How to transport your bike in a pickup truck

In today's world, staying active outdoors has become a universal trend. Many people simply hop on their bikes for a quick ride, while others have to travel to nearby parks or trails, requiring transportation for their bikes. Whether you drive a sedan, SUV, or truck, finding a reliable method to transport your bike is essential to ensure it arrives at your destination undamaged. The market offers plenty of options for sedan and SUV owners, but truck owners face unique challenges when it comes to safely and securely transporting their bikes. Although trucks are designed to carry cargo, simply tossing a bike into the bed is not always the safest or most practical approach. To avoid damage, a sturdy and well-thought-out rack is necessary.

There are several ways to transport bikes in a truck, each with its own set of advantages and drawbacks. We'll explore all the options to help you determine which one best suits your needs and preferences.

Tow Hitch Bike Racks

Tow hitch bike racks are widely popular among sedan and SUV owners because they effectively secure bikes while allowing for easy loading and unloading. Many modern models include built-in cable locks and pivoting arms that make accessing the trunk convenient. However, these racks also have notable downsides: they often scrape curbs and driveways, increase the overall vehicle length by up to four feet, and have limited capacity, making them unsuitable for hauling multiple heavy bikes, such as downhill or electric bikes.

While nearly every truck comes equipped with a tow hitch, opting for a tow hitch rack might seem like a smart choice. But despite the reduced risk of scraping in a truck, the added length can become a real concern. Modern trucks have grown significantly in size, with even the smallest models resembling mid-sized or large SUVs. Adding a bike rack can compromise maneuverability in tight spaces, making tasks like parking more challenging.

Lastly, if you're involved in a rear-end collision, your bike is likely to sustain damage. If you're still considering a tow hitch rack for your truck but haven't bought one yet, read on—there may be better options available.

Pros: Easy to load and unload, relatively secure.

Cons: Increases vehicle dimensions, leaves bike vulnerable to rear-end accidents.

Rooftop Racks

Rooftop racks are the second most common way to carry bikes on sedans or SUVs. As the name suggests, these racks are designed to place bikes on the roof of the vehicle. This method resolves issues related to vehicle length and trunk accessibility but introduces a host of new challenges. Rooftop racks require crossbars, which must be purchased separately if you don't already have them. Loading a bike onto a rooftop rack on a low-roof sedan demands strength and flexibility, while doing so on a truck roof is significantly more difficult, particularly with heavy bikes. Bikes mounted on rooftops create substantial aerodynamic drag, leading to reduced fuel efficiency, and are also exposed to road debris, which can cause paint chips and even damage carbon forks. Navigating multi-level parking garages becomes risky, as you risk damaging your bike or the truck if you forget the increased height. Even when empty, rooftop racks generate drag and wind noise.

Despite these drawbacks, why would a truck owner consider a rooftop rack? The answer is straightforward: it doesn't extend the vehicle's horizontal dimensions and keeps the truck bed free for other cargo. For those who use their trucks for work, this is a practical solution to keep your bike separate from work gear during the day and enjoy riding before or after work. This option is also favored by adventure enthusiasts who fill their truck beds with gear and sometimes mount "roof tents" above the bed using rooftop racks.

Pros: Makes bike theft less likely, keeps truck bed available for cargo.

Cons: Difficult to load and unload, reduces fuel efficiency, creates wind noise, risky in low-ceiling parking garages.

Bed Bike Racks

These racks are designed to let you easily, safely, and securely transport bikes in the bed of your truck. Some are easily installed and removed, while others are more permanent fixtures. Truck bed bike racks offer the highest level of security, safety, and protection when transporting a bike.

Comparing truck bed bike racks to hitch racks, it's clear that bed racks provide more security than hitch racks in two major ways: physical and psychological. The protection offered by the walls of the truck bed and a sturdy standing surface enhances overall security in several ways: it deters thieves, reduces the likelihood of bike damage during transport or when parked, and decreases the chance of cosmetic damage from road debris. The fact that your bike is kept within the confines of your truck is itself a theft deterrent because it makes it harder to see, access, and steal. Some bike racks come with additional security features that make it even more difficult for potential thieves to successfully swipe your bike. Beyond being a theft deterrent, a truck bed rack can also give you peace of mind knowing your bike is as physically secure as possible.

