Car rack?

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to the forum and realtively new to cycling beyond my immediate neighborhood. I recently bought a road bike and I'm looking to do events.

My question is about a bike rack for my car. I drive a PT Cruiser, so it's got a tailgate that lifts up. I've seen the racks on other cruisers, but I don't know where to start in terms of choosing one, getting it installed, etc. I'm also curious about price. How much do racks + installation run? Where do you go for this? If money was no object, I'd go to the dealer, but the car itself isn't exactly band new and is getting along in mileage, so I don't want to spend a fortune to "customize" it at this point...

Any helpful information out there?

It isn't a bad idea to start with your LBS. Assuming they sell bike racks, they will have information on which one will work with different car models. I do not know what the general practice is, but my LBS installed my bike rack at no charge and showed me how to remove/replace it. My rack was far from inexpensive but has been a true blessing to have! There is a pretty wide range of prices for racks, so it all just depends on what you want/need.

Have you thought about trying to carry your bike inside your car? I don't know how much room you have in your car, but with the front wheel off, you might be able to get by without a rack. That was my preference, but I did have a Saris rack that I liked. DH and I now have a Thule T2 hitch rack that we love. Go to the websites of the major brands for racks and see what they spec for your car.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Have you thought about trying to carry your bike inside your car? I don't know how much room you have in your car, but with the front wheel off, you might be able to get by without a rack. That was my preference, but I did have a Saris rack that I liked. DH and I now have a Thule T2 hitch rack that we love. Go to the websites of the major brands for racks and see what they spec for your car.

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I do the same if I'm not taking my truck, I use one similar to this mounted to a piece of 2"x 8" and it fits great in the back of the SUV.

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Originally Posted by Pax

I do the same if I'm not taking my truck, I use one similar to this mounted to a piece of 2"x 8" and it fits great in the back of the SUV.

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That's handy. The rear seats of my car stupidly don't go down, but I figured out that I could slide my bike behind my front seats if I took off the front wheel and turned my handlebars. It's much easier than using a rack. We only use the Thule hitch on my husband's car when we're both traveling with our bikes.

My BF fits 2 bikes in the back of his PT, but that's with the rear seats completely removed.
Go to your local REI. They can tell you exactly what you need to fit your car. They stock Saris, Yakima and Thule, so one is bound to fit your car and needs.

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

My BF fits 2 bikes in the back of his PT, but that's with the rear seats completely removed.
Go to your local REI. They can tell you exactly what you need to fit your car. They stock Saris, Yakima and Thule, so one is bound to fit your car and needs.

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My road bike fits with the seats down but I do have to remove them if I ever want to transport my beach cruiser. A rack would be more a matter of convenience. I'm short, so my arm reach isn't very long. I tend to have to put the bike in the car, and then crawl inside to pull it all the way in. It's a little awkward and I probably look pretty funny.

I'll try REI and my bike shop. I was just in REI today. Wish I'd thought to ask them then!

The Thule website has an interactive guide where you indicate the make, model, year of your vehicle and they can recommend the types of racks that would fit your car. Thule is a reputable maker of various types of racks. I bought my rack at a LBS about 15+ years ago and it's alright. However now they have so many more features even on base models.
Good luck.

I have a Saris Bones 2 rack or my car... In love it.

http://www.cincylights.com/images/img_10005.jpg

Shannon

I put a hitch on my Subaru and then got this rack. It's really light and I really like it. I got the 2 bike rack. There is a 3 bike one, I believe. It's the Saris Thelma, holds the bikes by the tires. Tire racks fold flat and the whole thing folds up against the back of the car for storage. Easy to install/uninstall. Then I can use the hitch for all kinds of other stuff too.

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/orsracksdirect_2150_51767748

I use a Yakima hold up hitch mounted rack that works similar to the one xrayted described. I really like it because it's so simple to lift bikes on and off, yet very secure. This style does mean putting on a hitch, but for me it was worth the investment to have a rack that was so quick to put on and take off, and so easy to use.

Current car doesn't have a hitch or ability to add one, but if I'd had the ability I would have gone that route. More stable and I like the idea of holding the bike from the bottom/wheels insaead of suspendng it from the top bar.

