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Truck Bed Bike Mounts - Questions?

Borderc

Chimp
Jan 17, 2008
2
0
Auburn AL
Hey Guys I am a student in the Industrial Design program at Auburn University and have just gotten into the sport of mountain biking. This semester I am taking and open design studio and have chosen to design a new type of bike rack for trucks. I have put together a few questions and topics to aid my design. If you don't mind taking a few minutes and discussing these topics I would greatly appreciate it.

Don't feel obligated to respond to all the topics or questions any information will help.



Which would you prefer a quick release mount or a permanent mount to the body of the truck. Why or why not

What are you thoughts on having to take the wheel off vs. leaving the wheel on.

Bed mount vs. Hitch mount style carriers.

When loading a bike in the back of a truck what problems might you face or do you face?

Are there any security concerns of leaving mounted bike and unattended?

If a piece has to remain on the bike frame during the ride is this a negative (will not interfere with rider during ride and will be light weight and small)?

Thanks for your time
 

dan wask

Turbo Monkey
May 11, 2006
1,463
0
B-More Maryland
Hey Guys I am a student in the Industrial Design program at Auburn University and have just gotten into the sport of mountain biking. This semester I am taking and open design studio and have chosen to design a new type of bike rack for trucks. I have put together a few questions and topics to aid my design. If you don't mind taking a few minutes and discussing these topics I would greatly appreciate it.

Don't feel obligated to respond to all the topics or questions any information will help.



Which would you prefer a quick release mount or a permanent mount to the body of the truck. Why or why not

What are you thoughts on having to take the wheel off vs. leaving the wheel on.

Bed mount vs. Hitch mount style carriers.

When loading a bike in the back of a truck what problems might you face or do you face?

Are there any security concerns of leaving mounted bike and unattended?

If a piece has to remain on the bike frame during the ride is this a negative (will not interfere with rider during ride and will be light weight and small)?

Thanks for your time
I'd prefer something quick release, or preferably, something low profile that does not need to be taken out to haul other stuff.

As for the wheel, it depends on application. I mostly haul my downhill bike that has a through axle front wheel. So anything with a through or maxel style front axle would push towards not having to remove the wheel.

I'd prefer a bed mount style.

As for security, a way to securly lock the bike and rack in the bed is something I've had a problem with for awhile. While leaving my bikes in the back of my truck either at school, or overnight at the mountain,
thought of some goofball simply cutting my padlock and tie down straps and getting away with my bikes is scary.

I personally would not buy a rack if something had to stay on the bike during a ride.
 

jcook90

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2006
1,211
1
Connecticut
Bed mount seems to offer far more protection from the bikes falling off on the road, and theres plenty of space left under/around the bikes to store gear/pads/hydropacks/etc.

Quick release-type of mechanism for storing the rack in the bed is ideal, allows for easy removal if you ever have to put other things in the bed (although mine works well for hooking cargo onto).

Definitely keep the wheels on the bike, it makes it much easier to load/unload. Plus guys with thruaxles don't want to take them off twice a ride.

I can pick up and drop smaller bikes into my rack from the side without needing the tailgate down, but DH rigs are much easier to do with the tailgate down, lift them up and roll them in (you'll see pics of mine in a sec).

There's always a security concern with leaving the bike unattended. No lock is completely safe, but theres easy enough ways to deter the common petty thief, such as a normal combination lock put through the wooden frame on my rack.

I don't think most people would like having a rack piece attached to their bikes.

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184718&highlight=truck+bed
Some good stuff in that thread, I can't find the one I started but here's pictures of mine:




The wood cross piece used to slide out (expansion of wood causes some problems) and make it even easier to remove.

It fits 3 bikes without needing any straps, normally will put a strap around the headtubes when traveling long distances on the highway. Fit as many as 5, figure I could probably get 7


My $.02
 

Luckybikes

Monkey
Jan 29, 2006
162
1
Dracut MA
I would prefer if it meant i could leave my front wheel on. Also if i had to leave something on my bike for it i would not use it. At the moment i use this with my truck works great i can lock it but having the lock would be useless unless your tailgate locks. If you could come up with something easier and better then this i would probably use it.

