Adapter Bar for Mounting Irregular Bike Frames on Swagman XP 5 Bike Rack

Question:

I just completed setup of my new Swagman XP 5 bike carrier and found that two of my kidsfoot bikes have frame diameters of more than 2 inches. Is there an adapter or other recommendation for how to secure the bikes with larger diameter frames? Additionally, another bike womans frame style does not have enough space within the frame to set the bike onto the carrier right side up horizontally on the upper bar, and the lower bar of the frame is too large to fit onto the carrier. Can the bike be safely transported if mounted upside down horizontally with wheels parallel to the ground?

asked by: LISA M

Expert Reply:

There is a product made specifically for your requirement.

Mounting bikes with unusual frame sizes or designs on a bike rack can be simplified by using a bike adapter bar. Bike adapter bars (many are shown on the linked page) connect between the seat post and handlebar stem to provide a straight and level attachment point to mate with the cradles on the bike rack, such as those on your Swagman XP # S64970. These adapters also work fine on racks with dual arms, such as the Swagman Trailhead # S63360, and on platform type racks too. Please refer to the linked photo for an example of installation.

All of these adapter bars are essentially the same except for their length adjustment range. For instance, the Swagman adapter bar # 64005 adjusts from 22 to 29-inches but others on the page offer different size capability. I mention this because while any bar will likely work on all of your bikes, you may find that one specific bar might fit better on one specific bike. You'll just want to check the handlebar-to-seat distance on each bike before selecting the bars.

expert reply by: Adam R