# Why the F150 is a great biking vehicle..



## Jams_805 (Aug 15, 2013)

I just thought id share. I've owned my 2012 F150 for about 18 months, using it as a work truck for my HVAC company. I was struggling to figure out how to squeeze in more rides, so I figured the only way was to keep my bike in the truck at all times so I can make some stops when I have time. With a bed full of tools, space was slim.. Luckily the cab of the F150 supercrew is huge..






Easily fits my XL 29er safetly in the back seat with just the front wheel removed!!!


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## offmainstreet (Aug 26, 2013)

Good to know. I was curious about this myself. My wife and I are toying with getting a truck, and the F150 Supercrew seems to offer the most rear cabin room out of any I've compared so far. I actually was wondering if a bike would fit in there with the seats folded up. Now I know. Yes, if you remove a wheel. Thanks.

Also, what is the length of your truck bed? And how well does your bike fit back there? I see that the 2014 F150 models (not sure if it was much different for your 2012) offer the Supercrew cab with either the 5.5 or 6.5 foot bed. A few of the higher end trim packages also throw in a pickup bed extender as part of the package deal, which is of possible interest to me as well. We are hoping to be able to transport anywhere from 1 to 5 bikes (2 of them are kids bikes) on any given trip - hence why we want the truck - and while I do plan on buying a hitch rack for when we bring all 5 bikes, I had hoped that on days when we are only bringing 2 or 3 that I could fit them all in the bed. The problem is that most of the trucks I've seen in the dealer inventories equipped with the Supercrew cab only seem to offer the 5.5' bed. I haven't found too many with the larger bed. A crude estimate of my wife's 29er, which is the longest of all our bikes, puts it at just over 6 feet long with both wheels on. So my thoughts were either:

A) angle the bikes to make them fit diagonally across the bed.
B) drop the tailgate and strap the bikes in securely
C) just suck it up and remove the front wheels of the larger bikes to make them fit
D) invest in a pickup bed extender, if the truck doesn't come with one already
E) keep searching until I find a truck with at least a 6.5' bed

We're just starting off on this quest for a truck, and it will probably be some time before we buy, but I'm trying to get to be as informed as possible so that I know what I really want before I go and start talking with car sales people who will try to sell me on everything I don't need, while conveniently overlooking that one thing I really wanted.


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## thickfog (Oct 29, 2010)

Chevy, GMC, F150, Ram, Toyota,. All the same ****. 

Pickups are great bike vehicles.


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## Silentfoe (May 9, 2008)

Until you have to fill up.


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## jduffett (Jun 16, 2006)

offmainstreet said:


> Also, what is the length of your truck bed? And how well does your bike fit back there? I see that the 2014 F150 models (not sure if it was much different for your 2012) offer the Supercrew cab with either the 5.5 or 6.5 foot bed. A few of the higher end trim packages also throw in a pickup bed extender as part of the package deal, which is of possible interest to me as well. We are hoping to be able to transport anywhere from 1 to 5 bikes (2 of them are kids bikes) on any given trip - hence why we want the truck - and while I do plan on buying a hitch rack for when we bring all 5 bikes, I had hoped that on days when we are only bringing 2 or 3 that I could fit them all in the bed. The problem is that most of the trucks I've seen in the dealer inventories equipped with the Supercrew cab only seem to offer the 5.5' bed. I haven't found too many with the larger bed. A crude estimate of my wife's 29er, which is the longest of all our bikes, puts it at just over 6 feet long with both wheels on. So my thoughts were either:
> 
> A) angle the bikes to make them fit diagonally across the bed.
> B) drop the tailgate and strap the bikes in securely
> ...


It's not about the length, it's about the girth!









Option F) get a tailgate pad

You can even fit six in a Dakota (not that I would recommend a Dakota!):


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## thickfog (Oct 29, 2010)

Silentfoe said:


> Until you have to fill up.


And why I got rid of my Silverado and F150.


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## offmainstreet (Aug 26, 2013)

jduffett said:


> Option F) get a tailgate pad
> 
> You can even fit six in a Dakota (not that I would recommend a Dakota!):


Valid point. I posted my question before I'd fully taken the time to browse the forums searching for ideas. Looks like it would work fine for short trips. I might still want to come up with something more secure for longer trips though. And, I think I'd still like to find one with the longer bed if possible... Just because its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.


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## Bearhunter (Mar 5, 2014)

jduffett said:


> It's not about the length, it's about the girth!
> 
> View attachment 890773
> 
> ...


