UPDATE: Reviews section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
I've often toyed with the idea of hanging my bike on the back doors of the van using a fork mount rather than having a bulky rack on there.
I worry about the forces being put on the forks but they can't be greater than being thrashed down an enduro stage with a thirteen stone lump added to them, can they?
Then this morning these popped up on f/b your thoughts please?
How do you hold your bike this high up with one hand while you wiggle the axle into place? Looks like a 2 man job.
Saw a van with a push rack recently which looked good
PUSHCOMPONENTS.COM I've also seen a transporter with a ladder on the rear barn door which had a front wheel mount attached to it, that also looked pretty good.
My concern with the bike hook is the rear tyre just rests against the back door so you've got protect that and you need to find someway of securing the front wheel.
How do you hold your bike this high up with one hand while you wiggle the axle into place? Looks like a 2 man job.
I'm wincing just looking at that.
As well as it being a bloody nightmare to fit them to the axle mounts (a dealbreaker alone), aren't the bikes going to swing sideways into each other? Or even rotate back and forward on the axle, with the rear wheels banging into those windows?
The bars appear to be rather high... definitely on the dafter side but if be worried about things hitting the front brake lever (branches, birds, bats!) - I've had the first 2 but not the last one hit my bike (obviously the branches are due to me forgetting how much taller the vehicle is with a bike on the roof).
Unsure what suggestion works for me, but suspect plenty folk will be happy with it.
Dear gods no! I get a bad feeling just using a towball carrier ("what happens if the wheel falls off???") and something like that hanging off the back of my van would scare me.
The video shows them attaching the fork mount first then loading onto the van door, but the video is also strangley zoomed in so you can't actualy seem them put it on the van, they just have you staring into a nice veiw....
for that reason, I'm out!
How do you hold your bike this high up with one hand while you wiggle the axle into place? Looks like a 2 man job.
If only there was a link you could click on to see how it works before making assumptions, the clue is in the name "bike HOOK" 😉. Attach the mount to your fork, and the hook part goes over the top of the van door.
Van
+
Bike on rack
Does not compute.
How do you hold your bike this high up with one hand while you wiggle the axle into place? Looks like a 2 man job.
If only there was a link you could click on to see how it works before making assumptions, the clue is in the name "bike HOOK" 😉. Attach the mount to your fork, and the hook part goes over the top of the van door.
I did click the link, where do you think I got the picture?
Now that I've figured out how it actually works it looks like an even worse idea.
Van
+
Bike on rack
Does not compute.
Haha, there better be a LOT of bikes already in that massive Transit eh?
Does not compute.
There are more fun things to sleep with than bikes.
Unless you're that bloke in Glasgow who ended up on the register for it 😂
Only just had chance to come back to this and there are some interesting comments and opinions.
How do you hold your bike this high up with one hand while you wiggle the axle into place? Looks like a 2 man job.
That was my first thought but as pointed out by @thisisnotaspoon if you keep watching the video right through there are some better shots of what is happening and to be honest the whole process looks fairly easy and the hook has a lip to prevent it being lifted off the door while the door is shut.
I already own a Fiamma rack that fits on the back door(Citroen Relay), the type where the bike sits horizontally on rails and with the rails being above the rear lights for legal reasons it's already a fair old height(the bars are just above the roof line) to lift the bike onto and hold it while reaching up to secure the upper clamping arms. For anyone shorter of arse than myself it would be a two man job and probably require the use of steps.
Saw a van with a push rack recently which looked good
Not seen that before thanks for posting, I also like that idea and removes the need to take a wheel off.
My concern with the bike hook is the rear tyre just rests against the back door so you've got protect that
I see they also sell a protection sticker for the door and on the video they appear to be securing the back wheel with a bungee crod across the door to stop it swinging.
aren't the bikes going to swing sideways into each other? Or even rotate back and forward on the axle, with the rear wheels banging into those windows?
Personally I would fit a shoe type of thing to the back door like the ones that sometimes come with wall mounted bike racks. The rear wheel would sit in that and be secured by a strap.
