I didn’t want to shell out $100 to buy a “special” longbike rack and figured I could hack the existing Yakima racks I already had.
Parts needed:
1) A used Yakima bike tray from phat friend who doesn’t bike anymore (free) or from Craigslist or eBay
2) Set of four mounting bolts and set of four hex keys for $11 total (deals at RackOutfitters.com). I also bought an extra Rattler wheel strap for $15. That way I didn’t have to disconnect everything to move the strap when changing from short to long bike and back but this is extra.
3) Black heavy duty 25mm wide shelving bracket (mine is made by Rubbermaide) $7
Measure, cut, and drill:
*Measure amount of extra tray needed to extend total tray length the length of the long bike and cut to length
*Hold cut tray piece to end of uncut tray and measure aft of rear crossbar to end of cut tray minus two inches for end cap. (BTW I use Yakima Steelhead trays) and cut to length.
*Drill holes into cut shelf bracket piece to accept the four mounting bolts (spread these out to distribute the stress of load)
At this point it’s easy to see how everything assembles
Insert bolts through the drilled holes
Slide bolt heads into bolt channel in bottom of the uncut and cut trays
Tighten bolts until trays slide perfectly into shelf bracket and snug down
Slide Rattler wheel strap on end of lengthened tray and then fit end cap (from uncut tray) onto end
Some pictures to compare and contrast:
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| From Kona FreeRadical |
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| From Kona FreeRadical |
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| From Kona FreeRadical |
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| From Kona FreeRadical |
