Most of our bike parking racks are shipped within 2 weeks of placing an order. For bike parking accessories, you can expect a lead time of 25 days and for the VelopA Easylift Premium and CapaCITY, our lead time is 50 days. If you would like a more accurate estimate, please request a quote or contact a bike parking specialist at salesandsupport@sportworks.com or 888-661-0555.
Yes, you can order them by contacting us directly at salesandsupport@sportworks.com or 888-661-0555.
We are 100% focused on engineering and manufacturing Sportworks bike racks and do not offer installation, however, we do have a network of experienced installers that we would happily connect you with. Please contact us at salesandsupport@sportworks.com or 888-661-0555 for more information.
All Sportworks bike parking products carry a 1-year manufacturer's warranty. You can find the specifics and fine print on our warranty page.
At Sportworks we understand the importance of your brand and identity so we offer custom branding options for many of our products. We will mock up your logo so you can see what it would look like. For custom bike parking racks please email us your logo in either a vector format or .pdf.
For colored racks, we offer a variety of colors and all standard colors in both polyester and thermoplastic powder coat are available in a three week or shorter lead time. All polyester powder coat colors include an epoxy primer undercoat as standard Zinc plating is also available as an undercoat option. Custom colors matching RAL or Pantone, as well as anti-graffiti powder coat colors, are available and may involve extended lead times and/or lot charges.
Our incredible team of engineers are more than happy to provide free bike parking layouts and mock-ups upon request. You can submit either a CAD formatted drawing, or simply a napkin sketch with space dimensions and measurements. We highly recommend the inclusion of pictures of the location to help us identify any conflicts such as overhead pipes, any ductwork, utilities, closets, etc.
More than likely? Yes. In most cases, you will need to anchor the bike parking rack to the ground. Of course, there is often the option for using the rail mount with a rack, but even then, you may want to anchor the rails to the ground. Each product page on our website will list provide you with mounting options.
The APBP acronym stands for "Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals." APBP is an organization of transportation planners, city coordinators, and industry leaders who have taken the time to create bike parking standards, best practices and recommendations. Sportworks is an active member of APBP so when we design products, we rely heavily on abiding to these standards, ensuring that function and style come together.
Yes. We pay close attention to this market, and have designed various mounting systems that accommodate the existing features of these vehicles. Whether you have a Ford or Chevy cutaway, or larger International Navistar, we likely have a bracket to fit.
NOTE: Due to the narrow size and stiffer suspension typically found on cutaways, Sportworks does not recommend using most 3-position bike racks (excluding the new Apex 3™) with these vehicles. Doing so may present safety issues related to bicycle retention, headlight blockage, vehicle turn radius, and lead to pre-mature failure of the bike rack.
The amount of potential interference will vary from vehicle to vehicle. Sportworks works diligently to optimize the position of bike racks on current and new model buses. We can also customize almost any portion of the mounting bracket to adjust how and where the rack sits on the front of the vehicle. The majority of Sportworks mounting brackets include multiple holes allowing the rack to be adjusted vertically to identify the ideal location. This vertical adjustment alone overcomes the majority of interference concerns that may be attributed to the bike rack.
FEDERAL: Sportworks has designed our transit racks and mounting brackets for transit vehicles to satisfy the requirements of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS, No. 108 (FMVSS 108). FMVSS 108 covers vehicle lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment, as they pertain to new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle equipment. In 2008, Sportworks submitted several questions to NHTSA (National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration) in an attempt to clarify FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 108 as it pertains to bicycle racks on transit buses. These interpretive efforts clarified three important things:
1) NHTSA stated that bicycles in racks are temporary loads and not subject to NHTSA requirements:
“1. Neither bicycles, passengers, nor other temporary loads carried by a motor vehicle constitute “motor vehicle equipment” as that term is used in 49 U.S.C. § 30102(a)(7) and the NHTSA regulatory scheme.”
2) NHTSA stated that presence of a rack in and of itself does not violate FMVSS 108, as long as lighting requirements could be met with the rack in place:
“it would not be a violation of 49 U.S.C. §30122 for a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or motor vehicle repair business to install a bicycle rack in a way that, when used, does not render required lamps or reflectors, or any other item required by a Federal motor vehicle safety standard, inoperative.”