The bars appear to be rather high... definitely on the dafter side
They would be below the roof line on our van.
you can't actualy seem them put it on the van,
Watch the vid right through for that.
Van
+
Bike on rack
Does not compute.
Fully fitted out camper, no room for bikes inside.
Now that I've figured out how it actually works it looks like an even worse idea.
For what reasons?
Anyway we all have different preferences and I still like the idea so practicalities and preferences aside does anyone have any opinions regarding the safety issues of hanging a bike by the fork axle or the bars on the back of a moving vehicle? This is my main concern.
Thanks to the Sea Sucker thread I now see the perfect solution for stopping the rear wheel bouncing around not cheap mind but saves bolting sometning to the doors.
SEASUCKER.COM This was the ladder mounting I'd seen which I referenced above. It is a fork mount so need to stow the front wheel, but you can strap the rear wheel to the ladder to make that secure.
MTBVANS.CO.UK Yeah that's a neat solution too but you would have to reach to fit the axle.
For anyone interested in these, don't waste your money. They probably work for some vans with straight flush doors but most European vans have doors with an overhang. The pads come loose every time you go round a corner.
I tried them and ended up with a dent on the door. Owner offered no apology, just a refund. I then bought suction cups thinking they would help secure the rear wheels and stop any movement, they didn't help much. The owner has washed his hands now because I've had them too long, even though most of this time has been spent trying to make them work. Spent 300 quid on this set up, complete waste of money.
Free to someone with an old van they don't mind wrecking!!
Have been toying with the idea of getting two of the Push Components racks for the rear door.
My four bikes live on a pull-out drawer with front wheels removed, but there are times when it would be quicker and easier to throw one or two onto a rack.
Thought about a form mount on the ladder, but it's a pita trying to thread the axle whilst holding the bike vertically, especially in your own.
The Push Components racks are small, light and unobtrusive. Still can't work out why you need the rear wheel mounts as opposed to a couple of rings in the Airline track and a small ratchet strap.
Have been wondering how to make something similar myself. 200€ for one full bike rack ain't cheap, but also not crazy expensive......
Thinking two Airline tracks about 10cm apart horizontally across the top of the door and use some Airline hooks to hang the bike, with another Airline track at the bottom of the door with some rings and a ratchet strap pulling downwards to stop the bikes ejecting when you go over a speed bump.
I picked up two of the bike hooks off facebook for 30 quid each for occasional use.
Contrary to the above - they work fine - certainly on my NV400/Renault master doors.
BUT at the website price they are MASSIVELY over priced.
the fork mount is prebought straight from China - Available on amazon for 15 quid.
Its bolted to a section of box section aluminum with some widely available plastic end caps in and a section of neoprene foam stuck to it.
The folded plastic covered sheet steel is the custom part - which isnt 100 quids worth of doing.
I have 2 - i wont be buying more . The other 2 bikes will be mounted on a ladder similar to above.
I like the concept, Saves having nonsense fitted permanently and allows for me to quickly remove the bikes quicker than any other rack ive ever had - and throw them across the back seats when we stop to see sights/grab food etc etc.
Wouldn't recommend though.
i really dislike how low the rear wheel is on that MTBvans ladder .....
i really dislike how low the rear wheel is on that MTBvans ladder .....
And how totally invisible the bike is. I much prefer a tyre peeking out from the side so that I can see the bike.
Van Bike Hook thoughts?
I like his painting of sunflowers.
Had 2 bikes on and off the back of my van for 800 miles this past 10 days.
I still maintain they are overpriced but Novel.
They work really well. Much of the concerns pointed out above are in practice complete non concerns made by people looking at pictures and not by users.
Bikes mount solidly. While if you grab on them you can wobble them around .... Buy their own weight keeps them wedged solid on the top of the door.
I used sea sucker wheel mounts as per above for long trips to stop any potential bouncing causing door damage but as far as bike racks that let you access the back door AND are quick to mount/demount they a work well and on a high top- you can park in car parks and scare the shit out the car behind you with your bike wheels hanging over their rear windows.(While still only occupying a single space)
