Bike Mount Options on Your Truck

[JAWSRaptor]

I would like to share my experiences carrying bikes on my raptor. I’ve had a few different setups so Ill discuss what worked and didn’t work for me. Before I begin, ill state that I chose to use all Yakima products because I’ve owned Yakima products for years and think they make high quality items. I’ve also had excellent customer service experience with Thule and their products. First off, Id like to state that I have a Retrax Pro XR tonneau cover on the truck. Its also full wrapped in XPEL (will get to this later). I typically load mountain bikes and/or road bikes but these method should work for most bicycles. When I first got the truck I wanted to carry as many bikes as possible, for the cheapest cost possible.


First setup: Tailgate pad (up to 6 bikes)

Amazon.com

Pros: -cheap ($100-200)
-very easy to use
-load a lot of bikes


Cons:
-takes up all of your truck bed space
-lifts the edges of my XPEL wrap
-no way to lock your bikes
-not road/tri bike friendly (it works but not ideal)

This was the quick way of getting bikes around town for me. Realistically, it was great for short trips to the trail head, but not efficient for longer adventures such as camping trips or any other times you might need the bed space. So this leads me to the slightly more expensive option.

 

[JAWSRaptor]

Second setup: Hitch rack (up to 6 bikes)

Amazon.com

Pros: -still doesn’t break the bank ($350-950)
-available bed space
-tilt away for ease of use with tailgate


Cons: -bikes aren’t lockable (however, the rack is)
-makes the truck long for Starbucks runs
-not able to tow anything, hitch receiver is being used

My experience with hitch racks was with the 4 bike, tilt away Yakima hitch rack that is linked above. Another possibility is to hang them vertically back there, and Yakima makes that mount as well. It looks rad, however, I have no experience with it and it’s expensive. Here’s the link:

Amazon.com

This was a viable option for my weekend camping trips. Definitely got the job done at a fair price. The mount felt very stable hanging off the back of the truck. My two main issues with it were that my expensive bikes were hanging off, with wind sway that could cause small scratches to the bikes. And that I couldn’t tow anything. This setup plays nice with both mountain bikes and road/tri bikes (and probably any other kind of bicycle). I finally got around to utilizing the t-slots in my Retrax Pro XR tonneau cover. Now we’re talking!

 

[JAWSRaptor]

Third Option: Above bed mounts (4 bikes comfy, maybe 5)

Amazon.com

Pros: -available bed space
-extremely stable
-highly adjustable
-multi-use

Cons: -expensive
-several parts to buy (but with that comes high adjustability)
-requires tonneau cover with t-slots (which I recommend anyways, keeps my gear dry)
- high clearance, ~8’7”

For this setup, I needed multiple parts. First go the landing pads that integrate with the T-slot channels of the tonneau cover. What worked for me were Yakima landing pad 1 (set of 4). That allows you to mount the Yakima Skyline towers (set of 4). Now you’re ready for the cross bars. I went with Yakima Jetstream crossbars because they look clean and can support the weight of 4 mountain bikes, I don’t need more than that. The biggest draw back of this option is that you will need the one bike mount per bike that will mount up on the cross bars. I went with the Yakima Highroad as I don’t need to remove any wheel of the bike and load up is super simple, but they’re pricey!! $260 EACH! The great part of already having the crossbars, as you know, is that they’re compatible with many different kinds of mounts for all your gear. From snowboard and ski box to kayaks, the crossbars are clutch to have and easily removable in less than 30 seconds. And they’re lockable if you order Yakima SKS key cores. If you want the Yakima mid weight option it would be the HD bars which are rated higher in carrying capacity. However, if you want to load kayaks on your raptor, just ask @John M how he does it. I do load fishing kayaks on my truck, but I do not use the cross bars. The two yaks I carry are 12 feet each and will not fit unless the tailgate is down (I’ve also used the tailgate pad from option 1 with a closed tailgate). If this is what you wanted to carry, I recommend the Yakima Overhaul HD which is adjustable. The benefit here is that you can increase the height of the rack to keep it level with the roof of the cabin so that the yaks can sit flush over the roof of the truck. If you want to see what the rack looks like check out @chance.the.raptr on Instagram. Below are the products that I use to make my rack work:

• Landing Pad 1: https://www.backcountry.com/yakima-landing-pad-yak000a?s=a
• Skyline towers: https://www.backcountry.com/yakima-skyline-tower-system
• Jetstream cross bars: https://www.backcountry.com//yakima-jetstream-base-rack-bars?cmp_id=EM_BC-OrderConfirm&utm_medium=email&utm_source=transactional&utm_campaign=BC-OrderConfirm
• Highroad bike mount: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N14Z8KU/?tag=fordraptorforum-20
• SKS key cores: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AT0R9/?tag=fordraptorforum-20

 

[JAWSRaptor]

I’d like to point out that I’m by no means an expert on this subject. These are just the options that I’ve explored and what I found to be the benefits and disadvantages of each. I’m sure there are different ways to go about it, and a multitude of brands that you can go with. With that said, let me know if I missed anything, or any comments/questions you may have. Post up some pics of your raptor carrying your bikes and/or other outdoor gear!

 

[melvimbe]

There is also the super cheap method of just throwing the bikes in the bed and driving. Not a big deal if you aren't driving that far.

I do have one of those hitch mount racks, cheaper version than what you've got, and it works but doesn't really give me a sense that the bikes won't fall off.

 

[JAWSRaptor]

There is also the super cheap method of just throwing the bikes in the bed and driving. Not a big deal if you aren't driving that far.

I do have one of those hitch mount racks, cheaper version than what you've got, and it works but doesn't really give me a sense that the bikes won't fall off.

You're def right about that. You can always throw the bikes in the bed of the truck and call it a day! Ive done it in the past with old bikes. My issue with it is that each of these bikes is a few thousand dollars, rather spend the extra money at least on the pad to not get them all scratched up.

 

[WTX]

Good write up.

I use a tailgate pad. I haven’t gone on a camping/biking trip. I just picked up a Pivot Switchblade the other day. It’s a lot of fun

 

[JAWSRaptor]

Good write up.

I use a tailgate pad. I haven’t gone on a camping/biking trip. I just picked up a Pivot Switchblade the other day. It’s a lot of fun

Those bikes are beautiful! How do you like it? Any pics?

 

[goblues38]

Not my truck, but I have one of these things. I only use it when I have bikes in the truck vs some guys I see with it on all the time.

 

[JAWSRaptor]

Not my truck, but I have one of these things. I only use it when I have bikes in the truck vs some guys I see with it on all the time.

View attachment 338938

Nice! I love this Fox one. I remember during the height of covid i couldn't find this one, and went with the Yakima one cause of the felt lined under part that sits on the truck. This was before i got the truck wrapped, anyways.