Wouldn't the bikes bang around on each other like that?


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## jduffett (Jun 16, 2006)

Bearhunter said:


> Wouldn't the bikes bang around on each other like that?


You'd be amazed at how well they stay put when hung over the tail gate, even going a good clip off road. We usually run a rope through the front triangles too for good measure.


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## Jams_805 (Aug 15, 2013)

offmainstreet said:


> Good to know. I was curious about this myself. My wife and I are toying with getting a truck, and the F150 Supercrew seems to offer the most rear cabin room out of any I've compared so far. I actually was wondering if a bike would fit in there with the seats folded up. Now I know. Yes, if you remove a wheel. Thanks.
> 
> Also, what is the length of your truck bed? And how well does your bike fit back there? I see that the 2014 F150 models (not sure if it was much different for your 2012) offer the Supercrew cab with either the 5.5 or 6.5 foot bed. A few of the higher end trim packages also throw in a pickup bed extender as part of the package deal, which is of possible interest to me as well. We are hoping to be able to transport anywhere from 1 to 5 bikes (2 of them are kids bikes) on any given trip - hence why we want the truck - and while I do plan on buying a hitch rack for when we bring all 5 bikes, I had hoped that on days when we are only bringing 2 or 3 that I could fit them all in the bed. The problem is that most of the trucks I've seen in the dealer inventories equipped with the Supercrew cab only seem to offer the 5.5' bed. I haven't found too many with the larger bed. A crude estimate of my wife's 29er, which is the longest of all our bikes, puts it at just over 6 feet long with both wheels on. So my thoughts were either:
> 
> ...


I have the 5.5 ft bed, and it fits fine as long as I have the tailgate done, or the bike diagonally with the tailgate up. if u take the front wheels off, they will fit side by side and u can secure the wheels elsewhere


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## Jams_805 (Aug 15, 2013)

Silentfoe said:


> Until you have to fill up.


I was getting 21 mpg highway before I changed the wheels.. not too bad on the ecoboost motor.. I know a lot of people with cars that get about the same


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## WA-CO (Nov 23, 2013)

Silentfoe said:


> Until you have to fill up.


I doubt anyone buys a truck cause it gets "great" gas mileage. My Tundra will tow our trailer, haul our crap, and pass nearly everything on the road, but a gas station.


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## adam728 (Jan 25, 2006)

Truck mileage is getting better, at least a little. Diesels could get amazing mileage, but emissions regs stifle that.

Just did a road trip in a long box crew cab F250 while towing. There should be a law against putting that many hundreds of dollars in gas in a truck in 2 days.

Sent via morse code


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## nomad220 (Aug 26, 2013)

I have a F-150 Supercrew 4x4 with the Ecoboost. Unintentionally got the max trailer tow package- I love the big mirrors. I am averaging 16 mpg, with more city driving than highway. $30 normally lasts about 5 days-commute is 14 miles round trip. I can fit 2 29ers in the 5.5 ft bed, but they are laying on top of eachother. I don't like that. I am looking at the Nashbar 4 bike hitch rack: Nashbar Shadow 4-Bike Hitch Rack - Overweight Code I

Out of Stock right now.


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## offmainstreet (Aug 26, 2013)

I did end up getting the new truck. 2014 F150 Supercrew 4x4 with the 6.5' box and the Ecoboost engine. We've only had it about 2 weeks, but so far the fuel is about as advertised. We can get just a hair over 15mpg city if we drive conservatively. We haven't done enough highway driving to really know what that will be like, but from our short jaunts so far, it appears that we should be able to get the advertised numbers or better (21 highway) if we keep it close to 65 with the cruse control set. We're going on a 1000+ mile trip up the east coast later this month, and I look forward to trying it out. We have the 36 gallon tank too, and the idea of only having to stop for gas once is a nice one.

As for hauling bikes, we have only put two in the bed so far, and while I'm sure we can fit more, I think we're going to get a hitch rack for the days we have to haul 5 of them, or for our road trip coming up where we are wanting to use the bed of the truck for other gear.

So far I'm loving the truck. A little tricky to park with the 157" wheelbase, but the backup camera is a blessing and I'm still learning the lines. Mileage isn't great, but it's not as bad as I feared, and not much worse than my other car either. Other than that, it's wonderful!


