Transporting bikes in a pickup truck has always been a bit of a quandary. There are plenty of options out there, but none seem to be all that good. However, Ride88 looks to have come up with a clever solution.
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As a truck guy myself, I’ve used tailgate pads, removable cross bars, bolted fork mounts in the bed/on the rails and even built a few DIY racks. They all worked, but they also caused their fair share of headaches.
Ride88’s solution appears to be quick and simple, and could solve the majority of said pain.
The rack itself is secured to the truck bed using the toolbox holes found in just about every pickup, and depending on whether you’re driving a full size or compact truck can transport four or five bikes upright in the bed — additional wheel trays can be purchased should you want to transport more bikes down the line.
Ride88’s bike rack only contacts the tire and can hold the front or rear wheel, allowing bikes to be staggered in the bed. The brand says its rack can accept up to a 4in tire and just about every major wheel size. The mounting trays can also be moved side to side in the bed depending on your preferred position.
With the majority of short bed trucks starting at around 60in / 152.4cm you'll likely need to run your tailgate down, but the contact patch for the rear tire should fit even the longest and slackest bikes out there, such as Mojo’s Extra Longest Geometry with a wheelbase of 50in / 1,268mm.
That said, something that appears to be missing and I would like to see included is a way to prevent the free wheel from moving around, even a simple a bungee cord solution attached to the rear hooks in the truck bed.
Mounting the bike itself looks to be as simple as rolling the bike into the wheel tray and pulling a lever. The rack has easy adjustments for wheel size as well as a barrel adjuster to fine tune the pressure.
The rack can be locked into the bed with a proprietary mechanism and includes a cable lock for securing bikes. When not in use, the rack can be lowered below the rails on the bed to work with a Tonneau cover, or to keep it out of view of hoodlums who’d like to steal it.
The rack is made from carbon steel tubing, so it should be able to handle some abuse, and the only thing it seems to be missing is an integrated bottle opener for your post-ride beverage.
Like the majority of bike racks on the market it ain't cheap, set to retail for $258 for the crossbar and one wheel tray, or $417 for two — early bird specials are still available
Live on Kickstarter now, the Ride88 rack has set quite a lofty goal of $130,000 in an effort to order enough to keep the initial cost down, and the company still has quite a way to go with only 11-days of its campaign left.
For more info check out the Ride88 rack on Kickstarter.