Pretty much every car on the market can have a hitch, it's just a matter of if it's the 2" or 1.25" coupler. The 1.25" will limit how much you can pull or hang on it compared to the 2", but it will still be more than enough for as many bikes as you can fit on a rack. I pull a cycle trailer and all kinds of stuff with my little 1.25" hitch. Mostly they size them according to what your engine/transmission can handle. Call your local U-Haul dealer. They can put one on including the brake light switch, they are really well made and since they install it, it's warrantied for life for anything that happens to it. Doesn't matter how it was damaged, you get a new one. You could back over a Hummer, bent it under your car, then beat it with a hammer and blow it up with a grenade. You'd get a new one, no questions asked. :D

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Originally Posted by Jen12

I'm short, so my arm reach isn't very long. I tend to have to put the bike in the car, and then crawl inside to pull it all the way in.

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Ummm... you might want to try putting it in rear wheel first - then you just have to roll it on in.

I have a prius with a 2" hitch. I got this one http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Racks-HR1400-Platform-Receiver/dp/B000QJC4AY/ref=sr_1_13?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1303155721&sr=1-13. I can open the hatch with the bikes loaded (yay!) - I can carry my kids' bikes and my $3000 road bike with ease and sans freak-outs. I've driven on freeways and dirt roads with no problems for even long-trips. I started with a Saris Bones rack, but it just didn't work well for the hatchback - rubbed on my car and too much stress en-route, as I constantly had to check on the bikes.

Most of the time, I only have it set up for 2-bikes (and the 2-bike only model is much cheaper). It folds easily out of the way. It takes me about 2 minutes tops to get the bike loaded. It was WELL worth it. I wanted the Saris Cycle-On or Thelma, but I couldn't justify the price tag and wanted to make sure I could carry bikes of various sizes.

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

Ummm... you might want to try putting it in rear wheel first - then you just have to roll it on in.

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If it fit standing up, that would make sense, but it has to lay on the side.

In general, how secure are trunk-mounted racks? They look like they barely attach to the trunk and anyone could walk away with the whole thing. Is that true? Can you at least lock the bike to the rack? Not that I'd leave the whole thing for a long period of time, but if I stopped at Starbucks or something and was gone for ten minutes I wouldn't want to find my bike gone!

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Originally Posted by Jen12

In general, how secure are trunk-mounted racks? They look like they barely attach to the trunk and anyone could walk away with the whole thing. Is that true? Can you at least lock the bike to the rack? Not that I'd leave the whole thing for a long period of time, but if I stopped at Starbucks or something and was gone for ten minutes I wouldn't want to find my bike gone!

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If you wanted to remove the rack, you could... so I wouldn't rely on locking the bike down to the rack/car. There are simple straps that hold it secure on the rear of the car. I think the hitch mount ones may be more secure.

Shannon

I have the Saris Bones RS, and it is an actual lock on both strap "rachets" that prevent someone from simply loosening the straps. Also a part of the rack goes underneath the lid of the trunk. The straps are rubber covered piano wire and regular cutters won't cut it. Not saying that someone couldn't do something with that, but it would take special cutters and extra effort. Of course, this rack is more expensive...but very easy to take on/off.

Added: I forgot to mention you can lock your bike to the rack as well with your usual lock - though that cable is likely easier to cut than the straps of the actual rack.

I pull a 675# boat on an 800# trailer with a 1.25" hitch so even though they won't pull a yacht they are pretty versatile. I've done every kind of rack imaginable. Bought a hitch rack last fall and will never go back. Easy to load, secure while traveling and completely lockable (locking hitch pin and built in lock on rack). What used to take me 45 minutes to an hour to do when loading a trunk rack (I'm a little obsessive) takes me 15 minutes now and that's loading an extra bike. Go to etrailers.com. They have an awesome selection.

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Originally Posted by FlyingScot

I pull a 675# boat on an 800# trailer with a 1.25" hitch so even though they won't pull a yacht they are pretty versatile. I've done every kind of rack imaginable. Bought a hitch rack last fall and will never go back. Easy to load, secure while traveling and completely lockable (locking hitch pin and built in lock on rack). What used to take me 45 minutes to an hour to do when loading a trunk rack (I'm a little obsessive) takes me 15 minutes now and that's loading an extra bike. Go to etrailers.com. They have an awesome selection.

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another option is a trailer.I pull this with my MINI. I love it. Pricey, but versatile.
http://www.sportsrig.com/
http://www.sportsrig.com/images/left1.jpg

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Originally Posted by Jen12

I tend to have to put the bike in the car, and then crawl inside to pull it all the way in. It's a little awkward and I probably look pretty funny.

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That's how everyone does it. I have a roof rack, but I only use it when I travel with my dog and my bike, or if I carry two bikes. Otherwise, my bike goes in the car (small car, with seats folded down and front wheel removed). I figure it's safer, more fuel efficient, and keeps bugs off my bike.