Pick-up truck bike carrying solutions?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Boyd Speerschne
Hello,

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat bed. I've been worried that
this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

Other solutions have a bar which goes across the front from one side to the other like a shower
curtain. The bar then has fork mounts on it. The only problem I have with this is that my truck has
a topper on it; so, I'm not sure I could actually fit bikes in there with the topper on.

Any help or words of wisdom appreciated.

TIA,

- Boyd S.

I had a pick-up a few years ago, and I bolted fork mounts to a 4' x 4' sheet of plywood which I layed in the back bed . Worked great. When I wasn't hauling the bike, I just removed the sheet of plywood with the fork mount attached to it. 😉

Boyd Speerschneider said:

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat bed. I've been worried that
this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

If it's a regular corrugated plastic bedliner, it doesn't protect you from corrosion except in so
far as it protects the paint from impacts. Such bedliners sometimes _cause_ corrosion, I guess from
trapping water underneath. In practice, it doesn't really matter.

That said, there's no reason to worry about corrosion when cutting a hole in the liner; just be sure
to rustproof the holes that you drill for bolts. After priming and painting the drilled holes, you
might use silicone caulk on the holes, bolts, liberally on the underside, and as a gasket material
under the mount.

However...

Quoted message said:

Any help or words of wisdom appreciated.

...read the millions of threads already discussed. The poor horse is beaten to death nearly as badly
as helmet wearing -- while the threads don't last as long, they're more frequent.

Try searching groups.google.com with terms like bicycles pickup bicycles pickup rack bicycles
pickup mount

Or, if you want to see what I have to say about it, bicycles pickup onanian

You'll find that I advocate just throwing a MTB in loose, and strapping road bikes standing upright,
parallel or perpendicular (this may require turning the front wheel) to the truck. If you have any
kind of ladder rack or headache rack, it takes you 20 seconds to hook one end of a strap on it and
the other on the bike's stem (with the bike perpendicular at the front of the bed); this is very
surprisingly secure. Otherwise, a strap or two across the bed and either hooked on the saddle rails
or any other convenient part of the bike holds the bike standing parallel like a motorcycle.
--
Rick Onanian

Boyd Speerschneider said:

problem I have with this is that my truck has a topper on it; so, I'm not sure I could actually fit
bikes in there with the topper on.

I missed this bit in my previous reply. With the topper, if it's got any kind of strap hooks, the
possibilities must be endless. OTOH, if you want to put a fork mount in the bed floor, you probably
don't have to worry about corrosion (at least on top), as the topper protects the bed from the
weather, right?
--
Rick Onanian

Boyd Speerschneider wrote:

I have a situation almost like yours. Instead of a liner I have a bed mat that protects the floor of
the pickup box.

I took a piece of plywood and custom cut it to length so that it just fits between the back of the
wheel housings and the front surface of the tailgate. Then I cut it so that it fits between the two
side walls with minimal clearance. Now that makes a base that won't slide front to back or side to
side and is not likely to roll over from a sudden stop.

On top of this is a two by six bolted down so that it is a distance forward from the tailgate. This
distance is experimental as different bike geometries cause the fork to be closesr or farther from
the tail gate. Road bikes have to be a different distance back from mountain bikes and a different
distance is needed for a cross bike.

On top of the two by six I mounted two fork mount carriers. Be careful though. The top of the topper
might not allow you to put the carriers on a two by six. It might be easier to mount the fork mount
right to the plywood.

In order to make mine go in and out the back of the truck I cut in about six inches from the left
and right side all the way from the front to the back and made these "wings" foldable by installing
hinges on them. That way it is very easy to put the carrier in the truck and take it out when it
isn't needed.

It really works slick except I didn't set it up to use for a cross bike. I have to add another
carrier to carry the cross bike that belongs to my wife. When I made the original carrier I was
single and it worked great for the bikes that I had at that time, a road bike, mountain bike and a
tandem. The tandem just fits in the bed of my '95 S10 long bed and lets the topper close. I can get
one finger between the brake levers and the topper door and one finger between the rear wheel of the
tandem and the front of the truck bed. It all works real good.

single with a tandem? Another story for someplace other than here.

