Planning bike trips with excellent scenery can be an easy job to nail but carrying the cycle has always been a challenge. You’re not planning to throw the bike to the back of the truck nor you’re going to disassemble it. That’s why you’re looking for the best truck bed bike rack.
I am not being sarcastic when I say that it’s a huge challenge deciding on a bike rack. They can in a surprisingly large number of shapes and sizes. Some can accommodate one some two and some a whole lot more.
Best Truck Bed Bike Racks in the Market Now
Long story short, it’s a quite long, tiring struggle to make this list. You probably know that you can find truck bed racks of different categories. They are different designs, sizes, and even different usages. But my fellow riders and I have made it! We have tested these products and decided their eligibility to be here on the list. Anyways, let’s see what we have!
1. INNO Truck Bed Bike Mount System
Sterling aspects
If you don’t want to sacrifice the cargo space of your truck yet carry bikes, this bike rack can please you. Its innovative design helps you to park your bike in the right place of your truck. Enough space will be there still even after loading the bike.
It is quite easy to install the rack on your truck. It has a side clamp installation and that’s why it’s easy. You get a strap with the rack to ensure that your bike is at the exact position during the drive. This strap also prevents the bikes from colliding with the truck body. Amazingly, you don’t need any drilling or bolting throughout this process.
This rack is available in two different sizes. Obviously the standard one and a C-channel. You can use this rack regardless of rim size. That means the rack can deal with any kind of bikes and secure them at the exact place.
With the help of the D-ring, you can just strap your bike. On top of the easy installation and strapping, you are offered a wide range of colors of the rack.
Flaws
- There’s no cable lock that comes with the rack. But the security of the bike is important. That’s why you need to buy locks all by yourself to be on the safe side.
2. Hollywood Racks T970 Fork Block 1 Bicycle Fork Mount
Sterling aspects
This rack is lighter in design but highly effective in its duty. This is the one that will easily come into your budget. You can secure one bike at a time but this is highly effective for this purpose.
The aluminum build body is the secret behind this lightweight. Besides, this construction has made the rack more preventive against the rust.
The first and foremost thing that has to be noticed of the rack is its versatility. You can use the rack for mounting your bike in your truck bed or can use it as a floor mount, wall mount, etc. This tiny equipment can meet your need of gluing up your bike on any surface.
As expected, this tiny rack is also easy to be carried around. It has a total weight of 12-ounce. Besides, its dimensions help you to fit it on your truck. The rack itself won’t take much space.
The mountings its use is top-notch, comprising from the screw to the additional bolts it has. However, it grips the bike by the fork with the help of a 9-mm skewer.
Flaws
- You need to remove the front wheel of your bike to fix it with the rack. It requires a lot of effort every time.
- Besides, you can’t use this rack for multi-purpose.
3. Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack BedRack
Sterling aspects
Here’s the pro in this sector. When it comes down to rendering great performance, simply there are very few opponents to bet on this one. This rack empowers you by giving the opportunity of parking up to 4 bikes at a time. Besides, this rack has many features to blow up your mind. The cushion ensures further safety of your bike.
A solid grip is ensured on the truck bed. This rack truly fits with any truck model available in the market now. It’s the stabilizer of the rack which is made of rubber. This stabilizer grips the surface of the truck bed and secures the overall system. The rack comes with all the necessary equipment for installing. You don’t need to dismantle the front rim of your bike.
You can easily install this rack on your truck bed. No additional drilling is required. Just slide the rack and ensure that it is in the right position. This is enough for most of the cases. But for the extreme, just insert the rubber stabilizer to fill up the gap. It’s enough for the installation. Piece of cake!
Flaws
- You cannot use it for step side up pickups.
- More on that, no additional straps or lock is provided.
4. Top Line UG2500-2 Uni-Grip Truck Bed Bike Rack for 2 Bike Carrier
Sterling aspects
If you often plan a road trip with your homies, then you’ll love this rack. This is a rack that can be easily installed in your vehicle and can also be removed easily. This accessibility makes it suitable for last-minute planning. Just strap the bike and you’re ready to go!
