Bike cover to recommend ?

[Fontinalis]

I will be driving from the East coast to the West coast, and back, this summer, with my brand new bike on the bike rack (the kind that hooks in the hitch of the car). I have been advised to put a bike cover because debris from the road would just ruin the bike (chip the paint, dust in the gears, etc.). I have shopped high and low for this. I find either cheapees that will tear at anything. Or huge bulky ones that will prevent the car behind me from seeing my braking lights when they come on (my bike is just a few inches wider then the back of the car). I'm just about to go buy some plastified textile and do it myself! I saw one bike cover where, ingeniously, the lower exterior corners of the bike cover were transparent (adressing the brake light issue), but it was made of such a cheap plastic film, it would probably last just a few handling. Any covers that people have used extensively and would recommend for this particular use, when their bike is on a car rack ? Mine is a Swagman, the kind where the bike just sits on its wheels in oval brackets, and there is a hook that holds the top bar, so no need for holes to go through the bike cover). Not sure if this is the right place in the forum or if I should have posted this in 'gears'. Sorry if I'm in the wrong area.

[LilBolt]

If you aren't going to be riding it a bunch along the way, how about getting heavy duty plastic wrap and wrapping the heck out of the bike? We did this when we had to fit 3 bikes & 3 people plus luggage inside a Saturn Vue. We didn't have the bikes on a rack, but the wrap did a good job protecting the bikes & car. I've seen pallets of big boxes, etc. wrapped & loaded on the back of trucks and it seems to remain intact. It isn't as quick as having something to quickly pull on & off, but may be an option.

[Fontinalis]

If you aren't going to be riding it a bunch along the way, how about getting heavy duty plastic wrap and wrapping the heck out of the bike?

I thought about it. Shrink wrap the thing. But it wouldn't enable me to ride my bike at the end of each day like I plan to do. I love to drive, but I can't stand being a whole day sedentary, sitting in a car driving. I need to move at one point. Or I become a very grouchy person. lol

[Tri Girl]

What about something that just covers the gears and derailleurs? If you cover the whole bike, it might act like a sail and not only slow you down, but use far more fuel because of the drag. Pygmy makes covers in lots of sizes. http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/index.cfm/product/178/pygmy-pack.cfm
It won't protect the paint as much, but will protect the gearing. We've traveled all over the country with our bikes on the back of our car, and I don't know that I've really had any cosmetic damage to the bikes from the road. The biggest issue is keeping the chain/gears clean.

[Kiwi Stoker]

Actually I had rim damage from gravel (resealing a road) that sand blasted the rim with stipple and made a nasty noise when braking so now we take the wheels off our bikes and put them in the car (in wheel bags).

The only damage I have had to the frame was paint on my Al bike rubbing off when we didn't seperate the two bikes good enough but with one bike that shouldn't be an issue.

[Tuckervill]

Other than getting wet in the rain, I've never had any kind of damage to my bike from the road. I've driven to New Mexico and Vermont from Arkansas with bikes on the back of my Beetle. I thought about a cover, too, but I figured that would cut into my gas mileage so bad that I just didn't pursue it.

Covering the drive train seems like a solution. If you're worried about the rims like someone else said, you could put a wheel cover on with a hole poked through it for the skewer, I guess?

Karen

[Fontinalis]

I bought a lightweight but relatively tough plastic transparent drop cloth for painters. Found that in the hardware store. It fits in my pocket when it is folded. But opened, it is immense, so I can sort of wrap my bike in it. A couple bungee cords, and off I go. I know that the chances of having scratches and all on a unprotected bike are slim, but when you just bought a brand new bike, you get a little irrational about it, don't you ? lol
So, for now it will have to do. Thanks for all the tips and tricks.

[tulip]

I put pipe insulation around the tubes to protect the paint for long trips. You can get it at home improvement stores for cheap, and tape it on.