Bike Rack Reviews and Demonstrations

Thule Complete Roof System for Volkswagen - Video

The roof of your vehicle is a great place for extra cargo, bikes, kayaks and more. Many vehicles come with factory installed racks but if yours did not it does not mean you have to miss out on the fun. Thule believes this as well and has designed after market racks for many different vehicles. Our video here shows how to install the rack on a VW Jetta and provides a better idea on what is required no matter what type of vehicle you have. It is time to get your car, van, SUV, truck decked out and start getting yourself out there!... more

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Posted: Tue, 15 Apr 2008

Topline Truck Bed 2 Bike Rack - Video

This is a two bike truck bed carrier from Topline. This lightweight compact is perfect for the on the go biker, with easy installation and removal it keep your bikes secure from bouncing around in the bed of your truck. This bike also comes with a locking key to keep honest people honest and is easily converted to carry more bikes. This is by using the add-a-bike system that is sold separately. Starting from top to bottom, we'll cover some of the parts we have here. On top here is the arm that reaches out and holds your bike, as you can see on the left hand side here there's a clamp, that is what gets clamped to the bed of your truck. Going to the second part, this is the bar that goes between your first bike and second bike. Together they will add stability and not go anywhere. ... more

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Posted: Fri, 22 Feb 2008

Thule Insta-Gater Truck Bed Bike Rack - Video

These easily installed single bike carrier allows for secure bikes wherever you go. With its rugged steel construction and powdered coating this bike rack is ready for any conditions you can put it through. It's easy front wheel clamping makes travel a breeze, and this will virtually work on any bicycle. First off we'll open our truck bed here, set inside our Insta-Gater, and there's a couple things to do first and we'll show you. First we need to lengthen the straps and we'll do that by pressing down on the center button and pulling them out. Now these straps here fit in between the tailgate and the bed of the truck. What happens is we close the tailgate and it traps them inside. That way the rack won't go anywhere. Now that we have the straps inside we need to tighten everything down, and this nice handy little ratchet will do that for us. ... more

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Posted: Mon, 18 Feb 2008

Thule Bed Rider Truck Bed Bike Rack - Video

If you're taking your bike along for the ride than this is the bike rack for you and this is one will keep it secure. Corrosion resistant aluminum construction makes this expandable bike rack lightweight and easy to use. This bike rack comes equipped to hold two bikes, however a third bracket can be added by ordering part # BR1. This bike rack works great with all bed liners and bed sizes because of its telescoping nature. As you can see by the telescoping design, it will expand pretty easily. Again we're using a smaller truck here but it can easily go up to a full size pickup. To do that, we push this button down and you can see we have a fair amount of adjustment on the width of the truck. Also about the brackets there's infinite adjustment on those too, these brackets clamp on to the telescoping rod itself. These two set screws hold everything in place. ... more

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Posted: Mon, 18 Feb 2008

Four Bike Rack Demonstration - TX-104 - Video

Next is the tilt function. Simply remove the safety pin, unlock it, pull up just a little bit and back. To lock back up push it back to the original position. Lock it up and put the safety pin back in. Now lets put a bike on it. Pull the key out on the top lift the arms until the holes match up again and lock them into place, pull the button out and the key pops into place. To operate the lock for the bikes, pull the lock from the storage tube come around your bike and push the two end pieces together, giving a couple tugs to be sure. Put the cover over the lock and your ready to hit the trails.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Thule Roadway 4 Bike Rack Demonstration - Video

This particular model is convertible from an inch and quarter and two inch receiver hitch which is nice. I'll show how it goes together, and then I'll show you all the features too. First we'll show you the cradles and the features of those. What you have are these straps that can be used on either side to accommodate your bike. It also has these grooves here that makes room for your cables so it doesn't mash your cables to the frame of your bike. The cradles also twist left to right or move front to rear. You have almost infinite adjust ability. Next we'll show you the hinge mechanisms on here that help with storage and gaining access to the back of your vehicle. First off we'll show you storage. What happens is you lift these levers to tilt the rack up and down to store it.... more

