8 Best Bike Racks For Truck Beds

Mountain biking is one of the best ways to remain active. Regardless of your age, you should be able to enjoy some of the best trails. However, the best trails are not close enough to your home most of the time and you might need to drive to reach your destination. Fortunately, the best bike racks for truck beds make it possible to transport one or even multiple bikes to your trails.

Finding the right bike rack for your truck bed can be hard. However, once you have one, you should be able to transport multiple bikes with your friends. We have selected the best bike racks for truck beds to encourage you to go out and stay active. The small buyer’s guide will help you see which features we consider to be most important.

Best Bike Racks for Truck Beds On The Market Today

Before we dive into some of the top features, you will need to see which bike racks are the best for your needs. The following options are extremely functional and they are durable as well. All of these truck beds should be ideal for most trucks. They can be used by you and your friends for transportation purposes:

Top Pick: Thule Insta-Gater Bike Carrier

The Thule Insta-Gater Bike Carrier is one of the first options on the list. It is one of the most secure options from one of the top brands. The carrier can only carry one bike, but you can fit almost 3 of these racks in the back of your truck bed. 51-inches is all you need when it comes to adding three of these bike racks to your truck bed. Thule also makes some of the best bike racks for truck beds available on the market.

The unit has been made from durable steel and vinyl coated. The coating will ensure that you have a good-looking bike rack. The one-lock key cylinder is perfect for almost any bike. It will lock the bike into place, which ensures that no one has the opportunity to grab the bike as you travel. Due to the design, it will also keep the bike from scratching or being damaged.

Pros:

• Easy Mounting: The rack is perfect for mounting to your truck and should not take too many tools.
• Small Design: The small design means you can add up to three of these bike racks to the back of your truck bed.
• Weight Capacity: For a bike rack, it is quite impressive that the unit can hold up to 50-pounds of total weight.

Cons:

• Only Holds One Bike: Unfortunately, the bike rack can only hold up to one bike at a time, which might not be enough.

Best Tailgate Bike Rack: Thule GateMate PRO Tailgate Pad

If you don’t want to mount your rack to the front of your truck bed, you can mount it to the rear end of the tailgate. The Thule GateMate PRO Tailgate Pad is one of the most unique options that clips into the rear and offers additional padding to keep the bikes protected. Due to the setup, your rear camera will still function as normal.

The bike rack holds up to 4 of your favorite bikes and it will certain ensure that the bikes remain in place. One of the main Thule features is the addition of the lock features. This means that all of your bikes will be locked in place. It also ensures that the bikes are securely protected when taking bumps to keep them from damaging one another.

Pros:

• Easy Mounting: The unit is mounted to the rear of the tailgate, which gives you storage space for gear.
• Holds 4 Bikes: Since the unit can hold up to 4 bikes, it is much easier for families to use and visit trails.
• Lightweight: The unit is made from vinyl, which makes it lightweight and will ensure that your rear camera still works.

Cons:

• Loose: When used with larger trucks, it does not guarantee a snug fit that many people might want.

Best Tailgate Pad For Mountain Bikes: Fox RacingTailgate Cover

The pad is one of the most useful options to have if you are a mountain bike enthusiast. We have selected the Fox Racing Tailgate Cover, which ensures your tailgate is protected and while it is made from vinyl, it is lightweight. It is one of the larger options, and the manufacturer says it will fit most pickup trucks. Fox is a brand that has a history of good products and this is one of there best bike racks for truck beds.

In terms of the capacity, the tailgate pad can carry up to 6 different mountain bikes. All of the mountain bikes will be spaced apart to ensure that they do not damage one another. However, the pad is responsible for keeping the tailgate protected. It does not have a locking mechanism, which you should add on your own.

Pros:

• Fits Most Trucks: According to Fox, the pad will fit most pickup trucks and it can be adjusted if needed.
• Holds 6 Bikes: It fits 6 bikes, evenly spaced apart to ensure that they are not damaged and they do not damage the truck.
• Enough space for gear: We often need to carry gear with us on some of these trips and the pad will make this possible.

Cons:

• Rear Camera: Due to the large capacity of the pad, it does not really allow you to use the rear camera sufficiently.

Best Single Bike Carry Pad: Bomber Strap Mountain Bike Pad

Sticking to the pads, you don’t need to buy a pad for your pickup truck if you only have one mountain bike. However, there are pads that allow you to carry only one mountain bike and does not take up too much space. The Bomber Strap Mountain Bike Pad is one of these unique options and still gives you access to the rear of your pickup truck.

The unit is constructed from nylon for the exterior. However, the interior has been foam padded. The foam padding is great to ensure that bike remains safe and does not harm the rear of your vehicle. It can fit almost any mountain bike and with the addition of different setups, you can mount it to different vehicles as well.

Pros:

• Simple Setup: The unit does not take too much time to set up and it can be mounted to most vehicles.
• Padding: It features additional padding, which should keep your bike and the reat of your truck safe.
• Camera Accessible: If you have the rear camera activated on your truck, you can set up this pad to retain access to the rear camera.

Cons:

• Price: Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive options, but we like it for the overall durability it offers.

