How to Make Your Own Bike Racks for a Truck

A bike rack can hold your bike safely in the back of a truck.

If you have a pickup truck, you've got plenty of room to haul a couple of bicycles around. But without some type of rack in the bed of the truck, your bikes won't be secure, and could be damaged as they slide and shift around while you drive. To hold your bike securely, a simple rack that you can build yourself is all that you need.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 1 x 10 inch pressure-treated lumber
• Circular saw
• Drill with 1/2- and 3/8-inch bits
• 2-inch long 1/2-inch lag bolts (2)
• Adjustable wrench
• Universal bike mounts (2)
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Measure the width of your truck bed at a spot 2 feet behind the front edge of the bed. Cut a piece of 1 x 10 inch lumber to 2 inches less than the measurement.

2. Drill two holes in the board with a drill and a 1/2-inch drill, spaced equally from the sides of the board, with each hole 8 inches in from the ends of the board.

3. Lay the board in the bed of the truck, 2 feet back from the front edge of the bed, placed so the long edge of the board is parallel with the front edge of the truck bed. Drill two 3/8-inch holes in the bed of the truck, using the 1/2-inch holes in the board as your template.

4. Insert a 1/2-inch lag bolt into each hole and screw it into the board using an adjustable wrench. Tighten the bolts until the board is tightly secured on the floor of the truck bed.

5. Place two universal bike mounts (available at bike shops) 1 foot in from the edges of the board and screw them into the board with a screwdriver and the supplied hardware.