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Posted: Fri, 18 Jan 2008

Draw-Tite 4 bike carrier wheel mount demonstration - Video

We'll show you how this comes together, but first we wanted to remind you that this particular model only fits a 2 inch receiver hitch. We'll go ahead and take the top clamps off put on some bikes, test fit them, and put the wheel mounts in their proper position. Those are the basics of mounting a bike onto the rack. Now we'll add a second bike and show you how that works out. We'll show you a couple of features of this rack. As you can tell, this rack will fit the classic bike configuration as well as alternative bicycle frames. If you noticed we also flipped around the top clamps to get to our needed situation. That shows the flexibility and adaptability this bicycle rack can use with different bikes. Another nice feature about this bike rack is that the superstructure will actually fold down to the side as you're loading your bikes up. It's not in front where you could possibly trip over it.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Draw-Tite 4 bike rack demonstration - Video

To start assembly we'll insert the shank onto our hitch in this case we'll be using a 1 1/4 inch version. Just to show you the versatility of this bicycle rack, in our instance we're actually going to use the 1 1/4 inch and the base unit will slide on the thick part of the shank here. If we were going the opposite way using a 2 inch receiver, you would actually be putting it down here and these two pieces of metal would be the bushings that hold it in place and keep it from flopping around on the shank. You would just simply install them in between. That's only if you're going to use this on 2 inch receiver hitch. Now that the bike racks assembled, we can go ahead and get ready to accept the bike to hold. First what we'll do is take off the top plate. First what we'll do is load up a regular bike frame. Then we'll set up an alternative bike frame and we'll show you how they sit on the bicycle rack.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Thule Parkway 2 Bike Carrier Demonstration - Video

We're going to cover some of the features of this bike rack starting from the bottom on up. As you can see there's a bolt the attaches the bicycle rack to the hitch that keeps it in place where it can't move at all. On the way up we'll show you the tilt feature of this simple device. Basically you just unpin the clip and pull it out and your bicycle rack will fold over down to the ground where you will get into the back of your SUV. The cradles themselves have generous grooves in them to take care of your cables also the whole cradle itself is made out of a rubber material. This ensures that nothing metallic will touch your bike. Also they have strong yet flexible straps to keep the bike in place. One last nice thing about the cradles themselves is that they twist on their axis and move front to rear also.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Draw-Tite 3 bike towing carrier demonstration - Video

As you can see this bicycle rack lends itself to towing applications as well. What this bicycle rack does is actually wrap around your existing draw bar or draw bar that has to be purchased separately, will convert it to haul bicycles and a light duty trailer at the same time. As you can see the bicycle rack is adjustable on the shank of the draw bar itself, depending on how much clearance you need. The closer you can get to the vehicle is better. Another nice feature about this rack is that it can be titlted out of the way in case you need to get into the back of your truck, wagon, or SUV. First off you unlock it, pull it up and let it come back. Our next feature is the cradles themselves, it's a nice one piece unit with one lid carrying all the bicycles, no separate pieces to worry about. Also if you notice in the cradle there are grooves to allow room for the cables so they don't get smashed up against the bike.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Bike Demonstration of OSI swinging 4 bike carrier - Video

This is a swing away bicycle rack that only fits a two inch receiver hitch and is good for four bikes. We'll demonstrate this rack to you and we'll do that by installing the rack onto the vehicle and showing you how it works. As you can see we have our completed assembly now, what we'll do is show you how a couple of bikes will mount on to the rack. We'll start off with a standard frame bicycle then we'll show you how an alternative frame sits on the rack. Our final touch will be to install the top clamp. As you can see the top plate is installed and basically the bikes are ready to go down the road. The first of the features we'll talk about is the locking knob itself. As you can see there is one locking knob attached to one plate covering all four bikes. Lock the knob down, and you don't have to worry about security.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Reese 5 bike rack demonstration - Video

This bicycle rack is good for 5 bikes and fits only a two inch receiver hitch. We'll start off with how this rack goes together. What we can do next is demonstrate how the bikes actually get attached to the cradles. Step one is to insert your safety pin to make sure the rack won't go anywhere. Now lets install the bicycle. As you can see, this is how a standard frame bicycle will attach to the rack. Next we'll show you how an alternative frame will mount onto here. What's nice about this rack is the cradles themselves can be tilted left or right as stated before, and it will accommodate the alternative frame bike. As you can see this rack will hold an alternative frame bike nice and level just like the bike behind it without the use of an adapter bar. We'll cover the features about this rack starting off with the cradle.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

