the wooden bike rack

So here we are with another project done. I have been carrying my bike in the back of my truck when I head down to Fort Benning to ride with my group. It is an old scratched up bike so I haven't been worried about it too much. This picture shows just how I hold it. You can see it is less than ideal.

I am still in the process of building a nice new bike without scratches. It is not cheap to build a nice bike, so I wish to protect it from harm when it is finished.

I spent many sleepless nights planing a bike rack. The modern high quality bike racks do not touch anything but the tires. (That way we don't get any new scratches.) So, a tire holding rack was my desire and plan.

I also wanted to be able to use my truck to haul other items. The rack needed to be easily removable. These are two big challenges!

The final product works great and is easily removed by pulling out 2 pins. The rack weighs between 5 and 10 pounds, is easy to handle, stores in very little space and out of the way. The clamp and mounting bar stay in the truck and out of the way. I painted it black so it looks like it belongs. I have used it several times and the bike is solid as can be in all the traffic maneuvers I make.


1-the rack by itself

2-the bike mounted

3-close up of the clamping system

The rack is made from 2x4 material I had laying around and 2 pieces of aluminum and screws and bolts and paint. About $10 total. Next time when I add another rack I will use wood instead of aluminum for the angle supports. The clamp cross section is 3/8 x 1 1/2. Next time I will use 5/8 x 1 1/2.