BIKE RACKS AND CARRIERS FOR CARS MEGATHREAD - all questions asked and answered here

spinner

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Im not a fan of crank holders either.......

*Cranks are either too tight and jam or too loose and flop around in the holder.
*They scratch the crank arms
*They are a hazard to rotors / pedals when loading
*They are a trip hazard to the person loading

I designed our trailer with my dislike of crank holders in mind.
*Quick and easy to load
*No damage to cranks
*Fits all size cranks , haven't found one that doesn't work with our trailer yet.:p

.....and yet my cranks are scratched to the f... from using club trailers at races. Oh well.....

We could fit 9 bikes on it with extra racks , but seeing as the car only takes 5 people , no point.

EDIT: Unitecs trailer looks cool , nice idea.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

trav

Likes Dirt
Shuttle Trailer

The old crank holder is the go for the simplest design, as for saint size cranks just use a peace of 65x35 slotted RHS .Just built another 14 bike trailer for under a 1000 bucks,loads and unloads very quickly.If your really concerned about a mark on your cranks leave your pushi at home.
 

24alpha

mtbpicsonline.com
Im not a fan of crank holders either.......

*Cranks are either too tight and jam or too loose and flop around in the holder.
*They scratch the crank arms
*They are a hazard to rotors / pedals when loading
*They are a trip hazard to the person loading

I designed our trailer with my dislike of crank holders in mind.
*Quick and easy to load
*No damage to cranks
*Fits all size cranks , haven't found one that doesn't work with our trailer yet.:p

.....and yet my cranks are scratched to the f... from using club trailers at races. Oh well.....

We could fit 9 bikes on it with extra racks , but seeing as the car only takes 5 people , no point.

EDIT: Unitecs trailer looks cool , nice idea.
Hey Spinner,

Your design would promote people waiting in turn to get their bikes of the trailers! lol:D

Hux
 

Shorty40

Likes Dirt
Cant believe the QLD boys haven't mentioned the "JT Rack" :D

Simple but effective for up to 5 bikes (although I have seen 6 on it :p)

Bike sits with one 'prong' under the top tube and one under the front of your seat. Literally 30 seconds to load 5 bikes. Secured with 2 bungee straps (made from tyres tubes)

Leaves you all the room in the car for people and riding gear :)

Easy peasy :cool:
 

Attachments

trolleyed

Likes Bikes
Cant believe the QLD boys haven't mentioned the "JT Rack" :D

Simple but effective for up to 5 bikes (although I have seen 6 on it :p)

Bike sits with one 'prong' under the top tube and one under the front of your seat. Literally 30 seconds to load 5 bikes. Secured with 2 bungee straps (made from tyres tubes)

Leaves you all the room in the car for people and riding gear :)

Easy peasy :cool:
A few problems, how do you stop the bikes swinging? How do you stop them from damaging each other? Tying them down really tight won't work on a long/rough trip... Also its a pain not being able to open the boot with those things on.
 

siz

Eats Squid
Perfect

A few problems, how do you stop the bikes swinging? How do you stop them from damaging each other? Tying them down really tight won't work on a long/rough trip... Also its a pain not being able to open the boot with those things on.
Bikes are tied down with old bike tubes tied together, There is a pin under the towbar to hook up to. Damage to bikes is minimal. Bikes are loaded one way then the other, the fork sits over one bar and the back of the seat rests on the other bar, next bike goes on the other way around.
Number plate is tied on with tubes also.
This rack works great on long trips, Brisbane to Coffs several times as well as JT shuttling just about every Dh shuttle track there is in SE Qld with no problems.......After all, what else do you do with a Company car:eek:
 

Shorty40

Likes Dirt
That poor car :(:D:D:D

The bikes hardly move at all. They are very secure once loaded and strapped down.

