Carrying a bike without a hitch

[CT_LFC]

What type of bike? Large MTB, or something smaller? I had to transport BMX bikes in my wife's JLU. I folded one half of the seat down, flipped the bike upside down and removed the front tire, then slid it inside. It was standing on the handlebars and seat, and then I used a bungee strap hooked between the seat back and the steel loop on the side. It worked great. I would use one of the other alternatives as mentioned above if you bike frequently, but for occasional use it worked fine for me.

You may also be able to find a hitch even cheaper. I scored an OEM one off a JK for $40. It will bolt up to the JL bumper.

I bought a Specialized mid fat MTB, medium frame. I played with it today and was able to fit it into the back (with roof on) by putting the rear wheel in first. I reclined the right side (60%) portion of the backseat to be able to fit it in. It was a tight fit to close the rear glass without hitting the handle bar or it getting tangled in the wiring but it did close without an issue. Whew.

Carrying my bike in the JLU will mostly be when i take it into work to go riding during lunch or after work, so now that i know it fits inside i should be fine for now. For the wife's WK2 we have a 4-bike Thule bike rack which we can continue using as the family bike hauler.

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[Schism75]

I have a Thule Parkway 4 bike hitch to haul my Framed 21” Fatbike and it does not clear the tail gate when I try to open it. I have 34” tires and I think a tad smaller I would of been good. Now I have my soft top on so it’s no big deal at this point

 

[Sean L]

I'm able to carry two bikes on my spare with no problem. The rear gate opens just fine, and although the camera is blocked, I can still back it up just fine by using my mirrors and looking out of the back window.

 

[Maverick909]

https://www.quadratec.com/p/curt/2-receiver-hitch-jeep-wrangler-jl

This one?

https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadratec/2-bike-folding-bike-rack with the quadratec hitch worked great! love how sturdy the rack is. very well made and doesnt make any noise when driving, easily removed and you can still open the rear hatch.

 

[D60]

Holy road grader Batman!

 

[FedeF]

I have a Cannondale Scalpel 29 M, I can fit it either reclining the 60 portion of the back seat, rear tire first, without the need to remove the front tire. Otherwise, removing the from tire, I can fold the 40 side of the rear seat, rear tire in first and bike upside-down no problem.

 

[BWWJL]

There’s a post where someone just puts in back with seats down. Used a $20 fork mount to secure inside of Jeep.

https://www.jensonusa.com/Kuat-Dirtbag-Fork-Mount-Bike-Carrier

 

[BWWJL]

Here’s the thread ...

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/easy-solution-for-carrying-a-bike.41063/

 

[PA-Punkn]

Holy road grader Batman!

The driveway is sloped so not as bad as it appears in the picture, but it is low. The bottom of the hitch drop is a couple inches below level of my rear diff (I'm stock Rubi). You could move carrier to upper reciever if needed on temporary basis but lose tailgate opening ability. Also, the Thule carrier does have a small skid plate.

 

[BWWJL]

OP said he/she is ok putting in back of Jeep ... why go hitch if easier to mount in back and space is not a concern? And, it’d be safer in the Jeep while at work during the day.

 

[PA-Punkn]

OP said he/she is ok putting in back of Jeep ... why go hitch if easier to mount in back and space is not a concern? And, it’d be safer in the Jeep while at work during the day.

I'm not comfortable with carbon frames as the attachment point, I prefer to have wheels anchored down

 

[cosmokenney]

In my YJ I used to put the front wheel of my MTB over roll bar -- bike facing forward. Sort of like how everyone is doing with their pickup trucks where the front wheel goes over the tailgate.

My JL has a hitch. And I have bell "hitch biker" rack that folds down about 45 degrees. Which lets me open the tailgate about 1/3. But that's enough to let the dog out of the back. I keep my gear bag on the front seat.

 

[CT_LFC]

OP said he/she is ok putting in back of Jeep ... why go hitch if easier to mount in back and space is not a concern? And, it’d be safer in the Jeep while at work during the day.

Now that i know it fits with the backseat 60% down i have much less of a need for a hitch, though it would be nice to have one and be able to carry all of the family's bikes in the JL, but we can do that right now with the wife's WK2, so can save that money for now as we'll be needing it to pay for in-home teacher/sitter as schools are closed.

As for safety, i agree it would be safer inside the Jeep, but regardless of whether i brought it to work on a hitch or inside it, i was thinking of getting one of those bike cable locks.

 

[BWWJL]

Now that i know it fits with the backseat 60% down i have much less of a need for a hitch, though it would be nice to have one and be able to carry all of the family's bikes in the JL, but we can do that right now with the wife's WK2, so can save that money for now as we'll be needing it to pay for in-home teacher/sitter as schools are closed.

As for safety, i agree it would be safer inside the Jeep, but regardless of whether i brought it to work on a hitch or inside it, i was thinking of getting one of those bike cable locks.

2 more
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/bike-rack-options.3426/page-4#post-11547
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/mountain-biking-with-your-jeep.9069/

btw, I have a Hollywood’s hitch/tray rack that I like quite a bit.

View attachment 294047

 

[Wanted33]

Do you use anything to secure it? or just lay it down? i have a car seat in the back though i will still be able to put down the wider side of the back seat.

You can use some velcro strips to secure it if you want. Due to nerve damage my wife has to ride a 3 wheeler. I just roll it in the back, and secure it with velcro through the tie downs. I have done the same with my bike, but decided to buy a hitch, and hitch mounted rack for the 2 wheeler. And, you are correct that does limit opening the tail gate. The rack I have isn't very heavy. But it has to be removed so I can get the bike out of the back. As stated there are hitches that will fold up, or down if you decide to got that route. Along with the rack I have a cable lock to wrap around the bike, and rack along with a locking hitch pin. It sounds like a lot of trouble, but it really isn't. We can get unloaded, and on the road in approx. 5 mins. after learning the best routine.

FYI: The hitches for the JL's (and JK's I'm sure) are easy to install. Just four bolts, and your done. But, on my Sahara I ran into a strange thing. Mine has two factory mounted bolts (needed to secure the hitch) in the rear rail. The nuts are welded to the rail, and they will not come off unless you cut 'em off. And that involves removing the bumper. Since I don't tow with my JL I had to cut off the sections of the hitch where these nuts stop it from sliding onto the rail. The hitch is still secure enough to hold the rack, and two 2 wheelers w/ the wife's in the back.

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