Bike Racks

[CLynn85]

Was looking for some ideas on this one. Suppose you have a truck, and a rooftent, where on earth would you put your bikes? I like the hitch receiver mounts but they severely limit your access to the bed. If it's a reg cab truck you can't really use thule racks over the cab. Chances are the rooftent will be over the bed.

Just curious what solutions ya'll may have come up with for this one. Been looking at trucks for a while but if I'm going on a long trip, I'd want my bikes with me as well as a rooftent.

[upcruiser]

That's the sole reason that I don't use a rooftop tent, it reduces your ability to haul things like kayaks, bikes, building supplies on the roof. Depending on how wide your roof is and how wide your load bars are, you might be able to squeeze a tray in on the outside of a roof top tent. The hitch mount racks are easy to use in the sens that you don't have to lift the bike over your head, but not ideal for the fact that dust, mud, and debris cake onto your bike when driving. I'm really anal about my bikes and for long trips, keep them inside the vehicle, then locally put them on the roof rack. Since I added my ConFerr basket I lost the ability to use my bike trays. One of the things I'm designing for the spring is a way to utilize a front load bar in front of the sunroof that I can mount the fork mount clamps for bikes, a way to secure a canoe, and also route limb wires over and to the basket.

[DaveInDenver]

No help on RTT specifically, I can run a Yakima on my 'Nest. But you can run a roof rack on a regular cab with flip open tent in the bed. I've done it with the 'Nest with a roof rack on the camper, a rack on the cab and a hitch mount (7 bikes and zero power!). Point the bike tray forward instead of back. You need the full length trays and you look like you have a pair of howitzers mounted, but it works. I also have a Thule hitch rack which I use for daily bike duty and it works fine. There are some fancy ones that swing out to the outside, which makes getting to the back very easy. I would look into one of them.

[xcmountain80]

Not in the same boat but not far off. I added another set of bars to my system to distribute the weight, 2 of 3 bars the front and the rear are wider than the tent, therefore allowing additions to be made, I still use my receiver rack and a big chain, mostly because my roof has an awning on one side and a hi-lift on the other. Also depending on how much access you need to the bed would determine the rear rack. Yakima makes 2 kinds one that folds down http://www.yakima.com/Product.aspx?id=34 and another that folds to the side. http://www.yakima.com/Product.aspx?id=31.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/xcmountain/P1070241.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/xcmountain/FL4WDA/Image055.jpg

Aaron

[MountainBiker]

I prefer the racks that swing to the side. Much easier to deal with than the racks that fold down.

[teotwaki]

Was looking for some ideas on this one. Suppose you have a truck, and a rooftent, where on earth would you put your bikes? I like the hitch receiver mounts but they severely limit your access to the bed. If it's a reg cab truck you can't really use thule racks over the cab. Chances are the rooftent will be over the bed.

Just curious what solutions ya'll may have come up with for this one. Been looking at trucks for a while but if I'm going on a long trip, I'd want my bikes with me as well as a rooftent.

A lot of hitch mount racks are hinged and tilt far enough to allow access to the back of your rig. The one I have swings down far enough that my hatchback can open and clear the bars of the bike.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/4103/bikerack0dm8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[\\'anderer]

A lot of hitch mount racks are hinged and tilt far enough to allow access to the back of your rig. The one I have swings down far enough that my hatchback can open and clear the bars of the bike.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/4103/bikerack0dm8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I have the same rack as above, made by Sportworks. They sold the rights to Thule, they call it the T2. I like this rack over my yakima roof rack. With the bikes removed I can open the tailgate on my truck. The bikes are also out of the way of any low branches, but the rear overhang can be a problem off road.

[77blazerchalet]

Thule 'generic' for various hatchbacks - very light weight & straps onto the hatch. Probably useless for your situation, unless a way could be brainstormed to attach it to your tailgate, ya never know....

As for my own expeditioning, the 3 inches of ground clearance of the ol' GTI here is one of the primary reasons why I got my Blazer Chalet last March.

28691

[ricardo]

http://patineto.smugmug.com/photos/64758198-L.jpg

[MountainBiker]

http://patineto.smugmug.com/photos/64758198-L.jpg
Awesome!

