Mountain Bike Carrier Ideas

I use a tailgate pad - ended up with the Yakima one - holds 5 bikes securely. They don't budge, even bouncing for miles up fire roads.

For security, I added bed stiffeners and lock the bikes to it with hardened chain and a U-lock. It would take a pretty good amount of time with a grinder or torch to get the bike free, so I don't worry about it when I hit up a restaurant or brewery after the ride. Still wouldn't leave it parked overnight, however, but that's just paranoid me.

 

I welded up a rack that connects to the side bed rails using T-nuts. Holds 4 bikes and keeps my bed open for stuff.

When I carry only one bike I use this as a tailgate mat...works great and cheap and just lays in the bed when not in use. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Traffic...ubber-Commercial-Door-Mat-MT1003628/206690680

 

Wow I've never seen 5 bikes on a Taco before, you win the prize!

 

Sub'd for ideas later down the road. Nice setups guys!

 

How far do those mounts stick out on the side?

 

Maybe two inches outside of the wheel flare.

 

As everyone can see, what's possible varies a lot by how someone uses the truck.

Mine is simple, but not going camping or such either. However, if you have the clear space it works fine at legal highway speeds.

 

A comment on security. Hard chain CUTS faster than "soft chain" when using a thin cut wheel on a die grinder. Anyone with a CO2 bottle on their belt (not uncommon in the building trades) can get that chain apart in less than 3 minutes with hardly a sound.

But On topic, Nice bike carry!

 

So the whole thing is built with a set of "Mini Stiffy's" that a guy on here makes and sells. A bar of aluminum tube bolted to the top of the Mini Stiffy's so I can remove the whole ordeal to haul things, two scraps of aluminum angle, a handful of Riv-nuts and a set of Rocky Mounts.

My buddy is also making and selling wheel mounts that attach to the bed rails.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mtb-wheel-hauler-contest-name-this-thing.711725/

 

What do you guesstimate your total cost of this was?

This is such a clean way of hauling bikes!

 

The most expensive part was the Rocky Mounts, but I already had those, and I prefer them because they work with multiple hubs. I use this setup for Boost, non-boost and Fat Bikes.


The price was pretty inconsequential. I got fed up with dealing with tailgate pads, and the scratches that come with them (on the bike and the tailgate), and I got tired of climbing into the bed of the truck to mount the bikes

But, from memory:
Mini Stiffy: $50
Aluminum Bar & Angle: >$20 (not sure as I used scrap's that were kicking around)
Riv-Nuts: >$10
Stainless Hardware: $20
@TMCmakes Wheel Carrier: I helped develop, I don't know if he's set a price yet.

 

This is what I ended up going with. I wanted the versatility that comes with having the header deck rail for future usage.

RockyMount Loball and Deck Rail Install on 3rd Gen Tacoma - YouTube

 

Have added another 1up over my bed... now running dual 1ups.

 

I am loving this set up. No reaching over the side of the truck and trying to thread a through axle! I might have to work on something like this! Thanks for the idea!

 

Do you know if the roof rack 1up trays mount differently than the 1up bike rack trays? Are the bottom of the roof rack and bike trays different?

 

I think the extrusions that make up the tire trays are different between the hitch rack and roof rack if that's what you're asking. The roof rack one has a T slot that runs the full length of the tray extrusions to accommodate any crossbar spacing while the hitch rack ones have only bolt holes in required locations to bolt to the hitch platform.

There are really nice 3d models that your can manipulate and select varying transparency and line model settings on the 1up website for all of their products. They are great for visualizing mechanical details.

 

Yeah I was just on the site. I see now that the roof rack tray is one piece, where as the hitch rack are two separate trays. I was wondering if the hitch rack trays are interchangeable between hitch and roof. But I'm wrong. Thanks for the insight!!

 

You might be able to bolt a roof rack tray to the hitch platform using the required length t bolts in the t slots but I don't see how the hitch rack trays could bolt to crossbars without adding counter bored holes in the locations needed to accommodate your crossbar spacing, along with the hardware required to clamp to said crossbars.

 

This what I use

https://amzn.to/3v2wZ9X
https://amzn.to/3trldoV