Abstract:
A repositionable mount and related methods including a method for mounting a bicycle to a bicycle rack The repositionable bicycle fork mount can include a mount for connection to a vehicle to support the bicycle fork, a bicycle fork receiver coupled to the mount, the bicycle fork receiver being configured to receive and secure the bicycle fork, and means for repositioning the mount and/or bicycle fork receiver with respect to the vehicle. Repositioning the mount and/or a bicycle fork receiver with respect to the vehicle can include a forward most position related to a relatively large bicycle and a rearward most position related to the relatively small bicycle such that a rear wheel of both the relatively large bicycle and a rear wheel of the relatively small bicycle are supported by a rear tailgate of the vehicle when attached to the properly positioned repositionable bicycle fork mount.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/849,377 filed Sep. 9, 2015 entitled BICYCLE RACK and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/927,238 filed Oct. 29, 2015 entitled SAFARI BICYCLE RACK. Both the &#39;377 and the &#39;238 applications claim priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/055,685 filed Oct. 16, 2013 entitled BICYCLE RACK. The contents of all of the foregoing patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Bicycle racks on vehicles are common for carrying a bicycle outside of the vehicle. Different types of bicycle racks are available. For example, there are bicycle racks that are configured to be mounted to vehicle roof rails, onto roof racks, into trailer receivers, and other locations. While many bicycle racks are available, there are still vehicles and vehicle accessories that have not had a bicycle rack tailored to be usable with the vehicle or vehicle accessory. Accordingly, it can be difficult to transport a bicycle when a sufficient bicycle rack is not available for some vehicles or vehicle accessories. As such, there remains a need in the art for additional bicycle racks and bicycle rack system configurations. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In one embodiment, a bicycle rack comprises: a crossbar having an elongate longitudinal length section with laterally curved end sections extending from each side of the longitudinal length, the crossbar having a top side that includes one or more bicycle receivers and having a length sufficient to extend across a roll cage of a vehicle; and a mounting bracket on an end of each laterally curved end section, the mounting brackets each being planar with an aperture extending through the bracket from a top surface to an opposite bottom surface, the mounting brackets each having bottom surface adapted to be received on a surface of a longitudinal bar of the roll cage with a fastener extending through each aperture and a vertical hole in the longitudinal bars such that the crossbar is elevated off the longitudinal bars or a plane extending between the surfaces of the longitudinal bars. In one aspect, the crossbar is elevated sufficiently such that the roll cage can include a soft top or bikini top without interference with the crossbar. In one aspect, the bicycle receivers are front fork receivers. In one aspect, the bicycle rack has the fastener extending through the aligned aperture of the mounting bracket and the hole of the longitudinal bars of the crossbar. 
         [0004]    In one embodiment, the present invention includes a vehicle comprising the bicycle rack and the roll cage. In one aspect, the bicycle rack is mounted on the roll cage, wherein the bicycle rack is positioned relative to the roll cage such that a bicycle mounted to bicycle receivers of the bicycle rack has its rear wheel resting on the tailgate or rear-mounted spare tire. In one aspect, the vehicle has the bicycle received into the bicycle receivers with the rear wheel of the bike resting on the tailgate. In one aspect, the vehicle includes a strap received through the rear wheel of the bicycle and secured to the vehicle. In one aspect, the strap is received through a rim of a spare tire mounted to the rear of the vehicle. 
         [0005]    In one embodiment, the present invention is a roll cage having the bicycle rack mounted to the roll cage. In one aspect, the bicycle rack is positioned relative to the roll cage such that a bicycle mounted to bicycle receivers of the bicycle rack has its rear wheel extending past the roll cage when the roll cage is mounted in the vehicle. In one aspect, the bicycle is received into the bicycle receivers with the rear wheel of the bicycle extending past the roll cage. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of mounting a bicycle rack to a roll cage, the method comprising: providing the bicycle rack and roll cage; mounting the mounting brackets of the bicycle rack to the roll cage such that the longitudinal length section of the crossbar is extended from the surface of the top longitudinal bars of the roll cage by the angle of the laterally curved end sections and bottom surface of the mounted brackets and so that the laterally curved end sections locate the crossbar toward the rear of the roll cage relative to the hole in the top longitudinal bar. 
         [0007]    In one aspect, the mounting includes: inserting the fastener through each of the aligned apertures of the mounting brackets and vertical hole in the longitudinal bar; and fastening the mounting brackets to the top longitudinal bars of the roll cage. In one aspect, the roll cage is mounted in a vehicle having the roll cage exposed, the method comprising: positioning the crossbar so that a front fork of a bicycle received into the bicycle receivers positions a rear wheel of the bicycle onto a tailgate of the vehicle. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for mounting a bicycle to a bicycle rack on an exposed roll cage of a vehicle, the method comprising: providing a vehicle having an exposed roll cage and tailgate external to the roll cage and having a bicycle rack coupled to the exposed roll cage, the bicycle rack comprising: a crossbar having an elongate longitudinal length section with laterally curved end sections extending from each side of the longitudinal length, the crossbar having a top side that includes one or more bicycle receivers and having a length sufficient to extend across the roll cage of the vehicle; a mounting bracket on an end of each laterally curved end section, the mounting brackets each being planar with an aperture extending through the bracket from a top surface to an opposite bottom surface, the mounting brackets each having bottom surface received on a surface of a longitudinal bar of the roll cage with a fastener extending through each aperture and a vertical hole in the longitudinal bars such that the crossbar is elevated off the longitudinal bars or a plane extending between the surfaces of the longitudinal bars; and mounting a bicycle to one of the bicycle receivers on the crossbar such that the rear wheel of the bicycle rests on the tailgate of the vehicle. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, the front fork of the bicycle is received into the bicycle receivers, wherein the bicycle receivers are configured to receive the front fork of the bicycle. The method can include coupling the rear wheel of the bicycle to a rear portion of the vehicle. In one aspect, the method can include gripping a handle mounted to the roll cage while lifting the bicycle onto the roll cage. In one aspect, the method can include coupling the bicycle rack to the roll cage such that when mounting the bicycle to one of the bicycle receivers on the crossbar the rear wheel of the bicycle rests on the tailgate of the vehicle. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the method can be performed by resting the rear wheel of the bicycle on the tailgate before and during mounting the bicycle to one of the bicycle receivers on the crossbar. 
