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How do you guys carry bicycles inside?

twodownzero
Explorer
Explorer
I'd like to fashion a bike rack to carry my bikes. I have four different bikes with tires from 23mm wide to 4.8 inches, which is a challenge. What do you all use? I'm hoping for something that will be long lasting and secure; bikes are the reason I bought my toy hauler.
37 REPLIES 37

twodownzero
Explorer
Explorer
dedmiston wrote:
I built a PVC rack for ours.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Truckbed-Bike-Rack/


I may buy some PVC and see what I can come up with. I'm finding it hard to figure out how to make a setup that'd deal with the four different tire widths, but maybe I can have 2-3 vertical bars per bike "location" that'd work.

I made a long post yesterday but I must have forgot to hit submit and so it's not here. If you're posting about bikes that have kickstands, these are not those kinds of bikes (a kickstand is not only extra weight, but would be very dangerous on the trail obstacles as it could hit the ground and get hung up or throw the rider off the bike). These bikes range in price from $2,000-5,000+, and I may be carrying friend's bikes that are in the $7,000-10,000 range. No those aren't typos. Even a very modest hardtail mountain bike starts at about $1,200. The frames are made from carbon fiber, aluminum, or steel, and they definitely have to be kept from banging together or rubbing on anything when going down the road or it will cause damage. They also can't be hung upside down nor should they be hung vertically for long as they have hydraulic brakes and that would be a good way to introduce air into the hydraulic system, which would require me to have tools and fluids that I don't typically take with me on a trip to bleed them or be potentially dangerous if I somehow didn't notice until I was at the top of the mountain. These reasons are why I'm wiling to spend money to have a decent/semi-permanent way to carry the bicycles because even just two of them cost more than my fifth wheel and there's enough room in my garage to carry bicycles that exceed the cost of the whole rig! And of course if one gets damaged in transit, the trip would be ruined and all of that fun vacation time would be lost.

SteveAE wrote:
I welded up a steel frame and screwed some track it so that the bikes stand vertically, alternating between front tire up and rear tire up. The track (and frame) extends horizontally at the bottom to better support the weight of each bike. There is a bar between the bikes to keep them secure and a large hook up high to hold them in place while I strap the wheels to the trays. Darn thing weighs more than my two bikes....but it is rock solid.


Do these bikes have hydraulic brakes? I hang my drop bar bikes upside down in my shop at home because they have mechanical brakes, but I have yet to consider that for the hydraulic brake bikes as my friends who flip their bikes over even to install the wheels have introduced air into the system and I've ended up having to bleed their brakes for them.

SteveAE
Explorer
Explorer
I welded up a steel frame and screwed some track it so that the bikes stand vertically, alternating between front tire up and rear tire up. The track (and frame) extends horizontally at the bottom to better support the weight of each bike. There is a bar between the bikes to keep them secure and a large hook up high to hold them in place while I strap the wheels to the trays. Darn thing weighs more than my two bikes....but it is rock solid.

My rack bolts to the outside of our travel trailer, but I suppose you could do similar for inside a toy hauler. Indeed, the more I think of it, why not just screw some track to the walls and floor and strap the bikes to that. Maybe put a hook up high to support the upper wheels.

dedmiston
Moderator
Moderator
I built a PVC rack for ours.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Truckbed-Bike-Rack/

2014 RAM 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually long bed. B&W RVK3600 hitch โ€ข 2015 Crossroads Elevation Homestead Toy Hauler ("The Taj Mahauler") โ€ข <\br >Toys:

  • 18 Can Am Maverick x3
  • 05 Yamaha WR450
  • 07 Honda CRF250X
  • 05 Honda CRF230
  • 06 Honda CRF230

fj12ryder
Explorer III
Explorer III
I've considered bolting some quick disconnect axle housings, to the rear door. That way I can remove the front wheel, stand the bike on its rear wheel, and clip the front forks to the axle housings on the door.

My bikes don't have kickstands either.
Howard and Peggy

"Don't Panic"

arhayes
Explorer
Explorer
twodownzero wrote:
azdryheat wrote:
Park them next to each other on their kickstands then tie them to the floor. I've had 9 bikes tied down like this in my garage.


Kickstands? We are clearly not talking about the kind of bicycle I'm talking about. My bikes don't have kickstands.


Maybe you need to clarify bicycles. We carry two 18 speed mountain bikes along with our Goldwing. I remove the pedals, rotate the handlebars, and nest them together against the wall using the Happijac frame as a tie down point. Works for us.
Alan and Kathleen
2015 Grand Design Momentum 380TH (RVD2)
2014 F350 6.7L Diesel DRW (Stormtrooper)
2012 Honda Goldwing NAVI/ABS (Land Speeder)

twodownzero
Explorer
Explorer
azdryheat wrote:
Park them next to each other on their kickstands then tie them to the floor. I've had 9 bikes tied down like this in my garage.


Kickstands? We are clearly not talking about the kind of bicycle I'm talking about. My bikes don't have kickstands.

Protector
Explorer
Explorer
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I made a rack haul two bikes.
2011 Ford F-350 Crew cab, short bed King Ranch 6.7 Diesel
2012 Voltage 3200 TH
2010 Polaris RZR LE

azdryheat
Explorer
Explorer
Park them next to each other on their kickstands then tie them to the floor. I've had 9 bikes tied down like this in my garage.
2013 Chevy 3500HD CC dually
2014 Voltage 3600 toy hauler
2019 RZR 1000XP TRE