Truck bed bike racks provide safety and convenience for transporting one or more bikes on your vehicle. We have compiled detailed reviews of the best truck bed bike racks to help you pick the one that matches most, if not all, of your needs and fits perfectly on your truck. Keep reading to learn more.
These are the best truck bed bike racks:
- Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack BedRack – Best Overall
- Swagman Pickup Fork Mount Bike Rack
- INNO RT201 Truck Bed Bike Rack – Most Versatile
- Thule Insta-Gater Truck Pro Truck Bed Bike Rack – Best Single Truck Bed Bike Rack
- Tailgate Cover With Secure Bike Frame Straps – Best for Carrying Multiple Bikes
Things To Consider When Shopping For Truck Bed Bike Racks
Different brands offer diverse styles and designs of truck bed bike racks, so choosing the right one can be challenging. As a result, some of the crucial factors to consider include:
Type of Mount
Truck bed bike racks have different mounting options:
- Tailgate bike pads: These pads are strapped to the tailgate where the front fork and tire are draped over the top. They can accommodate as many as six bicycles. The padding cushions prevent your bike from rubbing against the tailgate metal.
- Fork-mounted bike rack: This rack works by removing the front wheel of the bike before mounting and locking.
- Wheel-mounted bike rack: A wheel mount will secure one of your bike tires to the truck. You don’t have to remove any of the tires.
Bike Capacity
Different bike racks come with varying numbers of cradles, which can hold a single bike at a time. To carry multiple bicycles, you’ll need a rack with the equivalent number of cradles. However, you must also take into account the size of your truck bed and the recommended weight it can carry.
Type of Bicycle
Your bike influences your choice of rack in two ways. First, the frame design needs to fit the rack’s style for easy and secure mounting. Secondly, the size of the tire should be compatible with the cradle space if you’re getting a wheel-mounted bike rack.
Ease of Installation
Easy installation of the truck bed bike rack saves you time and unnecessary frustration. Especially if you only install the rack when you want to use it. You want to spend a few minutes to set up, mount your bike, and be on your way to a riding spot.
Complex bike racks that are hard to install, take time, and still, there is a chance of doing it wrong. You may end up outsourcing technical help, which costs more time and money.
Ease of Use
The ease with which you can mount or retrieve your bike is a crucial consideration when selecting a truck bed bike rack. You want to spend as little time as possible to get the bike down once you arrive at your destination and are all psyched to start riding. After your adventure, when you’re all tired and ready to leave, the last thing you need is a hard time attaching the bike.
Additional Functions
What else can you do with the truck bed bike rack? It’s more viable to go for a rack that offers diverse functionality. For instance, there are those that you can also use to hold surfboards and tents in place while in transit.
Security
If you are likely to leave your truck unattended, then it’s only right that you get a locking bike rack. The locking mechanism should attach the rack firmly to the truck and the bike to the rack so that nobody can carry away either of the two. Some racks you will have to drill into the truck, while others just need fastening.
Check out this truck bed bike rack setup video:
Reviews Of The Best Truck Bed Bike Racks
Now that you know what to consider when shopping for a truck bed bike rack, we’d like you to check out our selection of the best truck bed bike racks.
HEININGER AUTOMOTIVE 2025 ADVANTAGE SPORTSRACK BEDRACK
The Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack is an easy to install, versatile truck bed bike rack. No tools or drilling are necessary for installation. The rack is set up between the truck bed’s inner walls using adjustable rubber stabilizers with finger-tightened wingnuts.
This rack comfortably fits 54.5 to 66.5-inch truck beds, and with the included spacer, it can extend from 60.5 to 72.5 inches. There is room for four bikes with wheel sizes of up to 27 inches. Plus, you don’t have to remove any wheels!
There is an additional 72-inch lockable cable included, which provides extra security to deter thieves. The rack can also serve as a standalone bike rack; therefore, you can use it to secure bikes in the garage during the off-season. Another noteworthy feature is the soft rubber padding that prevents damage to the bike and truck paint.
Lastly, you have a lifetime warranty that covers manufacturing defects. You should know that it only applies to the first owner of the bike rack.
The shortcomings include: the rack takes up a lot of space on the truck bed, the lockable cable doesn’t come with a lock, and the rack may not hold up well against the elements.
