# Adapting a conventional bike rack to carry a recumbent



## Vangelo (4 Oct 2012)

Just got into my recumbent bike & joined the forum hopefully to discuss the subject with other enthusiasts.






My first problem was transporting. I mounted my conventional bike rack when I went to pick up hoping I could hang it somehow. No way. Tried every-which-way.......in the end, we dismantled the boom & fitted it into the back of the car.
I contemplated the problem & decided the only 2 points on the bike that weren’t cluttered were the wheel rims. As such, I decided to hang the bike upside down from a pair of hooks.
Once I finalised this approach, the rest was simple. I sourced a square section aluminium bar, a pair of hooks, various bolts & bracket, plus some 6mm aluminium sheeting scraps.
Here is an overview of the finished rack (notice offset):




I originally had the bar held by the bike straps, but on the Saris rack the straps are very stiff & I couldn’t tighten them enough to stop the bar rotating. I had to add a pair of clamps which do up with wing-nuts. The bar is very firm now:




I had to use the middle position on the Saris rack for the handlebars to clear the bumper. Of course, the bike needs to be stabilised & I used some 6mm AL sheeting which I cut with a metal blade & jigsaw to fit the bike frame tubing & hold it away from the car bumper. The other end was fastened to the Saris rack with a U-bolt:




This had to be twisted (clamped in a bench vice then leaned on it with a pair of adjustable spanners) to meet the bike frame at right angles. Some PVC tubing was sliced open & forced over the bare AL so it wouldn’t mark the bike.
In practice I found the bike tended to flap from side to side as the bracket flexed. Some triangulation was needed & the smaller AL bar held to the Saris rack with another U bolt did the trick:




You will notice the slot cut in the stabilising bracket. This was for a Velcro strap to secure the bike during transport. This was awkward to use & in the end I modified the M6 coach bolt holding the triangulation bar so it protruded & ran parallel with the bike frame:




The bike held thus:




Placing the bike in the rack is very simple. Holding from 2 suitable points, in this case the rear swing arm & base of the handle bar, the bike is flipped & lifted in one manoeuvre & the wheel rims positioned onto the hooks.




The bike is protected from the hooks by PVC tubing forced over the hooks.
The bike frame then falls into the stabiliser where it is fixed with the velcro strap.
A few pics of the bike in situ: The pictures are deceptive.....there is plenty of ground clearance!









I have to admit the bike in this rack is firmer that my upright ever was! There is still another slot left on the rack to transport an upright conventionally. Very pleased for solving this problem with a simple cost effective solution! I'm sure this general concept could be applied to similar conventional racks.


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## Night Train (4 Oct 2012)

Nice solution.
Does the BB and cranks stick out a bit or is it ok like that?

I have a Witter rack and have thought about extending the height of the pole so that I can hang a recumbent trike on it crucifix style. But for now it goes in the back of the car.


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## HovR (4 Oct 2012)

Looks like a nice fix. Just make sure the wheels are on tight!


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## Vangelo (4 Oct 2012)

Night Train said:


> Nice solution.
> Does the BB and cranks stick out a bit or is it ok like that?
> 
> I have a Witter rack and have thought about extending the height of the pole so that I can hang a recumbent trike on it crucifix style. But for now it goes in the back of the car.


 
I have offset the bar so its sticks out equally on both sides...........no worse than an upright bike. The photo is deceptive & it may protrude 3 or so inches either side. I make sure the pedals are vertical.


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## Vangelo (4 Oct 2012)

HovR said:


> Looks like a nice fix. Just make sure the wheels are on tight!


I thought about fitting a security strap from the middle of the bar to the bike frame in case one of the wheels came loose. On the HP I dont think its an issue as the ends of the wheel axle are recessed into the fork.


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## byegad (5 Oct 2012)

If it can happen, it will. One day. Fit the safety strap.


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## Vangelo (5 Oct 2012)

byegad said:


> If it can happen, it will. One day. Fit the safety strap.


Good advice! I will order a luggage strap!


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## Scoosh (5 Oct 2012)

Clever idea and neatly developed. 

I also wonder if the seat would get a lot of road muck/spray thrown up onto it ... which you would then have to sit on ....  Seat cover ?


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## tadpole (5 Oct 2012)

It is an offence to obscure a registration mark in any way or make it not easily distinguishable.

Section 43 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994
43 Obscured registration mark.
(1)If a registration mark fixed on a vehicle as required by virtue of section 23 is in any way—

(a)obscured, or

(b)rendered, or allowed to become, not easily distinguishable,
(2)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.


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## spiro (12 Oct 2012)

tadpole said:


> It is an offence to obscure a registration mark in any way or make it not easily distinguishable.
> 
> Section 43 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994
> 43 Obscured registration mark.
> ...


 It also looks like the rear lights are obstructed. To carry it like this you are going to need a 'towing board' with lights and number plate on.


