How To Transport 29in Mountain Bikes in the BlackBox Cargo & Bicycle Carrier

BlackBox Cargo Carrier on Winnebago

Transporting large 29in bicycles can be tough, and considering the expense for some high-end mountain bikes, it's no wonder our customers are always looking for a way to carry them in an enclosed, lockable space. Before the invention of the BlackBox carrier, typical enclosed options for bicycles with long frames and wide handlebars were limited to piling bikes inside the SUV (leaving no room anything else) or taking on the added expense of towing a trailer.

With the BlackBox Slide-out Cargo Carrier, cyclists can easily fit up to 4 standard bicycles and three 29in bikes safely within the carrier, and with a thought out set-up, even master the fit of two large 29in bicycles along with their two road bicycles.

So Whats the Trick?

Black Box Bike Mount KitsUsing the versatile Black Box Bike Mounts custom made for the BlackBox carrier, bicycles can be moved and adjusted in a 3D space within the carrier to remove obstacles caused by protruding handlebars, peddles and seats. Though it can take some initial set-up, the Bike Mount fork skewers can be installed to so the long handle bars can be fully rotated up to 90-degrees within the carrier avoiding any contact with other bicycles or the edge of the carrier lid. Separately, the Bike Mounts brackets can also be adjusted up, down, or moved along the bottom of the carrier to help create space between bicycle handlebars, bicycle seats and the carrier lid.

Placement is key.

To fit two large 29in bicycles along with two carbon-fiber road bikes within the BlackBox, your first step should be to work out the placement of each bicycle. For any BlackBox bicycle set-up, it is always best to have the largest bicycles installed at the center of the carrier with the smaller bikes on the outside. In our example, we began by placing the 29in bikes centered in the middle of the carrier, alternating their direction for a close fit. Since the AerBike also has an adjustable track along the floor, we positioned the bicycles as close as possible to the hinge side of the BlackBox lid to avoid any clearance issues when closing the lid. We then placed the road bikes on either side, sandwiching the mountains bikes. We again alternated the direction of the front of the road bicycles and positioning the bikes as close as possible to the hinge side of the carrier.

 BlackBox Cargo Carrier with Carbon Fiber Bike BlackBox Cargo Carrier with 4 bikes

Make adjustments.

After figuring our placement, our the next step is deciding the angle and height of the fork mount skewers. Using the horizontally and vertically adjustable AerBike mount, the handlebars of the large mountain bikes were angled to give the maximum space possible to make room for the road bikes and avoid touching the inside wall of the carrier. We rotated the road bikes handle bars a full 90-degrees sideways to fit nicely on either side of the 29ers as well as to avoid contact with the side of the BlackBox lid. To clear any remaining contact between peddles, handlebars or bicycle seats, we alternated the height of the mountain bikes with the carrier to give us even greater vertical spacing between the bicycles.  

Check your work.

BlackBox Bike Mounts Close UpAfter each bicycle is installed, we took a moment to close the BlackBox lid and engage the latches. We would highly suggest taking the time to make sure the box closes all the way in order to confirm there is no issues once the final bicycle is installed and ensure there is no contact with the lid from the bike seats, handlebars or tires. In some cases (especially with these larger mountain bikes), it may take several adjustments for each bicycle to make certain each one is in just the right spot. Common solutions for troubleshooting a bicycle fit include: repositioning the Bike Mount mounts to clear handlebars, lowering bicycle seats (on tall bicycles) for lid clearance, raising/lower the Bike Fork Mount Brackets for clearance between bikes, and sliding the Bike Mount back and forth to create distance between the bicycles and the lid.  

Add some protection.

Having four bicycles within the carrier puts the bikes very close to each other. With all of the bicycles installed, we recommend adding padding between each bicycle to ensure there is no contact during transit.

 Black Box Cargo Carrier with four bikes on Winnebago BlackBox Cargo Carrier with 4 bikes side view

You're all set.

With the bikes secured and protected, you're ready to lock the lid and begin your journey with the peace of mind your bikes are mounted safely using the BlackBox Carrier.

Questions? Comments? Need Help With your Bicycle Fit?

Contact us via email or call our office at (719) 630-3800.