         [0011]    The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0012]    The foregoing and following information as well as other features of this disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 1 , and  1 A- 1 G show embodiments of bicycle racks adapted to be mounted to an exposed roll cage of a vehicle. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 2A-2C  show an embodiment of a bicycle rack that has a slidable adjustment mechanism. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 3A-3C  show embodiments of bicycle racks that have a slidable adjustment mechanism. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a bicycle rack having an articulatable fork receiver and an optional handle. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5A-5C  show embodiments of bicycle rack systems adapted to be coupled to an exposed roll cage of a vehicle. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 6A-6C  show embodiments of mounting systems that mount a bicycle rack to an exposed roll cage of a vehicle. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 7A-7C  show embodiments of wheel mounting systems that mount a bicycle wheel to a back of a vehicle having an exposed roll cage. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  shows an embodiment of a safari rack configured as a bicycle rack. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein. 
         [0022]    Generally, the present invention includes bicycle rack systems that are adapted to be mounted to exposed roll cages of vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles (e.g., Jeep Wrangler®). The bicycle rack can be mounted to predrilled vertical holes in the exposed roll cage or mounted to the bar or mounted to later-drilled holes. The bicycle rack is dimensioned so that the front fork of a bicycle is received into the bicycle rack with the rear wheel resting on the tailgate. The bicycle rack systems are especially adapted to vehicles with exposed roll cages, such as the commercially available Jeep Wrangler®; however, the bicycle rack described herein can also be mounted to safari racks, roof racks, or any other rack or vehicle accessory within reason. 
         [0023]    Recently, it was realized that many stock roll cages of recent model Jeep Wranglers® include a top longitudinal bar extending along each of the sides from a front or middle lateral crossbar to right and left down bars that are mounted to the body of the Jeep Wrangler®, where each top longitudinal bar includes a predrilled hole between the speakers and down bar, where the predrilled hole extends from the top to bottom surfaces of the roll cage tube. In many observed instances when the roll cage included a tubular protective pad, the predrilled hole is uncovered and exposed, with the tubular pads leaving a space around the predrilled hole. When the hard top is removed from the Jeep Wrangler®, the predrilled holes in the top longitudinal bars are exposed. Also, removing the hard top also removes vehicles accessories (e.g., bicycle or safari racks) attached thereto. In many instances, a soft top or bikini top is used as roofing; however, it is difficult to mount a bicycle rack to a soft top or bikini top, and many bicycle rack adaptations are not sufficient for desirable bike mounting needs on a Jeep Wrangler®. However, the pre-drilled holes in the top longitudinal bars are exposed when soft tops or bikini tops are installed. As such, the pre-drilled holes can be used for mounting a bicycle rack to the roll cage of a Jeep Wrangler®, even when the soft top or bikini top is installed. According, the inventors have invented a bicycle rack system that is mounted to the roll cage, such as by mounting the bicycle rack to the pre-drilled holes. A novel bicycle rack system was invented to include a crossbar that extends between the predrilled holes, where one or more (e.g., 2 or 3 or 4) bicycle receivers are mounted on a top surface of the crossbar, and where the bottom of the crossbar is suspended above a soft top or bikini top, and where the crossbar is positioned longitudinally with respect to the roll cage such that the rear wheel can rest on the tailgate or rear-mounted spare tire. As such, for an adult bicycle, such as a mountain bike, road bike, cyclocross bike, cruiser, jump bike with a wheel size of from 24-36 inches, such as 24, 26, 28, 29 inch rims has sufficient distance from one side across the diameter to the other side to rest on the tailgate. In order to have the front of the bike properly positioned above the crossbar with the rear of the bike resting on the tailgate, the crossbar includes a lateral extending member extending from each end. The lateral extending members include a mounting bracket that has an aperture dimensioned to be aligned with the predrilled holes and receive a fastener through both the mounting bracket and roll cage in order to fasten the bicycle rack to the roll cage. In one example, the positioning of the crossbar allows the front forks of a bicycle to be mounted to the crossbar (e.g., via a front fork receiver) with the attached rear wheel resting on the tailgate. 
         [0024]    It is noted that adult bicycles are dimensioned larger than kids-sized bikes, and the present invention is intended for larger-sized bikes. However, embodiments that include adjustable positioning configurations may be useful for the entire range of bike sizes from kid sizes (e.g., 12, 16, 18, 20, and 22 inches) to adult sizes (e.g., anything larger than 24 inches). As such, the embodiments having the adjustable longitudinal length can be configured to carry all bikes within reason with the front fork mounted to the crossbar and the rear wheel resting on the tailgate of the vehicle. As such, Jeep Wrangler® dimensioned vehicles (referred to herein as sport utility vehicles) having the exposed roll cage can receive the bike rack so that the crossbar extends longitudinally and upwardly from the roll cage (e.g., top longitudinal bar) so as to be higher than and not touching a soft top or bikini top. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and these and other embodiments of the invention are provided as examples in the figures and following description. 
         [0025]    FIGS.  1  and  1 A- 1 C show an embodiment of a bicycle rack  100  that is configured to be mounted onto a support member, such as the roll cage of a jeep or safari rack, or other type of roof-mounted or roll-cage mounted rack.  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the bicycle rack  100 .  FIG. 1A  shows a top view of the bicycle rack  100 , where orientation of top is relative to when mounted to the vehicle or vehicle accessory.  FIG. 1B  shows a long side of the bicycle rack  100  (e.g., showing crossbar  102 ) and  FIG. 1C  shows a short side of the bicycle rack  100  (e.g., showing curved extension member  104 ). The bicycle rack  100  includes a crossbar  102  that has a curved extension member  104  on each end (e.g., extension member ends  108 ). Each curved extension member  104  includes a mounting bracket  106  on each bracket end  110  of the curved extension member  104 . As such, moving from one side to the other, the bicycle rack  100  includes a first mounting bracket  106  coupled to a bracket end  110  of a first curved extension member  104  with a crossbar end  112  of the first curved extension member  104  coupled to an extension member end  108  of the crossbar  102 . The other extension member end  108  of the crossbar  102  is coupled to the crossbar end  112  of the second curved extension member  104  with the bracket end  110  of the second curved extension member  104  being coupled to the second mounting bracket  106 . 
