| If you've got a pickup truck or an SUV, you may | | | | Everybody Wins with a Receiver Hitch Bike Rack |
| think that you don't need to make an investment | | | | Lots of companies offer hitch racks, from |
| in a bike rack of any kind, because there's plenty | | | | Advantage to Saris to Yakima. |
| of room in the back of the truck or your sports | | | | There's a couple of things you need to bear in |
| utility vehicle for a bike or two. Right? | | | | mind when buying a hitch or receiver rack - |
| However, after you've driven around with your | | | | what's the diameter of the ball on which the hitch |
| bike rattling around in the back of your SUV or | | | | has to fit? Once you know that dimension, you |
| truck, you may change your mind. | | | | also have to decide how many bikes you're going |
| It's not only the noise that may get on your | | | | to carry. You can buy a hitch rack that will carry |
| nerves. Grease and dirt can quite easily transfer | | | | up to five bikes at a time. |
| from your bike to the upholstery of the SUV, and | | | | If you're nervous about having your bicycles |
| of course you'll have to flip those seats up and | | | | secured on the back of you vehicle, you can also |
| down to ensure you have enough room. | | | | explore the option of a bed mount. |
| Even if you don't care about the state of your | | | | This is a device that runs horizontally from one |
| truck bed, it's easy to scratch your bike as well | | | | side of your truck bed to the other. You then put |
| and you don't want that. Scratches turn into rust. | | | | your bikes onto this rack and secure them down |
| And if you're carrying more than one bike, the | | | | so that they stand up securely and don't rattle |
| chances of scratches or staining is multiplied. | | | | around. You can also buy a similar device for your |
| What can you do about it? You can't get a roof | | | | SUV, although you still have the hassle of moving |
| rack for your truck, obviously, and the roof of | | | | around the seats - depending on the size of your |
| your SUV will be too high to comfortably lift a | | | | vehicle. |
| bike up to the roof. | | | | If you've got a pickup or an SUV, then you've |
| No problem - if you've got a trailer hitch on the | | | | invested a lot in your vehicle. You've probably also |
| back of your truck or SUV, then all you need to | | | | invested a lot in your bike as well. So why not |
| do is get a receiver bike rack, more commonly | | | | invest a little bit more in a receiver bike rack to |
| known as a hitch bike rack. (The receiver is the | | | | keep everything safe, clean, and neat. |
| name of the ball on which a trailer hitch is placed.) | | | | |