Take care and if you need to see photos of this I could e-mail them to you after I take the photos.

Al Butler ka0ies

Boyd Speerschneider said:

Hello,

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat bed. I've been worried that
this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

Other solutions have a bar which goes across the front from one side to the other like a shower
curtain. The bar then has fork mounts on it. The only problem I have with this is that my truck has
a topper on it; so, I'm not sure I could actually fit bikes in there with the topper on.

Any help or words of wisdom appreciated.

TIA,

- Boyd S.

I bolted fork mounts to a 2x4 which I cut to fit snuggly into the notches that are on the sides of
my truck bed. This carrier is easy to drop in when needed and remove when not. This was quite cheap
to build. I can't comment on the topper issue, however.

"Boyd Speerschneider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat

bed.

Quoted message said:

I've been worried that this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

A 2x4/2x6 lattice. Slides into the bed liner grooves, which are, coincidentally, exactly the right
size for a 2x4. Spacing to hold the bikes back wheel. Bungie cord ( and lock) to hold it steady.
Simple, cheap, easily removable if necessary, no need to remove the front wheel.

I'd link up a picture, but the bed is currently full of snow...🙂

Pete

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:41:00 GMT, Boyd Speerschneider

may have said:

Hello,

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat bed. I've been worried that
this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

It would, in my personal opiniion, be better to cut a piece of 3/4" plywood in the proper shape to
fit in the bed ahead of the wheel wells (so that it won't be able to slide around) and then put the
fork mounts on that. This allows the mounts to be quickly and easily removable from the truck, and
doesn't scar the liner or bed at all.

There are other, similar lash-ups possible from a variety of materials.

Alternately, since you say that the truck has a topper, could you not just bungee the bikes to the
sides of the bed, using pieces of pipe insulation on the frame to prevent rubs?

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something,
it's also possible that I'm busy.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Boyd Speerschneider said:

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat bed. I've been worried that
this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

Other solutions have a bar which goes across the front from one side to the other like a shower
curtain. The bar then has fork mounts on it. The only problem I have with this is that my truck
has a topper on it; so, I'm not sure I could actually fit bikes in there with the topper on.

Some riders bolt the fork mounts to a piece of wood and just lay that in the bed. It needn't be
large to keep a bike up.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

I'd like to hear from you all concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike
hauling systems for pick-ups.

I keep either a road bike or mtn bike in the back of a truck (with camper shell). The bike is on its
side with one bungee through the rear wheel hooked to the right rear cargo hook of the bed.

Boyd-<< I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Get a couple of fork mounts and mount them to a piece of wood or something that you could slide into
the truck bed, then attach the forks to. I think there actually is such a thing...Call Bobby at
Rocky Mounts in Boulder, he knows all things bike rack

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

"Boyd Speerschneider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat

bed.

Quoted message said:

I've been worried that this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

Other solutions have a bar which goes across the front from one side to

the

Quoted message said:

other like a shower curtain. The bar then has fork mounts on it. The

only

Quoted message said:

problem I have with this is that my truck has a topper on it; so, I'm not sure I could actually
fit bikes in there with the topper on.

Any help or words of wisdom appreciated.

TIA,

- Boyd S.

I cut plywood to fit the bed. Near the back are 3 fork mounts. On the cab end are some short 2x2's
screwed to the plywood to prevent the back wheels from slipping. This system doesn't damage the
truck and allows convenient removal when I am not hauling bikes.