         [0026]    It should be noted that the crossbar  102  and curved extension members  104  can be a single, unitary piece of material (e.g., metal) having all of these members, or can be one, two, three, or four separate pieces that are coupled, mated, linked, welded, brazed, threaded, screwed, snap-fit, or otherwise fastened and/or slid together. In one option, crossbar  102  is separate from the two curved extension members  104  and welded, threaded, or otherwise coupled together. 
         [0027]    In another option shown in  FIG. 1C , one curved extension member  104  is coupled to an inner crossbar  102   a  and a second curved extension member  104  is coupled to an outer crossbar  102   b,  and the inner crossbar  102   a  has an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer crossbar  102   b  such that the inner crossbar  102   a  is slidably received into the lumen of the outer crossbar  102   b,  which allows the long length of the crossbar  102  to be extended or narrowed for adjustment to fit on a range of vehicles or vehicle accessories. This is similar to telescoping members such that the inner crossbar  102   a  and outer crossbar  102   b  can be configured as a telescoping crossbar  102 . 
         [0028]    In any configuration, the crossbar  102  has a longitudinal axis along the long length, and the curved extension members  104  extend laterally therefrom. The curved extension members  104  may be substituted with straight extension members that extend laterally from the longitudinal axis of the crossbar  102 . The extension members may have any shape, from straight to bent to curved, or the like, such that the mounting brackets  106  are extended laterally from the longitudinal axis of the crossbar  102 . Also, the crossbar  102  can be arced or curved or have one or more bends; however, a straight crossbar  102  can be preferred. 
         [0029]    The mounting brackets  106  can be unitary pieces with the extension members  104 , such as by being prepared from a single piece of material. Alternatively, the mounting brackets  106  can be coupled to the extension members  104  similar to how the extension members  104  are coupled with the crossbar  102 , such as by separate pieces that are coupled, mated, linked, welded, brazed, threaded, screwed, snap-fit, or otherwise fastened and/or slid together. In fact, the entire crossbar  102  with extension members  104  and mounting brackets  106  can be formed from a single piece of material that is shaped and configured as illustrated and described. 
         [0030]    The crossbar  102  includes one or more mounting members  114 , where three mounting members  114  are shown. While more than three mounting members  114  may be mounted on the crossbar  102 , size may restrict the number of mounting members  114  on the crossbar  102 . Also, size may limit to only two mounting members  114  on the crossbar  102 . However, when using a combination of fork receivers and wheel receivers to mount the bicycles to the bicycle rack  100 , three or more mounting members  114  may be usable because the difference in height of the bicycles on the fork receivers (e.g., lower) compared to the height of the bicycles on the wheel receivers (e.g., higher). The different configurations are discussed in more detail below. In any event, each of the one or more mounting members  114  are configured to receive a fork receiver configured to couple to a fork of a bicycle or receive a wheel receiver configured to couple to a wheel of a bicycle. Each of the mounting members  114  includes one or more mounting features  116  (e.g., holes to receive fastener shafts or fastener shafts to be received into holes), which may be holes or shafts or bolts or quick-release or other fastening components that can function as mounting features  116  to mount the mounting members  114  to the structure (e.g., fork receiver or wheel receiver) that couples with the bicycle. While four mounting features  116  are shown on each mounting member  114 , any number can be used (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.). The mounting members  114  can be configured to mount to any standard, unique, or other fork receiver and/or wheel receiver of common bike racks known or later developed. 
         [0031]    The mounting brackets  106  can have various configurations to mount to a vehicle or vehicle accessory, such as a roll cage or safari rack or roof rack or luggage rack, or other roof-mounted vehicle accessory. As such, the mounting bracket  106  is a plate with a single aperture  118 . However, other mounting features or components can be used that are known in mounting arts, such as bicycle rack mounting arts for mounting bicycle racks to vehicles or vehicle accessories. The aperture  118  can be dimensioned to receive a fastening member (e.g., see  FIGS. 6A-6C ), which fastening member can be any known in the mounting arts. In one embodiment, the fastening member for the aperture  118  can be a bolt that is received through the aperture (e.g., hole) in a roll cage with a nut or the like on the other end so that the bicycle rack  100  is mounted thereto. In another embodiment, the fastening member for the aperture  118  can be a quick-release fastener. In any event, substantially any type of fastener may be useful for mounting the mounting brackets  106  to the vehicle or vehicle accessory. However, some stock roll cages (e.g., stock roll cage for Jeep Wrangler®) come with pre-drilled holes that go through the pipe of the roll cage so that a fastener (e.g., bolt) can be passed through the aperture  118  of the mounting brackets  106  and through the pre-drilled hole in the roll cage, and the fastener can be fastened to mount the mounting brackets  106  to the roll cage, which mounts the bicycle rack  100  to the roll cage. 