This rack is originally designed to accommodate two bikes but with some modifications, you can use it for four bikes. You can adjust two racks side by side and attach them with the slightest effort.
Moreover, you can adjust it anywhere in the truck bed. This gives you the opportunity to deal with a huge amount of stuff that is carried with you on your tour.
The overall weight of the rack is just 4-pound. With a dimension that can be easily fit in any vehicle, it’s a good choice if you want to have a rack that can be fitted easily. The mounting process won’t take long. A maximum of 2 minutes is enough. When you install the clamps, you find it easy.
Other necessary accessories along with a nylon strap, mountings, and a plastic cap are included with the set. A detailed instruction manual is also given to facilitate the process. All of these are packed together.
Flaws
- This drill-less installation process cannot be applied to all trucks. You need to drill a hole in the bed rail to make the rack fit in those truck models.
5. Swagman Pickup Truck Bike Rack
Sterling aspects
This is an adjustable bike rack that can be easily used for almost any kind of truck models. This is a telescopic bar that can be placed along with the breath of your truck. This bar can secure 2 bikes of 35 lbs. each at a time.
Awesome gripping is a part of this bar. You can easily secure your bikes on the truck bed by simply putting it. This rack has rubber end pads that help it to be in a perfect position.
An interesting locking system is ensured. The rack secures your bike on the fork-mount blocks. 9-mm quick-release skewers are for anchoring the bikes and securing them on the carrier.
The installation process is quite easy. No drilling is needed! Just you have to adjust the width of the bar according to the size of the truck bed.
This rack is made of solid stainless steel. That’s why you can use it for a long time. With a heavy load, this rack can perform well for its improved design.
Flaws
- You need to remove the front rim for mounting. This process consumes some additional time.
6. Thule Insta-Gator Truck Mount
Sterling aspects
It’s a good choice for those people who want a single bike rack for their trucks. You can easily mount your bike with the frame of the rack. And most importantly you don’t need to remove the front wheel of the bike. This rack can easily handle wheel diameter from 20 to 29-inch.
This rack just grabs the front wheel of your bike. So, any direct frame contract with the bike is not required. This design has added an extra to the security. When you’re cruising in your truck with the bike mounted, the bike has less opportunity to come in contact with the bike. That’s why there is no chance of searching or damaging the bike.
Up to 3-inch wide tires can be handled by the rack. If you have a bike with wide tires, you don’t need to worry. It’s super easy to load and unload. Just raise or lower the ratcheting arm to unlock or lock the bike at the position.
You can secure the bike with a lock that can be bought in your budget. Adjusting two or more racks side by side is also possible. This empowers you to deal with more bikes. Just figure out your requirements and the rack will fulfill them with ease!
Flaws
- You cannot use it for the trucks having a tailgate bed gap greater than ½ inch.
- Besides, you need to buy a lock separately to protect your bike with the rack.
7. Apex TBBC-4 4-Bike Pickup Truck Bed Bicycle Rack
Sterling aspects
This rack can offer you a proper glue up of 1 to 4 bikes at a time. If you’re off with your friends ‘n family too often, it’s a good choice. With its improved design and sturdy built quality, this rack has many things to offer and amaze you!
To begin with, let’s check its build quality. This rack is built from solid steel. Yeah, it’s heavier but can offer you more safety. This rack weighs 31-pounds itself. You can fit the rack in trucks having 52.75-inch to 73-inch tailgate.
The black coat on the rack is not only for looks but it helps to prevent rust or any kind of corrosion.
It’s easy to install the rack on board. Adjustable bolts and stoppers come with the rack. There are four distinct spots where you can simply put the bikes. Those spots are covered with soft padding and that’s why the risk of striking while transit is minimum.
Again you can secure them with the tie-down straps. Up to 26-inch wheel, diameter bikes can be attached to it.
Flaws
- There’s no additional locking system in this rack.
- Besides, steel construction has made the rack more vulnerable to rust.