My friend has a big ford truck.

he used 2x4's to make a frame which lies flat on the bed... just the weight of the structure holds
it in place.. no screws/bolts.

then he has 4 sets of two 2x4's about 1 1/2 tire widths apart.

to load.. drop the tail gate, roll the bikes on (with both wheels on) into the grooves so the front
wheels touch the front of the bed. They will stand that way long enough for the tie down procedure.

a long strap.. tie one end to a hook the side panel.. wrap it around the seat post of each bike and
then cinch it to the opposite side panel. we travel long and short distances with this rig.. it is
very, very quick to load/unload. as quick as i can put my bike on the car top carrier. And it is
extremely secure.

charlie

In article <[email hidden]>,

Boyd Speerschneider said:

Hello,

I recently purchased a pick-up truck (2000 Nissan Frontier). I'd like to hear from you all
concerning your wisdom and experience concerning different bike hauling systems for pick-ups.

I'm on my fourth truck.

Quoted message said:

I've considered just gettting fork mounts and bolting them to the flat bed. I've been worried that
this might render the bed liner useless and cause a bunch of corrosion.

If you have a shell on it, the liner shouldn't get wet. You could just glop silicone seal around
the mounts.

But bolting mounts to the bed will make the bed less useful for hauling heavy non-bicycle objects.

Quoted message said:

Other solutions have a bar which goes across the front from one side to the other like a shower
curtain. The bar then has fork mounts on it.

I've used these, both ones I made myself with a 2x4 and fork mounts and a turnbuckle to an eyebolt
in the bed, and the fancy hydraulic kind. They work well.

Quoted message said:

The only problem I have with this is that my truck has a topper on it; so, I'm not sure I could
actually fit bikes in there with the topper on.

Depends on how high your shell is and how tall you are. With the truck I put a shell on, I just lay
my bikes in the back on carpeting and put an old blanket between bikes when I was hauling more than
one. Never scratched or damaged a bike.

Eric

Do you have a removeable bed liner (preferably thick plastic)?

Here's what I did. Ibought some fork mounts and bolted them to a 1x3 oak plank and drilled a hole at
either end.

I then polyurethaned it for weather resistance, then drilled two matching holes in the plastic
bedliner and pushed some T-nuts up through the bottom, and bolted the rack into the T-bolts.

When I njeed to remove the rack, i unbolt it, and thread a shorter bolt to seal the holes and keep
the Tbolts from shaking lose.

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

snip>

Quoted message said:

Some riders bolt the fork mounts to a piece of wood and just lay that in the bed. It needn't be
large to keep a bike up.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Don't need to drill any holes. For mtbsI use a piece of 2x6 with fork mounts bolted to it, just lay
in the bed, easy in and out. The 2x6 is wide enough to angle the mounts so you can overlap mtb bars
and squeeze in an extra bike. A short bungee to each corner keeps it in place. No need to worry
about securing the rear unless you're seriously off road. With the cap you can put it in the rear
of the bed and not have to crawl in to secure the bikes. Use two boards and you can stagger bikes
front to back.

Another solution that I like better is an old roof rack front bar assembly bolted to lengths of 2x2
about 3 ft long to each of the roof mount pads (Yakima no new holes required). Long bungee corner to
corner to stabilize, the wood strips fit between the wheel wells and butt against the front of the
bed so that distance can be controlled. Drop the front wheels between the bar and the front of the
bed, hook that long bungee over the axel and everything stays put. Out of the truck in 30 seconds
with no holes to drill.

Bill Brannon

Eric M said:

I just lay my bikes in the back on carpeting and put an old blanket between bikes when I was
hauling more than one. Never scratched or damaged a bike.

This has always been my solution -- in pickup trucks, and the backs of cars. No problems. Plus the
bikes are partially hidden, for security's sake. If you don't have suitable blankets, one or two
heavy canvas dropcloths from Home Depot or Lowe's will work fabulously. Lay it out, lay one bike on
it, fold it over, then lay the other bike on top of that. The weight and drag of another dropcloth
laid over that will keep everything in place, as well as hidden from view. Better than carpet for
keeping stuff from sliding around is that rubber mesh stuff to put under rugs, to keep them from
sliding around. Dropcloths and rubber mesh pack a lot smaller than carpet/blankets too.

Matt O.