how do you load your bike on the car?

[djgafi]

hi girls

i've been using a rear Thule bike carrier or a audi for a couple of years, and the draw back is that at the end of a trip on a highway, my 2 bikes are carpeted with insects...


so i'm investigating on different ways of loading them, possibly even inside the car, without damaging the interiors and getting greas all over when loading-unloading.

has anyone tried this method on her car?
http://www.bdc-forum.it/showpost.php?p=1172116&postcount=129

ideas? suggestions? opinions?

[Biciclista]

we were thinking of buying a Honda FIT with this exact method/configuration in mind, but my husband's bike was just too big (so we bought a Ford F150). He has aerobars and between that and the saddle it just wouldn't go in.
We have that same mounting system in our pick up bed for taking numbers of bikes places, they fit fine there.

[VeloVT]

I have a Yakima roof rack. We use "bike bras" and have found them to do the job -- the bikes are not dirty/buggy when unloaded, even after highway driving.

Here's an example:
http://www.teamcyclist.com/store/Sci-Con-Bike-Cover-Bike-Defender_P2816.cfm

Ours came from Nashbar and were much cheaper.

This style wouldn't be all that helpful for a trunk or hitch rack -- but I wonder if there is something similar designed for rear-mounted racks? I wonder if you couldn't rig something functional up out of black plastic garbage bags?

Is your Audi a wagon or a sedan? I have a Subaru wagon and with the back seats down, it's quite easy to slide one bike in without removing the front wheel, without damaging the bike or getting grease on the upholstery (just make sure to lay it down on the non-drivetrain side). Two bikes will fit but it takes two people and a bit of care to line the up in such a way as to avoid the possibility of scratches.

[OakLeaf]

I know lots of people with that type of fork mount setup in their trucks or SUVs. It works fine for them.

Don't put anything over your bike when it's mounted outside unless it's very tight (tarp, plastic, anything like that). Otherwise, the wind will blow the cover back and forth and strip your paint right off.

Maybe a boat or auto shipping place could shrink wrap your bike?

[Thorn]

we were thinking of buying a Honda FIT with this exact method/configuration in mind, but my husband's bike was just too big.

How tall is too tall? Just curious.

[djgafi]

mine is an audio a3 hatch back.

interesting the link with the bike-bra, good to know that is effective.

with the roof racks, isn't it too difficult/heavy to rise the bike over and place it on the rack?

[Grog]

with the roof racks, isn't it too difficult/heavy to rise the bike over and place it on the rack?

I would have a hard time if the car was higher maybe, but we have a Honda Civic, and it's totally manageable. My bike is in the 20 to 22-lbs range and I have matchstick arms.

[VeloVT]

I'm 5'6", also with puny arms, and I don't have a problem getting the bikes onto the roofrack on my Outback. If I were closer to 5'0", I think it might be a little awkward (as it is I sometimes end up stepping up onto the door frame). Raising the bike above your head is much easier than you expect if you haven't done it before. At the gym, I do shoulder presses with weights that are a good deal heavier than my bike.

[Biciclista]

How tall is too tall? Just curious.

just an inch too tall.
he's not even a big man, it's a 56cm bike i think. it's just the combo of fenders, aerobars, etc..

[Pedal Wench]

has anyone tried this method on her car?
http://www.bdc-forum.it/showpost.php?p=1172116&postcount=129

ideas? suggestions? opinions?

Me! That's how I do it, but in the other direction - take off front wheel, roll back wheel in and the fork mount is at the back of the car, so I just secure it and go. Takes less time than strapping onto a bike rack. Protects from rain, bugs, rear-bumper hits, roof rack meets garage door incidents, etc. Works in my Rav4 and BF's PT Cruiser

[AnnieBikes]

I have a Yakima on my Outback and always stand in the doorway! I am 5'5" and usually have gear in the car (and people) so need the bikes on top. DH has a Toyota Tundra with the fork mount in it and it is good for more bikes. I have seen several of my friends with minivans who have the back seat down and use the fork mount inside. Sure keeps the bikes cleaner on a long trip. There is plenty of room too, for gear.