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## spiro (12 Oct 2012)

Scoosh said:


> I also wonder if the seat would get a lot of road muck/spray thrown up onto it ... which you would then have to sit on ....  Seat cover ?


 I would be inclided to remove the seat and put it in the back of the car.


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## Vangelo (12 Oct 2012)

Thanks for all the negative comments, guys.........
The title of this post is ..........
*Adapting a conventional bike rack to carry a recumbent*


.........not a post on the legalities of carrying a bike on a bike rack.

The comments made can be applied to any bike rack carrying an ordinary df, not the point or subject of my original posting.
I do think if you feel so strongly about commenting on the legalities of carrying a bike in such a fashion that you start a new thread on the subject, if one doesnt exist already.

The idea behind my post was to show that a conventional bike rack could be easily & cheaply adapted to carry a bent. I have found no such thing on the UK market which is why I embarked on the project.

Taking the back seat out is not an option.


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## Vangelo (12 Oct 2012)

Looks like I chose the wrong forum.......
I will post elsewhere. Thanks for making a newbie feel so welcome.........


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## tadpole (12 Oct 2012)

Vangelo said:


> Thanks for all the negative comments, guys.........
> The title of this post is ..........
> *Adapting a conventional bike rack to carry a recumbent*
> 
> ...


 I didn't post on the”legalities of carrying a bike on *a* bike rack" I posted on the”legalities of carrying a bike on a *that *bike rack" 
If you want to drive around in an ‘unsafe manner’ that is up to you, when you get tugged, you will have to deal with the consequences. 
Personally I’d rather someone point out that something I was doing/planning on doing was potentially unsafe illegal whatever, than be surprised. But again taking it as an insult, well that is up to you too.


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## Lee_M (12 Oct 2012)

Vangelo said:


> Looks like I chose the wrong forum.......
> I will post elsewhere. Thanks for making a newbie feel so welcome.........


 
whoops

I suppose if he cant take a bit of teasing and advice he wouldnt fit in anyway

is that the quickest flounce ever though?


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## HovR (12 Oct 2012)

tadpole said:


> It is an offence to obscure a registration mark in any way or make it not easily distinguishable.
> 
> Section 43 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994
> 43 Obscured registration mark.
> ...


 


spiro said:


> It also looks like the rear lights are obstructed. To carry it like this you are going to need a 'towing board' with lights and number plate on.


 
Cut him some slack. Is the car being driven? No. Is the car even on the road? No. For all you know OP fits a lighting board before he actually drives the car like this - I know I wouldn't bother fitting one just for this guide!


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## tadpole (12 Oct 2012)

HovR said:


> Cut him some slack. Is the car being driven? No. Is the car even on the road? No. For all you know OP fits a lighting board before he actually drives the car like this - I know I wouldn't bother fitting one just for this guide!


 Where is he going to plug in the lighting board?


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## HovR (12 Oct 2012)

tadpole said:


> Where is he going to plug in the lighting board?


 
It's possible to have towing sockets hidden behind the bodywork, but that's not the point really. My point was that there were much better ways you could have phrased that without coming off hostile, as OP interpreted it, or you could have just not said anything at all.


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## tadpole (12 Oct 2012)

Or I could have posted as I did, and the OP could have read it in the spirit it was intended, and either accepted that it was a valid point/view,disagreed and commented or ignored it and said nothing. There is not way I could have known that the OP would chuck his teddy out of the pram and flounce, this is after all a site where it is moslty adults posting.


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## HovR (12 Oct 2012)

tadpole said:


> Or I could have posted as I did, and the OP could have read it in the spirit it was intended, and either accepted that it was a valid point/view, or ignored it and said nothing. There is not way I could have known that the OP would chuck his terry out of the pram and flounce, this is after all a site where it is moslty adults posting.


 
How I see it is that OP has joined this site, eager to share his creation that he is understandably proud of, and you've come along and picked holes in it (even if you were technically correct). You may have had good intentions, but "Hey, really nice solution, but have you considered the visibility of your lights/number plate?" probably would have gone down better.


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## Vangelo (12 Oct 2012)

tadpole said:


> I didn't post on the”legalities of carrying a bike on *a* bike rack" I posted on the”legalities of carrying a bike on a *that *bike rack"
> If you want to drive around in an ‘unsafe manner’ that is up to you, when you get tugged, you will have to deal with the consequences.
> Personally I’d rather someone point out that something I was doing/planning on doing was potentially unsafe illegal whatever, than be surprised. But again taking it as an insult, well that is up to you too.


Thanks Tadpole!
If you're bored & looking for something to do, please list the racks in this link that DONT obstruct the light or registration plate:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=car+bike+rack&_frs=1

Roof mounted racks dont count


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## Vangelo (12 Oct 2012)

Lee_M said:


> seems a lot of work just to carry something so ugly


I figure it matches the car.........


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