Setina Police Bike Rack: Transport Problem Solved

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by Dave Sanders
Beaverton (OR) Police Department

Patrol officers often do not have a practical way to transport bicycles. These can be police-issued patrol bikes, prisoner property, abandoned bikes that are turned in to officers, or stolen bikes that have been recovered. Unless the vehicle is equipped with a bike rack, officers are left to improvise creative ways to transport these bikes. This often entails utilizing the front push bumper. Unfortunately, there are various safety and practical challenges that the officer must overcome to do this. Transporting the bike on the front bumper often obstructs the driver’s view.

Many times, the bike is too large to fit inside the back of the vehicle. This is obviously not even an option if a prisoner transport is involved. Additionally, many bikes are equipped with locking wheel skewers, which prevent the officer from detaching the wheels for more compact transport in the back seat. The only other option is the front bumper or a labor/time intensive quest to find a transport van or truck.

The solution to this transport challenge is the Police Bike Rack by Setina Manufacturing, based in Olympia, Washington. These bike racks are designed to mount on the Setina or any other brand of push bumper without any vehicle modification or tools. They can be securely mounted on the vehicle in less than ten seconds, and they can safely and effortlessly transport two large bikes.

We tested this rack in Portland for the past year with hundreds of various bikes. Its versatility makes it compatible with almost every bike on the market, ranging from children’s bikes to large electric cargo bikes. The weight capacity (125 pounds/57 kg) is sufficient to transport any combination on the market. It can withstand the bumps, turns, and speeds that are inherent to police work.

This bike rack allows for significantly better visibility for the driver. Also, mounting the bike rack on the front of the vehicle maintains the ability to access the rear hatch immediately for equipment, even when transporting a bicycle.

The Setina Police Bike Rack conveniently folds together when not in use for easy stowage and all the attachment straps are semi-permanently attached so they will not get separated from the rack and lost.

When an officer needs to transport a bicycle on the front of a vehicle, the hood is likely to sustain damage as the metal pedals gouge into the metal hood. This is unavoidable and not the fault of the officer transporting the bike.

A recent assessment of Ford Interceptor Utility (FIU) vehicle hoods in the Portland Police Bureau showed that the cost to repair a single FIU hood dented and scratched by improvised bicycle transport could reach upwards of $600. The cost of the bike rack that would prevent this damage, which is sometimes repeated, is around $249.

We did not encounter any substantial drawbacks or dislikes with this rack. The only problem we had in one incident was when a perp stole a recovered stolen bike off the rack when the officer’s back was turned for a few minutes. Though this was related to the rampant bike theft in Portland, it was also because the officer neglected to apply the cable lock that we supply with the rack – highly recommended.

I would rate this rack a 10+ in all categories: performance, value, ease of use, and durability. Setina Police Bicycle Racks are robust and will hold up to the conditions of police work. The rack could easily outlive the vehicle’s service life. Highly recommended by the Bike Theft Task Force in Portland, Oregon.

Dave Sanders was an officer with the Portland Police Bureau for 14 years and on the bike unit for nine. He founded and managed the PPB Bike Theft Task Force in 2015. In 2021, he accepted a position with the Beaverton (OR) Police Department. He can be reached at dsanders@beavertonoregon.gov.

Photos courtesy Dave Sanders.

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