         [0032]      FIG. 1D  shows a short side of the bicycle rack  100  having the crossbar  102  connected to the extension member  104  that is connected to the mounting bracket  106  having the aperture  118 . The crossbar  102  includes the mounting member  114  with the mounting features  116 . A fork receiver  120  is mounted to the mounting member  114 , where the fork receiver  120  has a support section  122  that includes the fork receiver fastener  124  that fastens the fork  126  of a bicycle to the fork receiver  120 . The fork receiver fastener  124  can be any fastener that is useful for mounting to a bicycle fork, such as at the grooves that receive the axle of the bicycle front wheel, which fork receiver fasteners  124  are well known in the art. The support section  122  may be capable of being moved, rotated, or otherwise articulated relative to the main portion of the fork receiver  120 . The fork receiver  120  can include mounting features that mount with the mounting features  116  of the mounting member  114 , but which can be any mounting features that can couple (removably or fixed) the fork receiver  120  to the mounting member  114 . As shown, the fork receiver  120  includes apertures  128  that correspond with the mounting features  116  of the mounting member  114 , where a combination of apertures and bolts can be used, with the bolts being the mounting features or the mounting features  116  being an aperture aligned with apertures  128  so that a fastening bolt  130  is received therethrough so as to be through the fork receiver  120  and mounting member  114 . In any event, a fastening system can fasten the fork receiver  120  to the mounting member  114  so as to be coupled with the crossbar  102 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 1E  shows the mounting member  114  being coupled to a wheel receiver  136  that is configured to receive a wheel  150  of a bicycle. Wheel receivers  136  that receive a wheel  150  of a bicycle so as to mount the bicycle are well known. The wheel receiver  136  includes an elongate member  138  with a trough  140  (not shown, but well known) that receives the wheel  150  of the bike within the trough  140 . As such, the elongate member  138  has a “U” shape cross-sectional profile that receives the tire of the wheel  150  therein. The wheel receiver  136  can include a wheel fastener  142 , such as a strap, cinch strap, ratchet strap, or the like, of plastic, fabric, or metal, that is received through the rim of the wheel  150  so as to fasten the wheel  150  into the trough  140  so that the wheel  150  is tightly coupled with the wheel receiver  136 . The wheel receiver  136  can also include a frame mount  144  that can swivel at an axis  148  and may be extendable and may have a frame fastener  146  that fastens to a bicycle frame. The frame mounts  144  are well known in the art and often include an extendable arm and clamp as a frame fastener  146  to fasten to a frame of the bicycle so that the bicycle is further coupled to the wheel receiver  136 . While the elongate member  138  can be long enough to receive front and back wheels  150  and include wheel fasteners  142  for both the front and back wheels  150 , the elongate member  138  of the present embodiment may be shortened so as to only be long enough to receive the front wheel  150 . These sizes are for a regular adult bicycle, such as a medium-sized road bike, and dimensions can be modified for different types of bikes, from mountain bikes to cyclocross bikes to cruisers to kid bikes. The frame mount  144  may be omitted or used to mount to the frame of the bicycle close to the front wheel  150 . Optionally, the elongate member  138  is long enough for the trough  140  to receive both front and rear wheels  150  of a bicycle with a wheel fastener for each wheel  150  of the bicycle. 
         [0034]    The embodiments of the bicycle rack  100  shown in  FIGS. 1A-1E  include curved extension members  104 . However, the bicycle rack  100  can have other configurations. In one example shown in  FIG. 1F , the bicycle rack  100  can include a substantially straight crossbar  102  having the one or more mounting members  114  (e.g., three mounting members  114  are shown) and the mounting brackets  106  being on ends of the straight crossbar  102 , which excludes additional extension members  104 . Also, the straight crossbar  102  may be curved, arced, or otherwise shaped, if desired, and exclude extension members  104  such that the mounting brackets  106  are on the ends of the crossbar  102 . 
         [0035]    In an additional example shown in  FIG. 1G , the crossbar  102  can be connected to straight extension members  105  that extend laterally from the longitudinal axis of the crossbar  102 . The straight extension members  105  can be coupled directly to the crossbar  102  as described in connection with the curved extension members  104 . Alternatively, an elbow coupling  107  can be used to couple the crossbar  102  to the straight extension members  105 . The straight extension members  105  have the mounting brackets  106  on the ends. Also, the straight extension members  105  can be telescoping so as to have the length adjustable in the lateral direction from the longitudinal axis of the crossbar  102 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate an embodiment of a slider mount  200  that is mounted to a mounting member  114  that is mounted on the crossbar  102 . The slider mount  200  is configured such that a slider bike receiver  202  can be slidably coupled with the slider mount  200 . The slider mount  200  and the slider bike receiver  202  can slide with respect to each other and fixed at a desired location. The slider mount  200  and/or slider bike receiver  202  can include a fastener (not shown, such as a quick-release fastener) that locks the slider bike receiver  202  in a position relative to the slider mount  200 , which fastener can be unlocked so that the slider bike receiver  202  can slide relative to the slider mount  200 . The sliding direction is substantially laterally or orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the crossbar  102 . The arrows show the sliding direction of the slider bike receiver  202  being perpendicular with the crossbar  102  so that the slider bike receiver  202  can be at a front end or middle portion or back end of the slider mount  200 . However, the mounting member  114  may be configured as a slider mount  200  or they can be integrated or otherwise coupled together. In any event, the slider mount  200  and slider bike receiver  202  can cooperate to allow for the position of the bike mounted to the crossbar  102  to change and be adapted to different size bikes so that the rear wheel of the bike is received on the vehicle, vehicle accessory, or secondary wheel mount. The slider bike receiver  202  can be configured as a fork receiver  120  or wheel receiver  136 . Alternatively, the slider bike receiver  202  can be fixed or coupled with a fork receiver  120  or wheel receiver  136 . That is, the slider bike receiver  202  can be the bike receiver or can be attached to a bike receiver so that the bike receiver can slide along the slider mount and slide with respect to the crossbar  102 .  FIG. 2B  shows a fork receiver  120  as the slider bike receiver  202  located on a first end of the slider mount  200 .  FIG. 2C  shows the fork receiver  200  as the slider bike receiver  202  located on an opposite second end of the slider mount  200 . Accordingly, the slidability allows for longer and shorter bikes (wheel to wheel) to be used with the bicycle rack  100  of the present invention. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 3A-3C  show different embodiments of the slider mount  200  slidably engaged with the slider bike receiver  202 . In each embodiment, a fastener  204  is shown to fasten the slider bike receiver  202  to the slider mount  200  to lock the relative positions. The fastener  204  can be any type of fastener that can be released to slide these components and then fastened to fasten the slider mount  200  and slider bike receiver  202  into a fixed position.  FIG. 3A  shows a grooved configuration where the slider mount  200   a  and slider bike receiver  202   a  have cooperative grooves  300  and rails  302  that mate with each other and where the grooves  300  provide tracks for the rails  302 . Any number and orientation of the grooves  300  and rails  302  on the slider mount  200   a  and/or slider bike receiver  202   a  can be used as long as the sliding function is achieved.  FIG. 3B  shows a sloped groove  304  to have overhangs that interlock with the sloped rail  306 . The sloped groove  304  and sloped rail  306  inhibit the slider bike receiver  202   b  to be withdrawn upwardly from the slider mount  200   b,  but which allow the ends of the slider mount  200   b  and slider bike receiver  202   b  to be received so that the sloped groove  304  receives the sloped rail  306 , and which allows relative slidability thereof.  FIG. 3C  shows the slider mount  200   c  having or being configured as a “T”-shaped rail  308  that is received into a “T”-shaped recess  310  on the slider bike receiver  202   c.  However, the grooves and rails may be modified with the principles described herein. Also, the grooves and/or rails can be as shown or on the other member, and both may have grooves and rails or the slider mount  200  can include grooves to receive the rails of the slider bike receiver  202 , or vice versa, or any slidable combination thereof. 