Best Lightweight Bike Rack: Thule Bed-Rider Bike Rack

If you are looking for one of the best lightweight bike racks on the market today, the Thule Bed-Rider Bike Rack will do the job for you. It is made from aluminum, with rubber that will ensure the rack does not bump or damage your car. The rubber will slide into place on the sides of your car and remove the need for drilling holes.

Once you have the rack-mounted, you will notice that it can carry up to 2 different bikes, which will be held in place. The lock that comes with a key will ensure that no one steals the bikes. However, it should not be left outside. Unfortunately, you can easily remove the bar from the truck when you have a little time and your high-end bikes could be gone.

Pros:

• No Drilling: One of the best features is that you don’t need to drill holes to have the rack securely mounted.
• Carries 2 Bikes: Instead of only carrying one bike, you can now carry some of your friend’s or family’s bikes.
• Includes An Add-On: There is an additional add-on that can be included to add more bikes to your truck.

Cons:

• Not For Modern Bikes: We have noticed that it does have a large enough lock to carry the newer mountain bikes.

Best Truck Bed Gripper: INNO RT201 Truck Bed Bike Rack

In most cases, one might need to carry more than one bike when you are heading out to the trails. We have found the INNO RT201 Truck Bed Bike Rack, which is a loose bike rack that should be easy to mount and set up. This might not be the largest of bike racks, but it has a lot of value and ease of use for the transporter.

Since these are grippers more than they are a rack, they can easily be set up. You don’t need to drill any holes due to the clamping system that is on offer. Once locked into place, it does not have a solid lock and key. However, it will take a lot of time to loosen the clamp and steal the bike, which makes it safe for most individuals.

Pros:

• Grippers: Instead of having a high-end bike rack, these grippers will hold almost any mountain bike securely.
• Easy setup: Due to the setup being so easy to do, it is a versatile option that also includes numerous features.
• Lightweight: Both grippers are lightweight at around 2-pounds each. The weight means you can add many to your bike.

Cons:

• Price: Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive options when you consider that it is only clamped.

Best Bike Racks For 4 Bikes: Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack

If you are looking for a bike rack that should be ideal for you and your family, the Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack could be one of the top options on the market today. It is made from durable steel. It does not require any specific tools and once it has been assembled, it is easy to shift into place.

The bike rack can be used to carry up to 4 different bikes. However, it does not require you to remove the front wheel of your bike and you only need to tie it to the rack. Additional padding has been added to the rack, which means it will protect the bike. However, the most important is that the paint will not be scratched.

Pros:

• Carries 4 Bikes: The rack can carry up to 4 bikes, which means you and your entire family can use the rack.
• Easy Mounting: As mentioned, you don’t need any specific tools and you will need to just adjust it to the right fit.
• Padded: Having a padded design means you can mount the bikes and they will not be damaged when traveling.

Cons:

• Price: The biggest downside is the price, which means you will be paying a lot of money once off. However, it should pay for itself in the long run.

Best Bike Rack For Pickups: Pipeline Racks Truck Bed Bike Rack

Since most people who own a pickup want to use the back of the truck bed for transporting their bike rack, you will need a decent bike rack. The Pipeline Racks Truck Bed Bike Rack is another one of the top options on the market today. It is made from lightweight aluminum and does not need any holes to be drilled for installation.

Since it carries 4 mountain bikes, you don’t need to worry about running out of space. You might notice that the design has a soft material on the sides of the unit. The softer material is perfect to ensure you don’t have the bikes being damaged. It also looks great. However, you need to add your own chains to lock it up.

Pros:

• Easy Installation: Much like the other options, you can use it for most of your top mountain bikes without drilling holes.
• Carries 4 Bikes: Since the unit is large, it can carry up to 4 different mountain bikes without issues.
• Damage Proof: The unit can be made to ensure damage does not happen to any of your mountain bikes.

Cons:

• No Lock: Unfortunately, it does not have a lock and the bikes might be loose. You will need to add your own chain.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Bike Racks For Truck Beds

While we have selected 8 of the best options on the market today, you might be interested in some of the others. To help ensure that you get the best value for your money, we have added a small buyer’s guide. The following buyer’s guide will ensure that you could have some great value for your money and a decent product:

Materials

You will need a lightweight bike rack and the rack should be able to carry some of your heavy bikes. Steel is one of the best materials, but it is not versatile. Aluminum on the other hand is much more functional and can be padded. Since it is padded, it will also keep your bikes protected when mounted close to one another.

Number Of Bikes

If you have a large family or friends that all like to cycle, you might need to look at how many bikes you want to carry. The more bikes you can carry, the more expensive the bike rack will be. However, smaller bike racks are often more comfortable to carry. They should fit into most trucks without any real issues and carry your bikes securely.

Mounting

Last but certainly not least, you will need to look at how the best bike racks for truck beds are mounted. For many of the top options, you will need to drill a couple of holes. However, there are some of the larger options that simply slide into position. You might also need to look at the locking aspect to see if the unit has a lock to keep the bikes secure.

Wrap-Up

If you are looking for the best bike rack for truck beds, you might be able to find the best bike racks for truck beds on our list. These have been tested and they will ensure your bike remains stable. The top bike racks will allow you to visit any of your favorite trails while traveling with some of your friends and family. Let us know if we might have missed any of your favorites

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