Surfboard bike racks are a great way to carry your surfboard to the beach.
You don’t have to carry it under your arm and risk dings, drops, and other such hazards, and it’s an easy, economical, and environmentally-friendly way of getting to the surf.
You can buy a surfboard bike rack on Amazon, and they’re relatively cheap, but it’s even cheaper to make one yourself.
If you have some PVC pipe, clamps, and other basic DIY tools in your garage or workshop, you have everything that you need to build your own surfboard bike rack!
How to Build a Surfboard Bike Rack
You’re going to need a few basic supplies before we get started. You may have some of these already.
If not, it’s time to pay a visit to your local hardware store and check off the following:
- 1x Schedule 40 PVC pipe
- 6x Schedule 40 PVC elbow
- 2x Schedule 40 PVC tee
- 4x Hose clamps
You will also need a hacksaw, screwdriver, power drill, and some glue.
It might sound like a lot, but let’s be honest, if you’re looking at DIY bike rack guides and are ready to get your hands dirty, you probably have most of these things knocking about.
If not, it’s still a lot cheaper than buying surfboard racks online.
If you really want to save, ask a neighbor or friend if they have any of these supplies going spare. If they are more of a dab-hand at DIY than you are, you can even draft them in to help you.
How to Build a Surfboard Bike Rack
Surfboard bike racks are very simple constructions whereby two arms clamp to the side of the bike and form a U shape for the surfboard to rest inside.
The first step is to cut the PVC tees so that they fix over the frame of your bike.
Make sure you’re not obscuring any cables on the bike, cut a vertical slice in the tees, and clamp them over the frame.
You will need to use the hose clamps to lock them in place at the top and the bottom.
The next step is to measure the distance from the end of the tee to the outside of the pedal, before cutting two pieces of PVC pipe to this length, inserting them into the tees, and capping with elbows.
The inside length measurement comes next, and this should be half the total width of your surfboard plus 3 or 4 inches.
Cut the pipe to this length and insert it into the elbow of the horizontal pipe, followed by another elbow on the end.
The bottom horizontal measurement follows, and this should be around 1 inch more than the width of your surfboard.
If you’re going to be using a bag or sock, calculate the width with the bag/sock in place.
It needs to be wide enough for your surfboard to fit, but not too wide so that it constantly rocks about.
Once these pieces are cut and fitted, it’s time for the final vertical pieces, which should be longer than the previous vertical pieces by 2 to 3 inches.
When everything has been cut, fitted, and capped, give it the once-over to make sure that it looks right, fits well, and holds your surfboard.
You can then start gluing everything together.
For extra security, you can attach bungee cords to wrap over your surfboard and secure it in place.
Just drill a couple of holes into the larger of the vertical pipes and use these to hook your bungee cords in place, before wrapping them over the surfboard and rack.
And there you have it, your very own DIY surfboard rack!
If it helps, you can take a look at some existing surfboard racks on Amazon to get an idea of what the design looks like and what you’re trying to replicate.
Once you do, you’ll see just how simple the design is and how easy it is to do yourself with some piping and hose clamps.
It will save you a lot of money and give you a rack that will protect your surfboard every time you cycle to your favorite surf spot.
