Bicycle carrier

Bicycle carrier
A bicycle carrier, also commonly called a bike rack, is a device attached to an automobile or bus for transporting bicycles.
By vehicle type
Automobile mounted bike carriers can be attached to the roof, rear trunk, or rear tow hitch, depending on the vehicle. Carriers have been developed especially for the rear of pickup trucks that attach either to the bed or its sides.
At least one manufacturer offers bicycle carriers for use on motorcycles. There is a list of 11 rear mount bike racks that are durable with many other optimum features
Public transport
Bus mounted bike carriers are usually attached to the front of the bus. They may flip up against the bus, out of the way, when not carrying any bikes.
Children's bikes with wheels smaller than 16" may be too small for the racks on buses.
Trains would have seating “bays” where the deep seats could be flipped up into a perch-style arrangement at peak times and allow extra standing room, or give more room for bicycles stood upright.
Also, trains can transport bicycles offboard, in the front of the trains or using a bicycle flatcar / trailer.
Mounting
Bikes may be mounted in the carriers by clamping both wheels and providing some additional vertical support, by clamping the rear wheel and the front dropouts (necessitating the removal of the front wheel, which may be mounted separately on blades), or by clamping the top tube (usually in the case of rear hitch mounted carriers). There is a device available that connects from the stem to the seat post, to provide a top tube equivalent suitable for mounting in these carriers for step-through frame bicycles that do not have a top tube. Carriers that clamp on the front dropouts may also provide a built-in locking mechanism.
Special long carriers have been developed to support long-wheelbase recumbents and tandems.
Transit authorities and makers
Transit authorities with bicycle carriers on buses and trains.
Buses
Transit authorities with bicycle carriers on buses:
Europe
Madrid, Spain, in urban buses (line 33). Racks supplied by Fiamma.
Murcia, Spain.
North America
Source:
United States
California:
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (some routes)
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (Santa Clara)
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (Santa Cruz)
AC Transit (Alameda County, California and Oakland)
San Francisco Municipal Railway (San Francisco)
SamTrans (San Mateo County)
Golden Gate Transit (Northern San Francisco Bay area)
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Los Angeles County)
Omnitrans (San Bernardino County)
District of Columbia
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Georgia:
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Atlanta)
Illinois
Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago)
Iowa
CyRide (Ames)
Maine:
Portland, Maine
Massachusetts :
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority of Western Massachusetts
Minnesota:
Metro Transit (Minneapolis and Saint Paul)
New York:
MTA New York City Bus - Bikes not permitted on most routes, but four routes have been equipped with bike racks in a pilot program.
Tennessee
Memphis Area Transit Authority
8
Utah
Utah Transit Authority
Cache Valley Transit District in Logan, Utah
Virginia
Hampton Roads Transit
Williamsburg Area Transit Authority
Washington:
King County Metro in King County, Washington
Community Transit in Snohomish County, Washington.
Sound Transit Express in Puget Sound.
Pierce Transit in Pierce County, Washington.
Intercity Transit in Thurston County, Washington
Kitsap Transit in Kitsap County, Washington.
Everett Transit in Everett, Washington.
Skagit Transit in Skagit County, Washington.
Whatcom Transportation Authority in Whatcom County, Washington.
Spokane Transit Authority in Spokane County, Washington.
C-Tran in Clark County, Washington.
Yakima Transit in Yakima, Washington.
Wisconsin:
Milwaukee County Transit System in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Canada
British Columbia
Victoria Regional Transit System (Victoria)
TransLink (Vancouver)
Ontario
Durham Region Transit, Durham Region, Ontario
Grand River Transit, Region of Waterloo, Ontario
Quebec
STL, Laval, Quebec
Exo Laurentides sector (Suburban Montreal)
Oceania
Australia
ACTION in Canberra
New Zealand
Metro in Christchurch, New Zealand (all routes)
Dunedin
Feilding
Gisborne
Hamilton (5 services to other towns)
Hawkes Bay
Invercargill
Invercargill-Te Anau-Queenstown
New Plymouth
Nelson
Palmerston North
Rotorua
Taupō
Tauranga
Timaru
Waiheke Island
Wellington
Whangarei
Notable makers for public transit
Bus bycycle carriers
Fiamma.
Sportworks
Gallery
See also
Bicycle and public transport
Bicycle flatcar
Flexfix (a bike carrier integrated into the car's design)
Homologation
Intermodal passenger transport
Rail bycicle carrier car
Roof rack
Railroad wagon
References
External links
Consumer Reports buying guide
World map of buses with bike racks
U.S. Patent No. 5,692,659
Bring Your Bike Onboard OC Bus
Bicycle racks on buses and trains. Metro Transit for the Twin Cities.
Automotive accessories
Cycling equipment
Public transport