SportRack 4 Bike Towing Rack Demonstration - Video

This is a four bike rack as well as a towing rack, which means you can carry a small light duty trailer or even a pop up camper. We'll start from the bottom and work our way up. First off we'll talk about the shank on the bicycle rack. As you can see it has a ball mount on the end where you can add a trailer hitch ball to carry a light duty trailer. The hitch ball hole is ¾ inch and it good for 2,000 pounds. Next feature we're going to show you is the tilting ability in case you need to get in the back of you pick up truck, SUV or what not. The whole rack can tilt either way so you don't have to remove everything. At the top of the rack, we'll show you the cradles, what's nice about the cradles is that they're all rubber material so there is no scratching involved with your bike. Also they have built in anti-sway devices. This is your anti-sway device, it clamps to your bike so it doesn't move back and forth.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Rola 2 Bike Rack Demonstration - Video

This is a bike rack fitting only two bikes and is for a 2 inch receiver hitch only. We'll show you the assembly of the bicycle rack here then we'll go over the features for you. First step involved is obviously taking the straps off the cradles so we can put the bike on, we've done that so lets grab a bike and put it on there to see how it looks. As you can see here this bicycle rack here will accept a standard bicycle frame, in this case a road bike. Now we'll this to you with an alternative bike frame. As you can see this is how the bicycle rack handles with an alternative frame bike. There's a little bit of an angle but still steady and won't go anywhere. While we have the bike on here we'll show you some of the features that make this bike rack a pretty good deal. First we'll show the straps in the cradles themselves. As you can see those are easy to use rubber straps that hold the bike in place.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Tow Ready 4 Bike Rack Demonstration - Video

We'll cover the features of this rack starting from the bottom up. We'll start with its anti-rattle device. As you can see the hitch pin is actually a bolt that goes in to the side of the bicycle rack and helps keep it in place, keeps it from rattling and is an added security feature as well. The next feature is the tilting action of this bicycle rack. This allows you to tilt the rack back to be able to get to the back of your SUV, van or whatever so you don't have to take off the rack completely. As you can see it's just a simple pin with it's own built in clip to help keep everything in place. Working our way to the top, we'll show you the cradles here. The cradles have a nice cushion of rubber which will definitely last for years of service. Also the Velcro tie-downs offers infinite adjust ability for different frames of bicycles.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Thule Revolver Swinging 4 Bike Rack Demonstration - Video

These are the parts that will consist of the bicycle rack, we'll show you how they come together. One stipulation is that this is made only for a two inch receiver hitch. We'll start by inserting our shank into our hitch. We'll use the bottom half here and then use our hitch pin/anti-sway bolt to hold it in place. Next we'll install the swing out arm portion of the bike rack. The swing arm assembly consists of the bolt, two washers and a nut. Now we'll install the main body of the bicycle rack. Again this will install with the same bolt, two washers and a nut. The next step is to go ahead and assemble the lock assembly for the hitch pin. Step one we have to take off the protective covers off the locks themselves, step two we'll install the lock cylinders, and three we'll test its operation. Now we'll test the lock on the hitch pin to verify that it works.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

Bike Rack Comparison - Video

Today we're going to talk about getting your bikes together with your vehicle so you can go riding. Over here we have a variety of different bikes, the mom and dads, and kids bikes. They have all different types of frames and sizes. What we're going to do here is figure out what kind of bicycle rack works with your bikes. To start off there are three different types of bicycle racks, one is the single arm version. It's the original design as far as bike racks go, not muck has changed besides clamps and the hinge part at the bottom. It's the most economical one, for the most part it's the most tried and true piece of equipment. The next one in the center here, is the two armed version. Basically, it's more stable, has two points of contact on the bicycle rack. It's been around as long as the single arm version, it has proven technology, and there's not much to it except for the width on them. The last version is the wheel mount, which is relatively new. It grabs the bikes by the wheel and the frame so you have three points of contact compared to the other two.... more

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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008

SportRack 3 Bike Folding Bike Rack Demonstration - Video

Before we put a bicycle on here, you have to determine if you have a 2 inch receiver hitch, or 1 1/4 inch receiver. One of the nice features about this rack is that you can switch it over to both sizes. We'll actually show you how to switch it over to the 1 1/4 inch hitch today. To convert the shank over to 1 1/4 inch, it's just a simple matter of unscrewing one screw and popping off the plastic sheath around it. Again before we put the bikes on, let me show you some of the features of the little clamps themselves. With the clamp itself, you can unbolt it to tilt it from side to side. Also the clamp is adjustable, having four holes of adjustment to allow for different thicknesses of frames. Lets go ahead and put on a bike to show you how the clamps work.... more

