Carrying the bike in the back of the car

I'm going to start bringing my bike to work with me and stop at a local park on the way home. The bike will need to go in the back of my Rav. I don't have a bike carrier yet, but I'd still put it in the back because frankly I wouldn't trust the bike being on the back of my car all day while I'm in the office.

I'm going to have to lay the bike on it's side with the backseat down. Are ther any precautions I should take or any particular way I should be putting it in? I'm guessing it's better if the chain side is up.

I transport my bike in the back of my car (Prius) all the time. It could fit with both wheels on, but I find it easier to maneuver if I remove the front wheel. I put it fork-first with the drivetrain side up. Someone recently told me it would be easier to handle if I put the rear wheel in first, but I haven't tried that yet.

It you take either wheel off, make sure you remember to put everything in the car before you drive off. A friend once left her front wheel behind after removing it to put her bike inside the car. Fortunately it was still sitting where she left it when she went back to look for it. I always check around all sides of the car before closing the hatchback, just to make sure I haven't left anything on the ground.

Another thing I've learned is to avoid wearing light-colored clothing, especially pants, if I'm going to be getting the bike in and out of the car while wearing street clothes. It's easy to get your clothes dirty while handling the bike, especially while you're still getting used to lifting it in and out of the car.

I always do chain side up.

One mistake I made was letting the handle bars and brake on the front end bang on the side of the frame, when it swung over itself, on some bumpy roads. Of course, I did not know it until I stopped but, I had a nice chip in the paint from it.

Now, I cover her up with a blanket:D

Might have to get creative with the clothing. I wear khakis to work. In theory I could put the bike in the night before, but I don't want to inspire a thief since my car doesn't live in the garage. Maybe put the bike in before I get dressed in the morning. :-)

The blanket is an excellent suggestion. We have a few spare I could use.

Here's a video I made a couple of years ago of loading my bike into my Prius. I've had a friend's 57 cm road bike in that car as well, so it isn't only small bikes that will fit.

My flat bar fat tire hybrid won't go with the front wheel on. Too much stuff sticking perpendicular to each other. Still, either bike goes in easier rear wheel first, as shown, so you can steer it directly in without trying to keep the forks from flopping.


When you take the bike out, check your quick-releases - I've had them come loose once or twice from inattentive loading/unloading. And just like parking the bike, if you have a wireless cadence or wheel sensor, make sure it's not inline with the pickup so you don't drain the battery.

Ohhh, thanks for the video. Very helpful!

I have a Rav4 as well, and also transport my bike inside the car. I always place it on its side (chain-side up), and prefer to set it in the car backwards. It takes me an extra minute or so to position it and back it into place, but taking it out is much easier for me. My rear windows are tinted, but I still cover the bike with a flannel sheet so it isn't so visible. (Hopefully it doesn't look like a body...)

Muirenn, that's a good point. I've personally never carried my bikes on a really hot day, but have wondered how the extreme interior heat would affect the tires and/or other parts of the bike. Thank you for mentioning it.

I don't think you mentioned if it's a mountain or road bike... If mountain you might think about a mat or protector for the car, as you can end up with quite a bit of dirt after a slightly muddy ride! I have a piece of canvas cut to fit the back of my Santa Fe. It goes in nice and easy chain side up. I have learned to be careful loading it, so I can load with my khaki's and not get dirty. :)

BTW I have had helmets start to melt over 100F. Maybe they were already partly defective, but the foam just started melting for lack of a better word. It looked really weird. The bike store guy was impressed when I took it in and asked if I should replace it... (yes) So I take my helmet inside with me now if it's going to be much over 85-90 outside.

I always put mine in the back of the car, chain up, rear wheel in first.

I have really light interior, so I put an old sheet in the back of the car. I don't have to worry about wet, dirty tires marking up the back.

Also, I kind of wrap the edges of the sheet over the handle bars and tires and it seems to help the bike from shifting around when I go around a corner, or if i stop short.

My bike is a mountain bike. Road bike in the spring hopefully :-)

I can't help as I don't have a Rav or a mountain bike, but just noticed we both used the "Birder" tag line. ;) I just added mine last week, so you probably had yours first. I'll be happy to change it....

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Originally Posted by MichelleOH

I can't help as I don't have a Rav or a mountain bike, but just noticed we both used the "Birder" tag line. ;) I just added mine last week, so you probably had yours first. I'll be happy to change it....

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Nope, don't change it. All birders are family :) And for that matter you could very well have had it first.

