Transporting a bike... by bike!
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,094
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1131 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Transporting a bike... by bike!
I've tried many... many times to figure out a way to transport a bike with a bike. Most of them involved somehow attaching a bike to a trailer. None of them ever worked. The bike always flopped sideways. So today I tried something different and... well... it worked... sorta.
The problem it has is that there is no freedom of movement in the y direction (up). So if I went over a speed bump or through a significant dip, bad things would happen. Well, it wasn't too terrible. The cording I used was stretchy, so it soaked up the bumps. Luckily the road between where I started and where I ended was good and flat. It made it 5 miles home.
Basically I used three trucker's hitches. (Trucker's hitches are basically a rope's version of a ratchet strap. You can pull it very... very tight and it stays in place on it's own.) Two on the handlebars and one over the top tube. Then I pulled them tight. I shoved the fork dropouts on my rack on one of the cross supports. It probably would have worked a bit better if my rack had thinner tubing, as then the dropouts could have fit ONTO the tubing, instead of just sitting on top of it. The attachment was super secure regardless.
I know they make fork attachment mechanisms with quick releases for transporting bikes by truck, but that would run into the same problem as my setup, with no "rotational" freedom. So going over bumps or dips would be a problem. So any decent attachment would need to have two directions of freedom. Left and right, and up and down. Mine had plenty of the former, and only a touch of the latter. Optimally, if you could find a way to attach the front WHEEL securely without flopping, that would allow for two directions of freedom.
Have you found any better way to transport a bike by bike?
The problem it has is that there is no freedom of movement in the y direction (up). So if I went over a speed bump or through a significant dip, bad things would happen. Well, it wasn't too terrible. The cording I used was stretchy, so it soaked up the bumps. Luckily the road between where I started and where I ended was good and flat. It made it 5 miles home.
Basically I used three trucker's hitches. (Trucker's hitches are basically a rope's version of a ratchet strap. You can pull it very... very tight and it stays in place on it's own.) Two on the handlebars and one over the top tube. Then I pulled them tight. I shoved the fork dropouts on my rack on one of the cross supports. It probably would have worked a bit better if my rack had thinner tubing, as then the dropouts could have fit ONTO the tubing, instead of just sitting on top of it. The attachment was super secure regardless.
I know they make fork attachment mechanisms with quick releases for transporting bikes by truck, but that would run into the same problem as my setup, with no "rotational" freedom. So going over bumps or dips would be a problem. So any decent attachment would need to have two directions of freedom. Left and right, and up and down. Mine had plenty of the former, and only a touch of the latter. Optimally, if you could find a way to attach the front WHEEL securely without flopping, that would allow for two directions of freedom.
Have you found any better way to transport a bike by bike?
Last edited by corrado33; 08-07-17 at 08:42 PM.
#2
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 6,938
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,446 Times
in
1,557 Posts
Take a look at my bike board, at the old front hubs with QRs that I use as fork mounts. Perhaps you could adapt something like this to attach to your rack; a piece of plank with a hub U-bolted to it and you would then clamp the plank to the rack. Good luck!
bike block in red van.jpg
bike block in red van.jpg
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,094
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1131 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Oooo super good idea. I could even skip the board completely and attach the hub directly to my rack. We've got boxes of low level hubs at the shop. (We got donations from a shut down shop once, and the donations included literally (and I'm using that correctly) boxes of new front hubs that we will likely never... never use. I think there were low to mid range shimano hubs. Interestingly, bulk hubs come in a box with many many seperate compartments for each individual hub stacked vertically. (so you're looking at all the hubs from the side.)
Last edited by corrado33; 08-07-17 at 09:21 PM.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 73
Bikes: '07 Felt F85, '14 Cervelo S3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have done this many times. If you are not on clipless pedals, its fairly easy for short/medium distances.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,094
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1131 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have done this many times. If you are not on clipless pedals, its fairly easy for short/medium distances.
The trick when ghostriding a bike is that if the 2nd bike gets out of control, just lift the front wheel off the ground and it'll correct itself.
#7
Senior Member
I've tried many... many times to figure out a way to transport a bike with a bike. Most of them involved somehow attaching a bike to a trailer. None of them ever worked. The bike always flopped sideways. So today I tried something different and... well... it worked... sorta.
The problem it has is that there is no freedom of movement in the y direction (up). So if I went over a speed bump or through a significant dip, bad things would happen. Well, it wasn't too terrible. The cording I used was stretchy, so it soaked up the bumps. Luckily the road between where I started and where I ended was good and flat. It made it 5 miles home.
