Where to put the stinkin bikes
Been rackin my head to long as to the best way to carry our aluminum frame bikes to the point of overthinking. My wish is for a bike rack for two bikes. Sorry in advance for asking a common question...
Forum Discussion
I built a pin box rack that uses nitrogen struts to raise and lower weightlessly the 2 bikes from on high to shoulder level on the ground. Bikes hang by the wheels, not frames. It uses 4 1" square tubes from the mount up to the rack so that the rack remains level while lowering or raising it.
The rack bolts to the sides of standard 12" pinbox, extends forward and up to the same height as the 5er overhead, to a 2" tube 42" long with plates on each end with 2- 3/8 bolt holes 2" apart vertically, 2-1/2 apart horizontally, to which the 4 vertical 1" x 40" tubes bolt. At the top of these tubes, the rear of which has a x member, a 1/4x 4" x 14" plate with the same bolt pattern, cut slim, tapered from front to rear with ' u' shaped offset height channels to hang the wheels in, padded with slit and glued 3/8 id rubber hose. No clamps, not even a bungy cord to keep them in place.
200# by 8" stroke nitrogen struts with the base inside centered on the front vert. arms and the top on the rear arms is right for our Schwinn Mt. bikes. . A travel stop and auto spring lock pin at each elevation.
Bikes ride so high so that even a short bed truck can turn when loaded, when pulled
down to un-or load its at ground level.
The only issue is in raising or lowering the empty rack. Without the weight of bikes, it takes a handle or rope to pull it down.
Bugs on the bikes are a lot less trouble than road dirt and rear bumper bounce. And we can still pull our boat or M/C trailer.
The rack bolts to the sides of standard 12" pinbox, extends forward and up to the same height as the 5er overhead, to a 2" tube 42" long with plates on each end with 2- 3/8 bolt holes 2" apart vertically, 2-1/2 apart horizontally, to which the 4 vertical 1" x 40" tubes bolt. At the top of these tubes, the rear of which has a x member, a 1/4x 4" x 14" plate with the same bolt pattern, cut slim, tapered from front to rear with ' u' shaped offset height channels to hang the wheels in, padded with slit and glued 3/8 id rubber hose. No clamps, not even a bungy cord to keep them in place.
200# by 8" stroke nitrogen struts with the base inside centered on the front vert. arms and the top on the rear arms is right for our Schwinn Mt. bikes. . A travel stop and auto spring lock pin at each elevation.
Bikes ride so high so that even a short bed truck can turn when loaded, when pulled
down to un-or load its at ground level.
The only issue is in raising or lowering the empty rack. Without the weight of bikes, it takes a handle or rope to pull it down.
Bugs on the bikes are a lot less trouble than road dirt and rear bumper bounce. And we can still pull our boat or M/C trailer.
