Have you bought a new bike rack and noticed a bit of a wobble? You might think that wobbling is a bad thing, but don’t worry too much because it is a good thing that it is wobbling.
A bit of wobble in the bike rack is quite normal. Even with a hitch stabilizer, you will see some movement. There will always be clearance between rack and receiver regardless of the size of the frame. It allows the bike to be flexible with movement.
While getting the bolts and nuts checked should be the first action, there is much more to know if the problem persists. Here is some more information on bike racks.
Types of Racks
A hitch bike rack is a whole system of tools attached to your car to keep your bike safe and secure when you are traveling. It keeps the bike from falling off the vehicle. It works like an extension that will be attached to your bike. So, a slight wobble and swaying are typical.
The hitch and receiver are joined with a metal that leaves some space. Even with a hitch stabilizer, the space will not vanish entirely. The Ball mount can also help with the wobbling, but it can’t completely stop it. However, it acts as a shock absorber when hitting a rough road.
Alternatively, you can also use the truck mount and roof racks. However, they might not work in the case of heavy bikes or multiple bikes. Also, they tend to sway too much and ruin the aesthetics of your vehicle if proper adjustments are not made.
Based on stability, racks can also be categorized as hanging and platform. As the name suggests, hanging racks are not as stable as platform racks. Therefore, if you are dealing with a hanging rack, you will need extra tools like ties and ropes to prevent the bike from swaying back and forth.
Platform racks offer stability, and their low profile allows easy mounting of bikes. While hanging racks are more mobile and lightweight, platform racks are more durable and handle heavier bikes.
Why is too much wobble bad?
Wobbling and swaying can damage the bike and put it at risk of falling when the road gets rough. Too much wobbling also affects your car’s mileage and can even damage your vehicle.
How to make your bike stop wobbling?
While the complete absence of wobble is impossible, it can be significantly prevented. For example, the use of hitch clamps, anti-wobble hitch stabilizers, anti-rattle receiver pins, and bike rack support straps can do wonders when dealing with a hitch-mounted bike rack.
Similarly, old good tight rope or cable ties can help you deal with swaying and wobble to a great extent. For example, anti-wobble truck mounts offer to pad for both bike and vehicle and can be considered an inexpensive option for protection.
While bike racks should not wobble, the law of physics will apply, no matter what kind of rack you use. So you can reduce the impact by using some extra tools but if the wobbling is not impacting the performance of your car or damaging the bike, let it be.
You can use both budget-friendly ties and ropes or invest in an anti-wobble or anti-sway rack by putting in extra money to have some peace of mind when traveling with your bike on the back of your car.