Basically I used three trucker's hitches. (Trucker's hitches are basically a rope's version of a ratchet strap. You can pull it very... very tight and it stays in place on it's own.) Two on the handlebars and one over the top tube. Then I pulled them tight. I shoved the fork dropouts on my rack on one of the cross supports. It probably would have worked a bit better if my rack had thinner tubing, as then the dropouts could have fit ONTO the tubing, instead of just sitting on top of it. The attachment was super secure regardless.
I know they make fork attachment mechanisms with quick releases for transporting bikes by truck, but that would run into the same problem as my setup, with no "rotational" freedom. So going over bumps or dips would be a problem. So any decent attachment would need to have two directions of freedom. Left and right, and up and down. Mine had plenty of the former, and only a touch of the latter. Optimally, if you could find a way to attach the front WHEEL securely without flopping, that would allow for two directions of freedom.
Have you found any better way to transport a bike by bike?
The problem it has is that there is no freedom of movement in the y direction (up). So if I went over a speed bump or through a significant dip, bad things would happen. Well, it wasn't too terrible. The cording I used was stretchy, so it soaked up the bumps. Luckily the road between where I started and where I ended was good and flat. It made it 5 miles home.
Basically I used three trucker's hitches. (Trucker's hitches are basically a rope's version of a ratchet strap. You can pull it very... very tight and it stays in place on it's own.) Two on the handlebars and one over the top tube. Then I pulled them tight. I shoved the fork dropouts on my rack on one of the cross supports. It probably would have worked a bit better if my rack had thinner tubing, as then the dropouts could have fit ONTO the tubing, instead of just sitting on top of it. The attachment was super secure regardless.
I know they make fork attachment mechanisms with quick releases for transporting bikes by truck, but that would run into the same problem as my setup, with no "rotational" freedom. So going over bumps or dips would be a problem. So any decent attachment would need to have two directions of freedom. Left and right, and up and down. Mine had plenty of the former, and only a touch of the latter. Optimally, if you could find a way to attach the front WHEEL securely without flopping, that would allow for two directions of freedom.
Have you found any better way to transport a bike by bike?
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,968
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1362 Post(s)
Liked 1,674 Times
in
827 Posts
Cool!
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 355
Bikes: 2017 Ribble CX5
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 704 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Oooo super good idea. I could even skip the board completely and attach the hub directly to my rack. We've got boxes of low level hubs at the shop. (We got donations from a shut down shop once, and the donations included literally (and I'm using that correctly) boxes of new front hubs that we will likely never... never use. I think there were low to mid range shimano hubs. Interestingly, bulk hubs come in a box with many many seperate compartments for each individual hub stacked vertically. (so you're looking at all the hubs from the side.)
The hub will give you freedom of movement over bumps and the circular bearing will give freedom of movement during turns.
#10
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 6,938
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,446 Times
in
1,557 Posts
#11
Senior Member
Anyone ever try mounting a trunk-mount bike rack onto their bike (likely on to a rear rack)? That could allow for carrying 2-3 bikes, if one could manage the weight distribution.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18349 Post(s)
Liked 4,502 Times
in
3,346 Posts
Hmmm, sounds a bit like déjà vu.
https://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...e-bicycle.html
I have a photo of my fork adapter (off the bike). It works reasonably well, although it gets the weight pretty high.
I don't think I'd want to tow two bikes that way, although there is a photo of a person who carries two bikes with the front wheels in a small trailer, and the rears rolling.
https://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...e-bicycle.html
I have a photo of my fork adapter (off the bike). It works reasonably well, although it gets the weight pretty high.
I don't think I'd want to tow two bikes that way, although there is a photo of a person who carries two bikes with the front wheels in a small trailer, and the rears rolling.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Phx, AZ
Posts: 2,112
Bikes: Trek Mtn Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 281 Post(s)
Liked 2,623 Times
in
943 Posts
This is the only technique I'm familiar with.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rollingspoke/16029543778
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rollingspoke/16029543778
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,094
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1131 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This is the only technique I'm familiar with.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rollingspoke/16029543778
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rollingspoke/16029543778
#15
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,094
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1131 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hmmm, sounds a bit like déjà vu.
https://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...e-bicycle.html
I have a photo of my fork adapter (off the bike). It works reasonably well, although it gets the weight pretty high.
I don't think I'd want to tow two bikes that way, although there is a photo of a person who carries two bikes with the front wheels in a small trailer, and the rears rolling.
https://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...e-bicycle.html
I have a photo of my fork adapter (off the bike). It works reasonably well, although it gets the weight pretty high.
I don't think I'd want to tow two bikes that way, although there is a photo of a person who carries two bikes with the front wheels in a small trailer, and the rears rolling.
I really like the idea of a simple front hub as suggested above. That should be secure enough and provide all of the degrees of freedom that you'd need. If I could mount it low on the rack it'd be even better.
#16
Senior Member
If anyone's got a good idea for transporting a bike on a motorcycle, I'd be interested.
#18
Senior Member