         [0038]      FIG. 4  shows the crossbar  102  having the mounting member  114  coupled to an articulating fork receiver  400 . The articulating fork receiver  400  can articulate so as to allow for adjustability in the position of the bike fork with respect to the crossbar  102 . Two positions of the same articulating fork receiver  400  are shown by the dashed lines, where the articulating fork receiver  400  can be in either orientation as shown or other orientation possible by the articulation. For example, the articulating fork receiver  400  can include a main pivot point  402  that allows the body  404  to articulate or rotate relative to the mounting member  114 . Also, the articulating fork receiver  400  can include a secondary pivot point  406  that allows the support section  408  to articulate or rotate relative to the body  404 . The support section  408  includes the fork mount  410  that mounts to the bicycle fork, where embodiments of such a mount  410  is well known in the art. 
         [0039]    Also,  FIG. 4  shows that a handle  420  can be included with the present invention. That is, the handle  420  can be coupled to or integrated with any component of the bicycle rack embodiments described herein. As shown, the handle  420  is coupled to the mounting bracket  106 , such as by being received through the aperture  118 . However, the handle  420  can be mounted, integrated, or coupled with the crossbar  102  or extension member  104  or other mounting. In one option, the handle  420  can be mounted to the roll cage or roof rack or other vehicle accessory. The handle  420  can be useful for facilitating installation of the bicycle rack to the roll cage or roof rack or other vehicle accessory, or installation of a bicycle to the bicycle rack. While one embodiment of a handle  420  is shown, any handle in any configuration can be included in a system or kit having the bicycle rack. 
         [0040]      FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate different embodiments of rack systems  500  that can be mounted to a roll cage  512  of a vehicle (e.g., stock roll cage of a Jeep Wrangler®). The rack systems  500  can include any embodiment of the bicycle rack  100  and features thereof from  FIGS. 1A-1G . 
         [0041]      FIG. 5A  shows a vehicle  510  (e.g., Jeep® with top off) with a roll cage  512  that has the rack system  500  coupled thereto. That is, the rack system  500  is coupled to the roll cage  512  in order to be coupled to the vehicle. As shown, the rack system  500  is mounted on top of the roll cage  512  so that the bike  514  sits over a portion of the roll cage  512 . The rack includes the crossbar  102  and extension members  104  that extend between the mounting bracket  106  and the crossbar  102 . The mounting bracket  106  is shown to have the aperture  118 . The roll cage  512  can include a factory pre-drilled hole  516  on both top side bars  518 , which is common on the roll cages  512  of Jeep Wranglers®. That is, the roll cage  512  includes a pre-drilled hole  516  on each top side bar  518  between the down bar  520  and middle bar  522 , which pre-drilled hole  516  is provided for vehicle accessories to be mounted thereto. The pre-drilled hole  516  is often between holes for the speaker system (not shown) and the down bar  520 . Providing a Jeep® with a roll cage  512  with a pre-drilled hole  516  can be beneficial in an embodiment of the invention. As such, a fastener  524  is inserted through the aperture  118  in the mounting bracket  106  and through the pre-drilled hole  516  so as to fasten the rack system  500  to the roll cage  512 . However, a hole can be drilled if the roll cage  512  does not include the pre-drilled hole  516 . The fastener  520  can be dimensioned to be received through both the aperture  118  and pre-drilled hole  516 . Once the rack system  500  is mounted to the roll cage  512 , the bike  514  can be mounted to the rack system  500  as bikes are commonly mounted to bike carriers. As shown, the front fork  514   a  is coupled to the rack system  500  that includes a fork receiver  120  (see  FIG. 1D ) so that the bike  514  is over the roll cage  512 . Also, the rear wheel  514   b  of the bike  514  is set on the tailgate  526  of the vehicle  510 . Jeep Wranglers® commonly have a tailgate  526 . As such, the rack system  500  is mounted on the roll cage  512  so that the bike  514  has its front fork  514   a  on the crossbar  102  of the rack system  500  with the rear wheel  514   b  on the tailgate  526  of the vehicle  510 . In one aspect, the rear wheel  514   b  can just rest on the tailgate  526  without being coupled, attached, or mounted thereto. In another aspect, the rear wheel  514   b  can be coupled to the tailgate  526  or to some other feature of the vehicle or tailgate  526  (e.g., handle or spare tire) via a strap  528 . Here, the strap  528  is received through an aperture (not shown) associated with the tailgate  526  (which aperture can be from the handle that opens and closes the tailgate  526 ). The strap  528  may also be long enough to be wrapped around the down bar  520  and the rear wheel  514   b  to secure the bike  514  to the roll cage  512 . Additionally, a handle  420  should to be mounted to the roll cage  512 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 5B  is similar to  FIG. 5A ; however, instead of a fork receiver  120 , the rack system  500  includes a wheel receiver  136 , such as in  FIG. 1E . The wheel receiver  136  includes an elongate member  138  that is dimensioned sufficiently to receive the front wheel  514   c  and rear wheel  514   b.  Wheel fasteners  142  (e.g., straps) are used to mount the bike  514  on the elongate member  138 . Here, the elongate member  138  is straight, which is common for elongate members  138  of bike racks that receive both wheels ( 514   b,    514   c ) of a bike  514 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 5C  is similar to  FIG. 5A ; however, the elongate member  138  includes at least one bend  138   a  so that a first section  550  and second section  552  are at different angles with respect to the bend  138   a  as shown. The elongate member  138  can terminate or have a second bend  138   b.  When only a first bend  138   a  is included, the rear wheel  514   b  can rest on an end of the elongate member  138  or on the tailgate  526  as described in  FIG. 5A . When a second bend  138   b  is included, a third section  554  can be included on the elongate member  138 , which can receive the rear wheel  514   b.  The elongate member  138  may or may not be mounted to the tailgate  526  or spare tire, or other location, and the third section  554  may rest on the tailgate  526  or be mounted thereto. 