[Kermit]

Carl,

Do you have the roof top tent already? Have you considered a Flip-Pac? I don't know if a Wildernest will fit your year of Tacoma

You can build a rack so the tent opens to the rear of the vehicle and put trays on either side. Be a bit wide, but, would work.

I don't care for the racks that go over the cab and attach to the hidden gutters, the feett of the rack are hell on the door seals.

Like what the others said, with a rear mounted rack. The bikes will get thrashed back there. You could cover them. Any serious wheeling, you are likely tear off the rack.

I have seen a guy with a regular camper shell, make a tray that goes at the level of the top of the bed side. So the bike would be beside the camper shell. Another solution of putting too much crap in the bed and on the roof...:D

[xcmountain80]

I have been a cyclist for over 14 years and have never killed a bicycle. I posted about my rear rack and roof rack configurations, an added down side to the rear rack is you can back into things. I backed my Ellsworth Sub 22 into a small Oak and bent it beyond repair. The tree pushed the bike and made it bend around the rack, scratched the truck lightly (no biggie) but now I'm out $1400 (New frame Ellsworth Enlightenment). Fawk not cool I didnt even see this little tree!


Aaron

[Kermit]

I backed my Ellsworth Sub 22 into a small Oak and bent it beyond repair.

You could do IWJRA....warranty on it....:D

[DaveInDenver]

That stinks! Ellsworth has a crash replacement program, don't they? Santa Cruz gave me a new front triangle under warranty for my Blur when it broke. I would assume Ellsworth would be as generous.

[Kermit]

I think the crash replacement is 10% below cost.

Yes, Ellsworth does have a crash replacement.

My good freind is the local dealer here.

[xcmountain80]

You could do IWJRA....warranty on it....:D

Hmmm well thats cool I didnt know. I dont know how to go about finding out. My friend John Morehouse is a sponsored 24 Hour rider here in FL but I dont know what he can do. If they do have a crash replacement that would so awesome, I know they dont make the Sub 22 anymore and they replaced it with the Enlightenment (drool) Scandium front and carbon rear. Retail $1495 cost is -30% of retail. I have been looking on ebay because I figured for $1000 ish bucks I could get a moots frames or another Ellsworth. So If you dont mind asking your buddy, I'll ask mine and perhaps one of us can get somewhere. We (24hour team) stayed at Tony Ellsworth's house years ago after the World Championship 24 hour @ Idywilde in CA. Back when 24 hours of adrenaline was still in its early stages. No I obviously don't still know him well enough to have any pull.

Aaron

[Kermit]

IWJRA= I was just riding along.....hear that one at the bike shop all of the time.

"Oh, I was just riding along down the side walk...and my frame broke in half."

Sorta an inside joke in the industry...:)

[MountainBiker]

That stinks! Ellsworth has a crash replacement program, don't they? Santa Cruz gave me a new front triangle under warranty for my Blur when it broke. I would assume Ellsworth would be as generous.
That looks like the break that most of the first gen (classic) Blurs had due to poor welding skills. My friend's Blur broke like that, and he got a free replacement.

BTW, I don't think any mfg besides SC offers such an excellent no-fault crash replacement program. But my 9 year old Heckler refuses to break!

[DaveInDenver]

That looks like the break that most of the first gen (classic) Blurs had due to poor welding skills. My friend's Blur broke like that, and he got a free replacement.

BTW, I don't think any mfg besides SC offers such an excellent no-fault crash replacement program. But my 9 year old Heckler refuses to break!
It was the infamous early 2003 large Blur. The defect was explained to me that somehow the seat tube was the wrong one, as though it was from an XL. So when it was mitered the cut left the tube shorter than expected. So they cut off more of the butting than they expected, which left the spot vulnerable to early fatigue. Mine broke after about 2 years, which was pretty average. I presume some are still OK and it's not all large classic Blurs, just some from early in 2003 (mine was Feb '03 production). I got a Blur LT as a replacement. Anyway, it's not really a weld problem, the weld didn't break. It's a fabrication mistake and from the look of the crack I could believe it was a fatigue problem from too thin material.