 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,942
13,135
Portland, OR
Since I run mostly 20mm fronts, removal is not easy. I prefer the wheel mount setups, the wood one is a lot like what I have used in the past. We made one out of ABS tubes (think buff PVC) that worked well and you could break it down. and put it in the truck when it wasn't loaded.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
I also prefer inside teh truck bed. and depending on what bikes I am taking, will depend on if I want to remove the front wheel or not, currently when taking teh DH Bikes, I just strap them in with Tie straps. But when taking teh XC or road bikes I use My thule Bed rider, but I dont set it up on top of the bed, I set it down on the 2x4 racks, that way it sits down inside the bed a bit, also its a bit sturdier<sp> and I can set my front wheel right in front of the rack and not worry about it going anywhere. Either way securing them is pretty easy in a truck bed, just put a cable through the permanent load mounts
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
We have a cool truck bed bike rack, but for some reason I can't get into my photobucket account on this computer (damn web filters are getting tougher everyday). I'll try to remember to post them up later.
 

SilentJ

trail builder
Jun 17, 2002
1,312
0
Calgary AB
No Pics here at work. I'll get some this weekend, but to give you an idea it's constructed of 2x4's and 2x6's and straddles the tailgate. Accomplishes the same thing as Splat's system, but creates more room in the box of my girlyman truck. Sorta looks like a ricer wing when there are no bikes in the truck.
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
Which would you prefer a quick release mount or a permanent mount to the body of the truck. Why or why not

What are you thoughts on having to take the wheel off vs. leaving the wheel on.

Bed mount vs. Hitch mount style carriers.

When loading a bike in the back of a truck what problems might you face or do you face?

Are there any security concerns of leaving mounted bike and unattended?

If a piece has to remain on the bike frame during the ride is this a negative (will not interfere with rider during ride and will be light weight and small)?

Thanks for your time
Permanent mount (dont' want it stolen)
Wheel on (through axles are a pain to remove)
Bed, not hitch

NOTHING on the bike. I never know who is gonna come and friends will not want to mount something to their bikes.

As far as locking, a good cable lock with a Krypto is all I need.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
jcook, what kind of truck is that? its obviously full size.... I have a tacoma, and without a rack or anything, I can get 7 in. Granted they're staggered in terms of direction and its a tight fit, but you should be able to get way more than 7 in there!
 
Bed mount seems to offer far more protection from the bikes falling off on the road, and theres plenty of space left under/around the bikes to store gear/pads/hydropacks/etc.

Quick release-type of mechanism for storing the rack in the bed is ideal, allows for easy removal if you ever have to put other things in the bed (although mine works well for hooking cargo onto).

Definitely keep the wheels on the bike, it makes it much easier to load/unload. Plus guys with thruaxles don't want to take them off twice a ride.

I can pick up and drop smaller bikes into my rack from the side without needing the tailgate down, but DH rigs are much easier to do with the tailgate down, lift them up and roll them in (you'll see pics of mine in a sec).

There's always a security concern with leaving the bike unattended. No lock is completely safe, but theres easy enough ways to deter the common petty thief, such as a normal combination lock put through the wooden frame on my rack.

I don't think most people would like having a rack piece attached to their bikes.

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184718&highlight=truck+bed
Some good stuff in that thread, I can't find the one I started but here's pictures of mine:




The wood cross piece used to slide out (expansion of wood causes some problems) and make it even easier to remove.

It fits 3 bikes without needing any straps, normally will put a strap around the headtubes when traveling long distances on the highway. Fit as many as 5, figure I could probably get 7


My $.02

FYI that is a patented design owned by SCbikeracks.com

There saddles will hold 4 but we have gooten 7+ in by just strapping them between each of the bikes in a Silverado
 

erastusboy

Monkey
Mar 5, 2003
470
0
Treesaws rack would be hard to beat, that being said my ideal rack would be:

Permenant but small (maybe not touching the bed floor so if you needed to move drywall or plywood it wouldnt be an issue)

Allow me to leave the wheels on, this is essential because of the number of 20mm axles on bikes (especially in a shuttle situation which is when the in bed mount shines)

I say don't worry about getting the bike up into the bed just make sure its easy to get into the rack (getting the bike into the truck is outside of the scope of the project probably)

Must consider use of materials and product life cycle.

jk on the last one it seems like every project statement I get throws that in at the end.

How do you like Auburn?

I go to UC for ID and am really digging the career.
 

jcook90

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2006
1,211
1
Connecticut
Yeah I know I basically knocked off the SC rack, $250 cheaper to make mine. I could probably fit a lot more in, just I've never had to. The bolts work fine for now, no real need for ratchet straps.