Transporting A Recumbent
 

I know there has to be a way but I can not find it.

How do you transport your 2 wheel recumbent from one place to another besides riding it? Does anyone make a hitch rack that is wide enough to carry a bent?

I live in a very rural area. Riding out here is nice sometime but mostly we like to ride in other areas. One of my research subjects into buying a bent for me and my wife is to make sure I can carry it on the back of my Jeep Grand Cherokee in a fashion somewhat similar to how I carry our DF bikes.

Thanks

Saw an image of three cruzbike recumbents mounted on the back of a Jeep. The guy is from eastern Carolina. Do a search on a James Parker.

Recumbent racks
 

Hello,
Yes there are several racks available that will handle recumbents. I use a Hollywood rack with longer extension arms to handle my long wheel base bikes. A short wheel base may actually fit on a standard mountain bike type rack. Do a Google search on "Recumbent bike racks" and you will have many hits.
Also Google recumbent dealers and you will find a good selection.
I use the hitch type mount with wheel loops that are adjustable to the wheel base of the bike. In the
center there is a arm that slides down to secure the frame of the bike.
Good Luck,
Rich............

Thanks for the responses. For some really dumb reason I just didn't think of Googling "Recumbent bike racks". I think that will be my next thing to do.

What kind of recumbent?

BP - I'm not sure what kind of recumbent yet. The transportation issue may possibly control the issue of a SWB or allow a LWB. I'm in my mid 60's so I want comfort. I have to believe a LWB is more comfortable than a SWB.

My LBS sells SUN but I am not adverse to buying a previously owned bike off the net. It looks like you can get some good prices on Tour Easy's and several other bikes with a good name. There is a RANS dealer down in New Olreans. I'm going to give him a call to see if he has any in stock that I could test ride.

As I said in my OP, transporting by car on a rack is an absolute necessity. I was wondering if anyone made a rack that would carry a LWB. I am going to Google recumbent bike racks this morning and see what I get.

Thanks

Sun, RANS, and a lot of others can be carried on a standard 2-arm trunk or hitch rack. A LWB being carried that way may be wider than the car, but it can be and is done all the time. I use a Rhode Gear hitch rack to carry my V-Rex and (formerly) my wife's Nimbus. My lowracers won't go on the rack, but they have unusual frames.

My LBS has a local supplier that makes extra long racks for bents. Contact them; they can either get you one or refer you to their supplier.

Or you can buy a foldable recumbent. There are a number of threads on this at bentrideronline.

LWB bents on hitch rack
 

We routinely carry 3 LWB recumbents on a 2 arm hitch rack. We have a Stratus, V2, and Tailwind. As long as you have the type of rack that has the 2 arms that go under the top tube of the bike frame it should be no problem. We stagger ours front to back so the seats don't hit each other. The rubber pieces that cradle the frame tube on ours need to be turned sideways for the V2 frame to slip over because it has a rather narrow space between the main frame tube and the smaller lower frame supports. The Stratus and Tailwind don't have any issues.

That's the way it was for me. The seat back on the Sun acted like a sail though, so I had to take that off while transporting it.

I bought a raxter. Expensive, but worth it for my 10k bent + wheels. VERY stable, VERY easy to use, and easy to upgrade if you change to a LWB bent.

The new 1upusa rack looks good as well.

You should be able to use a standard trunk-mount rack but you might have to remove the front AND rear wheels and put them in the car

I carry mine of a Saris hitch rack. It's an SWB, but the Saris rack lets you place the wheel holders for either a 20" or 26" wheel. Solid as a rock, too.

I carry my Sun EZ Sport on a regular 2 arm hitch rack. No modifications required other than I use two rests for the fore and one for the rear, only because the Sport has those double bars going down to the dropouts. Used to carry it on a Prius without removing wheels too, maybe that's why I got the mid-finger salute from time-to-time :(

I use the Xport Flatbed 2 bike hitch rack from Performance Bicycle. It's mad for them by Hollywood. The Hollywood version is the Sportrider. You can buy the LWB arms for it and replace the ones you have. Two people should replace the arms, or one can do it if he/she has three hands. You can also do it by yourself if you are exceptionally good at cussing. I didn't like the plastic 2" to 1 1/4" adapter, so I put on a 2" to 1 1/4" adapter from U-Haul.
I drilled the end of one hoop today and bolted a fork mount on it. This took a little over 10" off the length of the mounted bike. I positioned the left hoop so it's even with my driver's mirror, and the bike sticks out about 8-10" on the right side. I drive a Jeep Wrangler.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...00_20000_36006

http://www.hollywoodracks.com/hitch-...hitch-rack.htm

A few pictures of it.

I carry both my CLWB and SWB on a standard trunk rack. No major problems, just have to be sure to secure tightly. I drive a Bronco II, and run a bungee off the factory roof rack.

For comfort you could also look into a SWB with suspension, such as the HPV streetmachine or grasshopper. The grasshopper also comes in a foldable version.

There are roof racks that will accomodate a LWB bent, a friend has a Yakima roof rack with "tandem topper".

Sometimes you have to be creative.....
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/...523d53fd_o.jpg

Put that machine on a hitch rack you'd have a great pedestrian sidewalk sweeper :)

You should probably take the seats off that before going down the highway.

I fold the seat backs down flat - works great.

I use a Saris Bones. I do remove the seat on my Bacchetta Giro 20 so that it will not get too torn by the winds and act as a sail though. I have the wide seat with the mesh back. Then I fold down the handlebars and bungie them down and bungie the wheels so they don't spin.

I also use the local bus company to transport my recumbent. It drops right in to their Sportworks racks.

All you ever see is receiver hitch and car top racks . . . nice, but expensive. I've used a cheap trunk mounted rack for years to transport my long wheelbase recumbent. I don't even take off the wheels, just turn the front one and (of course) remove the fairing. Goes everywhere without problems.