How Do You Carry Bicycles?

Wow, didnt know that about WD40!!! So I guess Im going to get me some good chain lube at the local bike shop!! Thanks for the heads up!!

 

Looking to bump this thread and see if there's any new ideas or products in the past few years. I've got 5 bikes to carry behind a travel trailer. The bikes range from ordinary street bikes, to suspension mountain bikes, to fat tire bike. I'm not liking what I see from the Amazon reviews of the Yakima Ridgeback 5 (apparently not OK for use with RV), and the Yakima Hang Over only works for suspension bikes, which leaves 3 of my bikes out. So kind of striking out. Using my truck bed may end up the solution, but that's far from ideal.

Also, as a bike geek, let me amplify that you should never use WD-40 (a water displacing solvent) for anything other than cleaning your bike. Once you've applied WD-40, you'll need to follow that up with 3 in 1 oil or some other quality lubricating oil. But WD-40 is AOK for cleaning road grime off the bikes as long as you follow up with some real oil.

 

We tried carrying a bike before but it didn't go very well. After we got home it was all wrecked, since then we never brought any bike on our RV again.

 

We're a couple carrying only two bikes, and we're not avid bikers. We bought folding bikes (Terns, one 20" and one 24") that live in the bed of the truck. We have a BakFlip MX4 folding hard tonneau cover, so they're secure. Of course, that won't work for a family, or if you want to bring a high-end mountain or road bike.

 

Not a "new" product, but an idea you may want to consider. There are some "RV approved" bike racks available sold by Etrailer. I have a Swagman that I really like that will accommodate two bikes, but they may have some for three. The Etrailer folks are generally very helpful on the phone and can tell you which ones are approved for RV use. The RV approved ones are heavier construction due to the extra bouncing, but also have an additional vertical offset of about 8" to keep them from dragging when mounted on the back of a trailer/motorhome.

For the other two bikes, you might want to consider mounting a class C receiver hitch on the front of your truck and add a rack there. My son has this configuration and it works quite well for additional bikes. The front hitch is also handy for carrying kayaks on a truck when towing a trailer or fifth wheel. Bolt on front receiver hitches are available for most trucks.

 

If I'm bringing my jeep I carry it on top usingTheule 517 Fork Mount Bicycle Carrier Roof
instead of mounting it at the back since my 5th wheel is attached to my truck. For 5th wheelers I suggest also doing it on top so in case you would have a problem on your hitch then it would be easier to fix it.

 

I've used many different bike racks over the years and can rant and rave about quite a few of them. On my '20 Ranger, I am using a Yakima Holdup Evo 2. I live in BC and mountain bike close to every day (not quite, but I did mtb 165 days last year, and had 2 months off due to an injury). Of all the racks I've tried, the Yakima is my favorite for a few reasons.

1) It does not affect your departure angle like a "hangover style" rack does. Ive bottomed a north shore rack out crossing steep cross ditches in my last truck and its an uneasy feeling when you have more money in bikes hanging off the rack then the truck is worth, and you are praying that you didnt damage any wheels.

2) there is no frame or fork contact. nothing beats bike up more then transporting or shuttling them.

3) the locking mechanism for the rack into the hitch works very well and I have zero worries that somebody will walk off with it. The simple cable locks from the rack to the bike are a good piece of mind for leaving the bikes on the rack while grabbing a beer after a ride. If you need something for extreme offroad use, your best bet is to try and track down a used "Tuf Rack", they are as strong as it gets and i know many people who have been using them for over ten years.

Unfortunately, I believe they are out of business now as I don't imagine they are cheap to build, and they were made in Ontario Canada by a local company You can check this website, I assume they couldn't get the cost of doing business low enough while maintaining the quality their customers expected...

 

interesting information

 

I have thought of covers, but they'll probably get ripped to shreds in no time unless we can find some designed to withstand 60-80 mph winds. Most of them are intended for covering a bike in your driveway or on your balcony to keep dust and rain off it.

We have a 36' 5er with 3 slides, which occupy most of the interior in travel mode. Besides, I'm not sure I want two more potential projectiles riding in the trailer.

Our truck has a RollNLock tonneau cover on the bed that can be locked at intermediate stages. In other words, it would be possible to create a somewhat "weather resistant" compartment forward of the hitch. This would require the bikes to lie flat though, and I cannot find any truck bed "bike rack" in this configuration. All of them support the bike vertically.

[moderator edit]

 

I often put my bike in the bed of my truck and strap it down securely so I guess you could do the same with yours. I'd recommend waterproofing the bikes as best you can before you throw 'em up there. It may also be worth looking into some of those sports trailers that attach to the back of an RV. That way you could keep the bikes locked up at every stop. Good luck finding the right fit for your setup!