Are Bike Adapter Bars Required to Load Womens and Childrens Bikes on a Bike Rack

Question:

Do I really need to have the additional bar for womans or childrens bikes in order to use this rack? Thats almost $200 more for 3 bars!

asked by: Ginger

Expert Reply:

That is simply too much to spend on adapter bars, I agree. You don't have to use a specific adapter bar so you can use # HE6009 which costs much less than some of the other options.

You don't necessarily have to use bike adapter bars. But there are some situations where using one is the only way to load certain bikes. Take a look at the video I have linked for some examples.

A regular women's bike frame that has the slanted bar doesn't have to have one (though the bike would be at a weird angle on the rack). But a step-through style frame would need one. For kids bikes the main issue is smaller kids bikes that don't have enough free space on the frame to fit over a 2-arm bike rack. In those cases you would have to use a bike adapter bar.

expert reply by: Michael H