[Tuckervill]

If you click on my blog link, there's a slideshow of how I made a mount for my bikes in the back of my Element (the slideshow is on the right, 3rd down). Doesn't require both seats up/down/out, and while it is maximized for space on a long long trip we take every September which requires lots of gear, you could modify to fit your situation.

Karen

[Tuckervill]

I can't put my bikes on top of my Element because I just can't reach it. I can't stand in the doorways in order to get the bikes up there without holding on to something, which makes it hard to hold onto the bike, too. I don't want my bikes riding outside on long trips, because I never know when I might be in a dicey neighborhood. I say go with an inside setup.

Karen

[Thorn]

just an inch too tall.
he's not even a big man, it's a 56cm bike i think. it's just the combo of fenders, aerobars, etc..

Bummer...I've stuck the Fit in the back of my mind as a possible next car, but I bet it won't work for me (won't keep me from test driving the car and trying put the bikes in anyway, of course).

Still looking for a high mileage vehicle (45mpg highway) with room on the inside for two bikes....a woman can dream.

Thanks for the info.

[gnarwhal]

We have a tow ball and one of these

http://www.roofrackshop.co.uk/bike/t...ke-carrier.htm

so so good. I was so sick of having to lift a filthy wet bike too high to get it up onto our window mounted angled rack and struggling like no body's business. I'd never go back now, only problem is that it's only a 3 carrier. But it does leave the boot empty for all your gear which is nice.

[OakLeaf]

Still looking for a high mileage vehicle (45mpg highway) with room on the inside for two bikes....a woman can dream.

You can put two bikes in the back of a Prius, one on top of the other, with a blanket between them. Doesn't leave a lot of room for much else, but a couple of backpacks with overnight gear would definitely fit.

[Becky]

We carry bikes one of two ways, depending on how far we're going, how much stuff we have, and how filthy the bikes are. I have an Outback and DH has a Legacy, and both are wagons.

If it's a long trip and we have lots of stuff, the bikes go on the roof to make room for baggage and Dog. If the bikes are filthy, they go on the roof. If we're not carrying much gear and no Dog, they go inside the Outback on a fork-mount rack that DH made from scrap lumber and some of those $20 fork-mount thingies for pickup trucks. It means removing seatposts, but a line with a marker make re-installing to the perfect height easy. Carrying them inside definitely helps the gas mileage compared to the roof rack.

I'm 5'4, and can put any of my bikes on the roof, including the full-suspension beast.

[papaver]

We just toss them in here. :D

http://www.renault.be/nl/gamma-renault/renault-vp/nieuwe-kangoo/

[djgafi]

Me! That's how I do it, but in the other direction - take off front wheel, roll back wheel in and the fork mount is at the back of the car, so I just secure it and go. Takes less time than strapping onto a bike rack. Protects from rain, bugs, rear-bumper hits, roof rack meets garage door incidents, etc. Works in my Rav4 and BF's PT Cruiser


what size bikes you have? do you need to lower the seat in order to fit them in inside?

[fidlfreek]

I have a Camry Solara (coupe) and just take off my front wheel and slide the baby back behind the front seats. I have a very small road bike though. With a longer wheelbase it might get tricky. I don't care about grease but if you did:
http://www.wcfanshop.com/servlet/the-109/bike-chain-cover-for/Detail

[wackyjacky1]

I have a Camry Solara (coupe) and just take off my front wheel and slide the baby back behind the front seats.
That's what I do (Hyundai Elantra). Just be sure to slide the bike in chain-side UP! :)

[Pedal Wench]

what size bikes you have? do you need to lower the seat in order to fit them in inside?

Mine is a 51, BF's is a 55cm, with lots of seatpost. In the RAV4, the back seats are folded down. In the PT Cruiser, he takes out the back seats - doesn't need them so they stay out permanently. By putting the forks towards the back of the car, there's more room for the seatposts where cars typically have more headroom.

Edit: I've also fit in two bikes with aerobars. I put the bar in at an angle, so the forks are at about a 45 degree angle. The bikes can be turned so they still fit lengthwise and the aerobars clear the rear window.

