Best Solutions for Hauling Your Bike with a Truck

There are a lot of different options to use your truck to haul your bikes. But which method is best for you? It depends on what factors are most important to you. Some things to consider are cost, ease of use, type of bikes you'll be hauling, front wheel removal, effectiveness of rack, storage size, and security. This article mainly focuses on cost and ease/front wheel removal of use for making a decision, as these were the main concerns for me. For our case here, I'll be hauling a 27.5+ wheel with a 2.8" tire. Other factors that are important to me are hauling with the front wheel on, and cost. I also would like to add security, but that isn't 100% necessary. We'll explore many different options.

Cheapest:

Fork mount

1. Saris $29.99 good for road bikes with standard skews. There are a lot of different brands that make this style. Most range in price from $20 to $30.

2. MTB oversize axles: Kuat Dirtbag $19.99 or RockyMounts HotRod $49.99
The RockyMount is nice because it includes adapters for 12x100, 15x100 and Boost 15x110. This mount retails for $49.99. These can easy be attached to a 2x4, 2x6, or bed rails for easy and secure hauling. Locking skewers are available.

Mid Level:

1. Thule Insta-Gater $179.95
The Insta-Gater uses the tailgate to strap itself in. Two rubber straps are closed in between the bed and tailgate and ratchet down to secure it. This rack accepts 20” – 29” wheels up to 3” wide; so pretty much anything but a fat bike will work. No drilling is required

2. Saris Triple Track Fork Mount $129.99
If you need to carry a bunch of bikes this may be an option for you. The Triple Track accepts up to four Saris Skewers that were mentioned above. The downside of this system is how to mount it into your vehicle. It looks like it will require drilling. This is actually better solution for using in the back of an SUV. The rubber should grip to the carpet decently and with the added weight of the bikes it should secure

3. Tailgate Pad – Thule Gate Mate $119.95
The Tailgate Pad is a decent solution for hauling your bike in your truck. The best one for you depends on your truck. Some things to keep in mind include: Some trucks, like the new rams, have a wide tailgate while the Tacoma is a lot thinner. Check to make sure the release handle is still easily accessed. If you have a backup camera, make sure it has a solution to not block it. Most mats hover around the $100 - $140 range.

4. Swagman Bicycle Carrier - $109.99
This bar extends across the bed and has fork mounts attached to the bar. This setup would work for road bikes, but not all mountain bikes. This method wouldn’t be our first choice.


High End:

1. Hitch Mount – The price of the hitch mount will vary depending on how many bikes you want to carry, and every major brand makes them.
Example: Thule T2 Classic - $429.95
This rack is up there in price, but you get a lot with this one. This rack uses ratcheting arms, so you don’t have to remove your wheels. It is fat bike friendly by accepting up to a 5” wheel. When not in use, it folds vertically and gets out of the way. Other nice hitch mounts in this style are the Yakima HoldUp, Saris Freedom, RockyMount BackStage, Kuat Sherpa or NV2.0.
A word of caution with hitch mounts. We recommend staying away from mounts that use rubber straps to hold in the bike. These easily break down over time, and can lead to leaving your bike on the side of the road. Don’t ask how we know. 

2. Thule Bed Rider $249.95
The Bed Rider is a bar that mounts in the bed and secures itself with the width of the bed. It comes with two fork mounts to attach the bikes, and more can be added. This style is comparable to the Swagman.

3. Pipeline Racks $239.00 - $359.00
The Pipeline Truck Rack is a nice option to haul a bunch of bikes and not have to remove wheels. This system straps into the front of the bed and the bikes sit into the rack. They have different width options depending on the style of your truck. Full size trucks can fit up to 5 bikes. The mechanism that holds in the bike fits 24” – 29” wheels with tire sizes .75” – 2.8”.

Personally, I'm going to give the Thule Insta-Gator a try to start. It will mainly be used to haul my Raleigh Kodiak 2. Currently, I'm using ratchet straps to hold the bike in the bed like a dirtbike. This isn't the best for the front suspension or the bed of the truck. The main reasons I'm interested in the Insta-Gator are I don't want to have to remove the front wheel each time and this is a cheaper solution than most hitch mounts. The rubber straps are a little worrisome, but for the price and the small size it's worth a try. I really like the idea of the Pipeline, and if I had more bikes to haul, I would definitely consider it.