Going on vacation and want advice

Hi Ladies,
My family is going to Bar Harbor next week and I can't decide if I want to rent bikes while there or bring my own. I have a Rav4 and don't have a roof rack system, but have the rack that came with it. Can I strap my bike up on that or do I need something special? When I take my bike places around here I usually throw it in the back, but we will have luggage there and the kids. DD usually brings a ton of stuff too. I do plan on renting mountain bikes with DD to ride in Acadia, but I like having the option of being able to do out on my own whenever I want too. My kids are teens and will probably sleep late and I am an early riser. Dh is not a biker and neither is DS.

I have a Rav4 and have a hard time envisioning strapping a bike to the roof rack without scraping either the car or the bike or both. But maybe someone has a lab rat solution.

Would it be possible to get one of those Saris racks? I know they make some that supposedly fit on all models of cars, even those of us with small SUVs with huge flat backs. Although if your Rav4 has a wheel back there, that might be tricky. You might also be able to pick up the necessary components for a roof rack for a couple hundred and be able to install it yourself (this is what I am going to do for my CR-V).

I agree with Goldfinch... sounds too risky to just strap it down. I'm super paranoid about scratches on my car and my bike.

Get a Saris-i love mine

A friend of mine has a RAV4 with a roof rack (Yakima highroller). We needed a step stool to put the bikes up there (safely), although a tall person will do (her brother in law, over 6 feet tall) did not have trouble removing or putting the bikes on the rack.

I liked that particular Yakima rack so much, I splurged and got one for my Mazda 3. It does not touch the bike frame and it is easy to put/remove the bike, provided height is not an issue! (else, carry a step ladder)

Thanks pll! I looked at the Yakima website and see that they have a rack that attaches to a spare tire, perfect solution for my Rav! Now if I want to bring my bike I can.

FWIW my mom was able to install two Yakima Frontloaders on her factory rack on her new Rav4 to transport two bikes home from the Seattle to Portland. Worked great, except we're all 5'5" and below so there was definitely a step stool involved! :)

I just came back from Bar Harbor and riding in Acadia National Park. I was concerned that our Bike Friday's would not work on the gravel carriage trails. Well, they did. You don't need a mountain pike to ride these roads. The surface is smooth packed dirt with small gravel embedded in it - no loose gravel, no ruts. I rode a little slower than on a paved road, but had no problem, no slippage at all. So, if you bring your bike, you won't need to rent a mountain bike. You could spend that rental money on a bike rack......