Bike Rack

I needed a new bike rack so I decided to design my own.

I wanted the following features: foldable (up and flat), holds two bikes, compatible with a 2” reciever, durable and sturdy.

I purchased two used Thule roof racks which will be used to hold the bikes. Personally I don’t like putting my bike on the roof because it’s hard to see it when you’re driving and it’s hard to put it up by yourself. These racks are lightweight, inexpensive and easy to find anywhere so they are great for a project like this.

I ended up designing the folding mechanism and mounting points to attatch the roof racks. I implemented some bushings similar to what a tractor has in its linkage.

View of the rack with some key components labeled

View of the rack folded up

This image shows the steel bushings. I designed these similar to bushings you would find on a tractor.

Back view of the rotating assembly. A clevis pin will be used to hold the rack in one of the two positions (folded or flat). There is a zirc fitting so the user can grease the bushing.

Thule roof racks that will be used

These racks can be bolted in using t slot hardware