Carrying bikes better?

JHZR2

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This is two adult bikes, a tag along, and a midsize MTB. And a trailer taking up half the rear of the van. When my second starts riding a real bike, or my first gets a bigger one, it’s next to impossible.

Every time the bikes seem to go on different, every time it seems like a hassle.

What’s the next step?
 
If it was me, I’d think about a small trailer. Impractical in a city I know, but I’d probably settle with that since a good bike is expensive, while a cheap HF 4x4 is, well, cheap. My 4x8, with sides, I bet could be configured however and carry many bikes.
 
The 1UP racks are expensive and built very well. See lots of them with expensive mountain bikes at trailheads.

A 4 bike rack that uses wheel trays would be much better than one that holds the frame. Thule, Yakima, Kuat are recognized good brands and you can get a 4 bike for around $500. No need to spend $1k on a rack.

FWIW Etrailer.com is always more expensive on anything I've ever looked at.

There are always lots of bike racks for sale on Craigslist.
 
The 1UP racks are expensive and built very well. See lots of them with expensive mountain bikes at trailheads.

A 4 bike rack that uses wheel trays would be much better than one that holds the frame. Thule, Yakima, Kuat are recognized good brands and you can get a 4 bike for around $500. No need to spend $1k on a rack.

FWIW Etrailer.com is always more expensive on anything I've ever looked at.

There are always lots of bike racks for sale on Craigslist.
I agree they are more expensive, but they had videos lol. Definitely shop around!

Thule does make nice one too.

 
I joked about that to my wife yesterday when we saw some folks on them.
My wife and I both have Brompton's and travel case. No airline fees and you get to bike when on vacation. Usually I average 14 mph without pushing myself on a full size bike. With the Brompton, slightly slower at 12mph. Buy used and resale is always strong if you don't like.
 
1 up recon rack - vertical rack - buy once cry once. I want one. I have a pickup so I can put them in the back but its a giant PIB getting them in and out plus I have to keep the tailgate down since its only a 5 foot bed.

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This is two adult bikes, a tag along, and a midsize MTB. And a trailer taking up half the rear of the van. When my second starts riding a real bike, or my first gets a bigger one, it’s next to impossible.

Every time the bikes seem to go on different, every time it seems like a hassle.

What’s the next step?

I have a roof rack, but that's not practical for everyone.

What I dislike about hitch racks is, as the photo illustrates, loading them up can obscure the lights. A following vehicle can change lanes to avoid driving blind behind, but I'd be more worried about being the driver, and having some poor and/or inattentive driver fail to recognize the situation because they can't see the signals or brakes.
 
I have a roof rack, but that's not practical for everyone.

What I dislike about hitch racks is, as the photo illustrates, loading them up can obscure the lights. A following vehicle can change lanes to avoid driving blind behind, but I'd be more worried about being the driver, and having some poor and/or inattentive driver fail to recognize the situation because they can't see the signals or brakes.
I was thinking about that…

Like with four hanging on there I should get some magnetic lights or a connector for the trailer wiring to illuminate something.
 
I had a Thule T2 for years and it served me well. Earlier this year, I built my son a Growler fat bike with a Manitou Mastadon suspension fork. The fork would not fit in the T2 so I was forced to get a new rack. I ended up with the One Up. So far, very nice.
 
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