Several Methods for How to Install a Rear Rack onto Bicycle

Let's install a rack on the back of your bike. It's surprisingly easy to do this, but first let's start by pre assembling our rack and making sure that the struts that attach the rack to the top part of your bike are already in place. Make sure that the struts aren't too tight. It should be relatively easy to slide them in and out. If you have bolts on the top of your frame like these, remove them using an allen key so that you're able to install the rack. Next let's install the rack on the rear dropouts of your bike. Start by placing the bolt through the eyelet on the rack and then align it with the hole on the rear dropout. Loosely tighten the bolt into the dropout with your allen key. Do the same thing on the other side.

Make sure that the rack can still be positioned loosely. Make sure that the rack is level and bend the struts into position so that they line up with the holes on the top of the frame. Do that on both sides. Then use the bolts and flip them through this strut, and then hand tighten them into the mount on the top of your bike frame. Loosely tighten that bolt using an allen key and then do the same thing on the other side. Once you're sure everything's in position correctly, it's time to tighten all the nuts and bolts down to ensure that they don't loosen up while you're riding. So make sure that you've got them well tightened down.

That's how to install a rack on a bike that is easy to install a rack on, but of course not all bikes accommodate racks as easily as this one did. Your bike might be a small bike frame that doesn't have room on the top to mount the rack. I'll show you a way to accommodate that, and your bike may not even have mounts on the top of the frame to accommodate a rack as well. For those kind bikes we have adapters as well.

Another way to attach your rack to the top of your frame is to use a brake bridge adapter like this. A brake bridge adapter attaches through the bolt that holds your brake onto the bridge of your frame. You're going to have to remove the brake bolt and insert the brake bolt through the adapter and attach it to the top of your rack. The problem with a brake bridge adapter is that it only relies on a single point of attachment to your bike frame, and of course two points are better than one.

On a small bike like this one, you're going to need a seat post adapter in order to accommodate the rack so that it remains level. Make sure that you're only using these kind of adapters on seat posts that are made of metal. Carbon fiber will not accommodate this type adapter.

If your frame doesn't have mounting holes for the rack at the top of the frame like this one, you can use these clamp adapters attached to the tubes on your frame. Now that you've installed the rack on your bike, you're ready to load up that rack with bags and gear and head out for a great ride.