Bike Racks and Off Road Travel

[Xtremluck]

Ok so I know I'm not a special snow flake here. I'm an avid mountain biker who also loves to go off-road and camp. So many of the trips I plan with friends comprises of mountain biking in the morning and wheeling up to remote camping spots in the afternoon.

This poses a pretty big challenge with the whole bike rack situation. The downfall of bike racks is that they really harm the departure angle. To solve this I use a hitch riser + heavy duty 1up rack. It works well and I've even gone down black diamond trails with it no problem. However, I really want to move to a metal bumper with swing outs at some point. This won't work with the current setup because the riser will most likely block the swing out arms from opening.

Wanted to see if there are others out there who have come up with a creative solution for this. I'm sure there are other 2 wheeled dirt lovers on this forum!

My current setup:

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[Xtremluck]

Side shot for reference:

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[A10MileHusker]

[MENTION=134661]Xtremluck[/MENTION] I had the same issue on my 2005. Basically I had three options. One, use a hitch extension where I could still open the dual swing out arms. The other option, and the way I went, was with a spare tire mount.



I have used this on many different trails and absolutely love the set up.

I also know a guy who did a cross country trip mostly off road and used this with zero issues.

Lastly, the other option is on the roof but, for me, felt like that was difficult and didn't like the idea of lifting my bike all the way up there.

 

[apollo]

isi makes components that allow you to clear a swing-away tire carrier

iSi Modular Bicycle Carrier - Extreme Duty Modular Bicycle Carrier Design

i have the standard off-road 4x4x4 and it's built very well. there are options for higher departure angle as well

 

[1engineer]

When I had the 4Runner and was going off road with the bike I would put the bike inside. Built a nice plus tire fork mount and everything. That's all good until the bike is covered in mud and then it becomes a chore. Now that I have a Tacoma I use a tray rack, until I am going off road and then I just put the bike in the bed.

 

[smallfry]

I have a hitch rack but haven't taken on anything more than a gravel road, I'll throw it inside as well.

When I had the 4Runner and was going off road with the bike I would put the bike inside. Built a nice plus tire fork mount and everything. That's all good until the bike is covered in mud and then it becomes a chore. Now that I have a Tacoma I use a tray rack, until I am going off road and then I just put the bike in the bed.

If I carry mine inside I just have a fork mount on a piece of 1x4 then ratchet strap it down to the tie downs. I normal have a blanket under my bike, makes cleanup easier if muddy. :becky:

 

[Ruadhrigh]

maybe you could work with the bumper fabricator to integrate a 2" receiver into one of the swing outs?
Can it be done?: Swing-out Tire Carrier and Carry 4 Bikes - Expedition Portal

or get something like this:
https://www.wilcooffroad.com/shop/hitchswing/

edit to add:
http://www.mweracks.com/

 

[Brandon_Reed]

If I were worried about the departure angle I'd probably just use the roof rack.

 

[Xtremluck]

maybe you could work with the bumper fabricator to integrate a 2" receiver into one of the swing outs?
Can it be done?: Swing-out Tire Carrier and Carry 4 Bikes - Expedition Portal

or get something like this:
https://www.wilcooffroad.com/shop/hitchswing/

edit to add:
MWE Racks

Yup,I believe [MENTION=124732]LawnDart[/MENTION] had CBI weld a hitch receiver on the swing outs for his rear bumper. Wonder how that has held up over time? I will be carrying up to (4) bikes on my rack which is about 130lbs. That's a lot of cantilevered weight on a swing out.

 

[Xtremluck]

If I were worried about the departure angle I'd probably just use the roof rack.

That would be fine for the open desert but doesn't work when you get into the mountains around here. Lots of low hanging branches that barely clear my current roof rack.

 

[natkidder]

A lot of the off road driving I do is with mt. bikes. I have a CBI dual swing and run a North Shore rack. When I ordered it, I discussed a swing-out mounted receiver with the guys at CBI. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that there would be too much weight and stress with a 40lb bike rack, 120-130lbs of bikes (if carrying 4), the weight of a spare or jerry cans and the added punishment of bouncing through rough terrain. I imagine a single tray with 1 bike would be fine though.

I also use a riser (to get the front wheels of the bikes on the passenger side of the rack to clear the spare) and it scrapes from time to time but not as often you would think by looking at it.

As far as clearance with the swing outs, when I fold the rack down and back, both swing out's open and clear easily which is the main reason I went with a dual swing.

You can see my set-up in some pics I just posted this morning:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...u-do-your-5th-gen-today-1864.html#post2809701

 

[LawnDart]

Yup,I believe [MENTION=124732]LawnDart[/MENTION] had CBI weld a hitch receiver on the swing outs for his rear bumper. Wonder how that has held up over time? I will be carrying up to (4) bikes on my rack which is about 130lbs. That's a lot of cantilevered weight on a swing out.

I think you'll find it has a lot of bounce.

Mine wasn't built for holding bikes. It's built as a mount point for what's called a ShotOver G1 we use on video productions. It's only one point among 3-4 tie downs we use to support it.

 

[Fishpilot]

If you keep with the hitch rack setup, invest a few bucks in a hitch pin that threads into a block you insert in the part of the rack that goes into the actual hitch. There are plenty of options, they're called anti rattle or anti sway but they all work the same. None of the racks with built in anti-sway hold a candle to what the hitch pin version will do. Totally eliminates wobble and adds piece of mind when the road get dicey and the pricey bikes stay rock solid.

 

[rjmarmjr]

I'm new to mountain biking, but naturally want to be able to incorporate 4Runner trails into mtb trips, so I've been wondering about this issue. I figure this is as good a place to ask as any, so is there any advantage to using the flat-bottom racks (I know a lot of people like the Kuat) versus the hitch-mounted type where the bikes hang off (see pic of my setup)?

I can see how the flat bottom ones might be more stable, but also affect the departure angle more, it seems.

It would be cool to eventually have a roof-mounted setup for trips out west, but I live in the Southeast so it's not a good default option.

What, if any, benefits am I missing? Thanks!

 

[giantkeeper]

Have you considered mounting your trays on top of the truck? The 1up racks are actually quite modular. I’ve considered moving the trays to the top of my Baja Flat rack.

 

[Ruadhrigh]

Found this thread you might find interesting:

My Bike Rack Solution - Sportsmobile Forum

Also you said 4 bikes? Do you have extensions for the one-up or do you use another rack for that?

 

[zzdocxx]

OK I've got an idea, just brainstorming here.

Let's invent a rack which holds the bike on the roof, but lying flat, with some way to easily get them up and down, and doesn't weight too much.

I'm not an engineer, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night.

:bathbaby:

 

[zzdocxx]

Found this thread you might find interesting:

My Bike Rack Solution - Sportsmobile Forum

Also you said 4 bikes? Do you have extensions for the one-up or do you use another rack for that?

Cool bumper ! How much does it weigh?

:third:

 

[dot_tom]

I like the bumper setup in the link that uses the 1Up rack. Just mount it to the swing arm.

Here is my setup. 1UP is the best rack I have used. The most off-road it sees are gravel roads to camp spots by the mtb trails.

 

[Xtremluck]

I like the bumper setup in the link that uses the 1Up rack. Just mount it to the swing arm.



Here is my setup. 1UP is the best rack I have used. The most off-road it sees are gravel roads to camp spots by the mtb trails.

Yup the 1up rack is hands down the best bike rack out there. It grips bikes by the tire and is super stable off-road.

I used to have to use bungee chords with my old Kuat rack to keep my heavy DH from falling off the rack when going over rough stuff.


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