A great bike rack will both match your vision and be incredibly durable. With numerous material, finish and color combinations available, we are sure that we have the right product to meet your aesthetic and project needs. Request Material Samples Here!
Bike Rack Materials
With any bike rack you might select, it is likely it will be manufactured using some type of steel.
This is an ideal material to use as it offers the most resistance to cutting and bending, at an affordable price point. We could make bike racks out of titanium. But no one would pay that much. And bending it would be quite difficult.
But when it comes to the type of steel the bike rack is constructed of, one key thing to be aware of is if it is tubing or pipe.
Click on each option to learn more about our many materials and finishes.
General Steel Information
When talking about the materials of site furnishings, you usually need to start with steel. More often than not, an outdoor site furnishing piece will have a component, frame, or be entirely crafted out of steel.
It's ability to be bent into different forms and hold up in natural environments makes it a desirable material for products destined to be installed outdoors. It's also a material that can be produced and sourced within the United States, allowing the end product to meet Made in America standards.
It is worth noting that according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, steel is 100 percent recyclable, which means it can be recycled into the same material of the same quality again and again. So there is no loss of durability with recycled steel, which also gives it positive attributes as a sustainable material.
Specifically, in outdoor site furnishings, you're likely to find the products are made from structural grade steel like A36 and cold-finished 1018. A36 is a structural quality mild carbon steel. Its strength, formability, and excellent welding properties make it suitable for site furnishing applications where it will be welded, bent, and fabricated to be made into parts of furniture pieces.
Things like straps or slats on benches would likely be made of this type of steel.
1018 is a general-purpose, low-carbon steel that produces a hard and uniform case and also has the necessary characteristics to be fabricated into parts that make up outdoor furniture. Examples where you might find this steel used in site furnishings would be bench legs and trash receptacle rims.
Other Material Information
Thermoplastic
Thermoplastic Powder Coat has a slightly thicker application and gives bicycles more protections from dents and scratches with a lightly cushioned finish. Bike racks are powder coated after fabrication with the thermoplastic polyethylene coating, which gives the product a soft and protective quality. This thicker application does limit some of the bike racks it can be applied. Racks that have designs with small corners can be difficult to get proper coverage. So this may not be an option in every instance. The same maintenance recommendations apply as Super TGIC Powder Coat. But because of the thicker application, an occasional inspection is recommended to ensure the finish isn't peeling due to picking or scratching.
Typical Warranty
5 Years
Black Vinyl
Black vinyl cushion coating is a protective finish that is common on bike racks. The bike rack is coated with PVC to achieve a rubbery finish. This is used as an added cushion to protect bicycles from potentially being dented or scratched by the bicycle rack. Most often, only the portion where a bike rack would rest or contact the bike rack would be finished with black vinyl cushion coating. It’s unlikely an entire rack would be finished in this material. The default color for this finish is black. Other colors are available upon request.
Typical Warranty
5 Years
Tube vs Pipe
Tubing is structurally superior and the preferred material for manufacturing bike racks. Tubing is specified by its outside diameter (OD) and wall thickness (stated as a gauge—where a lower gauge means a thicker tube that is harder to cut or bend). Madrax typically uses 10-gauge tubing on its bike racks.
Your choice ultimately comes down to the tube size or OD:
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Madrax U190: Constructed with a 1 7/8 inch diameter carbon steel tube.
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Madrax U238: Constructed with a larger 2 3/8 inch diameter carbon steel tube (sharing the same wall thickness as the U190).
In contrast, pipe is a tubular vessel designed for transporting gases or fluids, though some manufacturers still use it for bike racks. Pipe is softer than tubing, has a different visual finish, and is specified by Nominal Pipe Size and Schedule (where a higher number means a thicker wall).
Because of its superior structural characteristics, Madrax exclusively uses and recommends tubing for bike rack designs.
Bike Racks That Combat Rust
When it comes down to it, many people just want to know what finish is going to be the most durable and combat rust the longest.
Galvanized is incredibly durable and usually the lowest priced finish making it a common choice. This is inherently rust-resistant and can last for many years. Scratching would really be the only concern. As scratches in the finish can accelerate rusting.
Powder coat would be on par with galvanized. But it offers the ability to color the bike rack.
For salty environments, like coastal regions or where salt would be spread during the winter, a stainless steel finish will hold up the best. It’s also much more resistant to scratching compared to galvanized.
It’s not common to go with a powder-coated stainless steel finish, but this would provide the greatest amount of protection for the bike rack from rusting.
Ultimately, it comes down to a combination of budget and visual preference. Galvanized is a great “stock” options, where powder coat can add color and stainless steel has a distinctive and very appealing look.
