Bicycles in Short Bed

[adoublee]

I know there are a million ways bicycles can be handled for our Lightnings. I'm open to convincing otherwise but am wondering if anyone has seen or experienced a contraption that might be thought of like a wedge with high side toward cab, where 3 or more bicycles could be walked up it from lowered tailgate, secured for long distance interstate travel, and tailgate closed as to not interfere or take risk with pulling a camper? Details:

1. I have factory spray in bed liner selected.
2. I don't currently plan on installing a tonneau cover. Seems like front trunk covers much of the concealment benefits these offer. Will I regret?
3. I like the idea of keeping the bikes as low in the bed as possible, with little to none of bike higher than top of cab. Seems better for range and bike stability while highway driving.
4. Would like ability to use for quickly putting bikes in bed to transport around town, but need for taking cross country at higher speeds and when efficiency is most critical.
5. Prefer to not have to remove front tire but not out of the question. If doing this, I'd want to get the front elevated a bit so more pressure is sent to back ties, as I have seen damaged fork mounts occur from travel.
6. Would be great to be able to get a little heavier e-bikes into mounts in the future, which is another reason to keep lower than putting on high racks.
7. Would like to be able to secure the bikes in system overnight when camping.
8. Am hoping to hit the ground running with a May or June delivery, end of July cross country trip.
9. I could potentially mount to back of camper for cross country travel if another perfect solution exists for in town use, which could possible involve a tailgate-down solution.

How's that for being finicky? Hoping those with 5.5ft bed modern F150s might be able to teach me a thing our two. Thanks!

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[VTbuckeye]

I do something similar with my 5 foot bed Tacoma, though the tailgate must remain open. The extra 6 inches should make a difference. I currently can run bikes front or back wheel forward. The new setup will be back wheel to the front of the truck and raise the rack 6 to 10 inches (effectively increasing the head tube angle) so that the wheel does not stick as far in front of the rest of the bike and I can close the tailgate. This will work with my bikes (size small or maybe medium as I am 64.5" tall) but longer wheelbase bikes will not work with the tailgate up. The slots on the rack are different sizes to accommodate different tire sizes from road, 2", 3" and 4" to 5" fatbike. The bikes are secure enough and don't end up covered in road spray (a big concern in the winter).

 

[Oneand0]

Watching this thread. I’m really looking forward to utilizing the bed for my e-mountain bike. New to owning a truck.

 

[Ruination]

It's hard to take this post seriously, tbh.

Lightning isn't the first truck ever to be made and you're not the first person to transport bikes in a truck bed.

A simple google shows a million products.

 

[adoublee]

Watching this thread. I’m really looking forward to utilizing the bed for my e-mountain bike. New to owning a truck.

I'd respond to the idiot who says this post is useless, but I've already used the ignore button.

I forgot to mention another reason to not want a solution with tailgate down is loss of back-up camera.

 

[KDPGame02]

Tailgate pad for the win. I've been using one like this for years. It's cheaper than most racks, works with my tri-fold tonneau cover, and doesn't cause problems towing our travel trailer.

 

[Maquis]

My biggest gripe about the design of the initial Lightning offering is the lack of a 6-1/2’ bed option!

 

[KDPGame02]

And tailgate pads have slots for the backup camera. Wheels can block them, but you can just run two to either side for a more clear view. Holds up to 6, but a bike in the middle can partially block the camera. Still workable however.

 

[REDHORSECA]

I had 4 of these mounted on my F-150 6.5' bed mounted onto a wooden board I screwed together in two rows staggered formation separated by 6"-8". Two mounted forward against the front bed wall, then two more mount on a second row 6"-8" inches back from the first row. So that the handle bars cleared the MTB bike next to it.

Wooden lightweight frame was easy enough to take out of the bed and stored the bike rack in the garage when not transporting some MTB.

Nothing was permanently mounted to the bed of the truck. Just tossed the wooden frame in the bed when needed.

Taking the front wheels off will shorten the bicycles overall length.No tie downs or straps needed. I just toss the front wheels between the bikes.

or you can staggered them front to back this way too.

 

[REDHORSECA]

I think I had as many 8-10 MTB in the back of my F-150 at one time, after a ride. The other bikes were thrown in between my four bikes. I parked my truck on the bottom of the mountain MTB trail head.

I've done this several times in the SOCAL mountains and in MOAB MTB camping trip.

After running down the mountain trail on the bikes. We threw the whole gang of bikes in the back and I drove the the rest of the crew back up the top of the mountain to the other riders vehicles, so that they could drive back home.

 

[KDPGame02]

I had 4 of these mounted on my F-150 6.5' bed mounted onto a wooden board I screwed together in two rows staggered formation separated by 6"-8". Two mounted forward against the front bed wall, then two more mount on a second row 6"-8" inches back from the first row. So that the handle bars cleared the MTB bike next to it.

Wooden lightweight frame was easy enough to take out of the bed and stored the bike rack in the garage when not transporting some MTB.

Nothing was permanently mounted to the bed of the truck. Just tossed the wooden frame in the bed when needed.

Taking the front wheels off will shorten the bicycles overall length.No tie downs or straps needed. I just toss the front wheels between the bikes.

or you can staggered them front to back this way too.

Nice quiver. Yetis are a sweet ride.

 

[REDHORSECA]

Nice quiver. Yetis are a sweet ride.

Those aren't my pictures, just grabbed them from the net. I don't have any of my MTB pictures uploaded. I had Specialized and GT MTB back in the day. Now have some EV MTB.

I'm back to riding dirt bikes and adventure motorcycles.

I've had up to four dirt bikes (mix of RM 125/250/80s) and a small kid's ATC 70cc in the back of the truck, before I got a motorcycle trailer.

 

[VTbuckeye]

I would do the fork mounts for road bikes, but through axle mtb of various sizes (100x15mm, 110x15mm, 150x15mm) that don't all have quick releases and then having someone grab the front brakes (pads get stuck). I'd rather keep the wheels on my MTBs. But I can make a rack that supports doing this, though it will be a tight fit.

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