[msincredible]

With the right bike it's never an issue. ;)

http://www.paularickert.net/albums/userpics/birdy3.JPG

[papaver]

With the right bike it's never an issue. ;)

http://www.paularickert.net/albums/userpics/birdy3.JPG

Well, it doesn't fit in a new Fiat 500 :D

[Tuckervill]

That bike fits in a suitcase, right? Oughta fit in the back of any little car.

Karen

[papaver]

That bike fits in a suitcase, right? Oughta fit in the back of any little car.

Karen

nope, we've tried it. :D We even had problems to fit it in a mini clubman.

of course it goes on the backseat but not in the boot.

[ASammy1]

BF and I can fit our 2 road bikes in the back of the Jeep Liberty (older style). We just leave the back seats down and slide them in. Neither one of us have very big bikes though. Mine is a 50cm and his is a 54cm.

[msincredible]

That bike fits in a suitcase, right? Oughta fit in the back of any little car.


Yes it does, although it requires slight disassembly first.

http://www.paularickert.net/albums/userpics/packbike21.JPG

[Beane]

Caveat on the bike bras: they (or at least the ones we used) fasten to the bike via velcro tabs. the backs of the tabs are kinda scratchy/sharp-edged and my bike ended up with some paint scuffing from the tabs. This was on a trip from Wisconsin to southwestern CO and back, but nevertheless, it was disappointing to see. Also, they tore/wore out very easily and were cheaply made. I think we got ours from Performance, btw.

[ttaylor508]

hi girls

i've been using a rear Thule bike carrier or a audi for a couple of years, and the draw back is that at the end of a trip on a highway, my 2 bikes are carpeted with insects...


so i'm investigating on different ways of loading them, possibly even inside the car, without damaging the interiors and getting greas all over when loading-unloading.

has anyone tried this method on her car?
http://www.bdc-forum.it/showpost.php?p=1172116&postcount=129

ideas? suggestions? opinions?
We load our bikes this way in our Expedition and in the back of DH's truck when its just the two of us. DH used a piece of diamond plate angle metal and just bought the skewers and mounted them to the angle plate. It was a very inexpensive way to haul around our bikes. We bought a Yakima hitch rack a few years back and use it if we need to haul more than 2 bikes. I don't have any problem getting the bikes on the hitch rack, even the kids heavy mt. bikes. I am only 5'3ish and can still lift them onto the rack when it is on the Expedition which sits rather high.

[LilBolt]

We carry our bikes that way (except forks to the back) in the back of my Explorer and the back of bf's Saturn Vue (although, he has to drop his saddle a touch for the Vue). When carrying other gear, we slip wheel bags over the rear wheels to cover the cassettes and keep things a bit tidier. Front wheels go into wheel bags for their own protection. We've actually used this method with 3 bikes + gear, with bike in the middle fork toward the front.

[djgafi]

thank you girls.

yesterday i took some measurements and looks like with the bikes angled at about 45 degrees, like someone suggested earlier, they can actually fit even in a medium size car, which will work best for me here in europe.

here's the link where you can buy a fork mount, and build very easily your own internal-car-bike-carrier.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-fork-mount-bike-tights-racks-carriers-blocks-traps_W0QQitemZ270369428293QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item270369428293&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

thanks to all for precious feedback!
now i'm on to the "appropriate" car search
:-)

[jobob]

We just toss them in here. :D

http://www.renault.be/nl/gamma-renault/renault-vp/nieuwe-kangoo/

Ow wow, we saw one of those yesterday on the freeway near us (near San Jose, CA). Cuuuuute!

They're not for sale in the US (yet?) - no clue how that one got here :)

But we still love our Honda Element. We can remove the back seats and roll 2 (maybe up to 4) bikes into the back, no disassembly required. Although if our bikes were any longer or taller that would be an issue. It's too bad the Element wasn't a couple of inches longer in the back compartment, but so it goes.

[jobob]

If you click on my blog link, there's a slideshow of how I made a mount for my bikes in the back of my Element (the slideshow is on the right, 3rd down). Doesn't require both seats up/down/out, and while it is maximized for space on a long long trip we take every September which requires lots of gear, you could modify to fit your situation.

Karen

Hey thanks! We'll check that out - we were discussing something like that just recently.