SWAGMAN PICKUP FORK MOUNT BIKE RACK
This high-quality, 13.5-pound stainless steel truck bed bike rack is another model that’s easy to assemble and install. Drilling is unnecessary, and it can fit in almost all truck bed sizes, thanks to its adjustable telescoping bar.
There are rubber pads on either end of the bar to enhance the rack’s grip to the bed rails and prevent scratches. Your bike attaches on fork mount blocks that have 9mm quick-release skewers. However, you must remove the front wheel of the bike first, then slide the forks into the skewer. To anchor and secure your bike to the rack, rotate the skewer into place.
You can carry a maximum of two bikes weighing 35 pounds each. Feel free to adjust the distance between the two bikes as far apart as you’d like by moving the fork brackets along the telescoping bar. With this bike rack, you are sure your bike will be secure all the way.
The downsides of using this bike rack include the tedious work of removing the bike’s wheel and a lack of locking mechanism on the bar, which makes it easy to steal the bar.
INNO RT201 TRUCK BED BIKE RACK
This truck bed bike rack carries the day when it comes to versatility. It comprises lightweight clamps with rubber inserts. The best place to attach it is on the side of your truck bed. You don’t need any tools for the mounting.
Now, with only two viable sides on a truck to install the clamps, you can only carry two bikes. Fortunately, due to their small size and mounting location, you can leave or take them off whenever they’re not in use. This means you can use the truck bed to carry other things without any inconvenience.
Even though one clamp is enough to hold the bike securely in place, it’s better to use both pairs of clamps for firm anchoring. To secure the clamp on the truck bed edge, twist the easy-grip handle until the D-ring clamps are tightly in place. Next, get the attachment and thread it through the clamp before securing the loop on the bike’s frame.
The 5-inch length of the attachment’s thread provides enough room for the bike to stay in place without bumping the side of the truck. However, it is important to note that the bike can still move, especially if you drive on bumpy terrain. Therefore, find some soft padding and cushion the space between the side of the truck and your bike.
The main issue you must watch out for is the tight grip of the clamp on the bike frame, as it’s likely to scratch off any stickers and paint.
THULE INSTA-GATER PRO TRUCK BED BIKE RACK
The Thule Insta-Gater Truck Mount is a single bike truck bed bike rack. If you want to carry more than one bike, then you will have to buy several racks (or another rack entirely!). It’s easy to install and use, considering you don’t have to drill any holes on the truck.
The rack accommodates bike tires with 20 to 29-inch wheel diameters or 5 inches of width. To mount and secure the wheels in place, you either raise or lower the ratcheting arm.
One of the best features of this bike rack is its security. The Thule one-key system lock will secure your bike in place and prevent any theft.
This rack takes advantage of the tailgate to exert its firm fit on the truck bed. This comes with the disadvantage of a loose rack if it doesn’t fit the length of the bed perfectly, or the tailgate doesn’t lock.
TAILGATE COVER WITH SECURE BIKE FRAME STRAPS
This is the only non-metal bed bike rack on the list. It boasts of carrying the highest number of bikes at once (a maximum of five). It has a 54-inch wide frame can that fits well on any mid-sized track.
The installation of the rack doesn’t require any technical expertise. Just throw it on top of your locked tailgate and fasten the web cinch straps. On top of the pad are the velcro bike frame holders for securing the bikes.
The ¾-inch foam pad comes with a strong, heavy-duty vinyl outward cover and ultra-soft inside cover. Both of them cushion the truck and the bike from abrasion.
Some of the problems you may encounter with this rack include lack of a locking system and blocking of your truck’s rear camera.
Conclusion
Transporting your bike(s) is one thing; doing it safely and securely is everything. That’s why it’s crucial to find the best truck bed bike rack. From the reviewed racks, the Heininger Automotive 2025 Advantage SportsRack BedRack is definitely our favorite because it ticks all the right boxes.
From its easy installation to accommodating a maximum of four bikes and having a lockable cable for security, Heininger keeps bikes safe and secure while in transit. Not to mention the lifetime warranty.
The Swagman Pickup Fork Mount Bike Rack, on the other hand, is for those in search of simplicity, functionality, and affordability. We like the INNO RT201 Truck Bed Bike Rack because it doesn’t take much space. It could easily go unnoticed. Install it on your truck if you need more room to carry other things.
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