Sometimes, people buy cheap bikes off Craigslist that don’t come with any rack for transporting them. They devise a way to circumvent this by using skateboard racks to work around the problem. But, this poses two disadvantages: firstly, buying a low-quality bike is usually not worth it and secondly, you still can’t transport it without a rack. For this, you really need a good bike rack. These days there are various kinds of bike racks available in the market. You can check out the stationary bicycle stand.
How do you transport a bike without a rack?
Step 1: Lock all the wheels and chains. Taking care of a bike’s wheels is very important as this holds your bike in place. There will not be much weight on the bearings if it rolls freely along with bumps during rougher rides, and riding with bent or broken rims might cause unexpected wear to them etc.
Step 2: Find stable railings that can carry some weight from both sides but are narrow enough that you don’t have to stop a car to avoid hitting it. Keep reading https://pluginid.com/
A good place is usually a wooden fence. Otherwise, you can use an iron pipe railing near the road (but remember to cover your bike with a cloth). Make sure that these roofs aren’t slippery enough so as not to cause bumps on them and also make sure they do not hold cars back while passing through. If there are no railings, but there is still sufficient space under the bridge, there’s probably room under there.
Step 3: Place your bike on the rack and slide it along parapet wires or iron pipes while holding its front wheel in place with some rope so that you don’t drop your bike down to the ground.
Here, I am carrying my longboard up a 6-inch wide steel fence pole which isn’t exactly a stable source of support, but by using simple handholds were easily worked around this obstacle as if I did not find any other way around it.
Step 4: Now it’s time to pick up your bike and carry all the bikes down. I am using two cars for this because I don’t have a rack with me that can hold four bikes; you probably could easily do without them from doing so, but remember not to put too many on one car as some may fall off completely depending on where you are going. If at least half of your bike is visible, then carrying it shouldn’t be tough, but if only one bike is visible, then this may be a tough task.
You also have to remember that you don’t want the cars to leave their parking lots while transporting your bikes. They might cause an emergency situation. Also, note that even though these trucks’ front ends are wide enough, I still think carrying all four-packs on a truck gives me better working space than several single ones because there’s more kinetic energy from swinging my arms with the push of chairs or the vibration from the windows.
Step 5: You’ll probably have to move your bikes over some rails using a plank for this again, and make sure that it’s not too heavy. Otherwise, take extra precautions such as covering up with something, so you don’t accidentally drop them onto cars below on your way down. Also, while carrying more than one bike at a time, try to keep them together in sections so they won’t fall off completely.
Travelling by bicycle without a luggage rack
When we think of cycle tourism, we immediately think of a fully equipped bicycle with capacious bags attached to the rear rack. Handlebar bags and maybe even the front wheel.
With all that load, a bike can weigh as much as 35 kg. It is for this reason that generally one travels along cycle paths or small roads with little traffic, always remaining on the plain.
But what if you intend to travel in more difficult conditions, off the beaten path, in places with a shortage of food or accommodation facilities? How to gear up if you want to go on an adventure?
A classic touring bicycle is to be discarded. Better to start with a mountain bike. However, it is often not possible to attach touring bags to a mountain bike because the luggage rack is not present.
To solve this problem, we can then rely on “bikepacking.”
That is too specific bags that hook directly to the bike frame without creating bulk. The aim is to have perfect handling while still managing to carry all our luggage.
With bike packing:
- The bike is lighter and faster because the equipment weighs a third less than the traditional one
- Weight distribution is better and ensures excellent handling
- No tools are needed to assemble and disassemble the bags because they are fixed directly to the frame with straps.
It is the ideal solution both for short trips on one’s own territory and for long holidays in nature. It is a more adventurous type of cycle tourism that requires adequate mental preparation.
Obviously, before buying bikepacking bags, you need to check that the frame of your bike is suitable. Is there enough space under the saddle for a bag? How much space do I have between the seat tube and the steering head?
Choosing between bikepacking and traditional bags is basically also a matter of personal taste and choices. If you prefer to travel light, bikepacking offers undoubted advantages over the luggage rack.
The same if owning more than one bicycle, perhaps a race and a mountain bike or a folding bike, bikepacking allows you to keep costs down and use the same bag for all the bikes for the most varied uses.