         [0044]      FIGS. 6A-6C  show a rack system  600  being mounted to a roll cage  612 . The rack system  600  can include the features of any embodiment described herein. 
         [0045]      FIG. 6A  shows a rack system  600  having the crossbar  102  coupled to the extension members  104 , which are coupled to the mounting brackets  106 . As shown, the roll cage  612  includes a pre-drilled hole  616  that extends from one side to the other side of the roll cage  612 . The pre-drilled hole  616  can be a factory pre-drilled hole or can be pre-drilled prior to installation of the rack system  600 . The mounting bracket  106  includes an aperture  118  that is compatible with the pre-drilled hole  616  such that a fastener  624  received through the aperture  118  also can pass through the pre-drilled hole  616 . While the aperture  118  and pre-drilled hole  616  can be of the same dimension, they may be different dimensions when the fastener  624  has a portion dimensioned for the aperture  118  and a portion dimensioned for the pre-drilled hole  616 . The fastener  624  is shown to include a top stop member  626  that inhibits the fastener  624  from passing down through the aperture  118  and/or pre-drilled hole  616  and a bottom stop member  628  that inhibits the fastener  624  from passing up through the aperture  118  and/or pre-drilled hole  616 . One of the top stop member  626  and/or bottom stop member  628  may be integrated with the shaft of the fastener  624  so as to be a bolt with the other being a nut. Any similar fastener configuration that fastens the mounting bracket  106  to the roll cage  612  can be used. For example, the fastener  624  can be a quick-release fastener, where quick-release fasteners are common on bicycles and bike racks. Also, the roll cage  612  is shown to include a handle  420  coupled thereto, where the handle  420  is shown to have a shaft  625  inserted through a hole  650  (e.g., another pre-drilled hole or other hole) with a top stop member  654  coupled to the shaft  625  to fasten the handle  420  to the roll cage  612 . The shaft  625  and top stop member  654  can be integrated as a bolt. Other fasteners can be used that fit through a hole  650  in a roll cage  612  to mount the handle  420  to the roll cage  612 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 6B  is similar to  FIG. 6A ; however, the rack system  600  is mounted differently to the roll cage  612 . As shown, the rack system  600  includes a clamp  660  that is received around the roll cage  612  (e.g., bar of roll cage) in order to mount the rack system  600  to the roll cage  612 . The mounting bracket  106  includes the aperture  118  that receives a shaft  662  that is associated or integrated or otherwise coupled with the clamp  660 , and a top stop member  626  is coupled or integrated with the shaft  662 . Various couplings between the mounting bracket  106  and clamp  660  are possible. Also, the clamp  660  includes an adjustment mechanism, such as a cinch member, that allows the diameter of the clamp  660  to be increased to loosen the rack system  600  from the roll cage  612  or decreased to tighten the rack system  600  to the roll cage  612 . The clamp  660  can be plastic, fabric, metal, or other material that can be used as a clamp  660 , and may be cinch straps or have some ratcheting mechanism for tightening. Also, the handle  420  is shown to have straps  420   a,    420   b  wrapped around the roll cage  612  to mount the handle  420  to the roll cage. The straps  420   a,    420   b  can be adjustable, and may be Velcro or any other type of strapping. 
         [0047]      FIG. 6C  is similar to  FIGS. 6A and 6B ; however, the rack system  600  includes one or more straps  670 ,  674  to that can strap the rack system  600  to the roll cage  612 . The straps  670 ,  674  can be any type of strapping member, such as Velcro, elastic, cinch, or other. As shown, a first strap  670  is strapped around the mounting bracket  106  and around the roll cage  612  so as to fasten the rack system  600  to the roll cage  612 . A second strap  674  is strapped around the extension member  104  and around the roll cage  612  so as to fasten the rack system  600  to the roll cage  612 . The first strap  670  can be integrated or coupled or removable or strap-bound with the mounting bracket  106 , and the second strap  674  can be integrated or coupled or removable or strap-bound with the extension member  104 . The first strap  670  is shown to have a cinch member  672 , which can cinch or ratchet so that the first strap  670  can be tightened or loosened. The second strap  674  is shown to have a cinch member  676 , which can cinch or ratchet so that the second strap  674  can be tightened or loosened. The dashed lines show an optional handle  420  that can be coupled or part of the straps  670 ,  674 . Also, a handle  420  can be mounted to the roll cage  612  by having one or more shafts  662  fit within the same number of holes  650  in the roll cage  612 , where a top stop member  654  is received onto or coupled or integrated or otherwise fastened to each shaft  662 . 
         [0048]      FIGS. 7A-7C  show a rack system  600  being mounted to a roll cage  612  so that a bike  514  has the rear wheel  514   b  supported by a back part of the vehicle, such as a Jeep Wrangler®. The rack system  600  can include the features of any embodiment described herein. 
