One of the easiest ways to transport a bike on a pickup truck is to throw a tailgate pad on. Strap the pad onto the tailgate, throw the bike over, and drive off to the trailhead. With the growing popularity of compact pickup trucks, we set out to find tailgate pads that pair well with small tailgates.
BomberStrap
First on our list is the BomberStrap. This is a compact single bike tailgate pad. It’s made using 100D high-quality Cordura material to withstand abrasion with a soft microfiber backing to avoid scratching your truck’s paint. And the padding is thick enough to soak up a lot of the bumps on the road.
Two adjustable magnetic quick release buckles secure your bike’s down-tube and fork to prevent side-to-side movement and rotation of the tire. An additional buckle strap is included to help hold the handlebar to the top tube of the bike, which also helps keep the tire from moving and rubbing on the truck’s paint. The pad is small enough to be placed pretty much anywhere on the tailgate, and still leaves room for other truck things.
Installing the pad is easy as there is only one strap (as the name implies) to push under the tailgate. You simply loop the strap and cinch it down. Once secure, you can throw your bike over it and tighten the magnetic buckles and strap the handlebar to the top tube. Removing the bike is just as easy; all you need to do is pull the red tabs to release the magnetic straps and unbuckle the handlebar strap. When you want to remove the pad from your truck, the easy-to-grab anodized orange spring-loaded buckle can be pulled to release the long strap that goes around your tailgate.
The BomberStrap offers a tactical-like experience, an experience I did not get with the other pads. Even though the compact design is appreciated, my only gripe is that some of the extra bells and whistles seem to take away from the simpleness of just being able to throw your bike into your truck and drive off. I spent a good amount of time fiddling with the various straps trying to center the fork and wheel perfectly, compared to a larger tailgate pad. The features of the BomberStrap would be a home-run if it was made into a half-sized tailgate pad.
If you often head to the trailhead alone and want something minimalistic and functional to help transport your bike, the BomberStrap is worth considering for your wish list. You can get it in black, tactical dessert, or dark camo.
- Price $149.99, on sale for $129.99
- Buy from Bomberstrap.com
Dakine Universal Pickup Pad
The Dakine Universal Pickup Pad is a full-coverage tailgate pad that comes in two sizes to fit most pickup trucks, and can carry up to five bikes. I received a size small that fits a Hyundai Santa Cruz, and it should fit on other similar compact trucks.
The EVA foam panels along the tailgate pad help cushion and align each bike. The pad is secured to the tailgate via hook straps and can be cinched down by spring-loaded cam locks.
As a compact-truck owner, there aren’t many options in the market for full-coverage tailgate pads. Dakine said this full coverage pad should fit a Hyundai Santa Cruz. And it did — almost. The inner panels get caught when trying to latch the tailgate closed. But, a quick and easy reach-in with both hands and slight fold-out while pushing the tailgate with my chest does the trick in order to latch the tailgate securely. It’s not ideal, but technically it works!
If you want access to the tailgate handle or have a rear backup camera on your truck, the padded cover folds back and hooks securely out of the way, or it can be removed completely and stashed away in the rear storage pocket. Something neat I noticed is that the small G-hook is also a handy bottle opener!
High-quality materials, such as rugged recycled 900D polyester, do well with abrasion when tossing bikes on and off the tailgate. The polyester material has a UV coating to help with discoloration. The backside of the pad is made of soft microfiber material to help avoid paint scratching. There is a cable lock pull-through eyelet if you need to secure the tailgate pad to the truck. You definitely don’t want your investment disappearing while you are out riding. Lastly, the reflective screen-printed Dakine logo is a nice touch.
If you have a small compact “truck” and want a full-coverage tailgate pad that does the job, the Dakine Universal Pickup pad is a great choice. The pad may not fit like a glove (depending on your truck model) but it will for sure protect your small truck and bikes when shuttling friends around. This pad is a must and worth your money if you’re shuttling three to five bikes to the trail-head.
- Price: $315
- Buy from Dakine.com and REI
Kuat 25” Half Tailgate Pad — Two Bike
The Kuat 25” Half Tailgate Pad can hold two bicycles. The sleek, fully welded recyclable and biodegradable Thermoplastic Polyurethane gives this pad a unique seamless finish. The material is smooth to the touch and does well with abrasions when throwing dirty bikes on top. You can easily wipe the surface down with a rag. Three separate one-inch padding sections protect your truck when transporting your bike(s) around. The one-inch padding can even take the extra weight of e-bikes. While the outer shell is meant to take a beating, the inner lining material of the pad has a very soft premium microfiber to protect your truck’s paint.
The Kuat tailgate pad is secured by two straps with metal G-Hook buckles. To keep each bike from sliding side to side, Kuat includes two additional straps that can be cinched down. All straps are very easy to handle, which makes installation and removal very straightforward and quick.
The Kuat 25” Half Tailgate Pad has a unique timeless look and feel while keeping usability simple. The high-quality materials will keep up with many bike adventures.
Out of the four tailgate pads from this roundup, this was the easiest to use. Its price point sits right in between other pads and gets you a three-year warranty from Kuat. If you often transport one or two bikes to the trail head, this tailgate pad is a solid choice.
- Price: $149
- Buy from Kuat and Backcountry
NADIVE Compact Tailgate Pad
The NADIVE is a foldable and affordable tailgate pad that can transport up to two bikes, and it was my favorite tailgate pad for some time. It is super easy to install; you only need to unfold the pad and throw it over the tailgate. There are no straps of any sort to cinch down as it was designed to stay in place with the weight of a bike.
I loved using this pad for last-minute local rides. All I had to do was quickly throw it on the tailgate and quickly fold it up and stash it inside the truck when not in use.
When it comes to long drives, I don’t feel comfortable using this pad as there are no straps to secure anything. On my first long drive with this pad, I noticed some movement of the pad, and out of an abundance of caution, I decided to ratchet-strap the bike to the bed tie-down points, which helped ease my mind.
The Grade 5 EPE interior protective foam is well-cushioned to prevent vehicle and bike damage. I will mention there is no inner microfiber lining that you usually find in tailgate pads to prevent paint scratching. The material used throughout the pad is a waterproof, premium-grade tarpaulin. It seemed to do well with repeated abrasion when throwing a dirty bike on top.
This tailgate pad definitely has its place in the tailgate pad market. I love the simplicity of this pad and believe it could be a hit if they could integrate a thin soft back lining and at least one strap to tie it down securely. If you like the bare-bones simplicity of the Nadive compact tailgate pad, like I did for some time, this pad is worth considering.
- Price: $54.99
- Buy from Nadive.com
Tailgate pad ratings on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest)
| BomberStrap | Dakine Universal Pickup Pad (Small) | Kuat 25″ Half Pad | Nadive Compact Pad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1 bike | 5 bikes | 2 bikes | 2 bikes |
| Installation time | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Removal time | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Bike mounting ease | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Bike harness security | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Value | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
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