts were given to us by a bikeshop manager friend who stopped carrying the mounts in his shop. The 2x4 was from our backyard (yes, we're one of those types who always has spare lumber) so we only had to buy that handrailing. And when we don't need the rack, we just lean it against the wall in the garage.

The only thing though is that we have a locking shell on the truck so the bikes are secured inside and we can stop for lunch on our way home or run errands. Otherwise there's really no way to lock the bikes unless they're locked to each other.

When I had a truck, I used to just lay my bike down on top of a foam pad. ( The same kind of foam pad that campers use under their sleeping bags ). The bike would sit a little more securely if I took the pedals off.

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't decided on what I'm going to do, but new ideas are greatly appreciated.

I took a couple of those fork mounts and attached them to the inside lip on the front of the bed. Worked great.

My Thule fork-mount bar, which goes across the bed, removes just by unlocking it and raising the spreader cam.

I used to obsess about how to transport my bike in my truck, but settled on laying it down and securing the main triangle in two places with tie-down straps.

The good: bike is secure in an idiot-proof kind of way, and is relatively low-profile. No capital outlay for this method.

The bad: bike takes up most of the bed. Doesn't look as elegant as a dedicated rack.

Of the various McGyver options, I like fork mount bolted to the front lip of the bed (under the window, no shell), 'cuz this is pretty secure. Otherwise, the load-lock bar suggested by Moonshot would be a good one, and multi-purpose, too.

Although I would love a high-end rack (Thule, etc.), I just can't justify spending the dough on it.

OK, I finally decided. It will probably be very ugly, but it will do what I need it to do. I'm going to bend and weld some 3/8" thick rebar into a low bikerack that will lock into the pickup bed thru those a tie down hole. I can get rebar pretty inexpensive and bend it to whatever specifications I need. After is it shaped correctly, I'll cover the whole thing in black electric tape to keep the metal from scratching anything. Maybe rubber coat it instead (if that isn't expensive).

Like I said, it's gonna be ugly, but I should be able to drive anywhere and not get the bikes stolen. Also, I need a winter project.

Why not put in a large u-bolt in the bed? Put the threads on the cab side and locktite them. Then you could use a thick cable lock (or two) to attach the bikes to the u-bolt.

Tie downs just like a dirt bike{motorcycle}

I got this cargo bar from Harbor Freight and attached some fork mounts to it. One of the rubber pads screws out to hold the bar to the bed through friction. I don't have a pic now, but I'll take one when I get home shortly and post it.

This can be removed and put back in about a minute or two.
Here's a pic.

http://www.nivek.us/albums/truck_bed...0313.sized.jpg

a few more pics here

Would the rig above work in the back of a smaller SUV (older Chevy Blazer 4 door)? I haven't got a hitch and am looking for something reasonably inexpensive to transport more than one bike. Thanks.

Javagrrl, yep it would work. The length of the bar is adjustable. If I remember correctly it costs like $15 for the cargo bar. I'm not sure if the length of the bike will fit in the back of your Blazer or not though.

The only problem is that the bars are meant to brace against the inside of the truck bed and expect to be held in place against a fairly rigid structure. You'll have to find a suitable spot in the cargo area. If you brace the bar up against the flexible door panels or such then the bar might flop about losely. You can also achieve a secure mounting system with a large board of plywood (cut to fit) with fork mounts attached. Fork mounts cost about $15 each. I would also cut slots in the "other end" of the board so you can string a strap of velco through in order to secure the rear wheel. This will keep the bike more stable.

javagrrl, you could put the bar at the back of your blazer, so you would be putting the rear wheel towards the front of the vehicle. You will probably find a more solid mount towards the back, and that would allow an easier access point for the fork mounts.

I built a great rack that fits into the back of the truck, It is very light and secure, you can fit 2-4 bikes in the rack depending on how you put it together. We have fit 2 bikes and enough camping gear to go for a few weeks

www.utahmountainbiking.com

This is a picture of it from the site

Thanks! This looks a lot easier to me than the PVC rack. I am going to try this soon.....

I drive a 2000 Toyota Tundra and have a Delta hitch that I mounted on the top of the bed just behind the cab. I had to use large sheet metal screws and gorilla glue to attach. Over time the glue has worn out and the screws have become loose.

This is a much better solution.

I'm using the Performance system in the back of my capped S-10. I mounted it on the floor at the back. Easy loading and unloading. Very secure, especially when I lock the cap. :)