Consider These to Get the Best Truck Bed Bike Rack
It may seem a bit weird why I’m trying to insert a buying guide for a simple rack. Because it’s not that easy to get a truck bed bike rack. You obviously need to consider a few things before picking up one. Here’s the checklist.
How Often You Use It
It’s possible that you not go out for a ride too often. In most cases, this is almost common. If you’re one of them, then simply pick up a lighter one. Stainless steel constructed telescoping bar type racks are meant for you.
But you often go out for a joy ride and carry a lot of stuff, then you need to increase the budget. Such standalone bike racks are equally effective on or off the truck bed. They come in a higher range but take a great deal of care.
Number of Bikes Needed to Be Carried
Bike rack manufacturers offer you a special build-in feature for friends and family tours. You can certainly expand certain racks and fit more than one bike in it. Some racks even offer you a convertible space to carry all other necessary stuff.
Go for racks that provide 2 to 4 bike management if you fit into this category. Mostly they don’t require any wheel removal. Plus spacers help in fitting for larger truck beds. But these modifications come at a bit higher price.
Padding they Provide
The rack metal bodies often feature soft padding made of foam or rubber. They are needed for keeping your lovely bike’s metallic regions like gears and spokes from abrasion. They take great care to retain the coating of the rack and in keeping the bicycles steady to some extent.
Similar padding also comes at the contact regions of the rack and the truck bed. This protects the truck bed, essentially. Rubber protections are better as they are sturdier and last longer than foam paddings.
Extension and Spacer
These slender bike racks should cover roughly from 50 inches to 80 inches. Less than would not be able to take cover most of the truck beds whereas a higher length would cause trouble in setup and inclination. Spacers are helpful to have for larger trucks.
The telescoping bars should come up with the feature of an extension within that range. They offer a good level of extension capabilities with detent buttons. For fine-tuning the adjustment, an adjustment tuner screw is placed on either side of better racks. The hassle is, they usually lock bikes after removing the first wheel.
Pin Clips
Besides the extensibility trait, the tool-free installation comes in great handy especially if you’re a guy in a rush. Even large truck bed racks take up a small chunk of your camping, tour or hiking prep if they feature pin clip connections.
Required Level of Security you Want
When you’re not around your car, it’s possible that some stuff maybe just missing. In other words, there’s a chance that someone picks those things up. A lock is a good option and to worth your money an integrated locking system is what you should be heading for. Now, what’s that?
Actually, there are some racks that come with a locking system mounted with it. Locking both the rack and the bicycle(s) is the goal. Improved systems come with one key solution. Now you can unlock all the locks of the same rack by a single key. Good for the mood.
Where you Store the Rack
Manufacturers have put a great effort into the development of the clamping system of the rack. It’s likely that your garage is the place where all the parts of your vehicle go to rest! And bike racks aren’t exceptions. But the space in the garage is not infinite. Try to keep it matched with the number of bikes your hang-out group has.
FAQ
Q: Can I use the rack as a multipurpose one?
Ans: Partially, yes! As you already know that you can simply find more than one kind of racks for your truck. All those racks are readily not equipped with such a mechanism that can hold other stuff in the right position. Check the specs and from there you can exact that necessary information.
Q: Does the rack catch rust?
Ans: Racks are made of aluminum these days and that’s why they’re almost rust free. Besides, they are light-weighted and can be carried easily.
Bottom Line
Hopefully, you have made your mind. If not, no problem! It’s normal that your mind wobbles to find the best one. I have some more to offer to boost up your search for the best truck bed bike rack. Yeah, I’ll suggest some racks that personally delighted me much.
If you’re looking for a rack that can secure 4 bikes at a time and is easy to install, you can go with Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack BedRack. But you need a system that is in your budget, you can check out Hollywood Racks T970 Fork Block 1 Bicycle Fork Mount. But if I need an adjustable one, then Swagman Pickup Truck Bike Rack will be okay.
Hi, it’s Bucky Balls
CSE (Computer Science & Engineering) & MSC from Port City International University.
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