The more physically secure your bike is, the safer you, your passengers, and everyone on the road are. It's less likely to come loose on the road, reducing the chances of it hitting your back window, another vehicle, a pedestrian, or even someone out for a bike ride.

Since the bike is enclosed by the walls of the truck bed, there’s an automatic advantage of physical protection from road debris and impact-related damages. The bed offers protection against premature paint chips, scratches, and dings that can occur during transport on a hitch rack and from immediate total bike loss in the event of being rear-ended on your way to the park.

Types of Truck Bed Bike Racks

Because everyone has different needs and requirements, there’s a variety of truck bed bike racks on the market. Before deciding which is your best option, learn about the pros and cons of each to ensure there aren’t any hidden deal breakers.

Fork Mounted

How They Work: The front fork is secured in the truck bed, requiring the removal of the front tire before hitting the road.

Benefits: Because bikes cannot move around during transport, the chances of damage to your bike are reduced. Fork-mounted racks also decrease the likelihood of bicycle theft because their design makes it harder for thieves to simply grab and go.

Keep in Mind: Whether kept inside the cab or in the bed, after removing the front wheel, it will need to be stored somewhere in the truck. Fork mounts are axle-specific, so if you ever need to transport your friend’s bike, it simply might not fit.

Wheel Mount (Roll-On Mounts)

How They Work: Similar to tow hitch racks, the bike’s front tire is fastened to the truck bed and doesn’t require bicycle disassembly.

Benefits: One of the easiest racks to use, simply roll the tire into place and secure the clamp around the sides. The locking mechanisms are designed to keep the bike stable and secure.

Keep in Mind: The primary drawback to wheel mount racks is that they tend to be larger in size. If you need to remove it from the truck bed and are short on garage space, then wheel mounts might not be your best option.

Side Clamp Design

How They Work: Side clamp racks install onto the truck bed side rails and utilize ratchet holders to secure the bike in place. Most models have built-in D-rings for cable or chain lock tie-down points.

Benefits: The side clamp design offers a surprisingly impressive set of advantages. It's the most compact of all truck bed rack options, making it exceptionally portable and eliminating storage issues that larger racks may pose. In addition to holding bikes, side clamp racks can be used to secure all kinds of bulky items in your truck bed. The easy-to-install design and the fact that you don’t have to climb into the truck bed to lock your bike in place are both convenient and time-saving.

Keep in Mind: You will need one clamp rack (composed of two clamps) to carry one bike. Due to the nature of its design, only two clamp racks can be installed into a single truck bed, thus limiting your truck’s carrying capacity to 2 bikes.

Rail Mounts

How They Work: Rail mounts run along the entire distance of your truck bed and often incorporate a fork mount for stability.

Benefits: Like the side clamp design, rail mounts offer quite a few benefits. Their small size means they won’t take up much storage space. The design of rail mounts makes them compatible with almost any truck bed size and can easily accommodate many bikes. Installation is easy and requires no drilling.

Keep in Mind: If the rail mount rack in question secures your bike with the use of a fork mount, then the front wheel will have to be removed and stored within the vehicle. As mentioned earlier, when storage is an issue, it’s best to avoid rack designs that require component storage during transport or that are larger in size.

Pros: Secure, offer excellent protection.

Cons: Fork-mount ones are fussy, some require permanent installation.

Tailgate Pad

A tailgate pad is a simple and affordable device that allows you to “throw” a bike over the tailgate of the truck without scratching the paint of the truck or the bike. The bike’s front wheel and fork are situated outside the tailgate, resting on the top tube. Because the padding is made of thick, resilient foam, both the bike and truck are well protected, but bumpers and additional straps can offer even further protection from shifting or bumping into adjacent bikes.

The simplicity of their design makes tailgate pads easy to use and a popular option among cyclists. Mountain bikers often opt for tailgate pads because they address numerous challenges associated with hitch and bed racks; larger tires, longer frames, and full suspension features of mountain bikes can jeopardize the carrying stability of many traditional bike racks, but pose no issue when using the pad. An added benefit of the pad is that a greater number of bikes can be accommodated, so it’s not uncommon to see six bikes hanging over a tailgate. The ease with which one can secure a bike on a pad compared to the effort required to secure it onto a bike rack makes it an especially appealing option for those who relish in the excitement of a gravity shuttle run. And if you’re on a budget, you’ll be happy to hear that tailgate pads are also less expensive than most racks.

