Patent ID: 7857177

Claim:
A rack assembly for securing a bicycle, with both wheels still attached, in the bed of a pickup truck without requiring physical modification of the pickup truck bed, said rack assembly comprising: a rack frame having a securing assembly configured for releasably securing the rack frame in the bed of a transporting pickup truck and a bicycle restraining portion configured for abutting engagement with a portion of a bicycle to be transported in the pickup truck bed; said bicycle restraining portion comprising a wheel well with a front base portion and a wheel guide, said wheel guide located distally from said front base portion for contacting a lower rear portion of a bicycle wheel, said bicycle restraining portion further comprising a constrictable arm configured to abuttingly engage the front tire of the bicycle, said bicycle restraining portion having a bicycle transporting configuration in which said constrictable arm exerts a compression force against an upper rear portion of the bicycle wheel, obliquely directed with respect to both horizontal and vertical, the rear position of said wheel guide and the constrictable arm together urging upon the bicycle front tire thereby pressing the tire into stabilized contact with the tailgate of the pickup truck at at least one point in the bicycle transporting configuration, and said securing assembly comprising an anchor member having a secured configuration in which said front base portion is maintained in abutment against a pickup truck tailgate and bed floor thereby substantially fixing said rack frame relative to the bed.