5+ Bike Racks.... So expensive

I got 5 people in this family...  We all ride mountain bikes.  I hate my current rack.  It's like playing bike tetris each time we go to load up.. It takes atleast 30 minutes to get the bikes on and off.  They bounce around and I'm worried thousands of dollars of bikes will hit the ground.  Gonna have to throw down for a nice bike rack I think...

ReconRacks

Velocirax

lolo Racks

Alta Racks

North Shore Rack..

Anyone use one? Reviews?

So this year, My plan was to get a small fishing boat for me and the kiddos (aluminum no frills.. not much to break), but I think being active and supporting mountain biking would be a better use of my money.  Its better that the whole family gets out side and is healthy..   We did book two trips to Cuyuna(MTB park) this year with another to CAMBA in Wisconsin.

Also.. no more broken collarbones.. did that in November...  

You talking hitch rack, roof rack....? What vehicle?

I've never seen a hitch rack I'd trust more than 2 bikes on, but I've seen a lot of people use them. When I was set up for 4 bikes I did it with 2 on a roof rack and 2 on a hitch rack. 

Have you considered getting a small, open utility trailer? You can easily DIY it to secure 5 bikes and it is probably cheaper than the rack, especially if you bought used. 

Hell, you can probably get a used enclosed trailer for less than those racks....

(edit: or buy the fising boat and throw all the bikes in it!)

I'll echo Ultraclyde. Sounds like it is time for a trailer.

Something like this - probably doable under $500, plus you have a utility trailer to use. 

Used bike trailer, something like this.  When I raced BMX quite a few of us had them.

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I love love love my 1Up USA rack. Not cheap, but waaaaaay better than the Thule roof racks and then hitch racks I tried and it'll last forever. IIRC you're only supposed to expand the heavy duty one to four bikes, each with a 50-75 lb. weight limit, but if you have lighter bikes I wouldn't think five would be a problem.

https://www.1up-usa.com/product-category/bike-racks/

My neighbor had one of those fancy $500 hitch racks, then switched to one of these after seeing mine in action.

1up racks are awesome.

Why not do some on the back, some on the roof?  I would do that for a while until its becomes super serious business.  5 bikes beyond the back of a vehicle would get pretty nutty.

I want a trailer, but I don't have a spot for one, beyond a harbor freight folding.. and I'm not gonna enjoy unfolding the thing and setting it up everytime I want to go riding.   We ride 2-3 Days a week in non frozen mode.  My friend has a recon rack and loves it, but $1200+ is a big pill to swallow.

In reply to Tom Suddard :

1 up dosen't do 5..   and a pair of 1up racks are the same price as a lolo rack that'll do 6..  https://theloamwolf.com/2017/08/31/review-lolo-rack-american-made-six-pack/

Where were you going to put the boat if you don't have room for a utility trailer?

In reply to mtn (Forum Supporter) :

The boat I can store outside in season per town rules.  I'd keep it in the driveway or street.  I can't store a utility trailer in plain sight, unless zoned for farm.  Town, not HOA, rules.  I can't store a trailer in the backyard due to the crappy configuration of my lot.  

edit: I might be able to do an enclosed trailer outside.  I know my friend got the cops called on him because his utlity trailer was viewable from the street last year.  No tickets, cops were nice, but he had to move it.

Front rack and rear rack?

In reply to moxnix :

I was thinking of doing a rear rack and then a couple trays on the roof, but that's still a bunch of work.  My left arm isn't back up to strength after breaking my collarbone launching my bike last year..  so I'm unsure when I'll be ready to put a bike on the roof of the suburban..

i guess if I owned a pickup a tailgate mat would be the best shot..  They can hold 7.  However, No truck..  Want one badly, but won't pay the inflated prices now.

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

Where were you going to put the boat if you don't have room for a utility trailer?

Yeah, and toss the bikes into the boat. Double solved. 

Folding H-F trailer?  Store in the garage upright when not needed?

Fueled by Caffeine said:

In reply to moxnix :

I was thinking of doing a rear rack and then a couple trays on the roof, but that's still a bunch of work.  My left arm isn't back up to strength after breaking my collarbone launching my bike last year..  so I'm unsure when I'll be ready to put a bike on the roof of the suburban..

I was talking about a front hitch not a roof rack.  

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

This is leading candidate #2..  I just think I'm gonna hate myself unfolding it 2-3 times a week to put the bikes on it..

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

Folding H-F trailer?  Store in the garage upright when not needed?

I was able to store the 4-foot, standard autocross tire trailer in the garage leaning up against the wall. There was some sort of brace I built out of some scrap wood that kept the thing from balancing on the lights, but it was about a 15 second procedure to get it into and out of storage. 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

This is leading candidate #2..  I just think I'm gonna hate myself unfolding it 2-3 times a week to put the bikes on it..

If the bikes were left on the trailer in between rides would that free up the room in the garage to leave the trailer on the ground? It would also save time when it is ready to ride as it would be ready to roll. 

Otherwise I'd be looking for used and see what you can come up with for a mix between roof and hitch. Keep in mind those hitch racks take up space too when they aren't mounted on the vehicle. 

Edit: If all 5 of you are riding 5 days a week and you don't already have one it is time to invest in a good work stand. I've been happy with my Feedback Sports stand that I have had for over 10 years now, it's solid and when I needed a part they shipped it to a local shop free of charge even though I was out of warranty. Working on the bikes could be a fun way to get the kids involved in something mechanical too that isn't quite as daunting as working on a car depending on their age.

In reply to adam525i (Forum Supporter) :

I just bought a cheapie workstand from amazon.  We shall see how it goes. 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

This is leading candidate #2..  I just think I'm gonna hate myself unfolding it 2-3 times a week to put the bikes on it..

2-3 times a week?

Buy a full size van; bikes live in the back of the van when not being ridden or worked on...

I would say the cheap labor fight trailer would be easy to pick up and store in the backyard or the garage. $100 new is cheap and the wooden tire holder on that one would be easy to bolt on and off.

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Yup 2-3 times a week. Nearly every week. Most vacations are planned around biking this year. 
 

kids ride their bikes though nearly every day in the summer. 

My daughter and her family have a 6 bike North Shore Rack on the back of  a Crosstrek, and its awesome. We regularly have 5 bikes on it (including my heavy, heavy e-mountain bike), and it works like a charm. After 3 seasons there have been no issues with it at all, and it is used at least weekly.

Could you suspend a trailer from the garage ceiling?

My attitude on the rules would be to buy a small crappy boat on a trailer and attach the boat to the trailer. Then I would build racks inside the boat to hold the bikes.