Car racks for recumbents

stevedak said:

Hello,

I recently bought a RANS V2. I live close to one of the trails here in town so I generally ride direct from my house. However, sooner or later I'm going to want to try for some rides outside the city which will require a rack. Can anyone here make some recommendations? FWIW, I drive a 95 Saturn SL1.

Thanks,
Steve

I use a Thule, 2 bike rack that attaches to my car trunk. I have a SWB Rans Rocket. The Thule works very well, and is easily removable from the trunk.

If using a trunk rack like mine, just be sure that your V2 isn't wider than the vehicle. You don't want the ends of you bike sticking out beyond the width of your vehicle.

stevedak said:

Hello,

I recently bought a RANS V2. I live close to one of the trails here in town so I generally ride direct from my house. However, sooner or later I'm going to want to try for some rides outside the city which will require a rack. Can anyone here make some recommendations? FWIW, I drive a 95 Saturn SL1.

Thanks,
Steve

Steve, I currently use a Karacks receiver hitch rack to carry our two Rans V-Rexes to and from the rail-trails that we love to ride. Kris Hovey at Karacks has suspended production due to the high price of the special grade stainless steel he uses. He told a person who posts on Bent Rider On Line's message board that he intends to get some steel and produce a few racks in the near future. Go to Karacks.com and check out the racks and then call Kris (he has been getting so much spam lately that I has trouble not deleting email inquiries by accident) at the number listed on the site. He is a great guy who hand makes the racks and he stands behind his product completely.

Ken the Troll
I live south of the Mighty Mackinaw Bridge
Riding a Rans V-Res (2003)

Hi there Steve, I was just reading the threads on the recumbent bikes. I see you are from some where just south of the Mackinaw Bridge. You get a good head start on the bridge ride for the DELMAC don't you. 😄
Have you come to Lansing to ride the DELMAC ? I've heard of people from up there who do that.
I've been thinking about a recumbent bike. My back and other parts have about had it on my Cannondale. When that seat reaches my shoulder blades...Will never mind. :eek:

I was wondering about a small trailer that they use for those wave jumper water machines being converted to haul a recumbent or two. Seems like a small trailer would be easier then lifting them up to a bike rack. Just an idea.
Back to the threads. Very interesting indeed.

grayghost001 said:

Hi there Steve, I was just reading the threads on the recumbent bikes. I see you are from some where just south of the Mackinaw Bridge. You get a good head start on the bridge ride for the DELMAC don't you. 😄
Have you come to Lansing to ride the DELMAC ? I've heard of people from up there who do that.
I've been thinking about a recumbent bike. My back and other parts have about had it on my Cannondale. When that seat reaches my shoulder blades...Will never mind. :eek:

I was wondering about a small trailer that they use for those wave jumper water machines being converted to haul a recumbent or two. Seems like a small trailer would be easier then lifting them up to a bike rack. Just an idea.
Back to the threads. Very interesting indeed.

[font=Comic Sans MS]I think you got us mixed up there Ghost. I am the one that lives in southern Michigan. I live between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, so I don't get up to the Bridge that often. I have never ridden the DALMAC but I have met people who have. I use a hitch rack to carry our V-Rexes. The DALMAC starts in various places and I believe you can get transportation back to Lansing. You should post a question here and on Bent Rider On Line asking about the DALMAC. There plenty of bent riders who have made the ride. [/font]

Ken-the-Troll said:

[font=Comic Sans MS]I think you got us mixed up there Ghost. I am the one that lives in southern Michigan. I live between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, so I don't get up to the Bridge that often. I have never ridden the DALMAC but I have met people who have. I use a hitch rack to carry our V-Rexes. The DALMAC starts in various places and I believe you can get transportation back to Lansing. You should post a question here and on Bent Rider On Line asking about the DALMAC. There plenty of bent riders who have made the ride. [/font]

No Ken, I got it straght, You say in your signature: [font=Comic Sans MS]I live South of the Mighty Mackinaw Bridge, I took that for Cheboygan or Petoskey or some where up there. I guess I too live south of the Mackinaw Bridge. I live in Grand Ledge which must be pretty close to where you are. Have a geat day and the weather just might get better for us next week they are saying. Sure will be a welcome sight to see the sun come up without snow and or frost. :eek: Later Ken.[/font]

Ken-the-Troll said:

[font=Comic Sans MS] ...The DALMAC starts in various places and I believe you can get transportation back to Lansing. You should post a question here and on Bent Rider On Line asking about the DALMAC. There plenty of bent riders who have made the ride. [/font]

This year I'll be doing it for the 19th time, if you count two years as support the same as 'doing it.' One small correction: although the starting point has changed over the years, there is only one official starting point. Unofficially, many local riders who do DALMAC simply register and load their baggage the evening before and then the next morning they ride directly from home to join the route. My wife always drives up to get me at The Bridge, but the bus ride back is a popular option.

[font=Courier New]Hi blazingpedals, Wow! 19 years on the DELMAC. That's pretty good. Now they have the 5 day, 4 day and E. route, W. route, It has become quite the ride.[/font]
[font=Courier New]When I have ridden it my wife goes along with the car and jumps ahead and shops along the route and picks me up in the tenting area and we spend the night in a Motel. After riding all day, a nice hot shower and a bed always seems better then the cold hard ground in a tent. To be able to do that we have to make Motel reservations early in the year to get a room. I think there are a few more guys that do something like that or have someone bring a camper along to stay in.[/font]
[font=Courier New]The last year I did the DELMAC we ate in a restaurant in Petoskey and I got so sick from something I ate I couldn't ride. I had the trots so bad I had to stay close to the rest rooms. My wife drove me up to Cheboygan in hopes I could do the bridge ride that last day. Nothing doing, I spent that day in the can and when it came time to line up for the bridge ride, No way I could go. It was just awful. That's been about 5 years ago.[/font]
[font=Courier New]It is a great event and I did enjoy the first time I went and the 2nd time as far as Petoskey. I think I'd like to tackle it again.[/font]
[font=Courier New]We'll have to see how it goes this year. 🙂 [/font]