Perhaps a better Bike rack?

[Robin G]

Thought this was a interesting way to attach a bike rack.......



So many times I see bike racks on the back end of a trailer, with the bikes barely holding on and the driver has no clue cause they can't see back there . But bike rack on the side would make viewing under tow simple!

Plus this is just a super cool combo...............

[Dennis Clinton]

There is a side rack used on vans/station wagons for bicycle race support teams. It actually pulls down when you want to remove the bike.

[carlkeigley]

I also love the looks of the combo.
And I love the looks of the tandem bike.

I like those triangle reflectors.
I was thinking about those tractor triangles on the
back of my rig but thought I may get stopped when
doing 75mph. I don't know what the speed requirement
would be for those warning signs.

[carlkeigley]

I found another option:

Google Image Result for http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=80296&stc=1&d=12786910 17

or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGD79ket5Io

[mary and bob]

The farm equipment triangles are for slow moving vehicles. I have some of the red & silver DOT reflective tape on the bumper of our Uhaul, and on the rear mounted bike rack, plus a set of tail/turn lights on the rack.

[carlkeigley]

I have them on my tractor for when I go to get diesel.
And I have them on my mailbox by the road.
I also have a couple at my entrance so people can see there is a gate.

The mailbox and gate are very slow moving.

I finally put some of that reflective tape on my back bumper
as well.

[Cyndi B.]

All the better to see where to hit.

[Brian B-P]

The first example shows a very narrow trailer, and a bike that has both handlebars turned to make it narrower. I think this would be a rear vision issue and substantial aero drag contributor on most of our rigs.

The truck rack looks workable because it puts the handlebars above the mirrors, and much of the bike width over the box.

I would like to see a functional side-mounted rack for a van or station wagon; my guess is that it would be a roof mount that pulls out and down for access, like the Thule Hullavator kayak rack. I saw two of these in use on an RV - it worked, but was very difficult to reach due to the RV roof height.

[LeonardS]

My roommate got a ticket years ago in California because he had an RX-7 with a bike rack, and the bike of course was wider than the car, and stuck out a bit. The officer informed us that the limit for sticking out on the left side was 9 inches, as it was on the "oncoming traffic side". It thus was a hazard.

Of course this this kind officer wasn't just pulling us over for the bike sticking out too far, I think we were speeding also.

He made us re-position the bike so that it stuck out less than 9 inches on the left. Somehow we messed that up and put one of the bike's tires in the way of the exhaust...melted the tire...funny now but I can laugh 25 years later.

My point is: Isn't this sticking out more than 9 inches, on the opposing traffic side? Or have they done away with that law?

[Robin G]

I think it would be overall width, but I certainly don't know!



Ewwww, I like that truck bike rack! Hmmmmmm.............

[Brian B-P]

A rack sticking out the side would be similar to cargo hanging out the back: it's not just the overall width, but that it is wider than other drivers are expecting, especially at night. Like the rear protrusion, flagging or lights might be required at some point... look at a truck carrying a wide load for examples.

[ruscal]

Most bicycle rack solutions have drawbacks, so you just have to pick yur poison. Years ago I worked for a mountain bike company. Our team van was a Chevy Express passenger van. We used Yakima bars and accessories to mount 4 bikes up top. We needed to carry 8 bikes so I fabbed up some mounts using yakima rubber coated round bars for the rear of the vehicle. I mounted a horizontal bar above each of the rear door windows standing off the surface by about 1 1/2". On those bars I mounted two fork mounts on each door. The Yakima bars are round, so you can rotate the fork mounts up or down which provides handlebar clearance between bikes. I mounted another horizontal bar across each door at the rear wheel height with Yakima trough and buckle holders mounted to keep the bikes from flopping around. The rear doors could still be opened with 4 bikes on the back of the van. We stored the front wheels inside the van. The set up worked well for us. We didn't leave the bikes in hotel parking lots or out of sight for any length of time, as they were only secured with a long vinyl coated braided steel cable and padlock. There was also a chance of getting rear ended, which would have ruined our trip, but it never happened in 4 years of use. One drawback was that water would go into the headset bearings during rain, so I had to smear grease around the labyrinth seals in wet weather. This concept would work on a fiberglass trailer, but I don't like the idea of drilling new holes in my trailer. Perhaps it could be done with a 2" receiver mount?
Russ

[Robin G]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

A rack sticking out the side would be similar to cargo hanging out the back: it's not just the overall width, but that it is wider than other drivers are expecting, especially at night. Like the rear protrusion, flagging or lights might be required at some point... look at a truck carrying a wide load for examples.

Really, Cause many glass replacement company's have huge rack's of glass on, side mount racks. I thought it was overall width that was a concern.

[LeonardS]

I always wondered how those glass companies got away with the driver side racks.

[Glenn Baglo]

They hire drivers with a blind left eye.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Robin G

Really, Cause many glass replacement company's have huge rack's of glass on, side mount racks.

I'm not saying you can't do it, just that you need to do it properly. If your side-mount rack is well beyond the body and doesn't have lights, or blocks the mirror, that's not done properly. Unless you loosen and turn the handlebars each time, a typical bike is wider than most of those glass racks.

The handlebars on many bikes are certainly an issue - if the go over the roof (or truck box) the side-mount scheme gets a lot more attractive.

[Donna D.]

This is a compromise. Load from the side of the tug and it lifts to the roof!

Roof Mounted Side loading Bike Cycle Carrier | £162.97 | Towequipe.co.uk#

[Brian B-P]

Thanks Donna - that's what I was thinking of, but I didn't know of a specific model or supplier.