Rack From Electrical Conduit

I was looking for a heavy duty rack for the back of my bike but either I couldn't find one or the one I found was too expensive. So, I decided to make my own out of 1/2" electrical conduit and some wood.

It's surprisingly simple and can hold the weight of a person. Plus, since the top is made of wood, I can screw anything I want to it. I'll keep refining it and maybe offer it for sale to you guys for a modest price.

Email me: [e-mail]

Step 1 Measure and Cut Conduit

You'll have do some basic measurements here from under you seat to where the tire ends, say 24". The rack should be level with the ground. I cut 2 pieces 24" long and used my bench vice to flatten the ends. I bent them to so they would fit on the bolt that tightens the seat.

Comments

[psychocyclist]

Great idea. I wanted to try this out as soon as I saw it. Sadly, my first attempt at bending conduit was a bit uneven near the seat post.

[gnach]

Very well done and explained. Years ago I soldered a copper tubing rack for my CB750. The tee crossbars gave lots of bungee points. Held up really well 'till the bike was stolen. It got plenty of looks too, although it was before the steam punk phenom.

[thewetturd]

I did something similar to add a milk crate to the back of my bike and I have an important warning. I had about 4 pounds worth of stuff in the crate and that was enough to throw off the equilibrium off the bike. I fell twice, the last one, injuring my knee and almost getting run over in the process. I have been riding for about 30 years and am an avid mountain biker. I think that it is safer to either wear a small back pack or saddle bags where the weight is further down in the center of gravity. Be very careful. Good instructable though, thanks for offering it.

[bigwhitebob]

This looks great, I plan to make my attempt at it today so I will post photos if I succeed. and probably wont if I don't. ; ) Thanks for the great idea.

[bigwhitebob]

Mine turned out OK but not as pretty as yours. My shop is set up for wood work so its was fun to play with metal but I did have to make some pieces from wood. I didn't want to spend any money so it looks a little ghetto because everything is scavenged from the garage. Thanks for the idea BigwhiteBob

[Zem]

How long were the upright supports for your rack? Mine will probably be different, but they might not.

[stephenniall]

I did something similar to this but i had a piece of conduit left over so i bend some aliminium into a U shape (could've used u bolts or something) and threaded a rod through and welded it into a old metal case so it slid under my rack and slid back out when i wantd it to

[Guyj]

You have a lot of space there between the plank and wheel. Perhaps a shallow tool box with the lid opening from the topside of the rack could replace the plank and you could store your bike lock, spare tube, tools etc... Also you may want to use a small hole saw to cut holes into the edges of the plank for bungee cord attachment points on the conduit. Don't forget to weather treat the wood too. Overall a nice sturdy looking and large rack for binding items to.

[Guyj]

It looks quite strong. How well does it hold up to passengers?

[graphicsman]

Guyj, I like your ideas! Especially the tool box. As for the holes to attach, I was trying to come up with some sort of hardware attachment that I could bolt on the back rod, but your idea seems simpler. I also plan on building side bags out of old military or brief cases. A work in progress don't you know.

[SpaceBlast]

has anything come of that since then? I think Im probably going to make my own version of your design and I'm curious to see how any finishing touches have worked.