“You state in your current letter that “Sportworks’ racks have many installation configurations, and they are intended to be selected and installed by the manufacturer or operator so that the rack itself does not render any devices inoperative.” If this is so, and your client’s bicycle rack were installed so that a bicycle can be placed on it in such a way that, with or without a bike placed on it in the normally anticipated position, the rack and the bike do not block a required lamp, then installation of the rack would not violate the make inoperative provision.”
3) NHTSA stated that bicycle racks installed by transit agencies and other end users are not subject to FMVSS 108, and instead subject to state law:
“Your understanding is correct that the “make inoperative” provision of §30122 would not apply to a vehicle owner, such as a transit agency, that installs the bicycle rack in its own buses in its own repair and maintenance facility. However, please see our answer to question 5 for a more expansive discussion of §30122. In addition, there may be applicable Federal or State operational requirements relating to transit buses.”
STATE: We have found that some states have adopted FMVSS 108 verbatim into state law to apply to vehicle operation within the state, while others have not. Sportworks does not know which states may have augmented or deleted any portions of FMVSS 108 as adopted into state law. To our knowledge, only one state, Pennsylvania, has passed legislation specifically addressing bicycle racks on the front of transit buses with regard to lighting. This legislation, Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Title 75 section 4303 a) states:
Head Lamps – “Every vehicle, except trailers, operated on a highway shall be equipped with a headlamp system in conformance with regulations of the department. The regulations shall not prohibit a bus from being equipped with devices used to carry pedal-cycles on the front of the bus.”
In conclusion, Sportworks designs bicycle racks with many design constraints, both functional and legal, in mind. We are confident our transit rack products, when installed properly, meet federal law. Our intent when configuring a rack is to minimize any effect on installed vehicle safety equipment, including lighting, when the rack is both stored and loaded with bicycles. Due to the variation of bicycle types and diversity in state law, Sportworks is not in a position to assure, validate or otherwise comment on compliance with state law. Our customers have found that local authorities are amenable to working with transit agencies in resolving any differences of opinion or interpretation of state regulations regarding lighting.
This has been a concern that has been raised by other agencies prior to a bike-on-bus program. Public transit agencies deal with this potential situation differently. Many agencies put disclaimers on their marketing and instructional information. Others use a permit system, where they have users come to a particular location and learn to use the rack (despite its ease of use), and sign a liability release. Other agencies actually allow users to lock their bike to the rack (most users do not take this option). The rack mounts on the front of the vehicle, with the driver looking down on it acting as a deterrent to a potential theft. Furthermore, use of the rack is so fast, the bus is not sitting idle any longer than it normally would be without a bike on the front.
The support arm assembly is the literal backbone of our system. The support arm handle should be placed as close to the front brake and head tube as possible to ensure safety and security of the bike, and in all cases, the handle must be closer to the head tube than the highest point of the tire. The patented design creates three points of positive contact on the tire, affording safe and secure transport.
All of our bicycle racks are designed to be used from either the curbside or the front of the vehicle, well out of harm’s way. In fact, the front mounted design allows you to be in full view by the bus driver while loading and unloading your bike. Sportworks transit racks were designed with the safety and convenience of the passenger in mind.
Our customers typically transfer the liability to the user through disclaimers via signage or within the instructional material.
Sportworks designed the Bike-Rack-for-Buses to pass through the bus washer without damage to the rack, the bus washer, or the bus. Sportworks has racks mounted on thousands of public transit buses throughout North America. Only occasionally a bus washer challenges our engineers. A careful look at the washer or a slight modification to the bike rack typically eliminates the problems. In the recent years, we have become adept at bike rack and bus wash compatibility, and have even added a “Bus Wash” section to our Operators Manual.
This answer is entirely dependent on the type of bus washer and the type of bus. The densities of the bus wash brushes and the slope degree of the bus front both affect how well the front of the bus get cleaned. Typically, the front of the vehicle does not have a problem getting cleaned.
The answer to this concern is dependent on the towing method and the bus type. Listed below are the varying towing related options:
- Many of our customers can tow their vehicles without removing the bike rack.
- Sometimes, by deploying the rack, one can tow the bus.
- Sportworks has different mounting brackets available for the same bumper, giving customers the choice of a mounting method. Sportworks Ten Second Bracket is the ideal solution for fast and easy removal of the rack for vehicle towing purposes.
