How to Protect Your Bikes while Traveling
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- As full time RVers, we spend a lot of time on the road, and keeping our bikes safe on the back of our Jeep is important. After trying several difference setups, we found the best way to protect our bikes while traveling.
Components we use:
Blue Ox 8-inch drop down extender (for clearance with the spare)
Thule dual bike rack rated for two 65-pound bikes
Pool noodle with 2 straps
YardStash XXL bike cover designed for 2-3 bikes (82” x 42” x 44”)
Nicely Neat XL bike cover (77” x 44”)
Grizzly Gear Cargo Net (72” x 96”)
![[TF2] The Russian Bear Trap](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YFNSwz2_rOA/mqdefault.jpg)
The cargo net is a great idea. We added two additional locks to our setup to beef up security. Of course, nothing will keep a determined thief from stealing something they want but if you make it hard enough hopefully they will go after an easier target. Safe travels!
I and my husband would like to Thank you for your help. We followed step by step your instructions. We have two e-bikes and the same bike rack like yours. We traveled from Toronto, Canada to Orange County California. The bikes were well protected. THANK YOU! Great advice!
That's so good to hear! I'm glad we could help. Don't you just love your e-bikes? ❤
@@Technorv Yes we do and we were so smart taking them with us to California:) We would like to do it again next year. Thank you again.
This is such a helpful video! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for this great idea/ set of instructions. I've ordered covers + cargo netting. I was convinced that the wind/ flapping around would tear/damage covers and your idea to use + instructions) cargo netting makes all the difference! Leaving the bikes uncovered, then cleaning them at the end of the journey would have been the alternative, but now I feel the bikes will be better protected & also out of sight at stops. Thanks!
The wind is definitely brutal on the covers and the netting has been great for us too. Glad the video was helpful!
The heaviest bike should be closest to the vehicle. By the looks of it I would say it is the mountain e-bike.
Agreed, the heaviest bike should be on the inside, but with that specific rack the women style frame needs to go on first and the men's style frame on the outside. I have the exact same problem with having the heavy men style bike on the outside
So glad I came upon your video. The cargo net is really a great idea and key to traveling with bike covers. Thank you
Glad we could help!
Brilliant idea with the cargo net. Thank you and happy trails to you!
Thanks so much. I have tried two separate heavy duty covers, both strapped down but on each occasion the wind has torn them. The cargo net idea is brilliant
Awesome setup brah! Thank you for sharing your ideas! Cargo net a must! Great idea man! Be blessed!
Looks good. We also have e-bikes that we want to put on a towed vehicle behind our motor home. Some say that it causes a problem in towing the vehicle and that you need to put them between the two, but I see now that your set-up can be done successfully. Thanks.
👌
Good idea dude, thanks. Cargo net is definitely worth trying.
The net was a game change for us. It really extends the life of the cover and reduces the dirt and grime that creeps into the cover while driving.
Good ideas
Good video. Cargo net tip fixed me right up! Thanks.
Glad we could help!
Fantastic idea going to implement it asap
Nice setup. I like the net idea, I've been using rope, wrapped around the bikes, kinda how you wrap yours with the net. So far it has worked good, but I'll try out the net. Funny, I have the same 2017 Haibike, All Mtn Xduro 6.0, in white. I use the Hollywood ebike rack, works really good, no noodle needed for 2 ebikes.
Hey Tom, I think you will like the net to help protect the bike cover from damaging wind.
Eric
Thank you. Made it very clear and easy.
Glad it helped! Thanks for the comment.
Great advice, I need those cargo nets !😀 Trev
Well worth the investment for bikes like that..
great tips, sick jeep
Thanks! We do love it - it was fun build and a fun ride.
Love it we have e-bikes we carry also and we pudchased the Yard Stash, great video
Don't you love your ebikes? They've allowed us to have some great experiences on the road!
Great video, thank you. Wondering why you use two bike covers? Did you have a bad experience with just one?
Hi Kevin, No issues with the one but just like the idea of the two single just in case if we only take one bike on a trip.
Thats the idea but i need something rigid to prorect more, in a long trip, cuz im living in my car, but bike is inside, and i cant use it so much cuz its hard to take it out. I think something similar to this, but something rigid
Great video,but the music is way to loud
Thanks for this video. I’m trying to duplicate what you have here. What are you using to secure the noodle to the bike? Have a link?
Hi Robert. So sorry for the delay in responding! We have the names and brands of everything we used in this video in the video description. Also, we secure the pool noodle with large gear ties. I don't remember the exact one we bought, but here is a link to an example of some: www.niteize.com/collection/Gear-Tie.asp Hope this helps!
Love the cargo net idea. Where did you get the net and what size?
We got the nets and covers from Amazon. Here is a list of all of the components used in the video:
Blue Ox 8-inch drop down extender (for clearance with the spare)
Thule dual bike rack rated for two 65-pound bikes
Pool noodle with 2 straps
YardStash XXL bike cover designed for 2-3 bikes (82” x 42” x 44”)
Nicely Neat XL bike cover (77” x 44”)
Grizzly Gear Cargo Net (72” x 96”)
How about a safe way to lock bikes on hitch mout bike rack? Recently had $10,000 worth of bikes stolen off a thule T2 pro hitch mount bike rack using their tiny cable lock that was part of the bike rack. It happened when traveling on the back of our car when stopped to do a thirty min hike where no bikes were allowed. Been thinking some way to rig up two beefy chain locks like Hiplok, kryptonite ect. I know no system is perfect. Just want to be able to leave them on the car for a few hours say at national park parking lot or the like. Bikes won't fit in the car with all our camping gear. Any ideas would be super helpful! Thank you in advance!