One of my big concerns with getting a mountain bike was that I may try paying more attention to the birds than trail. Birders are known for sudden inexplicable stops. I was trying to figure out the best place to keep my bins and camera :)

;)

Yes, carrying bins and camera at the ready are tough on ANY bike, but I'm sure easier on my MUP. I'm going to put a rack and trunk on mine. They won't be handy, but maybe that's a GOOD thing.

I haven't seen anyone mention this yet, but grease isn't the only reason to put the bike in chain side up. If you put that side down, you risk damaging the drivetrain (if you bend the derailleur hanger, your shifting will get screwed up).

I put mine in rear wheel first, too.

I'm just laughing as I remember the first bike a bought a few years ago...a Diamondback comfort bike that weighed a ton.

I wheeled it out of the store, and tried every which way to get it in the back of my car. I could barely lift it. It was the middle of summer and I was drenched in sweat, grease all over me and the car.
I haaaaated that bike right then and there.

Now I can get my road bike in the back in one swift movement. :D

If the bike is dirty after a ride, like yesterday when I was riding on a wet rail-trail after heavy rain, I wipe it down before putting it in the car.

I keep a roll of paper towel in the back of the car all the time. Also a box of tissues and a plastic bag in the corner that serves as a trash bag.

An old towel or blanket on the bottom helps keep mud and grease off the car. But they can fold up and move around if you are not careful.

Another option is to buy a outdoor mat that is cut to size at the hardware store. Its thin but doesn't fold on you and not terribly expensive if you look around. Also easier to pull out and shake out dried mud, hose down if needed.

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Originally Posted by thekarens

In theory I could put the bike in the night before, but I don't want to inspire a thief since my car doesn't live in the garage.

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I have locked my bike inside my car to a grab bar when having it in the car overnight.

Also, maybe a sheet (or tablecloth) instead of a blanket: Easier to manage.

I never leave my bike in the car overnight.

I cover the bike with a blanket that is the same color as my car interior, so you can see there's something lumpy in there but you don't know what it is.

The first year I had the car, I had a vinyl shower curtain under the bike to protect the car from dirt. After a while the shower curtain got some holes in it, so I tossed it and since then I don't put anything down. I haven't had a problem since then with dirt inside the car.

The blanket that covers the bike, however, has plenty of grease stains on it.

Well, it wasn't pretty, but I managed to wrangle it in with only one spot on my pants. My bike is on the heavy side so I think next time I'll have my partner help me. I ended up putting it 3/4 of the way in and then pulling it the rest of the way in. I'm not sure how I feel about it resting on the pedal and handle bar. I'm assuming that's ok.

The other thing I do: I have a nylon re-usable shopping bag positioned so that when I put the bike in the back, the front tire lands on it and I can slide it all forward.

This helps!

I don't do anything special, except put my bike in, rear wheel first, derailleur side up. My bike is really light.
I used to have a small sedan where I put the seats down and slid the bike in the back, through the hatch. No taking wheels off, or anything. My bike is small, though. No cover on the car or the bike and frankly, I didn't care if a little grease got on the upholstery. Sometimes, I had to work a little to get the bars in the right position to get in there. Now I have a station wagon, with black insides, so the grease part is a moot point. My second bike, with the couplers is a bit heavier, mostly because of the rack on the back, so it feels awkward to put in the car, but it's not hard.
On Mondays, I sometimes ride with my last client, who lives about 5 miles from me. So, I end up with my bike in the back all day, as I don't have time to go home first. Every other week, the person I see before him lives in the projects in Lawrence, and I never once have worried about my bike. Maybe I'm naive, but, you can barely see inside the car, and the bike is kind of in there, in between all my therapy "toys."
I used to be more worried about my car, but then i saw that an Audi didn't really stand out, as a good portion of the drivers are using the profits of the drug trade to drive really nice cars. :mad:

I used to put my MTB in the back of my Fit before I got a roof rack. I did many of the things mentioned here as well, bought cheapo black bath towels at WalMart to wrap the bike in and protect the sides of the car. Scratched up one of the panels when some part was rubbing on the side of the car in the trunk. Another thing to watch out for is your back bumper. I forget if Rav4's have a bumper protector on the top (it was optional on my Fit) and if you're having trouble hiking it up into the car it's really easy to scratch the paint off if the pedal catches the lip of the bumper. After riding I know I was too tired to lift the pedal up and over a few times and have some nice paint chips on my bumper, unfortunately it was black under the silver paint so it looks really bad and the dealer is always out of touch up paint to buy.

Consider keeping an eye on craigslist for used bike racks. REI has car racks on sale right now (it's only once or twice a year) so as people upgrade you might find their old racks for sale. Most of my racks came secondhand as my mom's boyfriend upgraded all of his gear the last few years.

