How to Keep Bikes from Hitting Each Other on Bike Rack?

What can be worse than finding your bikes full of scratches, when excited to hit your favorite adventurous trails? ALMOST nothing!

The miseries of an incident would ruin your whole day, and leave you in great distress. All thanks to your bumping bikes banging into each other during the transporting journey. However, there is a bright side to the story that it can be prevented if precautions are taken timely.

What are those precautions?

They range from adding a few more products to applying a few DIY techniques. This craft on; “How to keep bikes from hitting each other on bike rack” will make you learn all of them. Let’s get into the details!

How to Keep Bikes from Hitting Each Other On Bike Rack?

Well, before moving on to find the solution, you need to know the potential reasons for your problems. So you can pick up the solution as per your scenario instead of wasting time applying all of them to see what works for you.

4 Main Reasons of Bikes Hitting Each Other on a Rack

Following are some of the main reasons due to which bikes hits each other on bike rack and can cause damage to the bikes:

1. Usage of inappropriate bike rack

2. Instability of your bike

3. The bike swaying on a rack

4. Having little to no space between bikes

We found them to be the most common reasons that keep your bike from hitting each other. Also read about do bike racks damage your car.

5 Methods To Keep Bikes From Hitting Each Other On Bike Rack

Figure out what’s true to your scenario and apply any of the following solutions to solve your problem. Have a look:

1. Install the Right Bike Rack

Your rack might have little to no space between the bikes. Eventually, making your bikes hit and rub each other to destroy each other’s paint. If you have found this to be an issue, replacing it with a bike rack having optimal space between hook and clamps can be your way to go. 

Other than that, the bike rack has poor grip, making the bike unstable by losing its grip can be a reason for your bikes banging into each other as well. You should not stay with such a faulty bike rack as it does not only scratch the bikes but also can make the bikes fall off. 

You should instantly consider installing the right bike rack if you want to keep bikes from hitting one another. However, it is one of the most expensive solutions, so if you don’t have the luxury to follow it. Read on to find some inexpensive solutions as well. Also, read my guide to transport a bike without a bike rack.

If you own Subaru Forester and want to transport bikes on it, have a look at Subaru Forester Bike Racks

2. Stabilize Your Bike

Even after getting a bike rack with a great grip, still, there are chances that your bike’s front wheel and handlebar will be free to move. This also has to be addressed to keep bikes from hitting each other.

Fixing it can be done easily by using the bike wheel stabilizer, if not Velcro strap can be used to serve the same purpose. This method is not as expensive as getting a new bike rack, rather it only costs a few bucks. for Jeep Wrangler users, it is recommended to choose the right bike rack for Jeep Wrangler by reading my detailed guide.

You may also be interested to read my review about best bike racks for Honda CRV

3. Detachable Bike Bumper

One of the easy and the most effective and pocket-friendly methods is to use the detachable bike bumper at the point from where it contacted the other bike. They are normally used to create a gap between items when packing or storing in boxes. Specifically, in the shipping boxes of the bikes to create a gap between the frame, handlebar and other items. 

You can consider applying it to your bike when attached to the rack. It won’t let the bikes hit each other and cause damage. The only point to know is that you should apply it to every contact point, where the bikes can potentially hit. 

Installing it is fairly easy and does not require much technical knowledge, which also makes it the best choice for many. Following are the recommended bike bumpers;

• Bopworx Detachable Bike Bumper (Place it to the point, and tighten it up by using its strap/hook).

• Saris Protect-O Pads (They just need to slide in for an installation).

For SUV owners looking for bike racks without hitch, have a look at bike racks for SUV no hitch

4. Wrap your bike with foam

If a detachable bike bumper is also not going well with your budget, then this can be a Go to solution for you as it is way cheaper than you can imagine. 

You just need to have 2 things to start with it;

• Foam pool Noodles
• Velcro Straps

The foam will be used to wrap the bike to make it more secure and the strap will be used to make the foam stick to its place. 

Grab the foam as per the measurement of bike parts that are needed to be padded, and grab any strap that is made up of higher quality. Ubenic Bike Wheel Stabilizer Straps is the recommended one because of its premium quality and ease of use. 

Once you have gathered both things, follow the following steps;

• Measure the length and diameter of your bike parts including; the front fork, seat tube, seat stay, down tube etc.
• Trim down the foam according to the taken measurement
• Place the foam one by one on all the parts that needed to be padded
• Meanwhile, secure it to the bike, using the Velcro strap. 

Note: It will avoid direct contact with the bikes and keep them protected and secure.

If you own an electric bike, have a look at best e bike racks for cars

5. Use Foam Pool Noodle as a Barrier

Wrapping your bike with the foam is the most effective method but still, not everyone wants to get into the hassle of taking the measurement, trimming foam noodle and strapping it around. 

If you are one of those, here’s a solution for you as well;

You need the same material including the Velcro strap and the foam pool noodle. But this time, you will not be indulging yourself in many steps. Instead, you will be using the strap to attach the whole foam pool to each end of the bike from the front fork to the seat stay. 

It will work as the barrier between the bikes to prevent them from hitting each other throughout your journey. It is one of the easiest and most affordable methods yet the most effective one also. 

Note: Here’s one thing that you always needed to apply to your bike irrespective of your chosen method, which is Paint surface protective tape. It won’t keep bikes from banging each other but rather gives added protection to your bike when transporting it.

You can also read my guide about best tubeless rim tapes

Wrapping Up Bikes Safety While Hanging on Bike Rack

Keeping your bikes stabilized and creating a gap between bikes is the core, when it comes to keeping bikes from hitting each other on a bike rack. You need to hit the hammer on these core points if you want your bikes to remain protective and safe throughout the journey. It can be done easily by following any of the listed methods, as per your situation, budget and preference

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