         [0049]      FIG. 7A  shows a rack system  600  that can have different ways of receiving the rear wheel  514   b.  That is, the rack system  600  of the present invention can have the rear wheel  514   b  received by a variety of ways with or without special wheel receiving devices. In one example shown on the right, the rear wheel  514   b  of a bike  514  can merely rest on the tailgate  626  of a vehicle, such as a sport utility vehicle with its top removed with or without a soft top, such as a Jeep Wrangler®. The rear wheel  514   b  may rest on the tailgate  626  with or without the illustrated strap  628 , which can be any type of strap of any material. When used, the strap  628  can wrap around anything on the vehicle including the spare tire (e.g., threaded through rim), bumper, handle, roll cage, or other. The center example, the rear wheel  514   b  can rest on a rear-mounted spare tire  710  with or without a strap securing the rear wheel  514   b  thereto. The left example shows a rear wheel receiver  720  mounted to the tailgate  626 , where the rear wheel receiver  720  receives the rear wheel  514   b  of the bike  514 . The rear wheel receiver  720  can be coupled to the tailgate  626  in any manner. The rear wheel receiver  720  can be adapted to receive a single rear wheel  514   b  of a single bike  514 , and can have a “U”-shaped trough. The rear wheel receiver  720  can include a wheel fastener  142  (e.g., cinch or ratchet strap or other) that is received around the rim of the rear wheel  514   b  to secure it to the rear wheel receiver  720 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 7B  shows an embodiment of a rear wheel receiver  720  (e.g., rear wheel receiver bar) that can be received onto the rear part of a sport utility vehicle. The rear wheel bar  720  can include one or more “U”-shaped troughs  722  dimensioned to receive a rear wheel  514   b  of bike  514 , where three troughs  722  are shown, and two troughs  722  may be preferred. Each trough can include a wheel fastener  142  as shown and described herein. The rear wheel bar  720  may have a flat bottom, but may also have a curved or arced bottom  724  that is shaped to be received onto a rear-mounted spare tire  710  as shown. When mounted on a rear-mounted spare tire  710 , the rear wheel bar  720  can include straps  628  that are wrapped around the spare tire  710  so as to secure the rear wheel bar  720  thereto so that it does not move or is held substantially in place. The straps  628  can be wrapped around the rear wheel bar  720  or be coupled or integrated therewith, such as with the handles or other racks described herein (see  FIGS. 6A-6B ). 
         [0051]      FIG. 7C  shows another embodiment of a rear wheel bar  630  that is dimensioned to fit on a tailgate  626  of a sport utility vehicle, such as a Jeep Wrangler® when the hard top is off, and with or without a soft top on. The top of the rear wheel bar  630  can include one or more “U”-shaped troughs  722  dimensioned to receive a rear wheel  514   b  of a bike  514 , where two troughs  722  are shown. Each trough can include a wheel fastener  142  as shown and described herein. The rear wheel bar  630  may have a flat bottom, but may also have a “U”-shaped trough (not shown) that runs the length of the rear wheel bar  630  and dimensioned to fit over the tailgate  626  such that the tailgate  626  is received into the “U”-shaped trough. One or more fasteners  740  may be included to fasten the rear wheel bar  630  to the tailgate  626 . 
         [0052]    In one embodiment, the bicycle rack can be configured as a safari rack. As such, a safari rack can include one or more bike receivers, which can be fork receivers and/or wheel receivers.  FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment of a safari bike rack  800 . The safari bike rack  800  includes a safari rack  802  having a crossbar  102  with two mounting members  114 . The mounting members  114  are shown to include fork receivers  120 ; however, wheel receivers may also be included. The safari bike rack  800  is shown to include a drop bracket  802  extending from the rack for use in mounting to a roll cage as described herein. The drop bracket  802  can include a mounting bracket  106  to facilitate mounting to a roll cage as described herein. Also, the safari bike rack  800 , crossbar  102 , and the like can be configured so that when a bike is received into the fork receivers  120 , the rear wheel of the bike can rest on the tailgate of the SUV that has the roll cage exposed (e.g., Jeep Wrangler®). The safari bike rack  800  can have the safari rack portion with other known or developed configurations. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the arrangement of the bike receivers on the safari rack can be on any of the crossbars, and the safari rack itself may be any embodiment of a safari rack known or later developed. In fact, an additional rear wheel receiver may be mounted to another crossbar of the safari rack. Also, the bike receiver can be any type of bike receiver, including those described herein. In one aspect, the arrangement can allow for the bike to be received into the bike receiver on the crossbar of the safari rack so that the rear wheel rests on the tailgate of a SUV lacking a rear shell/top that has a roll cage as the safari rack is configured to mount to a roll cage as described herein. Mounting brackets  106  are shown in dashed lines as they may be optional as other mounting configurations and mounting components known to safari racks may be used to mount the safari rack to the roll cage. Also, any embodiment of the configurations of the crossbar and bike receiving components can be combined or used with the safari bike rack embodiment. 
         [0053]    In one embodiment, a bicycle rack comprises: a crossbar having an elongate longitudinal length section with laterally curved end sections extending from each side of the longitudinal length, the crossbar having a top side that includes one or more bicycle receivers and having a length sufficient to extend across a roll cage of a vehicle; and a mounting bracket on an end of each laterally curved end section, the mounting brackets each being planar with an aperture extending through the bracket from a top surface to an opposite bottom surface, the mounting brackets each having bottom surface adapted to be received on a surface of a longitudinal bar of the roll cage with a fastener extending through each aperture and a vertical hole in the longitudinal bars such that the crossbar is elevated off the longitudinal bars or a plane extending between the surfaces of the longitudinal bars. In one aspect, the crossbar is elevated sufficiently such that the roll cage can include a soft top or bikini top without interference with the crossbar. In one aspect, the bicycle receivers are front fork receivers. In one aspect, the bicycle rack has the fastener extending through the aligned aperture of the mounting bracket and the hole of the longitudinal bars of the crossbar. The mounting bracket can be mounted so its bottom surface aligns with or is continuous with the bottom surface of the crossbar (e.g., with the laterally curved end sections. 