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Posted: Tue, 8 Jan 2008

SportRack 3 Bike Folding Bike Rack Assembly - Video

This rack as you can see comes with minimal assembly required. Basically it only has two parts that need to be attached together, a couple nuts and bolts, and some caps. This will go together for you real fast. This is how it will appear after you unpack it from your box. Before we start assembly, you have one option to choose from. You have to determine if you have a 2 inch receiver hitch, or 1 1/4 inch receiver. One of the nice features about this rack is that you can switch it over to both sizes. We'll actually show you how to switch it over to the 1 1/4 inch hitch today. To convert the shank over to 1 1/4 inch, it's just a simple matter of unscrewing one screw and popping off the plastic sheath around it.... more

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Posted: Tue, 8 Jan 2008

SportRack 2 Bike Wheel Mount Bike Rack Demonstration - Video

Our bicycle rack is assembled now so lets go ahead and install a bicycle to see how it looks. First thing you want to do is move the clamps up to the top of the bar or remove them whichever you're more comfortable with. This is so we have plenty of room to install the bike. The next step before putting on the bike is to loosen the Velcro fasteners so we can get the wheels on and spaced to where they're needed. Once you have the wheel mount situated and the bike situated on the rack where you want it go ahead and tighten down the clamps then we'll do the center portion. Once you have the bike the way you want it and the wheel mounts tightened down, now you can go ahead and install the Velcro safety straps.... more

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Posted: Tue, 8 Jan 2008

SportRack 2 Bike Wheel Mount Bike Rack Assembly - Video

Once you get your bicycle rack unpacked from the box, these will be the pieces you'll end up with. The shank assembly that will slide into the hitch. Which will come with a 2 inch adapter if you have a 2 inch receiver hitch, it will come with the body of the bicycle carrier with 3 arms on it, the wheel mounts and two clamps that will hold the bikes down to the bicycle rack. We'll go ahead and start assembling the rack first off to see how it works. First off we're going to start with the shank, in this case we are going to use the 2 inch adapter for the 2 inch receiver hitch. Once you have that shank installed into the hitch, next thing is you want to install the pin that holds it in place to keep from moving around. Once you have the shank installed lets go ahead and install the main body that will hold... more

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Posted: Tue, 8 Jan 2008

SportRack Frontier Deluxe 3 bike spare tire rack - A30813STL

If you have a rear mounted spare tire and need to carry some bikes, your choices can be slim pickings. Luckily, the SportRack Frontier Deluxe offers an economical way to carry up to 3 bikes and has features you would only expect on more expensive racks. This SportRack spare tire mounted bike rack offers high quality cradles that adjust independently. This allows you to carry a variety of bike types, and not have to worry about them being damaged. It also has integrated security, with locking knobs for the bikes and also to secure the rack to the vehicle. This video will cover the features of the SportRack Frontier Deluxe and show how easy it is to install and use.

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Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007

Thule Parkway 4 bike rack demo - TH957

What if I told you that a bike rack from the premier bike rack manufacturer, that offers convenience, safety, and style could be yours for a price that is competitive with many of the lesser known bike rack manufacturers. You would say, "Tell me more". The Thule Parkway is simple to use, with it's well designed tilting feature that allows you access to the rear of your vehicle and cradles that are easy to use, secure, and protect your bike from scratches. The Thule Parkway also has some great features such as an integrated anti-rattle system that will reduce the vibration and bouncing that can damage your bike, and a dual arm design that allows you to carry more types of bikes, more securely. This video will give an overview of the bike rack and demonstrate some of the features.

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Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007

SportRack Escape 3 bike rack - A30403

The SportRack Escape 3 bike rack is loaded with all the features you would expect in a high priced bike rack, except the price is not high. It has highly adjustable cradles with sway control, a shank that fits 1 1/4" and 2" trailer hitch openings, tilting feature, fits a wide range of bikes, and has an extra strap to stabilize and secure your bikes. This video will demonstrate some of the features of the SportRack Escape bike rack.

