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Designing a bike rack

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
We are going to build a hitch/upright 4, 5, and 6 bike rack. We want something like a Rat Rack, or Arbutus Rack. A rack that holds the bikes by the tire.

I don't want a North Shore rack or a rack that holds the bike like the North Shore rack.

Any ideas?
Pics of what you have built?
 
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roperacer

Monkey
Aug 17, 2009
320
0
chattanooga tn
Well I can't seem to upload pics fromy phone.....air hose makes a good prong padding..and support straps from crossbar to top of car helps alot...I also have a tighting system on the receiver to reduce sway...and although it will fit most vehicles it is good to custom build it for a particular vehicle... text me and I'll send some pics 423 635 4627
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
There is a North Shore 4 or 6 in Idaho for $350 on craigslist.

There I built you a rack from ether...
I've used the NS rack for 3 days in Bellingham and not all bikes fit. It scratched my Lyrik on my AM bike. The mounts needed to be 2" wider apart because the pedals hit.
 

bholwell

Chimp
Mar 19, 2011
61
3
Knoxville, TN
We are going to build a hitch/upright 4, 5, and 6 bike rack. We want something like a Rat Rack, or Arbutus Rack. A rack that holds the bikes by the tire.

I don't want a North Shore rack or a rack that holds the bike like the North Shore rack.

Any ideas?
Pics of what you have built?
If I were going to build one, I'd just buy a cheap rack like this:

http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-Racks/Pro-Series/63124.html

Then have a welder fabricate the top 'wheel wells' and lower tire cradles. Shouldn't be a hard project.
 

tuumbaq

Monkey
Jul 5, 2006
725
0
Squamish BC
This is great idea. Anyone ever built one like this?
I once had a rack like that and hated it...Major pain in the ass ! Even with the hinge system, it's very difficult to access the back of the truck as the rack sits right in the middle of the way...Sure, you can access it from the side but if you are to load long boards or stuff that require a more direct entry, the rack become a real pita.Plus , you have to watch for clearance in underground parking lot and you might also have trouble with some bikes and brake levers rubbing on the bike next to it.

That said, if you rarely need to get in there it wouldn't be so bad, I carry all my work gear in the truck and got rid of that rack quickly as it wasnt very practical for me...
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
Want? yes. Afford. nooooo
More so the damned shipping!!

I still can't figure out what I want to do. I used to like the over the bed rack I had on my superduty, but the fuel mileage just blows on my new truck that way.

I don't mind using the bed....but then the bedsides take a beating with people reaching in and over the bedsides to get to stuff....

I have a 2 place yakima hold up, but I can't bring myself to buy the extension. I like the Thule T2 rack much better.

I can't bring myself to sell my yakima to buy a $600 Thule T2 4 place rack.

I have 4 king cobras and a plethora of load bars....I am "thinking" about making a rack that will take my 4 king cobra racks and putting a 2" receiver in it to ad the yakima when I need to haul 6 bikes. At least then I could put all my gear under my tonneau cover and then just have the bikes on a rack behind the truck. This is starting to look like the most logical answer.
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
I have 4 king cobras and a plethora of load bars....I am "thinking" about making a rack that will take my 4 king cobra racks and putting a 2" receiver in it to ad the yakima when I need to haul 6 bikes. At least then I could put all my gear under my tonneau cover and then just have the bikes on a rack behind the truck. This is starting to look like the most logical answer.
Buy 2 more king cobras and a flatbed trailer. Mount all six cobras to said trailer. Done. :D
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
Buy 2 more king cobras and a flatbed trailer. Mount all six cobras to said trailer. Done. :D
I've thought about that, and living in "I bought a snowmobile I can only use 2 months out of the year" land. there are typically a ton of small cheap trailers around that could do the trick....but towing a trailer around just to cart bikes around is a pain in the ass :)
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
More so the damned shipping!!

I still can't figure out what I want to do. I used to like the over the bed rack I had on my superduty, but the fuel mileage just blows on my new truck that way.

I don't mind using the bed....but then the bedsides take a beating with people reaching in and over the bedsides to get to stuff....

I have a 2 place yakima hold up, but I can't bring myself to buy the extension. I like the Thule T2 rack much better.

I can't bring myself to sell my yakima to buy a $600 Thule T2 4 place rack.

I have 4 king cobras and a plethora of load bars....I am "thinking" about making a rack that will take my 4 king cobra racks and putting a 2" receiver in it to ad the yakima when I need to haul 6 bikes. At least then I could put all my gear under my tonneau cover and then just have the bikes on a rack behind the truck. This is starting to look like the most logical answer.
I'm in a pickle right now too. I have a Yakima Hold Up. It got whacked by a kid at a stop light (long story). The 2nd bike holder is tweaked and I only trust my daughter's bike, nothing bigger. The pivot flanges got bent a hair. So even if I replace the bent one and add the "Plus 2", I risk 4 bikes sticking out near my driver side mirror.
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
Wouldn't the kid's insurance cover that? I got rear-ended by a lady putting make-up on and everything looked fine (no bike rack on), front of her, not so much. Took my SUV to the dealer to get it checked out anyway and turns out the bolts holding the hitch were slightly bent. Got the entire assembly replaced for free.
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
Really? We've used a buddy of mine's t2 with 4 trays and it always seemed fine. I think the T2 is a lot more solid than the hold up I have now.
I had one for over 10 years. It worked fine but on rough roads I didn't trust it much. Still a great rack though.
 

rockwool

Turbo Monkey
Apr 19, 2004
2,658
0
Filastin
This is great idea. Anyone ever built one like this?
LOL


I once had a rack like that and hated it...Major pain in the ass ! Even with the hinge system, it's very difficult to access the back of the truck as the rack sits right in the middle of the way...Sure, you can access it from the side but if you are to load long boards or stuff that require a more direct entry, the rack become a real pita.Plus , you have to watch for clearance in underground parking lot and you might also have trouble with some bikes and brake levers rubbing on the bike next to it.

