Do any of you guys on here ride mountain bikes? If so how are you guys transporting them to the trail w/o using a hitch mounted rack?

 

For two bikes (the usual) I just strap them down with ratchet straps (2 per bike), cheap and very secure. When I am transporting more than that I use a hitch mounted rack, which can hold an additional four bikes.
Another alternative is to use some quick release clamps screwed onto a 4' long 2x8, works great too.

 

Throw it in the bed.

 

Me and a buddy went in together and started getting serious a few years ago. Both got $1000+ mountain bikes. Now that's not professional level--but a great deal of change for serious amateurs.

We didn't want to damage the bikes so we'd lay them down at ~45 degree angles in the bed--right where the wheels were touching in the middle. The handlebars would hang over the side. Needless to say that didn't last long....the handlebars started scratching the paint on the side of my bed.

So I bought a hitch-mounted bike rack. Something similar to this, except a lot better quality (was around $220). I went with the 4-bike rack because the 2-bike was only $20 cheaper. Sometimes we have some buddies ride with us, too. This is the best option I've found if you still need your bed for other stuff.

You say you don't want to use the hitch-mounted rack....so...
If you don't need your bed then I've seen stuff like this work (or even build your own):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ACAM6K
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/bikerack/makerack.htm

That would probably be your best bet to avoid damage to the bikes or your truck.

 

There should be a slot in your bed walls to stand up lumber.
I drilled holes in a 2x6 and installed something like this.

You can find them at bike shops for around $25.

I have six.
Three sets of holes with a clamp on each side.
I can transport six bikes with the tailgate down (6.5' bed).
The bikes don't touch each other.
The center set is low, the two outer sets are high so the handlebars clear one another.

Hauling two bikes with this setup would be easy for around $50 plus a piece of wood.

(There's no locking option with this setup, for daytrips only)

 

This was my Dad's solution in his S-10, but he has them (2) mounted to a 2x4 secured to the top rail by two aluminum angle brackets with bolts and wing nuts. (Don't recall the exact configuration but can get a pic if you want.)

Why he did this? I'm not sure the S-10 has the "lumber option" our trucks do, or maybe his slip-in bedliner negated it if it does.

Andy

 

Andy, the S-10 bed probably wasn't long enough to accomodate the bike even with the wheel off, at the slot. This could also be a problem for supercrews.

My 6.5' bed has a slot about half way between the wheel well and tailgate.
Fullsize bike (without front wheel) fits from the front of the bed to the slot.
Also, from the slot to the end of the open tailgate another fullsize bike will fit. I have used this option when camping, with gear in front of the board and bikes ending on the down gate.

 

With the front wheel off, I've never had a tip-over with a 4 footer and clamps, no need to rest the board in the bed slots, but it works if you have the longbed.
Cheapest by far is the ratchet straps, 12.00 for a set of four, plus you'll get alot of use out of them for other things.

 

A hitch mounted rack is easily the best way to carry bikes. Why do you rule that out?

My second option is a bike tote. I don't have the one in the video, but mine is similar. I just don't have the rack for the wheel and the lockable cable.

I've also seen people do a lot with wood. They nail something together to keep the wheels in place then tie the bike down. Sort of like this with 2x4s.


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Unless you don't want to leave it attached all the time. Maybe some are different, but mine is secured with a bolt/nut instead of a simple pin to eliminate bouncing and rattling. Kind of a pain to install/remove.

This looks like just a very expensive, complex alternative to the 2x4 and fixture solution above. Am I missing something?

If you back the rear wheel up against the front of the bed and tie it down, do you need a framework like this?

 

Good point, Raoul. I'll bet that's the reason.

Andy

 

i race downhill and 4x, and i usually bring both my sunday and my riot, i put both front wheels up on my toolbox and use ratchet straps in the front triangle of each frame and secure them to the front of the toolbox, and use ratchet straps around the bottom tube of each bike to secure them to each side of the bed

 

it is a truck right?

I can't stand seeing people with hitch bike racks when they have a perfectly good bed in front of it

 

But if you have a tonneau cover (esp. a hard-cover one) putting a carrier in the hitch might be easier than removing that each time.

Andy

 

Because once you hit the expensive bikes (all relative, but still), you don't want to just throw them around. Bikes in the bed tend to move around even if just a little. Personally I have streaks of bad luck all the time. Better safe than sorry with expensive stuff.