[MountainBiker]

It was the infamous early 2003 large Blur. The defect was explained to me that somehow the seat tube was the wrong one, as though it was from an XL. So when it was mitered the cut left the tube shorter than expected. So they cut off more of the butting than they expected, which left the spot vulnerable to early fatigue. Mine broke after about 2 years, which was pretty average. I presume some are still OK and it's not all large classic Blurs, just some from early in 2003 (mine was Feb '03 production). I got a Blur LT as a replacement.
Thanks, that sounds like a better explanation than I heard from the LBS. I was considering the Blur LT, but got too good of a deal on the Marin Mt Vision just last week!

[xcmountain80]

IWJRA= I was just riding along.....hear that one at the bike shop all of the time.

"Oh, I was just riding along down the side walk...and my frame broke in half."

Sorta an inside joke in the industry...:)

Yeah I know I worked in a shop for a decade.

Aaron

[Flounder]

It was the infamous early 2003 large Blur. The defect was explained to me that somehow the seat tube was the wrong one, as though it was from an XL. So when it was mitered the cut left the tube shorter than expected. So they cut off more of the butting than they expected, which left the spot vulnerable to early fatigue.

That is exactly correct. Many companies have gone afoul with trying to use a single tube for too many sizes. The first of the offenders was Bridgestone in the early 90s with the MB0 frames. They used quad butted Ishiwata steel tubing with the first butt dangerously close to the head tube. Many folded frames resulted. SC was actually okay with the use of that particular tube, they just whacked the tube at the wrong end.

The blur failures didn't always go with fatigue at that spot. Some failed by the season's end. There was also talk of some poor heat treating methods with some of the Santa Cruz bikes. I've never been a big fan of SC. I bought a Chameleon in '98 that was just horrible. I had a bunch of "media" rolling around in the oversized chainstays from media blasting that I could never get out. Poor manufacturing has plagued SC off and on.

These days I rock a steel 29er single speed and love every single pedal stroke.

[Kermit]

Yeah I know I worked in a shop for a decade.

Aaron
Whoops, sorry, I hope I didn't offend you.

[xcmountain80]

Offend? No way in hell, Im probably one of the last people on this board to get offended. I have an email in to Ellsworth asking about crash replacement. I also lucked into having a friend that opened a shop and is looking to get a Ellsworth dealer started so maybe 30% off retail maybe..... still a bit much seeing as how I bought the Sub-22 frame on ebay for $325. Im on my other bike now (Santa Cruz Superlight) until I get another hardtail frame. For the price a used moots would be ok.

Aaron

[xcmountain80]

I have heard the craziest I was just riding along stories. One night we were doing an urban assault and this guy snapped his handlebar off at the stem on one side, another broke a seapost. My brother snapped his SantaCruz Superlight at the rear shock mount on the front triangle, and his bike was just sitting there. The list goes on I have heard it all.

Aaron

[Kermit]

I have broken my share of parts. Never warrantied any of them.

One of the parts, I did break really did piss me off. I drove the whole way to Snow Mass, Colorado for a race from Tucson. I broke the linkage during a practice run. The bike was barely a month old. I about threw it down the mountain. It snapped the front of the linkage off, in a very small G-Out.

Drove all that way....

[viatierra]

Just popping in here... As for the original tent/bike problem, it is one of the most significant reasons I sprung the extra money to by a Maggionlina Extreme. It comes with another rack on top of the tent that is designed to hold upto 60lbs. Since the tent doesn't flip open, you can even utilize the tent without taking off the bikes, kayak...whatever. It does put your goods WAY up in the air though.

I really wanted a tent without destroying the utility of having a truck. Just got it yesterday, so we'll see how well the system works...

[calamaridog]

Ok, so this T2 looks like a good rack, but is there any other ideas that cost less? That thing may be worth more than my bike at this point.

[Flounder]

Saris Thelma. I've been using our shop's demo unit and so far it seems pretty slick. For $250 it's worth a shot. Durability is up in the air, but the whole thing is feather weight so it's easy to remove.