Spare Tire Mount Bike Racks

If you have a rear mounted spare tire on your Jeep, SUV or crossover, you have more bike hauling options available to you than drivers of ordinary cars. In addition to roof mounted and hitch mounted bike racks, you have the option of using a spare tire mount bike carrier to transport bicycles. But instead of needing a roof rack or trailer hitch for the bike carrier, all you need is your spare tire mount studs, or for some carriers just the spare tire.

Most spare tire mount bike racks attach to the same studs that your spare tire mounts to. The rack comes in two pieces, the rack mount that attaches to the studs and fits most lug patterns, and the bike holder. The bike holder typically attaches to the mount with a hand knob, and no tools are required. The mount can remain on the vehicle. When you want to transport your bikes, just attach the bike holder to the mount and load your bikes.

The exception to the above is another style carrier that mounts differently but is equally easy to use. This bike rack has a tubular enclosure that fits over the top of and is supported by the spare tire itself. Tie-down straps secure the carrier to the tire. Regardless of the method of attachment, all spare tire bike racks provide an easy to use and affordable way to carry your bikes. These racks are comparatively inexpensive compared to roof mount and hitch mount racks, plus you don’t have the additional expense of roof rack or trailer hitch purchase and installation.

In addition to being economical, spare tire bike racks are also easy to use. The bike holding portion of the carrier has one or two support arms that extend rearward, with the capacity to hold two or three bikes, depending on model. The arm(s) have padded cradles that support the bikes under the bike frame’s horizontal top tube. Straps or padded clamps secure the bikes to the carrier, and some racks have anti-sway cradles to prevent bike movement that could cause damage en route. The support arms on some spare tire mount racks can be folded down when the rack is not in use to ease parking and garaging.

Unlike a roof mount bike rack, a spare tire mount rack is easy to load because you only have to lift your bikes as high as your spare. And in most cases, the bikes won’t stick out so far that you can’t still make use of your trailer hitch, which would not be available to you if you were using a hitch mount bike carrier. Most spare tire bike racks have locking features to secure the carrier to the vehicle and the bikes to the rack. Spare tire racks with a locking knob provide additional security by preventing spare tire theft.