Galvanized Steel
Withstanding the elements with little to no maintenance, galvanized products are durable and weather to a battleship grey. After the rack is fabricated, it is hot-dipped galvanized for a utility finish. Madrax products with this finish are denoted with a -G. Exmple: U24-SF-G.
The item of note for this finish, the product will have vent holes. These allow draining after the metal has been hot dipped in molten zinc. Which gives the material its durable properties.
A galvanized product is an economical choice that resists rust. Galvanized will also have a slightly rougher texture than other finishes.
Performance and Durability
It's an incredibly durable finish that's great for installations in wet and snowy environments and one that resists common human wear like scratches and scrapes. What is interesting about galvanized steel is that if it does get scratched, the zinc actually sacrifices itself where the corrosion is attempting to attack the steel, which keeps the corrosion from spreading.
Because of its protective qualities, this material requires almost no maintenance for it to hold its durable characteristics.
Compared to some of the other steel finishes covered below, it is slightly more susceptible to rusting in salty environments like coastal regions or where salt, used for ice control, could pile up and rest against the material for long periods of time.
It's also not an ideal material for fabricating lighter gauge applications. Items like litter receptacle lids would be an example where you'd most likely not find galvanized steel used. The reason being, it's difficult to keep the form of thin sheets of steel as they're more likely to warp during the hot-dip process.
Maintenance
There is no regular maintenance required with galvanized steel. After years in service, it may begin to rust. Surface rust is not a structural issue. The rack will only need to be replaced when rust has worn all the way through the tube.
Typical Warranty
5 years
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is one of the most resilient finishes making it the choice for bike racks installed in locations with salty ocean air and other tough environmental conditions.
Crafted from stainless steel and polished to a rich, Satin #4 finish, these racks are a highly durable and attractive option that will last through decades of use.
Madrax uses Grade 304 stainless steel for its bike racks as the standard option. Bike racks made with Grade 316 stainless steel is an available option but must be requested through a sales rep.
Madrax products with a stainless steel finish are denoted with a -S. Example: ORN-2-SF-S.
Maintenance
This finish requires little to no maintenance. It should be advised that precautions be taken to ensure no chemicals are used to cure or treat the concrete or sidewalk area near the bike racks.
This could affect the finish. If this must be done, remove the racks or wait until the concrete work is finished before mounting the bike racks.
Typical Warrenty
5 Years
Electropolished Stainless Steel
Much like the stainless steel finish, electro polished stainless steel lends decades of durability to bike racks.
To achieve this sleek and polished look, electro polished stainless steel racks are finished by being dipped into an electro-chemical bath that removes mill scale impurities and adds a high level of shine.
Madrax products with this finish are denoted with an -ES. Example: ORN-SF-ES.
Bike racks with this finish require no maintenance. But precautions should be taken so the bike rack does not encounter other chemicals.
Typical Warrenty
5 Years
Powder Coat
Powder Coat is a steel topcoat that not only provides a protective barrier from the elements but is also a way to introduce color and add to the overall design of bike racks.
For a smooth finish and a refined appearance, select one of our Powder Coats for your product. To ensure powder coat adhesion, the steel for this finish must be free of any scale, paint, varnish, or rust. We prepare the substrate prior to powder coating with a chemical wash and rinse followed by an iron phosphate treatment.
The thing to be aware of when it comes to powder coats is the process in which it is applied and finished. This is important because of the Faraday Cage effect.
The Faraday Cage effect happens when attempting to powder coat a part that has a tight angle or corner. Electricity follows a ground path of least resistance and the areas adjacent to the corner offer an easier more accessible path for the charged powder to readily flow to those areas, but not as easily directly onto the corners.
There are ways to overcome this by spraying at different angles or spraying additional material to ensure coverage on these areas. But the thicker application can make the coating more prone to being picked away or chipped off. One analogy is nail polish. The thicker the polish on your nails, the easier you can push into the material and pull it off or expose the nail.
A more scientific solution is to apply an e-coating to the steel. This charges the material with a direct current. Then, when the electrostatically charged polyester topcoat is applied, it is attracted and adheres to the steel with uniform coverage over 100% of the piece.
Constructed with stainless steel, powder-coated stainless steel racks are highly durable due to the anti-corrosive property of the steel and added layer of protection from the powder coat. With this finish, the bike racks are polished and then coated with an electrostatically applied super TGIC polyester powder.
Color Chart
Graber Cool Colors
Graber Warm Colors
Graber Neutral Colors
Typical Warranty
5 Years