We used the Thule lock that came with the hitch, but also used a Kryptonite lock wrapped around the bikes as well. Hope this helps!
I'm looking for a video on how to secure my bike to the rack while driving on the highway. I'm a new bike rider and up till now I've only driven my bike on my trunk mounted rack short distances. I've noticed that my tire and handle bars swing freely while I'm driving..I want to make sure when I'm on the highway my bike will be securely attached. Any suggestions?
where did you find the Thule Bike Rack? I don't see any that have the bottom platform like you're showing
+Nancy LaValley Here is the one we have. www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-rack/hitch-bike-racks/thule-easyfold-_-1684676
Is this the setup you are still using
We do not travel with bikes anymore, but we used this setup for many years when we did.
Thank you for the quick reply, curious why you used 2 covers
It was simply for more protection so we could have a bit more coverage on each side. Not really necessary though.
I know this video is 4 years old but can you tell me why you use two bike covers? I use a cargo net too but I don't understand why two covers. Thanks!
Honestly, I am not sure why we used 2 covers except that the bikes were large and I thought 2 would allow me to get more coverage on the sides. If you got a large enough one to cover well, one should be fine with the cargo net.
@@Technorv Thanks for replying. Happy riding!
Does that type of rack have an attachable ramp to load the heavy bikes up?
Hi Bob. The rack does not have a ramp for the heavier ebikes. I don't have any recommendations on which brand does though. Sorry :)
What is the reason you used two covers instead of the single XXL over both bikes?
Hey Paul, There is no science to it, but for me there were two things I considered. First, the wind will tear the covers apart if they are not tight. The second thing to consider is keeping the bikes clean and free of dirt and debris. The first cover is very tight to the bikes, and the second cover is loose so it tends to keep the first cover from riding up on the tires. Of course the netting assists in keeping them both in place. I have run one cover before and the bikes tended to get dirtier. In addition, debris can put holes in the covers and with there being two covers I get less debris through to the bikes. As much as we travel I have replaced covers and netting due to the abuse of the road.
How do you lock the Thule hitch rack to the hitch to prevent it from being removed from your hitch?
The model we have has a built-in lock that won't allow it to be removed without the key. The same key works to lock the bikes to the rack.
How do you have your Jeep lights and license plate show?
We mounted new lights on the roof rack which took care of that, but the license plate was unfortunately still a bit hidden. We received a toll by mail once while towing it, so I guess it was visible enough for the cameras.
Do your bike stay dry while you are driving in heavy rain?
If it is really bad weather, you can get some wetness from underneath since the cover doesn't completely wrap around the bottom, but most of the time they stay dry.
I have the same bike rack. I hope they cannot steal those bike
With the included lock, I don't think anyone could get the bikes off the rack, but we also added our Kryptonite chain lock that we used when we were locking the bikes while riding and attached it to the rack as well. It was a good place to store the locks and added another level of security.
If you were say staying in a Motel and not in your RV would you think the bikes would be secure enough overnight? Great video BTW.
Only thing I'm concerned with is it covering the license plate. Thats reason to get pulled over and ticketed. Thats why I took my cover off, but am tired of having to take it in to a bike shop to get cleaned up and tuned up etc. Gettin costly.
Good point, although I have never had a issue with that. The Jeeps have a offset plate so better visibility than a center mounted plate.
Eric
The Thule Easyfold actually has a place to mount your license plate right on the back of the rack so it's not obstructed.
Can you still see your jeeps taillights?
Tail lights being visible was a huge concern of ours, so we had a light strip installed on our rack. It is very bright both day and night. It's by Blade and goes from one end of the top rack to the other. Check it out here (without bikes): instagram.com/p/BcWO4EWBC2R/?hl=en&taken-by=techno_rv
I had the police pull me over at night because my tail lights were hidden. This was winter time and he watched me take it all off. you need clear see through plastic to see your tail lights
Eric following up on the lightbar. Is the lightbar wired into the tail lights on the Jeep?
Yes. It does running lights, turn signals, and brakes.
I don't think I belong here. I'm not a multimillionaire yet. Shit.
What bikes do you have?
Tami has an E-Motion and Eric has a HaiBike. Eric started with an E-Motion too, but ended up wanting more of a mountain bike so he did a trade. Both are fabulous and have held up remarkably well for being towed on the back of our Jeep nonstop for over three years.
You have a 72 x 96 for 2 bikes. What size do you think I would need for 1 bike? I have a hybrid with 26" tires.
Hi, I am not 100% sure on that as it relates to Thule racks. You may want to search their site for one bike set ups. All racks are set up for a certain number of bikes so that is more of what I would be looking for besides the exact measurements.
I hope this helps. Eric
What size is the cargo net and where did you get it?
Here are the nets and covers we used, and we got them from Amazon:
YardStash XXL bike cover designed for 2-3 bikes (82” x 42” x 44”)
Nicely Neat XL bike cover (77” x 44”)
Grizzly Gear Cargo Net (72” x 96”)
Thank you!