Bike Rack for Front Hitch....Experiences?

billtex wrote:

iwski wrote:

I've been weighing out a lot things since a previous poster said a driving rain washed out all his bearings for him...yikes. I'm hoping when I'm pulling the boat I'm not driving into a rainstorm and if I have no trailer I'll put the rack on back to protect the bikes more.

Poster did not say what type of bikes these are. Our Mt bikes see much more abuse when ridden than they do hanging out in front of the truck.
Anything behind the TC gets filthy due to backdraft...so that's not good either if this concerns you.

If we are talking high end road bikes, I would use a stretch cover, or find some way to get them inside (back seat of truck?) or in a hard travel case on the roof...
(You could always put a plastic bag around the crank...this would work)

I do beleive you are over thinking this though...plenty of us are happy with front hitch.
It is VERY convenient to get bikes on/off...and really...that means you are more likley to bring and ride them.

Good luck,
Bill

Me...overthinking...I'm an engineer.....so it's not possible. Well, you may be right. Analysis paralysis sometimes. I've thought about the plastic bag idea or something like that. I assume that putting a cover on the bike would mess with the cooling of the truck too much. It's a mid-line road bike and a low end mountain bike along with kids bikes. Noone local stocks these racks so I'm trying to do my homework ahead of time....and cause a lot of mental anguish....