How to Make Your Own Bicycle Tie Downs for a Pickup Truck

Building a cheap pickup bed bicycle tie down is easy. You don't have to spend a lot of time and money on tubing, bracing or heavy steel. This well-engineered tie down relies on simplicity by using a single 2-by-4 and two inexpensive fork mounts--bike axles mounted on small pedestals. Bicycles are transported standing up tucked safely behind the cab of the truck. This system can be assembled and bikes loaded in no time at all. When you get back home, the rack lifts out to be stored anywhere.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 Bicycles
  • 1 2-by-4, 72 inches
  • 2 Bicycle fork blocks
  • 8 wood screws 1 1/2 inches
  • Hand saw
  • Screw gun
  • Pencil
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the distance from side to side on the inside of the pickup bed behind the cab on the floor in front of the wheel wells. Cut the 2-by-4 this length.

    • 2

      Place the 2-by-4 in the bed of the truck laying flat, all the way to the front. Take the front tires off two bikes and place the bikes in the bed of the truck side by side with the front forks resting on the 2-by-4. Using the bikes' handlebars for reference, evenly space the two bikes and mark the location of the forks on the 2-by-4 with the pencil.

    • 3

      Remove the 2-by-4 from the truck bed. Using the wood screws, screw the fork block mounts to the 2-by-4 using the pencil marks and a framing square to get the blocks aligned.

    • 4

      Open the levers on the fork mounts and place the 2-by-4 back into the truck bed. Load the bikes one at a time. Place each bike's fork into the fork mount and lock them down.

    • 5

      Place your loose front tires between the bikes. Stretch a bungee cord from each side of the truck bed over the top tube of both bikes, and one over the back wheel.