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Itching to take your bike out and hit the trails? Summer is upon us, and the exhilarating thrill of a brisk bike ride down a scenic path fringed with nature, the wind blowing in your face and the sheer adrenaline rush are a draw for many. While you're dusting off your bike, cleaning it up, airing up the tires, greasing the chain and, most importantly, ensuring that the brakes work, have you figured out how you're going to take it to the trails? Not to worry, we at 4 Wheel Parts have written this article to help you with that conundrum. Here's a hint: it's a bike rack. Why You Need A Bike Rack Truck bike racks are arguably the best way to take your bike, or bikes to your preferred trail. Sure, you could just toss them in the bed, but they will most likely suffer some damage, as well as impart some on your bed liner and sides. Leaving your bikes on their side unsecured in the bed means that they will move around as you accelerate, brake, and corner, and trying to keep them upright on the stand will see them fall down as soon as your truck starts to move. If you've got an SUV, you're thinking you can just toss them in the trunk. Well, yes you could, ostensibly, but some SUV trunks may not be large enough, or you may need to remove a front wheel. That's quite a hassle when you've reached the trail and are hurriedly re-attaching the wheel. In your excitement, you might under-tighten a nut, or forget something critical like adjusting the brakes. That's why the bike rack is the best way to transport a bike whether you've got a truck, SUV, or regular car. Let us show you how to choose a bike rack from the various types available. You can also browse our entire range of bike racks right here. Styles Of Bike Racks: Roof Racks As the name blatantly gives away, roof racks are mounted to your vehicle's roof, usually via the roof rails, crossbars, or specialized mounting points. They offer decent practicality and versatility, and some models can support more than five bikes, however you might want to check your vehicle roof's payload capacity. However, roof bike racks require you to climb up to mount and dismount bicycles, although some come with ladders or other assistance devices. They also increase your vehicle's total height, meaning that low hanging tree branches, or a low bridge can result in a comedic situation for others, but a rather expensive one for you. Trunk Mounted Trunk mounted bike racks are not relevant for trucks, but apply to vehicles such as vans, SUVs and cars. They use a series of straps to attach to the rear doors, trunk lid or hatch of your vehicle, and can typically carry up to three bikes. Most models can accommodate standard as well as fat-tire bikes, as well as those with unusual frame shapes. It's also really easy to mount and dismount your bikes, and some models come with integrated locks for added protection against theft. Trunk mounted racks save you from the extra height aspect of roof racks, however they do make your vehicle's overall footprint wider, which is something you must account for when driving down narrow roads, and parking. A saving grace is that you can see the bikes in your rear view mirrors, unlike a roof mounted rack where you can't see them at all from inside the cabin. Another negative point of trunk mounted racks is that parts of your bikes may contact with your vehicle's paintwork and leave unsightly scratches, or even dents. Hitch Mounted Racks The hitch mounted rack provides you with the same positioning as a trunk mounted rack, minus the potential damage by mounting your bikes slightly further away from the rear of your vehicle, courtesy of its tow hitch. Of course, your vehicle should have a tow hitch installed, and since trucks tend to have these, you can easily use one with your truck. Mounting and dismounting is easy, and the integrated locks on some models add theft protection. Hitch mounted racks can support more weight than trunk-mounted racks, and it's not uncommon to find models that can handle up to five bikes. As with trunk mounted racks, they do make your vehicle's overall footprint wider, so you should be mindful of that, and they also extend its length, which is important when reverse parking. Spare Tire Mounted Bike Rack The spare tire mounted bike rack is arguably the easiest one to attach to your vehicle if it has a rear-mounted spare tire. Sadly, this doesn't apply to trucks unless you've retro-fitted a spare tire to the tailgate. With a spare tire mounted bike rack, the spare tire is the primary mounting point. Some models grip to the tire itself, while others may attach to the rim. Since weight capacity is limited, you won't find many models that can handle more than two or three bikes. The same width considerations as with trunk mounted and hitch mounted bike racks apply here as well. The ease of mounting and dismounting is present too, and you can find models with locks if theft is your concern. Bike Racks and More From 4 Wheel Parts If you're looking for a one-stop shop where thousands of SKUs from hundreds of quality manufacturers come together, it's hard to knock 4 Wheel Parts. We've worked hard on being at the top of our game, and that has meant nearly 100 physical stores strategically located across the nation, as well as a dedicated website with the full e-commerce experience, backed by six distribution centers for seamless logistics and delivery. To ensure that you're paying a competitive price, we offer a price matching policy, and comprehensive warranties where applicable so that if anything goes wrong, we can do our best to correct it. Our friendly staff are actually quite knowledgeable about everything we sell, and offer their expert advice if you need it. That's why we are a firm favorite among novice, intermediate and professional off-roaders, most of whom have been with us for years. Once you're a customer of 4 Wheel Parts, you're a part of the family. |
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