The Best Truck Bed Bike Rack: Ideas To Spark Your Journey!

It’s a sunny day, with temperatures around 75 degrees. You have nothing on your schedule, a recently serviced bike and a pickup truck ready to transport you to your preferred biking trail. However, there’s a minor hiccup: you haven’t yet purchased a bike rack. It’s about time – to get the best truck bed bike rack with one aligning with your wants at large.

Best Truck Bed Bike Rack: Sure-fire Formula For Your Item

Product Names	Pros	Cons
Thule GateMate Tailgate Pad	Perfect for compact spaces	Can’t accommodate extra bikes
Pipeline Racks Truck Bed Rack
Let’s Go Aero Nelson	Keeps truck bed clear	Can carry two bikes only
Yakima GateKeeper Tailgate Pad	–  Simple construction	No integrated locking system
Yakima HighRoad	Easy to mount and load a bike	Be pretty high-costFit only some specific designs
Inno Velo Gripper	Hassle-freeNo drilling required	Can’t fit all car models

Thule GateMate Tailgate Pad

The GateMate by Thule is sought-after in the line-up. It’s robust enough to safeguard your bicycles during transportation without consuming much space in your pickup bed. It comes in two dimensions for compact and larger trucks and is crafted from resilient polyester, EVA foam, and a vinyl layer to avoid scrapes on your truck bed and the bicycle.

It’s jaw-dropping as it holds up to seven bicycles in smaller trucks and eight in larger models. This bike rack for front of truck also boasts two inward-facing mesh compartments to arrange small items like equipment and gloves. Its broad handle gap for backup camera space is available as well.

Besides the truck bed bike rack, learn about the lights on top of trucks and the hints behind them!

Pipeline Racks Truck Bed Rack

Instead of attaching to your bed rails, this DIY bike rack for truck bed seamlessly fits into your truck bed and can comfortably accommodate three bicycles. Designed specifically for compact trucks, Pipeline’s truck bed bicycle rack is compatible with bed widths ranging from 49-59 inches and is supplied with all the necessary components. 

The design caters to wheel diameters between 20-20 inches and tire widths from .75 – 2.8 inches. Made entirely of aluminum, the rack is rust-resistant. Its slim design means you can quickly drive into low-clearance areas without the concern of damaging your bicycles.

Let’s Go Aero Nelson

The Full Nelson outshines thanks to its distinctive design: it consists of a truck bed mount affixed to the bed rails of your vehicle using an adaptable full cross bed bar and can accommodate two bicycles on top for a safe journey. 

The Full Nelson is a rack mounted on the wheel, and it caters to bikes of all sizes and frame styles with its customizable wheel cradles. The Zero-G 4-Point customizable wheel grip safeguards the bike’s frame and ensures a steady mount, facilitated by four upper wheel cradles equipped with rubber straps and four lower cradles designed to halt sway.. 

Additionally, The Full Nelson is equipped with the company’s exclusive Nelson V-Wing, which has the capability to rotate a full circle, making the process of loading and unloading bicycles a breeze.

Yakima GateKeeper Tailgate Pad

The Yakima tailgate pad, though simple, is robust and can hold up to five bicycles. It’s designed with integrated cycle cradles and G-hook buckles to ensure stability during transportation. The GateKeeper, constructed with heavy-duty vinyl-coated nylon, features a soft backing that safeguards your truck’s paintwork. 

The G-hook lock and tension system are also gentle on carbon fiber and other painted surfaces of your bicycle’s frame. The GateKeeper includes a hidden cover enabling continuous use of your reverse camera. Furthermore, the inbuilt cable lock loop gives an added layer of security to the pad, and your bicycles, by attaching them to the truck bed.

Yakima HighRoad

Even though roof racks are pricier than trunk racks and not as user-friendly as hitch racks, they offer unhindered access to the car’s cargo space. They are sometimes the only viable choice for specific car models. 

Still, they can significantly boost your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Among the roof racks DriveRevolve examined, the Yakima HighRoad stood out as the most manageable, both in terms of installation and bike loading. It secures your bike firmly by the front wheel, which we found more desirable than fork-mount styles since the rack doesn’t touch the bike’s frame. It’s worth noting that your vehicle must have roof rails to attach any roof rack.

Inno Velo Gripper

Bike racks for the trunk are unsuitable for a truck, and you might need to keep the hitch unoccupied for hauling purposes. The Inno Velo Gripper fastens a bicycle to a truck bed’s side. This ensures the bike does not obstruct the driver’s view, an issue you may encounter with other truck bike carriers you examined. 

The clamps of the Velo Gripper are sufficiently small to be stored in a toolbox when not transporting a bicycle. The Velo Gripper comes in two variants: the RT201 is tailored to fit standard truck-bed sides, while the RT202 is created for C-channel bed-rail systems.

Take-home Message!

Thanks to the best truck bed bike rack, embarking on a biking adventure has never been easier. These essential equipment allow you to effortlessly transport your bikes, ensuring they arrive securely and undamaged at your desired destination. With a myriad of such Fun Autopart options available in the market, choosing the perfect rack can be daunting. 

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