The Bike Rack at the Front of my Van
I get a lot of questions about the bike rack at the front of my van, so I thought I’d do a blog post on why I did it, how and whether it’s legal.
Why have the bike at the front instead of the back?
When I got my first van, I had a tow bar at the back and attached the bike rack and bike there. That ended up being super annoying because my campers (both the first and the new one) are those with the two swing doors at the rear, and I had to take the bike off every time I wanted to use those doors. Since my sliding side door is blocked from the inside, the rear doors are my main way to get in and out, and I LOVE being parked up somewhere with a beautiful view and open all the doors. So the bike had to move!
I looked at getting one of those bike racks that get attached to one of the swing doors so you can open the doors with the bike on it. That's a great solution but pricy! It would have cost me well over a grand to get the rack and get it installed.
Adding a tow ball at the front was a much easier and cheaper option, so that's the main reason I did it that way.
How is it done?
Basically, my van just has a tow-ball mounted at the front. I hope you can see how that's done in the pictures below. This van came with the tow-ball, but on my old van, I had it installed. I would think most business who do tow bars at the back or other metalwork with vehicles could do this. If you're in Auckland, try the guys at Vehicle Construction and Maintenance in Avondale.
I then use a standard tow bar bike rack. The only challenge here was to find one with a pole that's not too long as it would block too much of my view otherwise. Most racks I looked at are about 5-10cm higher than this one. I got mine from My Ride in Takapuna. But I guess you could always find a welder to cut out a bit from a longer one.
I attach the bike to the bike rack just like you would do when you have it at the back, and I'm good to go. I take the seat off, so it's doesn't obstruct my view.
Is it legal?
A few people seem to think that it is illegal to carry a bike this way, so I got in touch with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and asked. They confirmed that it is perfectly legal as long as:
the bike does not restrict your view,
everything is attached and secured safely,
it doesn't obstruct your lights (esp. at night), and
your licenses plate is clearly visible
And those are the same rules that apply if you have your bike at the back.
With my supplementary license plate
Since my bike rack does cover parts of my license plate, I got a supplementary plate that I attach to the bike. And if I ever drive at night, which I do very rarely, I take the bike off and put it inside the back of the van, so it doesn't obstruct the headlights.
I've been driving around New Zealand with this setup up for over two years now. I've been through several police checkpoints, and no one has ever looked twice. But, of course, I don't know if this would be legal in other countries. I'm originally from Germany, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let you drive around like that :)
The view when I’m driving. It kind of looks like it obstructs my view a bit here, but it really doesn’t.
Are there any downsides?
There is only one downside I can think of. I can't use a cover for my bike. If I put a cover over the bike, it would obstruct my view too much. That means, my bike is out in the elements 24/7, and that definitely shows a bit (the chain gets rusty). It's one of the reasons why I bought a cheaper bike, and I also spray it regularly with lubricant before I go on rides.
For me, that's a small price to pay for having easy access to my rear doors. And to be honest, I'm not sure how much of a difference a cover would even make.
Alright, that’s the detailed rundown of my bike rack at the front of my van. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.
