Women move shoulder-to-shoulder and head-to-head with men today. From being a strong name in the world of business to holding the first position in every sports category, women of the present are no less than a man.
But then, why is it that there are little to no bike racks for holding female bikes? Although like men today, women too have taken up cycling as a healthy habit to stay active and healthy. But then why can’t you shove their bike into an averagely designed rack that fits a man’s bike every easily?
Our women’s bike made differently than that of men? Yes, they are! As compared to a male, the female’s bodies have a smaller torso and longer legs, thus this is why their bicycles are made a bit differently. Thus, how to put a female bike on a rack that can easily accommodate a male bike? Learn a few tricks and you’ll be happily using an average bike rack for carrying a female bike without a hassle!
Why do you need a bike rack?
Before you start spending aimlessly on something that you otherwise find useless, know why it is important to have a bike rack today.
It isn’t always feasible for you to push your bikes in the car or tow it at the back for a trip down to your favorite place. If this seems difficult, imagine having to disassemble it every time to make it fit inside the car. The thought itself is pretty exhausting, right?
This is why you need a bike rack! It makes transportation of your bike easy, smooth, convenient, and safe. From expensive to cheap ones, you will find a great variety of bike racks in the market, where each one fits your needs perfectly. These are made from heavy-duty materials, including steel and aluminum so you do not have to worry about sturdiness and durability. And because these lock in the bike pretty tightly, you’ll be assured of safe transportation of your expensive studs every time.
Hence, if you still haven’t bought one, do so right now and make your life easier and bicycling trips effortless!
Quick steps of how to put a female bike on rack
Have you always had difficulty putting a female bike on the rack? The struggle is real! It is nearly impossible to find a bike rack that fits a female bike yet is fully compatible with your car. Let’s admit it; no one has all the time in the world to go on a quest of the unknown!
Hence, it is time to become more productive! How to put a female bike on rack and use it without an issue? Here are a few easy steps that’ll solve your problem in a jiffy:
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Unbox the Rack
To start with, you need to unbox the rack and place all the parts in one place. Although most racks come pre-assembled you still need to make a few adjustments and attach it to the car.
Go for a rack that comes with ratchet straps, this way you’ll have enough rough to adjust the carry arms to fit your female bike easily. Moreover, make sure the tuck of the rack is in an upright position, ensuring full stability and sturdiness.
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Attach it to the vehicle
Confused with all the straps that come along the rack? For a person with no prior experience, attaching the rack to the vehicle can be a difficult task. And if not done correctly, the metal hooks will surely ruin the paint job of your car!
Don’t know where to start? Check for the manual that comes along the rack. Go through it thoroughly and follow each step to the “T”. This way, everything will fall right in place, and thus, you’ll save your car from getting damaged!
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Safe the bike from damage
If you’re going for a more expensive bike rack, know that it would come with a completely padded frame. Nonetheless, if you have bought a rack with naked metal frames, you might think of a way to protect your bike from coming into contact with it.
Why?
This is because during transit if the bike bumps in the rack, it can end up with scratches and damages. Thus, before placing a female bike in it, cover the frame with rubber padding or simply place a piece of thick cloth in between the bike and the rack for added safety.
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Strap in using the extra cradles
Are you left with a few straps that are still hanging loose with the rack? Well, this might not be “extra” as one might think. Use these straps to grip your bicycles more tightly to the rack.
If you do not want your bicycles to be falling on in the middle of the road, use the straps to wrap it around the female’s bike and ensure complete safety.
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Choose a rack for a better fit
Even after following all the instructions properly if you’re still unable to fit in the bike, you’ll probably need a new rack!
Sometimes even after doing everything correctly, you simply fail to put the female bike on the rack! Thus, then how to put a female bike on a rack? Go for a newer version! Maybe the rack isn’t compatible with your bike’s frame and thus causing a hauling problem. Try another rack and hopefully it will work!
How to put a female bike on rack using an adapter
Is your whole family crazy about bicycling? When planning a bicycling trip down to your favorite spot, hauling of bikes becomes a problem? If it does then you need a quick solution for it.
Where most racks are great at accommodating men’s bikes, fixing children and female’s bike can become a problem. This is why; if you don’t want to spend more on buying multiple racks, buy an adapter that will help you deal with the problem easily!
But, how do you use a bike rack adapter? Here is how you do it in just a few quick, easy, and short steps:
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Open the rack fully
To use an adapter, you first need to open the rack completely. Make sure it forms an “arch” because this is how most racks look like when they are fully opened. Once you are sure it has been opened rightly, then move on to the next step.
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Attach the hooks
The next step is to attach the hooks to the vehicle. Make sure you do it carefully or else you’ll just end up ruining your car’s paint job. Read the instructions in the manual and follow the steps accordingly. Moreover, do not use force to clip the hooks in place!
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Tighten the straps
Once you’re done putting up the rack, next move on to tightening all the straps. Do not pull them hard or they will break loose. Moreover, double-check all the straps to ensure there are no loose ends, or else when you’ll place the bike in the rack, it will fall off easily.
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Check for the bike’s steadiness
Are you still worried if the rack will be able to hold your bike safely? To find the answer, do a little experiment. Hold the rack firmly and move it from side to side. If it sways, it means you have missed out on a strap or two during installation. And if stay firmly in place, now that you are good to go!
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Adjust the carry arms
Next, you need to adjust the carry arms according to your bike’s requirement. Once done, pull them down and these arms will click in place. If not, you’ll need to use bolts and tighten them.
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Clampdown the arms
Put the bike in the rack and push down the arms. Once you know they are fixed in place, use the straps to tie-down the wheels so they do not create a problem during the drive. Shake the bike along with the rack to ensure everything is tightly secured.
Remember, leave no ends loose and make sure everything is well secured before you head out!
Conclusion
There was a time when you had to disassemble your bike to carry it to your destination. And then re-assemble it to put it to use. Why? This is because, in olden times, there was no such thing as a bike rack.
The market today is filled with various types of bike racks, where each one serves a different purpose. No matter which car you own or which bike rack you have, most of them are compatible with men’s bikes only! Then how to put a female bike on rack? Use the above tricks and hopefully you’ll be able to work out things for yourself!
Moreover, there are a few bike racks that are designed to accommodate female bikes thus if you’re not satisfied with the tips above, buy one of these and make your bike haulage easier, efficient and effortless.