Be aware that tailgate pads provide no security against theft. If you plan on leaving your bike hanging over the tailgate of your truck while unattended, make sure to take precautionary measures to secure your bike to a mounting point in the truck bed; a cable lock or preferably a chain should do the job.

Even the pads equipped with bumper stops and straps do not perfectly secure your bike to the truck, so some minor moving around and rubbing should be expected. When carrying multiple bikes side-by-side, there’s always a chance that they might come in contact with and scratch each other. If you prefer your bike to remain in perfect cosmetic condition, a tailgate pad is probably not for you.

Pros: Affordable, quick loading and unloading, can carry many bikes.

Cons: No built-in security, might cause cosmetic damage.

Other Rack Options

There are also some DIY rack alternatives, such as the basic PVC pipe rack. With a few hours of work and less than $30, a simple, sturdy rack can be made. Plenty of tutorials on YouTube offer step-by-step instructions to help you make your own PVC masterpiece.

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

Considerations

Before committing to a bike rack for your truck, be sure it truly is the right choice by taking all relevant factors into account. Just because a rack has been designed for the purpose of bicycle transport doesn’t mean it will meet your expectations. The number of bikes and the ease of both installation and use of the rack are among commonly overlooked factors and the kinds of details that aren’t an issue—until they are.

Number of Bikes.

The size of rack you need will depend primarily on the number of bikes you intend to transport. Even if you’re the only person in the household who rides, consider the possibility of needing to secure more than one bike, such as a weekend riding trip with your biking buddies. Do keep in mind that larger racks take up more space, so if storage space is an issue, a smaller rack might be your best option.

Weight Limitations & Stability Issues.

Some of the most popular low-profile racks come with weight limits that might not be able to accommodate a pair of heavier bikes. If the bikes being transported are on the heavier side, double-check to ensure the expected load does not exceed the recommended capacity. Failure to do so may jeopardize your rack’s stability and has the potential to create a dangerously unstable situation on the road.

Ease of Installation

Do your research and, if necessary, solicit advice from those who have already tried and tested the racks you’re considering. Many truck-owning cyclists can tell you that the ease with which you can install a rack is a total game-changer. While most racks are designed to be installed in minutes and as temporary fixtures, there are exceptions; it might be that the rack that’s the best fit for you requires drilling into the bed of your truck for installation.

Ease of Use

The ease of securing and retrieving a bike is one of the most critical variables when choosing a rack. If you have to contort yourself into a pretzel to be able to secure or remove your bike from the rack or if any aspect of it is complicated to use, you might find yourself not wanting to use it. The last thing you want to do is struggle with it every time you arrive at your destination.

Keep Your Bike Safe

Some racks come with safety features to better help protect you and your bike, but it doesn’t mean that additional security measures shouldn’t be taken. Accidents can and do happen. Even the most experienced drivers can encounter distracted motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians; the inattentiveness of these individuals can ultimately result in an avoidable accident.

Accidents/Damage

Accidents don’t have to involve other motorists, pedestrians, or any kind of outside intervention. You don’t even have to be riding your bike for an accident to occur. When it comes to transporting your bike, factors such as poor design, improper installation, or momentary lapse in attention can also lead to an accident.

Theft

To reduce the chances of someone snatching your bike from your truck, it’s imperative to secure it in the truck bed with either a chain lock or permanently mounted locks. While cable locks are often used, a seasoned thief is likely to bring cutters, rendering the cable lock a mild hindrance, at best.

Bicycle Insurance

Being mindful in how you install, use, and secure your bicycle is an effective way to reduce risk, but no amount of planning is foolproof. A skilled thief can still manage to run off with your bicycle, even if it was properly secured and locked within the truck bed. Collision accidents can still result in significant damage to, or in some cases total loss of your bike, despite every precaution taken when securing your bike before departure or your attentiveness and experience as a driver. When the unexpected happens, having insurance is a great fallback. Velosurance protects you and your bike from a variety of losses, including damage and theft. Our bicycle insurance plans are highly customizable and include options like emergency roadside assistance, medical gap coverage, and liability coverage, which can bring you some peace of mind. Created by cyclists, Velosurance does the worrying for you, so you can focus on the riding.