How to Mount a Rear Rack on a Bike

Make sure you have all the right tools when you're ready to mount your bike rack. Once you have all the materials you need, putting the rack on takes just a few minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Bicycle Racks
• Screwdriver Sets

Instructions

1. Find the bracket (an L-shaped piece of metal about 5 inches long) that attaches the rack to the bike. It probably came in the box with your rack.

2. Attach the bracket to the rack with the small screws provided, but don't tighten the screws completely. The holes are in the front of the rack.

3. Put the rack over the bike's rear wheel. The bracket you just attached should face forward.

4. Attach each leg of the rack to the rack mount hole - located above where the rear wheel attaches to the bicycle frame - using the larger screws provided.

5. Use the small clamps provided with the frame if there are no holes. The clamps are small metal bands, about an inch long, with holes in each end.

6. Wrap the clamps around the frame and screw the rack to them in these cases.

7. Attach the mounting bracket at the top of the rack to the bike frame. Look for a hole in the frame where the bracket attaches; on older bikes, the bracket may attach to the brakes.

8. Slide the rack along the bracket until it's level, then tighten all the screws.

9. Screw a reflector (if one is provided) onto the mount on the back of the rack.

Tips & Warnings

• There may be two brackets on some bikes.

• Some bikes have threaded mounts in their frames to accept bike racks. If yours doesn't, you'll need to use nuts and bolts.

• Some racks use screws, whereas others are installed with hex wrenches. If you don't have hex wrenches, ask the bike shop to exchange the bolts for regular screws.