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Posted: Fri, 14 Dec 2007

Thule Spare Me bike spare tire rack - TH963

If you enjoy riding your bike, and have a vehicle with a rear mounted spare tire, your options for quality bike racks can be rather limited. Hitch mounted racks don't always have enough clearance to get past the spare tire, roof racks on a SUV or van may require a step ladder to operate, and the spare tire mounted racks with straps and foam can be just plain scary. Well now you have an option with the Thule Spare Me spare tire mounted bike rack. As usual, Thule has produced a premium rack that offers safety, convenience, and style. The Spare Me offers secure mounting, easy installation, and some features that make it easy to use and adjust. This video will show how the Thule Spare Me is installed and how to use its features.

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Posted: Tue, 11 Dec 2007

SportRack bike rack lock kit - A32022

You love your bikes. Go ahead and admit it. You love your bikes. I know because I love my bikes. And one of our duties is to protect our bikes from evildoers. One small step in this battle is to make sure they are locked securely to your bike rack. Now, while you run into the woods for a few minutes to answer natures call you can relax knowing that when you return your bikes will be right where you left them, on your bike rack, safe, and secure. The SportRack bike rack lock kit can be easily added to many of the SportRack model racks, such as the 30703, 30704, 30901, and 30902. It includes two locks, one that secures the bikes to the rack and another that locks the rack to your trailer hitch. It only takes a minute to install and is dead simple to use, so you won't have to worry about it being a hassle.

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Posted: Fri, 7 Dec 2007

Valley clamp style 3 bike rack demonstration - V91150

Do you need to tow a trailer or popup camper, but also want to carry some bikes? Then you need to consider the Valley Clamp Style towing bike rack. Valley has taken a different approach to the towing rack because this rack can be installed and removed without removing the ballmount from your trailer hitch. This means when it is not in use, it can unclamp and be stored. So you do not need to unhook your trailer or remove your ballmount. Most towing bike racks require a ballmount, but the Valley bike rack includes a stinger which can be used instead of a ballmount, in case you do not have or do not want to use a ballmount. In addition to being a great towing bike rack this rack also offers a mix of great features, such as folding for storage, built in anti-sway so your bikes don't bounce around, and quality cradles that won't scratch your frame. This video will show some of the features and how to use the Valley Clamp Style bike rack. It mounts easily to your ballmount and will allow you to take the bikes with you on your next road trip.

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Posted: Thu, 6 Dec 2007

Draw-Tite 4 bike carrier wheel mount demonstration - TR63131

We'll go ahead and take the top clamps off put on some bikes, test fit them, and put the wheel mounts in their proper position. Those are the basics of mounting a bike onto the rack. Now we'll add a second bike and show you how that works out. We'll show you a couple of features of this rack. As you can tell, this rack will fit the classic bike configuration as well as alternative bicycle frames. If you noticed we also flipped around the top clamps to get to our needed situation. That shows the flexibility and adaptability this bicycle rack can use with different bikes. Another nice feature about this bike rack is... more

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Posted: Thu, 6 Dec 2007

Draw-Tite 4 bike carrier wheel mount assembly - TR63131

We'll show you how this comes together, but first we wanted to remind you that this particular model only fits a 2 inch receiver hitch. We'll go ahead and put it together now and show you how this works. We'll start by inserting the shank into the hitch then we'll start building our superstructure from there. Once we have the superstructure pinned in, there's two set bolts on the bottom. We'll torque those down to keep the rack from going anywhere. Once we get the assembly all bolted together we'll pull out the pins and spread out the arms. Once you have the arms in there locked positions with there pins, now all we have to do is slide on the wheel mounts. Now we have the wheel mounts loosely in their positions, we'll go ahead and slide on the top clamps. Those are all the components needed to haul two bicycles.... more

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Posted: Thu, 6 Dec 2007

Bike Rack Types and Information

There are more, different types of bike racks available today than you can shake a stick at. So with today's article, we are going to attempt to explain the main options that are available, some of the accessories, and the different types of cradles (the part that actually holds the bike). This article will be a good starting point to get you moving in the right direction toward your perfect bike rack, if you have more questions (or just don't feel like reading) you can also email or give us a call, we love answering questions about bike racks, and want to help you get the right one.

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Posted: Wed, 5 Dec 2007

Bike Rack Comparison

Today we're going to talk about getting your bikes together with your vehicle so you can go riding. Over here we have a variety of different bikes, the mom and dads, and kids bikes. They have all different types of frames and sizes. What we're going to do here is figure out what kind of bicycle rack works with your bikes.

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Posted: Tue, 20 Nov 2007