That said, if you rarely need to get in there it wouldn't be so bad, I carry all my work gear in the truck and got rid of that rack quickly as it wasnt very practical for me...
Couldn't that problem be soved by altering the positions of respective mount by 1-2"? I mean sort of like the keys on a piano, with the outer sides closer to the vehicle, here shown as a 4-mount rack: il li


A 5-mount rack would have the middle (bike no3) another 1-2" away from bike no 2 and 4, etc. Dunno how to solve a 6-mount though.
 
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kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
^ This.

It only takes a small offset to cure that problem. You can also offset the height of the rear tire mount and that will rotate just enough where the handlebars are to avoid more interference issues.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Wouldn't the kid's insurance cover that? I got rear-ended by a lady putting make-up on and everything looked fine (no bike rack on), front of her, not so much. Took my SUV to the dealer to get it checked out anyway and turns out the bolts holding the hitch were slightly bent. Got the entire assembly replaced for free.
Here goes. I turned left across a 5 lane into a parking lot at my daughters school. Kid comes across hill at 60+ (a former traffic cop watched it happend while about to step out with his own kid at the crosswalk). When he started skidding, he was doing 50 per the trooper. Trooper I think felt bad for the teen. Teen had a green light and I was turning left without a solid green.

NC law doesn't state any rights for me if he is breaking the law. So we would BOTH get tickets. Him for 50 in a 35mph school zone, me for Failure to Yield.

So no way his insurance has to pay for my rack. SUCKED!!!
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
wtf?!?! 35 is the limit in a school zone?! Over here it's more like 12 (20 km/h). 35 mph (50km/h) in a school zone seems ridiculous to me.

either way, sucks for you, sorry to hear it.
It's 25 mph here in Michigan.

So no way his insurance has to pay for my rack. SUCKED!!!
We have "No fault" insurance. Occasionally you can pull off a $500 mini tort against the driver at fault, but it's rare. Though if I was rear ended my insurance would cover damages (minus deductible) since i have collision coverage.

Either way, sucks you got hit.
 
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time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
Yeah, that sucks. In many states the driver that rear-ended the other is responsible for damages. In the states that enforce this you would have gotten a ticket for your violation but he would be held accountable for hitting you. This law can really suck sometimes. I have a friend that was going to t-bone an old lady because she ran a light. In order to avoid hitting the passenger door he swerved and hit the back end of the car. So to avoid injuring someone in an accident that wasn't his fault to begin with he got the ticket and his insurance had to cover damages. Sometimes I just wonder where the f'ing common sense is in our laws. Ridiculous.

PS - glad no one got hurt. That accident could have been bad at those speeds or worse if the teen hit one of the people in the lot.
 
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bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
I make my own luck. I could blame the kid for the whole thing, but the whoel thing could have been avoided if I'd just gotten to the school 10 minutes sooner and been able to wait in the car line, rather than try to park across the street and walk them in, it wouldn't have happened.


Back to big racks! Show me some. Uncle Cliffy, feel free to post away....
 

Scrub

Turbo Monkey
Feb 4, 2003
1,453
119
NOR CAL, Sac/CoCo County
I'm looking at a rack that holds the bikes by the wheel and tire, more like Arbutus and Rat Rack.

http://arbutusracks.com/

http://ratracks.com/
I'm not a fan of those 2 designs, the leverage/weight of the bike on the fork/seal area seems to be high, meaning that most of the load will be carried there without much support from the rear wheel. Just imagine your bike casing jumps repeatedly while driving down the road.
 
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sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,114
55
Golden, CO
I'm not a fan of those 2 designs, the leverage/weight of the bike on the fork/seal area seems to be high, meaning that most of the load will be carried there without much support from the rear wheel. Just imagine your bike casing jumps repeatedly while driving down the road.
Yeah, if you ghosted it over jumps, in which case the fork seals would be least of your concerns. But there's a huge difference b/t that and casing it while riding.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
I've yet to see any of these racks show what it looks like to strap a 20" or 24" on. Anybody got pics?

Oh, and totally random, but I just ordered a Curt receiver hitch and wiring harness of Ebay on Monday (plain old free ground shipping) and BAM it is here. Absurdly quick delivery. Now I can bolt my bent up rack on and go....finally! Screw you dealership and your empty promises. :D
 
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Sonic Reducer

Monkey
Mar 19, 2006
500
0
seattle worshington
Thanks, but I want the rack to hold the bikes by the tire.
why is that specifically? the hooks on the fork crown or head tube seems pretty solid, less material, easier to load. although it would make it hard to load say a bmx or a road bike that didnt have a fork crown. do they have more movement of the bike itself?

I too am about to build a rack, could have started this exact thread myself. just picked up a sweet windowless van for bike trips, and sleeping in the parking lot at whistler. not having ever used a rack of this type, I'm not aware of the pluses and minuses of each configuration. being able to take 6 bikes would be pretty killer. I rarely want to go on a DH trip without one other bike so 2 bikes x 3 people is a full load. I would need it to haul bmx bikes too so that kinda puts a damper on the fork crown mount.