         [0054]    In one embodiment, the elongate longitudinal length section can have a length between curved end sections of about 20 inches to about 80 inches, from about 30 inches to about 70 inches, from about 40 inches to about 60 inches, or about 51 inches, or about any integer therebetween. The elongate longitudinal length section can have a diameter of about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 inches. The elongate longitudinal length section can have a rounded or flat top with a width of about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 inches. The laterally curved end sections can have a length from the elongate longitudinal length to the mounting bracket of about 2 inches to about 20 inches, from about 3 inches to about 16 inches, from about 4 inches to about 16 inches, from about 5 inches to about 12 inches from about 6 inches to about 10 inches, from about 8 inches to about 9 inches. The mounting bracket can have a first dimension of about 0.5 inches to about 5 inches, from about 1 inch to about 2.5 inches, from about 1.25 inches to about 2 inches, or about 1.25 inches to 1.75 inches; and a second dimension of 0.25 inches to about 4 inches, from about 0.5 inches to about 3 inches, from about 0.75 inches to about 2 inches, or about in inch; with a thickness of about 0.05 inches to about 2 inches, from about 0.1 inches to about 1 inch, from about 0.25 inches to about 0.75 inches, or about 0.5 inches. The aperture in the mounting bracket can have a diameter of about 0.01 inches to about 1 inch, from about 0.05 inches to about 0.75 inches, from about 0.1 inches to about 0.5 inches, or about 0.25 inches. The distance between the two apertures on the two mounting brackets is about 20 inches to about 80 inches, from about 30 inches to about 70 inches, from about 40 inches to about 60 inches, or about 51 inches, or about any integer therebetween. If a straight line is drawn from each aperture of the mounting brackets, the distance from that line to the center of the elongate longitudinal length section is about 2 inches to about 20 inches, from about 3 inches to about 16 inches, from about 4 inches to about 16 inches, from about 5 inches to about 12 inches from about 6 inches to about 10 inches, from about 8 inches to about 9 inches. The laterally curved end sections can form an angle of about 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 degrees with the elongate longitudinal length section. The bottom surface of the mounting bracket can form an angle with the laterally curved end sections of about 10, 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 degrees. The bicycle receivers can be mounted on the top surface of the crossbar at the center and/or at about 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, or 40 inches from the center and/or at about 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, or 40 inches from the beginning of the laterally curved end sections. The distance from the crossbar (e.g., center) to the tailgate when mounted on a roll cage of a Jeep Wrangler® is about 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, or 60 inches for a when the bike is fork mounted and about 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 45, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 inches when the bike is wheel mounted. The distance from the predrilled holes in the roll cage or drilled holes in the roll cage to the to the tail gate is about 2 inches to about 20 inches, from about 3 inches to about 16 inches, from about 4 inches to about 16 inches, from about 5 inches to about 12 inches from about 6 inches to about 10 inches, from about 8 inches to about 9 inches more than the distance from the crossbar (e.g., center) to the tailgate when mounted on a roll cage of a Jeep Wrangler®. 
         [0055]    In one embodiment, the present invention includes a vehicle comprising the bicycle rack and the roll cage. In one aspect, the bicycle rack is mounted on the roll cage, wherein the bicycle rack is positioned relative to the roll cage such that a bicycle mounted to bicycle receivers of the bicycle rack has its rear wheel resting on the tailgate or rear-mounted spare tire. In one aspect, the vehicle has the bicycle received into the bicycle receivers with the rear wheel of the bike resting on the tailgate. In one aspect, the vehicle includes a strap received through the rear wheel of the bicycle and secured to the vehicle. In one aspect, the strap is received through a rim of a spare tire mounted to the rear of the vehicle. For example, the vehicle can be a two-door or four-door Jeep Wrangler®, which can be referred to here as a SUV with an exposed roll cage and tailgate. 
         [0056]    In one embodiment, the present invention is a roll cage having the bicycle rack mounted to the roll cage. In one aspect, the bicycle rack is positioned relative to the roll cage such that a bicycle mounted to bicycle receivers of the bicycle rack has its rear wheel extending past the roll cage when the roll cage is mounted in the vehicle. In one aspect, the bicycle is received into the bicycle receivers with the rear wheel of the bicycle extending past the roll cage. 
         [0057]    In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of mounting a bicycle rack to a roll cage, the method comprising: providing the bicycle rack and roll cage; mounting the mounting brackets of the bicycle rack to the roll cage such that the longitudinal length section of the crossbar is extended from the surface of the top longitudinal bars of the roll cage by the angle of the laterally curved end sections and bottom surface of the mounted brackets and so that the laterally curved end sections locate the crossbar toward the rear of the roll cage relative to the hole in the top longitudinal bar. 
         [0058]    In one aspect, the mounting includes: inserting the fastener through each of the aligned apertures of the mounting brackets and vertical holes in the longitudinal bar; and fastening the mounting brackets to the top longitudinal bars of the roll cage. In one aspect, the roll cage is mounted in a vehicle having the roll cage exposed, the method comprising: positioning the crossbar so that a front fork of a bicycle received into the bicycle receivers positions a rear wheel of the bicycle onto a tailgate of the vehicle. 
         [0059]    In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for mounting a bicycle to a bicycle rack on an exposed roll cage of a vehicle, the method comprising: providing a vehicle having an exposed roll cage and tailgate external to the roll cage and having a bicycle rack coupled to the exposed roll cage, the bicycle rack comprising: a crossbar having an elongate longitudinal length section with laterally curved end sections extending from each side of the longitudinal length, the crossbar having a top side that includes one or more bicycle receivers and having a length sufficient to extend across the roll cage of the vehicle; a mounting bracket on an end of each laterally curved end section, the mounting brackets each being planar with an aperture extending through the bracket from a top surface to an opposite bottom surface, the mounting brackets each having bottom surface received on a surface of a longitudinal bar of the roll cage with a fastener extending through each aperture and a vertical hole in the longitudinal bars such that the crossbar is elevated off the longitudinal bars or a plane extending between the surfaces of the longitudinal bars; and mounting a bicycle to one of the bicycle receivers on the crossbar such that the rear wheel of the bicycle rests on the tailgate of the vehicle. 
         [0060]    In one embodiment, the front fork of the bicycle is received into the bicycle receivers, wherein the bicycle receivers are configured to receive the front fork of the bicycle. The method can include coupling the rear wheel of the bicycle to a rear portion of the vehicle. In one aspect, the method can include gripping a handle mounted to the roll cage while lifting the bicycle onto the roll cage. In one aspect, the method can include coupling the bicycle rack to the roll cage such that when mounting the bicycle to one of the bicycle receivers on the crossbar, the rear wheel of the bicycle rests on the tailgate of the vehicle. 
         [0061]    In one embodiment, the method can be performed by resting the rear wheel of the bicycle on the tailgate before and during mounting the bicycle to one of the bicycle receivers on the crossbar. 
         [0062]    One skilled in the art will appreciate that, for this and other processes and methods disclosed herein, the functions performed in the processes and methods may be implemented in differing order. Furthermore, the outlined steps and operations are only provided as examples, and some of the steps and operations may be optional, combined into fewer steps and operations, or expanded into additional steps and operations without detracting from the essence of the disclosed embodiments. 
         [0063]    The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. 
         [0064]    With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. 
         [0065]    It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” 
         [0066]    In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group. 
         [0067]    As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth. 
         [0068]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. All references recited herein are incorporated herein by specific reference in their entirety.