Yeah, the Element is a bit too tall for either of us (dh is about my height) to consider loading bikes on top. Plus one of us would be sure to drive them into something. :rolleyes:

[RoadRaven]

You don't "load your bike on the car"...

You buy a bigger car and/or a trailer.

One bike fits in the boot of my sonata... with layers of padding

Two bikes can be lain in the back of the van with the seats down (again, well-padded)

3-7 bikes will fit in our trailer, with special holders so that no two bikes touch each other or move in transit.

;p

[sundial]

If you click on my blog link, there's a slideshow of how I made a mount for my bikes in the back of my Element (the slideshow is on the right, 3rd down).

Excellent! I just had to check it out cuz I'm an E person too. :)

I have several strategies. If it's me, and it may rain, I fold the seat up out of the way and roll the rear bike tire in first and angle the front tire 45 degrees.

If it's the mountain bike, I fold both seats out of the way and lay the bike flat.

If Mr. Sundial joins in the ride, and the weather is nice, I mount my Thule hitch rack and put both bikes on it.

If we both are going out of town with our bikes, or if it's going to rain, Mr. Sundial takes the pickup w/ camper shell with the RecRac (http://www.recrac.com/bikeRack.html) system in it.

I don't trust myself to use a roof mounted system because I'll plow the bikes into the garage door. :p

[ClockworkOrange]

Unfortunatey I can't, I have a BMW Mini convertible and although I believe there is something you can buy, it costs a small fortune.

Fortunately, my partner and I moved to a place where whatever direction we go in, we can be off road.

Clock

[Tuckervill]

Excellent! I just had to check it out cuz I'm an E person too. :)

I have several strategies. If it's me, and it may rain, I fold the seat up out of the way and roll the rear bike tire in first and angle the front tire 45 degrees.

If it's the mountain bike, I fold both seats out of the way and lay the bike flat.

If Mr. Sundial joins in the ride, and the weather is nice, I mount my Thule hitch rack and put both bikes on it.

If we both are going out of town with our bikes, or if it's going to rain, Mr. Sundial takes the pickup w/ camper shell with the RecRac (http://www.recrac.com/bikeRack.html) system in it.

I don't trust myself to use a roof mounted system because I'll plow the bikes into the garage door. :p

For two bikes on a quick trip, I just put up both seats, roll the bikes in on either side, and bungee them to the handle above the door. That keeps them from rolling around or touching each other. I admit, the rear car seat on the right has a chainring tattoo on the side. I haven't tried to get it off but I'm pretty sure it will come off with some Simple Green. That fabric is indestructible.

karen

[sundial]

That fabric is indestructible.


Yeah, you're not kidding! I have an '05 E and it's survived the abuse from crates, 4 dogs, puppies, bikes, you name it.

I did put an Elemmat (http://www.elemmat.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=15) in my car so that I can shove bikes and paintings in it without worries.

[skinimini]

Unfortunatey I can't, I have a BMW Mini convertible and although I believe there is something you can buy, it costs a small fortune.

Fortunately, my partner and I moved to a place where whatever direction we go in, we can be off road.

Clock

No room in my mini for a bike and I'm too short to do a roof rack. I added this option when I bought the cooper. It wasn't that expensive, but it may be as an add on. I absolutely love it--so easy to load and unload.

[TxDoc]

Normally I carry the bike inside the car. I have a rack but inside it gives me the impression of being safer. I either take off the front wheel and fit the bike on the back seat, or take off both wheels and lock everything in the trunk.

[tulip]

With the right bike it's never an issue. ;)

http://www.paularickert.net/albums/userpics/birdy3.JPG

My thoughts exactly. I tuck two Bike Fridays inside the back of my VW Rabbit. :)

[sundial]

Tulip, how long does it take you to ride 10 miles on your Bike Friday?

[tulip]

Tulip, how long does it take you to ride 10 miles on your Bike Friday?

Same time it takes me to ride it on my Luna. I average about 14-15 mph, with cruising in the 17-18 mph range. Depends on the terrain, of course. Last month I rode about 300 miles in the Arizona mountains in a week on the Friday, and last week I rode 200 miles on it at Cycle Zydeco (4 days). I'm doing two centuries on it in May. It feels like a full-sized bike and rides like a full-sized bike.