Looking for a Bike Rack

I purchased my Tacoma with those bike mounts installed by the original owner. At least it looks very similar. I'll try to get some pictures up later.

 

I have this one too and really like it

 

OK hear me out everyone, I dont use any kind of mount and haul my MTB in the simplest and easiest way. just like a dirt bike, you put two tie downs on the handlebars and hook em to your tie down cleats (that you put at the front of the bed). I dont put the hooks on my bars, that would scratch them, but instead i loop the strap around my bars so that both hooks are on the cleats. Better yet, to get the bike out you just lift the back of the bike up and the straps loosen up to slide right off the bars. When you come back to load up again, just put the straps around the bars and you're good to go!

No wheel removal, and costs nothing because you probably already have tie downs. Seems like people way overthink bike loading

Heres a very basic pic from the internet, i can take actual photos of my method if anyone cares.

 

Seems like that would be more cumbersome and time consuming than just popping the front wheel off and putting the fork in a mount, and not as secure, and easier to steal.

It takes literally 10 seconds to pop the wheel off, and another 15 seconds to put it back on.

 

It may be about the same amount of time, i leave the straps on the cleats and once set you dont have to adjust them, so you just put the straps on the bars and you're done.

Id say its just as easy to steal too because you can just unthread the fork mount and away you go, my method you just pop the straps off and away you go. Both methods allow a lock easily though.

Also, my bike is a Downhill bike and uses a 20mm Through Axle so normal fork mounts dont work on my bike.

If i didnt use my method, i would for sure use a fork mount like you're saying.

 

I already had the yakima cross bars and rail grabber from the highlander, so I threw this together. I'm not real happy with it yet, but it will get there. The price is right when everything is already sitting in the garage.

 

Anyone find an OEM rail solution that works with 20mm axels?

EDIT: Scratch that, searching helps..

http://kuatracks.com/en/products/accessories/the-dirtbag/

 

I've looked at Thule for bike racks but then considered I don't really carry bikes that much, I went HF for around $30.

 

Next step is T slot nuts, and that will hopefully allow me to use the inner hole as you've suggested. Long-term I hope to mount rails on the bed rails and use the control towers and landing pads I have. I'd like to add a tonneau, and can't with what I have now.

 

I love my Thule insta-gater! Works great and is super easy to take in and out. May not work if you have a DCSB. My 29er just fits in my DCLB straight.

 

For a hitch mounted rack I highly recommend 1up. All metal and folds down with bike(s) still on perfectly allowing you to put down tailgate.

 

Definitely. A friend of mine has one of them and it is incredibly built.

 

Rat Racks Out of Alberta Canada - with the american doller so high you can probably get them pretty cheap now - full customization ( up to like 5 or 6 bikes i think?), super beefy. I run two sometimes and bike stay put. Swings down to allow easy access into bed too.

 

I have a thru axel too and just use a converter. The only downside is that it doesn't technically lock the bike in now because the Rocky Mount now locks just the converter in. Thule makes them for thru axel bikes.

 

As fat as hitch racks go, the swagman g10 is the best rack around when you look at price, build quality and overall versatility. I'm liking the creative bed solutions you guys are coming up with...

 

I think for the cheapest route, just buying a quick release and mounting it to your bedrail is the way to go.

To mount two quick releases probably cost me $22.

 

Does anyone know of any company that makes outboard bike racks like these? They only seem to make them for their bed racks, but I already have a good, custom made one. The above design would fit me great.