It feels like it’s been too long since the last time I shared a home improvement project, especially considering the truck could always use some upgrades. Recently, I got a new bike, which is fantastic, but as usual with new acquisitions, it presented a storage problem.
The Storage Puzzle
Now I own a substantial, 50-pound bicycle that needs a home. Keeping it close seems logical for a few key reasons:
- It’s a valuable piece of equipment, costing over $3,000.
- Bikes in the Bay Area have a reputation for being frequent targets for theft.
- Storing it elsewhere just seems impractical. Having to retrieve it every time I want to ride defeats the spontaneity, right? Nobody wants to start their bike ride with a long walk just to get the bike. Certainly not me.
Keeping the bike in the truck bed for safekeeping when I’m out and about was an easy decision. However, the challenge arose when I needed to drive. The bike won’t stand upright on its own, especially with my, shall we say, dynamic driving habits. Simply laying it down and hoping for the best wasn’t an option. This bike has delicate components—a derailleur, electric motor, torque sensor, lights, and disc brakes. Letting it bounce around in the truck bed seemed like a surefire way to damage it. My general approach to owning nice things is to avoid breaking them, and I intended to maintain that.
Rack Research and Realizations
So, I started looking into bike rack options. I realized I was in a unique situation, needing to choose between what’s typically considered a home bike rack and a car bike rack. Regardless of the type, I knew it had to be robust enough to handle the weight of my electric bike. Home racks quickly seemed unsuitable. They aren’t designed for movement and lack shock resistance, which could damage the bike or dislodge it if I hit a bump too hard.
After some searching, a truck bed bike rack emerged as the best solution. The truck bed essentially acts like a giant truck box, and I thought I could probably adapt the clamps to fit… somehow. Plus, keeping the bike upright and on the bed floor eliminated the risk of falling, unlike ceiling or wall mounts. I placed my order and waited for delivery, ready to get my hands metaphorically dirty.*
Now, if you’ve seen my previous DIY attempts, a pattern emerges: things often go sideways, making life harder than necessary due to my, let’s say, evolving understanding of physical mechanics. I’m a software engineer; my expertise lies in electrons and pixels, not lumber and metal. True to form, my initial plan hit a snag due to insufficient research. I hoped to clamp the rack onto the wooden slats lining the truck bed, similar to how it would clamp to a truck bed edge. However, hope is not a strategy. More measuring and less hoping was needed because the wooden slats were just a tiny bit too tall and too close to the truck wall for the clamp to fit properly.
The bike rack clamps initially didn’t fit the wooden slat due to size and proximity to the truck wall.
Improvisation and Installation
Slightly discouraged but determined, I assessed the situation in a random parking lot. After a moment of contemplation, it dawned on me: I could detach the wooden slat, position the clamp’s back half against the truck wall, and then secure it by re-screwing the slat. The clamp still didn’t perfectly fit around the wood, but I reasoned that if I tightened it really, really tightly, the metal clamp might just bite into the wood enough to hold everything in place.
I proceeded with my revised plan, gave the rack a few test tugs (accompanied by some concerning creaking sounds), and then loaded the bike, securing the clamp around the seatpost.
The bike is shown secured in the truck bed using the improvised bike rack setup.
The initial outcome? Promising. I drove about a mile with the bike secured in the back, and it seemed to survive without incident—no explosions or casualties. I’m still not entirely convinced that a sharp turn won’t dislodge the wood slat and send the bike tumbling, but for now, fingers are crossed.
*Actually, the truck is reasonably clean. I sweep it out weekly.
This experience highlights the importance of choosing the right bike rack for the back of your bike, especially when transporting it in a truck bed. While a dedicated truck bed bike rack worked in this scenario, understanding your vehicle and bike type is crucial. Consider factors like bike weight, truck bed dimensions, and the rack’s mounting mechanism to ensure a secure and safe transport solution. Whether you opt for a ready-made rack or explore DIY adaptations, the goal remains the same: protecting your valuable bike during transit.
