OX Vertical Bike Rack System

We purchased our OX Bike Carrier for Backland Expedition Gear in April 2024 and have been putting it through real-world testing ever since. In our opinion the OX Bike Carrier is HANDS DOWN, THE BEST bike carrier available for Mercedes Sprinter & Ford Transit vans.

We didn’t arrive at this opinion in a vacuum, we’ve tried 3 carrier types, from 4 manufacturers. So, we’re speaking from experience when we recommend the OX Bike Carrier.

Why the OX Bike Carrier is so good

There’s a variety of design features that make the OX Bike Carrier stand out from its competitors. Backland’s owners Simon & Melissa are avid mountain bikers as well as van owners. Like everything they build, the OX Bike Carrier’s design comes from an in-depth understanding of what their customers’ needs are, because they build products for their use first and foremost.

Mounting System

It would be hard to give all the reasons why the OX Bike Carrier is so special without mentioning the rear door carrier that it attaches to, the OX Rear Door Carrier. The OX Rear Door Carrier provides a strong, solid platform that makes the Ox Bike Carrier possible.

Read a full review of the OX Rear Door Carrier system.

Vertical Handlebar Hooks

Backland uses Mammoth Mount bike hooks to hold bikes by the handlebars, one of the strongest points on a bike. The most common carrier designs from other manufacturers use bike trays like the 1UP or Kuat Piston SR in a horizontal or vertical configuration. While these carriers are functional, they require more work to attach bikes, often need 2 people to safely operate, and allow a lot of bike movement in the carrier, which could damage the bike or the van. Vertical hooks are simple to use, only require 1 person to operate and hold the bike firmly in place.

Note: Backland now offers an updated bike hook for their OX Bike Carrier. Since we have not used the new hooks, we cannot speak from experience about their functionality. However, based on the design improvements we believe they are an improvement over the previous (what we have) version.

Crossbar Mounts

This feature sets the OX Bike Carrier apart from any other rear door mounted Vertical Handlebar Hook system on the market. The upper and lower crossbars offset the bike handlebar hook away from the OX Rear Door Carrier. This critical feature allows for easy attachment and removal of the bike from the handlebar hook. Without this offset, maneuvering the bike on and off the hooks is difficult and cumbersome.

The crossbars mounts can be moved up or down on the OX Rear Door Carrier to accommodate any user’s height. Pro-Tip: The crossbar mounts are VERY strong and can be used to attach a variety of outdoor gear items in addition to bikes.

Attaching & Removing Bikes

As mentioned above, the Vertical Handlebar Hook system makes attaching and removing bikes quick and easy. Simon at Backland created a great video explaining the recommended method to attach and remove your bike: