Being an avid bike rider and RV'er, I have had my share of bike carriers. With each new RV whether it was our Jayco pop-up or Winnebago diesel pusher, coming up with the right setup to carry bikes was always a primary task. And with the advancements bikes have seen in recent years, it's not just kids you see riding all over campground roads and paths. So campers have had to find ways to carry more than just a few bikes and in unusual locations outside of the RV. If you have recently taken up biking or changed RV's and are in need of a bike carrier to help bring bicycles along without the hassle of lugging them inside of your RV, we have some tips for choosing the right carrier for your setup.
Considering the Bike Limit
In order for the carrier that you purchase to deliver the results that you want, it's best to look into how many bikes you will be bringing along. If you only have 2 bikes to carry you will find more mounting options than say a 4 or 5 bike carrier. Smaller children's bikes will also muddle up the equations since they tend to be difficult to carry on many hanging style bike carriers and may need to tag along using an alternate method.
Mounting Options and Styles
There are various mounting options for bike carriers and some of those options may be taken off the table depending on how many bikes you have to bring along. Hitch mounted carriers will mount into a 2" or 1-1/4" receivers and tend to be the most popular. But don't despair, there are also rv ladder mount, rv bumper mount, tow bar mount, roof mount, spare tire mount and ball mounted bike carriers. Finding the right mounting option along with the style of carrier will be the next chore. Hanging style bike carriers use the center bar of the bike to attach it to a single or double arm. These bike carriers are more compact and generally allow access to the back of an SUV or pick up truck by tilting backwards. As you can imagine bikes without a center bar pose a problem, but there is fix for this called a bike adapter bar. A platform style bike carrier uses the tires to attach the bike to the carrier and they tend to work best with similar size bikes especially when you get into the 4 position carriers.
Mounting Options and Styles
There are various mounting options for bike carriers and some of those options may be taken off the table depending on how many bikes you have to bring along. Hitch mounted carriers will mount into a 2" or 1-1/4" receivers and tend to be the most popular. But don't despair, there are also rv ladder mount, rv bumper mount, tow bar mount, roof mount, spare tire mount and ball mounted bike carriers. Finding the right mounting option along with the style of carrier will be the next chore. Hanging style bike carriers use the center bar of the bike to attach it to a single or double arm. These bike carriers are more compact and generally allow access to the back of an SUV or pick up truck by tilting backwards. As you can imagine bikes without a center bar pose a problem, but there is fix for this called a bike adapter bar. A platform style bike carrier uses the tires to attach the bike to the carrier and they tend to work best with similar size bikes especially when you get into the 4 position carriers.
Ease of Installation and Use
With so many choices of carriers that can be mounted either to the front, back or the top of your RV or tow vehicle, it's a good idea to look into how easy the carrier will be to set up. While durability is definitely important and the fact that you want the carrier to be mounted properly, it's also a good idea to look into how easy it will be to remove the bikes and put them back in again so that you can get to biking as easily as possible.
With so many factors required in choosing the best bike carrier for your RV, we urge you to check out our bike carrier category to find the carrier that best fits your biking needs.
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