- Thread starter
- #21
yeah. i’d take pics. do you have a title to the thread? or is it posted here? i tried a member name search...
best bang for the buck bike racks (pics with a trailer)? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter landcruiser3DP
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- Thread starter
- #22
gents please. any problems with this rack?worth picking up for $30? maybe cut the hangars down shorter if i only need it for 2 bikes...? i think i could modify and reweld too if i needed to modify it further.
Bike Rack for the Overlander
Hey everyone, the last couple years have been great to get to know the Cruiser and do some great trips in. I've decided I want to add another element to overlanding trips by bringing a mountain bike with me. I've done some searching on Google and here and came up with a few ideas but want to...
forum.ih8mud.com
Pics are on page 2. I might have some more on my phone if you need anything specifically.
As to the rack you sent, that’s kind of a loaded question. Generally, the more you pay, the better the rack.
So -
What’s your intended use?
How expensive is your bike? Ie do you want to trust it to a $30 rack?
Will you be driving smooth roads all the time or taking it offroad?
Trailer on the back or no?
Where do you want to put the rack?
I used one of those racks on a Jetta for a while and didn’t like it. The bike swings as you accelerate and stop and you have to secure the front wheel with a bungee cord or the like. It never fell off, but It’s not the ideal way to transport a bike IMO.
No problem with the above $30 rack if your bikes are beaters. That type of rack will wear the paint from the bike top tube and likely cause other damage to the bikes as they swing/shift/rattle on it. That's the type of rack I'd use with true beach cruisers with no derailleurs to bang out of adjustment and that will rust away in a few years anyway.
This is the type of attachment point that you may be able to combine with your moto trailer or other racks to make a setup that won't mangle your bikes and that is cheap:
Amazon product ASIN B00IFW3LD8
For instance, you can drill holes and mount the above type of fork mount on the rails of a cheap cargo basket like this:
Amazon product ASIN B013429T0M
I've used a similar setup for years and though the rack and fork mounts are very slightly nicer than what I linked to above they were comparably priced. The benefit of this setup is you get to use it to carry cargo with/without the bikes, etc. so it's a lot of bang for the buck.
Short of a setup like above getting used/cheap bike trays that attach to your factory roof rack (if you have one) may be the cheapest way to carry bikes without beating them up with a cheap rack like you linked to above.
Keep in mind that with a fork mount you may get tired of removing the front wheel of the bikes. The next level up is a rack system that holds the bike tires of which there are a lot of varieties but they cost a bit more to a lot more.
This is the type of attachment point that you may be able to combine with your moto trailer or other racks to make a setup that won't mangle your bikes and that is cheap:
Amazon product ASIN B00IFW3LD8
For instance, you can drill holes and mount the above type of fork mount on the rails of a cheap cargo basket like this:
Amazon product ASIN B013429T0M
I've used a similar setup for years and though the rack and fork mounts are very slightly nicer than what I linked to above they were comparably priced. The benefit of this setup is you get to use it to carry cargo with/without the bikes, etc. so it's a lot of bang for the buck.
Short of a setup like above getting used/cheap bike trays that attach to your factory roof rack (if you have one) may be the cheapest way to carry bikes without beating them up with a cheap rack like you linked to above.
Keep in mind that with a fork mount you may get tired of removing the front wheel of the bikes. The next level up is a rack system that holds the bike tires of which there are a lot of varieties but they cost a bit more to a lot more.
I would love some pics!
Many people use this 4 hole hitch provision on their bumper for a pintle hitch or something like what I have. I bought my rig with this already installed. There are 2 holes threaded and 2 holes not threaded that you can put bolts through. If you need closer photos of what mine looks like just let me know.
- Thread starter
- #27
thanks. if you get a minute i’d take photos. still need to go through the linked thread above tomorrow. but hoping to be road worthy here really soon...
Should be easy enough.
Northshore rack
How have you North Shore rack owners faired off-road? We rented some bikes and a North Shore rack in Moab last year, and I had a bike come loose and almost fall off. Are there any tiedown upgrades people do? Other than that one issue, I absolutely loved the rack.
- Thread starter
- #30
ah! got it. thanks a lot...
Just a couple of pics I have on the phone. Departure and clearance is superb. The thread I linked yesterday has some additional pics on page 2
Haven't done it yet but like others have said If I needed to tow I'd bolt up a hitch mount to the 4 bolt pintle location and run my 1up USA rack off of it
If you want a vertical rack, skip the NS rack. Get a Recon! It is a much better product as it can carry any type of bike, and it is much more secure. The only issue with them is the long wait time to get one. I will get one to replace my 1Up at some point.
Whatever you do avoid putting the bikes on the roof. Its noisy, kills MPG's and is a hassle to access. Personally if I was going with a trailer I'd modify it as needed to carry as much as possible, including the bikes.
- Thread starter
- #35
anyone know anything about this unit? i picked up a yakima 4 bike hitch mount rack at goodwill for $35 but this just popped up for $50. apparently some of the straps need replacing...
It looks like a top tube rack. Holds bikes by the top tube, that is. Fine if your bikes are cheap. Not fine for anything of value.