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## Bearhunter (Mar 5, 2014)

Yep love my truck. I have a 2014 RAM 2500HD CTD and get between 16-17 mpg in the city and around 23-24 mpg on the highway. This is driving normally and not baby-ing it.


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## Jams_805 (Aug 15, 2013)

offmainstreet said:


> I did end up getting the new truck. 2014 F150 Supercrew 4x4 with the 6.5' box and the Ecoboost engine. We've only had it about 2 weeks, but so far the fuel is about as advertised. We can get just a hair over 15mpg city if we drive conservatively. We haven't done enough highway driving to really know what that will be like, but from our short jaunts so far, it appears that we should be able to get the advertised numbers or better (21 highway) if we keep it close to 65 with the cruse control set. We're going on a 1000+ mile trip up the east coast later this month, and I look forward to trying it out. We have the 36 gallon tank too, and the idea of only having to stop for gas once is a nice one.
> 
> As for hauling bikes, we have only put two in the bed so far, and while I'm sure we can fit more, I think we're going to get a hitch rack for the days we have to haul 5 of them, or for our road trip coming up where we are wanting to use the bed of the truck for other gear.
> 
> So far I'm loving the truck. A little tricky to park with the 157" wheelbase, but the backup camera is a blessing and I'm still learning the lines. Mileage isn't great, but it's not as bad as I feared, and not much worse than my other car either. Other than that, it's wonderful!


Congrats on the new truck!!! this is my 3rd consecutive F150, I have owned every body style since 2001. These newer f150s are going to be hard to beat! One things for sure is that the Ecoboost performs well when driving the way someone should.. not stomping on the gas off of a stop or trying to pass someone. if you speed, the gas mileage goes down as well. the biggest change in the EcoBoost mileage will come from changing out the wheels and tires.. I put 24" wheels on 34" tires and the extra weight did a number on my gas mileage.. though I still average 16 mpgs while looking good


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## sandiego (Sep 18, 2013)

Unfortunately, a pickup truck would be about the absolute worst vehicle for my daily commute. 69 miles round trip and the current price of gasoline is the reason why I'll never own one.

I get 39mpg average in mixed city/highway driving. 16mpg would cost me $300 more per month in gasoline.


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## offmainstreet (Aug 26, 2013)

My wife uses it as her daily driver when I'm not hauling bikes. She commutes 4 miles each way, so the fuel impact is minimal.


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## sandiego (Sep 18, 2013)

offmainstreet said:


> My wife uses it as her daily driver when I'm not hauling bikes. She commutes 4 miles each way, so the fuel impact is minimal.


My wife works out of the house but a truck would not suit her business at all. Plus, even though she works out of the house she still manages to put about 15,000 miles a year on her car.

So, I have a trailer hitch to mount a rack on my car for hauling bikes. MPG takes a small hit if I'm traveling far but it's still well worth it for the amount of miles I drive. Hitch racks work pretty well. No way could I fit a 29er in my trunk.


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## offmainstreet (Aug 26, 2013)

sandiego said:


> My wife works out of the house but a truck would not suit her business at all. Plus, even though she works out of the house she still manages to put about 15,000 miles a year on her car.


We tracked her miles last year and she logged just over 7000 miles on her car which was our primary vehicle at the time. I work only 7 miles from home myself. We do plan on making the drive up the coast this year, but that's not a trip we make every year.


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## J-Bone (Aug 26, 2008)

I have ian 11 f150 4x4 super crew ecoboost. Awesome bike hauler. I have the beddy-Joe carrier by yakima. It allows you to stand the bike upright in the bed and clamps to the fork. Just take off the front wheel. I have a hitch mount as well that I never use. Not sure if they still make it but I like it. 
Can't really complain about the f150. If I need to change I just climb into the back seat. Lots of room, can carry a bike inside and all of your gear. 

You do not purchase a truck because it will get great mpg. 
You get it for hauling, towing carrying, crushing small cars, getting cross looks in certain towns.

Only complaint and it is very very minor is trying to park it. So I just make sure I park a little ways away to make sure I get a better spot with room.


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## Jams_805 (Aug 15, 2013)

J-Bone said:


> I have ian 11 f150 4x4 super crew ecoboost. Awesome bike hauler. I have the beddy-Joe carrier by yakima. It allows you to stand the bike upright in the bed and clamps to the fork. Just take off the front wheel. I have a hitch mount as well that I never use. Not sure if they still make it but I like it.
> Can't really complain about the f150. If I need to change I just climb into the back seat. Lots of room, can carry a bike inside and all of your gear.
> 
> You do not purchase a truck because it will get great mpg.
> ...


