Bike Racks - Helpful Videos and How To Articles

Thule Parkway 2 Bike Rack Assembly - Video

We will start by inserting the base or the stinger into the hitch, it gets bolted in place and also has an anti-rattle device. Next we will install the main structure. We will have to unclip the clip on top there, take it off, put it back on there, put the structure in place and then we will put our bottom pivot bolt in. Next we need to unfold the top part of the rack and bolt it into position. Last, but not least, we will rotate the cradles up and put the straps on. A couple bolts to install, and some cradles to unfold and your bicycle rack is ready to go. This is part # TH958, the Thule Parkway bicycle rack. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 3:49:57 PM

Tow Ready 4 Bike Rack Assembly - Video

This is a four bike rack, used only in a two inch receiver hitch. We will start off the assembly process by unfolding the shank and installing it into our two inch hitch. Next we will secure the bicycle rack to the hitch using the included bolt slash pin that keeps it in place and also keeps it from rattling. Next we will install the top half of the carrier, the part that actually holds the bikes. Next what we get to do is install the cradles, there will be four of them on this rack. They just simply lay on top and get bolted down. And there you have it, that is the assembly process for part # 63124, the Tow Ready bike rack for four bikes. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 5:54:01 PM

Valley 3 Bike Rack Assembly - Video

We will start off our assembly first by installing the shank into our two inch receiver hitch. Once the shank is installed, we will go ahead and install the anti-rattle bolt. This will keep from moving around and adds a little bit of security. The bolt does sink all the way in on side and stays out on the other. The next step is to go ahead and unfold the rack so the arms can support a bike. Next we go ahead and install the bicycle rack onto the stinger, it basically sits on top and clamps into place. Next would be to set up the safety latch, this basically entails unscrewing the knob as far as it will go, and then latching the loop on the bottom to your latch, and then re-tightening the knob. Finally, you just space out the cradles as you need them for your bikes. Once you have them in place, go ahead and tighten them down, then your bicycle rack is ready for service. There you have it, this is the assembly process for the Valley 3 bike clamp style rack, part # 91150. more

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Posted: 7/15/2008 8:21:53 AM

OSI Swinging 4 Bike Rack Assembly - Video

This is a swing away bicycle rack that only fits a two inch receiver hitch and is good for four bikes. Well demonstrate this rack to you and well do that by installing the rack onto the vehicle and assembling it to show you how it works. First well start off by ing the shank into the hitch. Next well install our main post. Now well work on the top part of the assembly, but first we need to close the rack up and secure it. Next we need to work on our top half. What we need to do is install the handles that control the swivel on the top of the post. As you can see we have our completed assembly now. This is a four bike carrier good for a two inch receiver hitch only. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 3:25:06 AM

SportRack 4 Bike Towing Rack Assembly - Video

This is a four bike bicycle rack that is actually capable of towing a light duty camping trailer or utility trailer. We will show you the assembly process of this bicycle rack. First we will start off with the shank which we will install in our two inch hitch, and then we will start building up from there. Our shank is installed, lets go ahead and install the main post that will hold everything together. Next we will install the cap for the post. Next we will install the arms, the part that actually holds the bikes. That concludes our assembly of bike rack part # A30404TW200. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 5:28:11 PM

Rola 2 Bike Carrier Assembly - Video

This is a bike rack fitting only two bikes and is for a 2 inch receiver hitch only. Well show you the assembly of the bicycle rack here then well go over the features for you. Well first start by ing the shank on the hitch, then well add the base plate bracket and the superstructure to the hitch. Now lets install the main structure onto our bracket. When you snug up this bolt you dont want to make it super tight. You just want to keep it tight enough where its snug because this bolt has to slide up and down on its pivot point. As you can see here, you can see why its important to make that bolt snug, because it has room to work. The next step is to simply unfold the rack. Push the button on the right hand side on the center stem and pull out the red handle, then well lock it into position so it can carry a bike. A note about this bike rack is that the overall distance across the arms is going to be 14 inches. Overall, this is a full feature bicycle rack. Like I said before its good for a two inch receiver hitch and two bicycles. Its all you need in one nice tiny little package to haul two bikes. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 3:02:42 PM

SportRack Escape 3 Bike Rack Assembly - Video

Before we can begin, one other thing we should consider is what type of hitch well be using. In our case its a two inch receiver hitch. However, this bicycle rack is adaptable down to the 1 1/4 inch receiver hitch. I will show you how to do that here. First you unscrew the bolt and then basically the plastic covers pop off. Do that to the other half and you have a 1 1/4 inch drawbar ready to go. First off we will start off by inserting the shank of our bicycle rack into a hitch, and we will use that for our starting point. Next we will install the main support, it will bolt in on one spot and it will be a hitch pin that will hold it in the other spot. Next we will install the actual top of the rack itself, the part that actually holds the bikes. A couple more details left, we will go ahead and raise the rack to its upright position and then we will install the straps. That will do it for our assembly of the Sport Rack Escape 3 Bike Carrier part # A30403. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 12:23:13 PM

Thule Parkway 4 Bike Carrier Assembly - Video

We will start off the assembly process by inserting the stinger into our 1-1/4 inch receiver hitch and we will start building up from there. As you can see the hitch stinger will be held in place by a bolt assembly. Next we will install the main structure, we will first start off by taking off the latch pin. Then the main structure will go ahead and be bolted down at the bottom at its pivot point. What we will do next is go ahead and unfold the arms into their upright position. Alright, next we will rotate the cradles up and put their straps on. That completes the assembly process of part # TH957, the parkway model from Thule. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 3:53:18 PM

SportRack Two Bike Wheel Mount Bike Rack Assembly - Video

Once you get your bicycle rack unpacked from the box, these will be the pieces you will 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. Well go ahead and start assembling the rack first off to see how it works. First off were 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 the rest of the rack up. Well grab that part and the two bolts that hold that in place. Next what well do is install the clamps onto the racks that will hold the bikes down. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 10:04:29 AM

SportRack Three 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. Well 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, its just a simple matter of unscrewing one screw and popping off the plastic sheath around it. more

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Posted: 7/14/2008 3:16:46 PM