Not being able to open the tailgate is a small inconvenience. However when I have used the rack its fine as I have a Nissan patrol with the back side sliding windows :cool:

Another positive of this rack is that you dont have to worry about a trailer when turning around for shuttles.
 

browny_5

Likes Dirt
beechy

any one from around beechworth should have seen mals set up on the back of his triton ute i think its a good idea leaves a lot of room in the back as well some one should have a picture some where.


joe
 

Hard Nox

Likes Dirt
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=73620

My son posted this thread on my new shuttle. It was in my mind for about 2 years before I couuld afford it and find someone to build it. Mind you, it's more than a shuttle trailer, but it's great. The top can come off in about 10mins with 2 people, if necessary.

Anyway, it's just another version of what you can do.
 

tumble

Likes Dirt
thumbs up

Binners Kram rack is great, gotta vouch for that.
Specially for the weekend trips away, 4 blokes, 4-5 bikes, all their riding shit and a few eskies full of piss.....great.

Trailers are great for clubs/racing, but gotta say, the crank holders do tend to trash your crank arms, there is other ways.

Sox has a great trailer rack that uses the seatpost as the holding point.


Dozer, you got any pics of this?
Again it is one of those designs that require many skills to build.

The more simple the design the better IMO, The ute type Kram rack is cheap and does the job, You dont need to go to the extended version like Binner has, you can simply use a u-channel section of aly, screwed to the inside of the ute and slide the rack in place, make sure you have a big rubber cover over the tailgate to prevent damage.

Heres a shot of the original Kram rack, you can see how simple it is, and works a treat.




My own rig is a patrol ute which can carry 7-8 bikes and riders with a trailer in tow for an extra 7 bikes plus riders hanging on for their life!!
It chugs up the hills fine.
Prob steered OT here a bit, but the fact of owning a shuttle vehicle is....be prepared for it to get trashed, thats just the way it is, and is part of the expense of the sport.
Getting back to the original query.. This is in my opinion the most effective way to setup a rack on a ute.
I have just done a new rack identical to this on my new ute. You can fit up to 6-7 bikes on at once depending on how many notches you cut in the ply panel. Its simple, it works well & all up it has cost me about $50 in materials & can be removed by wingnuts in seconds. Bikes generally will just need a rope tied around the top of the frame, seatpost or even the rear wheel, to hold the bikes solid.
 

DH OZ

Likes Bikes
with the ute idea just remember that you must have the number plate visable
or the coppers won't like it
 

THE Manik Man

Likes Dirt
cheers
Thanks for the feedback, you've given me a good range of designs to look at, not sure what ill go with but i will have my work cut out for me to match most of these

Thanks for the help

I will post pics once its built
 
crank holders

we are in the process of redesigning our trailer and would like some specs on the crank slot type does any one have any good photos so we can copy them saw the trailers at the nats at eagle but didnt get any photos need to cary only 6 bikes but would like some photos or specs to go with what we are planning thanks happy trails
 

fallboy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
9 bikes held in by a single lever. No damage what so ever as the only thing touching the trailer is the tyres.
You would need to be prepared to put in the effort into the design however this may give you some ideas before you get the hack saw out.
This is a very comfortable way to shuttle.

Thats awesome I had thought about that but I had never seen it before. Just remember not to put a 24" wheel bike in there...........
 

birdie

Likes Dirt
Wow you'd have to have a big family to need all of those spaces lol. I've seen people holding onto poles on the roof of a van with their bikes once, but i dont think thats legal lol
 

old4dy

Likes Dirt
also another item that hasnt been mentioned, is the amount of overhang off a ute plus bike carry racks for cars.

I think there is some criteria with regard to the Motor Traffic Act and the amount in which may overhang.
 

rockymountain_ltd

Likes Dirt
get the welder out!

got a welder and can weld or know someone who can?? well heres a rack that will fit a standard 6x4 trailer, can be removed when not using it and uses the crank holder type of system....
just get the blank crank holders from gripsport and with the diagram head down to the local metal shop and get busy with the welder....
good luck....:D
 

Attachments

Top