Use these methods to provide additional security for your bike.  Note that your insurance likely only covers use on provincial and municipal roads.  Use of your rack off-road is completely at your own risk.  On rough roads or on trips where road conditions are unknown, we recommend the following:

  • Tension restraints (which are supplied with the rack) to restrict vertical movement of the bikes
  • Ratchet straps to secure the upper horizontal tube of the rack to reduce torque forces

To keep bikes secure in the rack, use the tension restraints that came with your rack.

Tension Restraints

  1. We provide nylon rope restraints when you buy a rack.  See this video on YouTube.  These rope restraints are convenient because they are tied onto the rack.
  2. Secure your rear wheel in the cradle with the rubber bungee.
  3. Loop one end of the restraint around your pedal axle against the right crank arm
  4. Reverse your cranks firmly again to create tension in the restraint.  This restraint will limit upward movement from your bike if you hit a large bump with your vehicle.
  5. See pictures to see proper positioning of pedals with the nylon straps installed, and see our video regarding proper bungee tension and use of the nylon straps on YouTube.

Load / ratchet Straps – Top Horizontal Tube

The upper wheel cradles have holes in the back of the bracket in between the two nuts to accept the hook from a ratchet strap; use the outside cradles at the ends of the top tube.  If the hook is large it can be looped around the upper wheel cradle tube.  Secure the other ends of the straps to a solid location on your vehicle.  In the example below, the straps have been attached to the tow hooks under the bumper.  Load straps can also be connected to a roof rack as long as the rack is permanently fastened to the vehicle.  Canadian Tire sells a ratchet strap that can be used for this purpose.