If you’re looking to know how to mount a bike rack without eyelets, then you’re at the right place. Follow the guideline and mount your bike’s rack on your own!
Riding your bike for a prolonged time and carrying a backpack can hurt your back and result in aches and pain. This mostly happens to people who give long bike tours frequently. So what can be the way to reduce this back pain? The answer is, Mounting a bike rack.
On long tours, riders have to carry a lot of stuff. And carrying this big backpack is certainly not effective. But if there are racks on their bike, they can easily attach the big luggage and have a pleasant ride.
But some bikes don’t have a bike rack (mostly the new ones). So what to do? Well, you need to know how to mount a bike rack without eyelets. Read on, know by yourself and save yourself from back pain!
Does your bike have Eyelets?
According to our survey, only a handful of new bikes have eyelets in them. But almost all the older ones have prebuilt eyelets in their body. So if you own a new model, then it’s common that you don’t have any.
But you might ask one question, how are eyelets and bike racks connected! If you want to use the bike rack, you need to mount this rack on the bike’s eyelets. The eyelets generally remained connected with the rear wheel’s pipes.
If your bike has an eyelet, you don’t need to bother reading the next part. Simply mount the rack with it and carry your luggage. But if you don’t have one, the next part is for you.
Mounting a bike Rack without Eyelets
If you want to use a rack in the absence of an eyelet, there are many alternative options to choose from. Each rack comes with a unique design, but the purpose is similar. We believe the most effective method will be the one that we’ll be showing you next. Here’s how to mount a bike rack without eyelets-
1. Using a P-Clamp to Mount
We all have heard about P-clamps before. But we didn’t know what they were used for. Well, P-clamps are one of the most effective tools that you can use to mount a bike rack. The P-clamps were made in such a way that they can connect and hold two rods at a time.
The P-clam sits sturdily when you attach them with the pipes. As a result, they hold the pieces and make sure they don’t come off. The good thing is, you don’t have to have an eyelet on your bike to use the P-clamps.
- P-clamps are a great choice for people because they are affordable. They cost less than any other rack mounting tool in the market.
- Another reason behind choosing a P-clamp is because they are sturdy. P-clamps are proven to endure the massive weight. As they are strong, you can keep your heavy luggage on the rack supported by them.
- Last but not least, P-clamps are durable. They have a long lifetime. So investing in a P-clamp will surely save some bucks in the future.
2. Seat Stay Attaching
As you already know, eyelets can be easily found on older bikes. Aas newer ones don’t have them, you’ll need a clamp. So let’s begin.
Take your clamps and then attach them to the seat stay’s upper part. You need to do it before the seat stays get connected with the seat pole. So there’ll be two clamps on each side of the seat. So now, the mounting struts can be attached to it.
Now, if you’re mounting a rear rack, lay the rack on the bike’s backside. This will help you to perfectly place the rack onto the bike. As a result, there will be no displacement.
Again, take the P-clamp. As you already know, the P-clamp has a hole, and a screw can go through it. In this part, you need to align the mounting legs of the racks so that you can send a screw through those holes. Use a nut at the endpoint to make the loose-fitting tight. You can also use washers if the gap between the bolt and nut is too much.
But what does a washer do? Well, they mainly serve two purposes. Washers act as a barrier between the nut-bolts and bike clamps so that you don’t touch each other. Aso, they are a great tool to fill up the extra spaces between a nut and a bolt. They help to make the connection tight and disallow the moving of the bike rack.
Tip:
This is a common mistake that everyone makes while mounting a bike rack. People don’t usually place the rack of the bike level with the ground. As a result, they end up misplacing it. So to avoid it, always place the rack properly with the ground.
Using a bubble level can be a great idea to maintain an accurate angle. Besides, you can also use different advanced apps to do this.
3. Attach the Bike’s Rack legs
Till now, we’ve worked with the upper portion of the bike rack. Now it’s time to work on the bike’s racks lower part.
When we hang the luggage with the rack, the lower portion will hold the maximum weight. So it’s important to use a good-quality, strong clamp that can take the weight.
Keeping this in mind, we’ll join the rack’s legs with the bottom part of the seat stays. But the bolt’s length is always a concern here. If we use a bolt with too much length, it can get stuck with the wheel spokes and damage them. So it’s crucial to find and use the right sized bolt.
Again, we’re gonna repeat a few steps. You need to place the clamps on both sides of the rear wheel so that they remain in line with the wheels. You can keep the height high or low, depending on your choice. But keeping it low has an extra advantage because it’ll prevent the objects from sliding down.
Now place the rack’s legs proportional to the clamp’s holes so that the bolt can go through each of them. Finally, use a bolt to keep them tight. It’s recommended to use a stainless steel bolt.
So that concludes the guide on how to mount a bike rack without eyelets. After you’re done with all the connections and setups, it’s time to test it up. Place heavy luggage or loads on the rack and see if they can bear the weight or not. Also, check if they are at a correct angle or not. You can always make changes by loosening or tightening the nuts according to your choice.
Though we concluded the guide, there still remain a few questions unanswered. Now we’re gonna take a look at them and help to clear them out.
Are P-Clamps Enough to Mount a Rack?
This is a common question that we face from people. Well, there is no direct answer to it. Wait, let me explain.
Whether you use a P-clamp or any other tool, its performance will depend on the amount of load it gets. Also, if you use the best quality P-clamp and don’t attach the rack properly, then it’s of no good.
Using P-clamps to mount the racks can be a good option for light users who carry a light backpack. But if you’re one of those who gives frequent tours and carry heavy luggage, you should definitely go for titanium-made clamps or stainless steel ones. Also, you’ll need to use extra bolts and nuts to have more solid support.
There is an alternative method as well which is using welded eyelets in your bike. This is for heavy users that need to carry heavyweights. Also, this is a long-term solution as well. Although it’s on the expensive side.
This process involves welding a new eyelet to your bike and then using a rack on it. The metallic eyelets can carry more weight and give solid support. So for heavy users and highway riders, this is the best choice.
You can mount a rack with a P-clamp on your own. But welding the eyelets with the bike will need an expert’s help which is a hassle. You can’t weld it on your own because it requires some special; tools that can be only found in bike shops or in mechanical stores.
So now, the choice is yours. P-clamps are the best for a quick, simple, and affordable solution. On the other hand, if you’re one of those who need to carry a heavy backpack and give long tours, you can go for the welded eyelet option.
Conclusion:
Now you know how to mount a bike rack without eyelets, right? Having a bike rack is a lifesaver. It takes away the back pain, and you can have a pleasant bike ride.
Our goal was to put things simply so that you can follow this guide to mount the bike rack on your own. Next time if you can’t find an eyelet on your bike, you can install a rack following this guideline!