I can't agree with u more, especially about the parking. I'd definitely rather be safe than sorry when it comes to parking!


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

Fortunate to have both a truck and commuter. Although I find myself just using the commuter as a bike hauler. Even thinking of getting a small $250 Harbor Freight mini trailer to set up to haul bikes, and still average 2x the MPG.


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## cyclones30 (Apr 17, 2008)

*Truck*

I like my GMC Sierra 1500. Gets around 20 mpg on the hwy. I made my own rack out of a 2x6 and a couple small pieces that wedges into the stake slots in the bed. I used 2 Thule mounts, so that's all I've spent on it. I could easily have 4 mounts wide but there's only 2 of us right now...

My 29er Fisher fits in the back seat w/ the front tire removed as well if the bed is full or I want to keep the bike locked up better.

This was a test run while building it w/ my brother's bike.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

stremf said:


> Fortunate to have both a truck and commuter. Although I find myself just using the commuter as a bike hauler. Even thinking of getting a small $250 Harbor Freight mini trailer to set up to haul bikes, and still average 2x the MPG.


I got one of those trailers. They're pretty dang awesome. I pull it behind my A4 when I need to haul bigger stuff. I'm about to go buy a few 4x8 sheets of sheetrock and foam insulation this weekend.

I seriously thought of buying a truck at one point, but I don't 'need' it enough to justify paying for a second vehicle, not to mention I don't have anywhere to park it. The compromise was the trailer, I can stand it up endwise in the garage.

The trailer is a good deal, but expect a lot of cheap hardware around it. I had to do some homebrew engineering to improve the wiring a bit. I got the 40x48" trailer with the 12" wheels. I built it up so the side some off with thumb screws, with a 5/8" plywood deck and removable tie-down rings.


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## Mukluk (Sep 5, 2012)

*Tubing attached to the tiedowns*

My problem was that the handlebars on my fatbikes were just touching the bottom of my garage door, with the wooden 2x6 I had my mounts attached to the underside of the bed rails with clamps. My worry that with just the slightest amount of snow at the door the bars would hit and damage something, so I had to keep the bikes as low as possible in the bed. I saw another guy did something like this, so I modified it a little. It works great, and holds many different mounts. I actually have 3 different forks on my bikes (12x135mm, 12x100mm and a 15x150mm thru axle). They all have their separate mounts on the tubing, and I can still attach my girlfriends bikes and her two kids bikes.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Pickups are handy for sure. Luckily I have a work truck supplied to me so fuel is a non issue.
I've managed to fit my bike in the extended cab of a Silverado with only the front wheel removed. Gotta have the cranks just right but it'll sit in the with the seat down.


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## Mukluk (Sep 5, 2012)

*My new Wheel ON rack.*



Mukluk said:


> My problem was that the handlebars on my fatbikes were just touching the bottom of my garage door, with the wooden 2x6 I had my mounts attached to the underside of the bed rails with clamps. My worry that with just the slightest amount of snow at the door the bars would hit and damage something, so I had to keep the bikes as low as possible in the bed. I saw another guy did something like this, so I modified it a little. It works great, and holds many different mounts. I actually have 3 different forks on my bikes (12x135mm, 12x100mm and a 15x150mm thru axle). They all have their separate mounts on the tubing, and I can still attach my girlfriends bikes and her two kids bikes.


I still have the issue of too many varying wheel sizes, and I hate taking the wheel on and off, so I built this. Sometimes my thru-axle freezes in the winter, and I can't get it out of the rack... so through frustration I built something that that would hold different wheel sizes/widths and allow me to keep the front wheel on. It did require a bed extender though. All it cost me was $50 (Canadian Dollars) an afternoon, and 2 thumbs. I plan on building 2 more.

The base is a Saris Triple Track.. but you could use anything, as long as you don't need adjustability, like I do for tire sizes, and positioning many different bikes.


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## poonamibaxter (Aug 30, 2013)

I recently traded in my 08 F150 for a 19 F150. I always hated how my backup sensors saw my hitch rack as an object I was backing in to. My new truck has the Pro Trailer Backup Assist and the 360 degree camera. You have to calibrate the trailer settings and whatnot. I was wondering if anyone has calibrated theirs so that the truck treats your rack as a trailer and therefore part of your truck allowing you to use your backup sensors?


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