- By removing the rack but not the mounting hardware, one can tow the bus. One person can remove the rack from the coach in less than one minute the rack weighs less than 30 pounds and simple hand tools can remove the two pivot fasteners.
Sportworks has many different mounting brackets available, and we continue building new brackets as new model vehicles are released. Our design and engineering team has been able to fabricate a bracket for almost every bus our customers have requested.
Our racks are designed to carry an average size bicycle. We recommend bicycles with no longer than a 44-inch wheelbase, 2.3-inch-wide tires, wheel diameters of 20 inches or larger and a total weight of 55 pounds or less per bike. However, in many cases, we have heard that some agencies stray from this recommendation in order accommodate the needs of their passengers. The rack was not designed to be used with motorized vehicles such as motor scooters, which generally fall outside of the carrying capacity.
The rack was designed to mount on the front of the vehicle; however, we do have customers who mount it on the rear. If your needs require mounting the racks on the back of a vehicle, we encourage you to take a careful look at your state DOT vehicle length requirements before ordering.
NOTE: Installation and use of bike racks on the rear of vehicles is not recommended, and may void the manufacturer’s warranty. For additional information about “Warranty Exclusions” please see Sportworks Limited Warranty.
In the stowed position, the bicycle rack folds up against the face of the bus. The amount of protrusion in this position varies from bus to bus - however it is minimal, ranging anywhere from 5.5” to 7.5”. For those who do not have even an extra few inches, we have designed quick release accessories and brackets facilitating the quick removal of the rack or brackets.
The costs associated with the initial purchase of the bicycle racks are minimal. Please contact Sportworks Northwest, Inc. for a detailed quote based on the vehicle type. This is less expensive than a standard transit bus tire! Best stated by Keith Martin, General Manager of Yuba-Sutter Transit, the racks are “low cost, high impact enhancement to [their] system, . . provide[s] increased system visibility, better multi-modal convenience, and increased system productivity by attracting new riders”. Sportworks designed the Bike-Rack-for-Buses to last the life of the bus. Sportworks always has a full spare parts inventory and our customer service team is ready to respond to immediate needs. Our standard warranty covers parts and labor for one year.
The racks are designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. However, there are situations where the rack is involved in a collision and needs repair. We offer the parts necessary to do just about any repair to the rack. From hoop splices to support arm grips, Sportworks offers the parts and services needed to keep your vehicles in service.
The rack is designed to not interfere with the regular maintenance at the front of the vehicle. In fact, we have heard that in some cases it makes a great work table when performing regular maintenance. In more in depth repair situations, the rack can be removed by simply removing two pivot bolts.
In almost all cases the rack interfaces directly with the bumper. No body panels need to be modified for installation. The stand-off mounting method is the most common and when it is an option, it is preferred, as it provides a secure base for mounting the rack.
We build to order. What this means is that we do not typically stock large numbers of racks. Therefore, on most racks delivery can take on average 8-10 days after receipt of order. However, in cases where there is a “bus down” or vehicle out of service waiting for a replacement rack we are usually able to respond quite quickly to these smaller quantity emergency orders. In most cases, our customers keep one or two replacements on hand in anticipation of such events.
We currently offer our racks in two types of steel; stainless steel and powder coated mild steel. While the first racks to be shipped out our door were mild steel, we have seen a large shift toward stainless steel. Stainless steel offers superior corrosion resistance and keeps up its appearance considerably longer than powder coated mild steel. We offer our mild steel racks in black but have done other colors upon request. Please contact our sales department for more information on these and other finishes we offer.
No components or parts for any hitch mount or roof mount consumer bicycle racks are available from Sportworks.
In 1997, Sportworks developed a bicycle rack for personal vehicles with the name TranSport. These quick-load racks with contact only to the bicycle tires were quite different than other designs in the market at the time. In 2004, we replaced the TranSport racks with the Sportworks T2 rack family. In 2005, we sold our entire consumer rack line of business to Thule. The sale included designs, tooling, and all inventory. When we sold the line of business to Thule, we stopped manufacturing the racks and exited the consumer bicycle rack business entirely. For more information go here: Personal Vehicle Bicycle Racks.