One thing I didn't mention, if you want to protect your car from stains, protect the seat backs as well as the surface underneath your bike. I have way more scuffage from tire dirt on the seat backs, than on the carpet over the spare tire.

My friend has a RAV. She takes the front wheel off and lays the bike in the back. I put my bike in the back of my car all the time, with wheel on. Definitely put the chain side out. That's about it.

I have fork mounts attached to a piece of wood lying in the back of the Rav. Front wheel off, rear wheel rolls over wood and fork attaches to mount. Easy breezy, and takes less than a minute. http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...301730__400172

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

I have fork mounts attached to a piece of wood lying in the back of the Rav. Front wheel off, rear wheel rolls over wood and fork attaches to mount. Easy breezy, and takes less than a minute. http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...301730__400172

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So, does this mean the bike is upright? If so, how do you keep it from falling over? I can see how the fork mount keeps the front of the bike from tipping, but what about the rear?

"I have fork mounts attached to a piece of wood lying in the back of the Rav. Front wheel off, rear wheel rolls over wood and fork attaches to mount. Easy breezy, and takes less than a minute."

is there any way to attach the board to the seat-cleats in the floor in a van? I would like the bike to be more stable in case of quick stop.

fs

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Originally Posted by fetchspot

"I have fork mounts attached to a piece of wood lying in the back of the Rav. Front wheel off, rear wheel rolls over wood and fork attaches to mount. Easy breezy, and takes less than a minute."

is there any way to attach the board to the seat-cleats in the floor in a van? I would like the bike to be more stable in case of quick stop.

fs

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if you have carpet in the back, just put velcro on the underside of the board. works great! I have a board like that and don't use it unless I need to carry two or three bikes, as my car is too short... I have to let the bike seat down, and on the mountain bike I have to compress the front shock to get it in. Believe me that is not going anywhere once it is in! It leaves nice impressions on the ceiling too...

I used to have a Subaru wagon and ended up buying one of those plastic carpet savers for office chairs, and cutting it (don't ask, what a pita) to fit so that I could slide my bike in without it messing up the carpet. It worked well and was easy to wipe clean too. I think some companies make pre-molded plastic carpet savers for cars but they were more than I wanted to spend at the time. I would then cover it with a tarp to keep it hidden.

On the locking the bike up in the car - yes, especially if it is sitting there all day. Our DS had his bike stolen out of the back of his pickup truck - he has a shell and it was locked but they forced the lock and took his bike...
Our bikes have fenders and racks. Due to fenders they won't fit in our bike rack so we load both bikes into the car - Our station wagon is more of a truck now than a car :(
we have given up on protecting the carpet but we do put a blanket between the bikes and we make sure nothing is rubbing the roof of the car and protect if it is. We also take our bandana's and wrap our leather saddles in case they are rubbing against anything - to protect the saddle.

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Originally Posted by fetchspot

"I have fork mounts attached to a piece of wood lying in the back of the Rav. Front wheel off, rear wheel rolls over wood and fork attaches to mount. Easy breezy, and takes less than a minute."

is there any way to attach the board to the seat-cleats in the floor in a van? I would like the bike to be more stable in case of quick stop.

fs

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I used to worry about it, but the it really doesn't slide around too much. The board sits right behind the wheel wells, so it can't slide all the way forward. With two bikes, the weight also helps keep it from moving.

I rarely use the rear seat in my Rav4 for passengers. It's folded flat most of the time between carrying the bike, a dog crate...or cargo from a trip to the grain store. I have a large, heavy-duty tarp in the back that protects the car material and easily shakes off any debris that may accumulate. It's worked out well for me.

Yup - bikes are upright, and once clamped by the fork, won't/can't tip over, unless the board with the fork mounts is tiny - one that goes across the lenght of the back is impossible to tip. Attachment 15336

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Originally Posted by thekarens

So, does this mean the bike is upright? If so, how do you keep it from falling over? I can see how the fork mount keeps the front of the bike from tipping, but what about the rear?

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

Yup - bikes are upright, and once clamped by the fork, won't/can't tip over, unless the board with the fork mounts is tiny - one that goes across the lenght of the back is impossible to tip. Attachment 15336

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Thanks for pic. That's very helpful. We bought two fork mounts yesterday. When you take the bike out of the car do you just put it upside down on the ground to tl put the wheel back on?

Not at all. It's just the front wheel that's off. I take the wheel out first, lean against car. Wheel bike out, holding it up and then just slip the front wheel into the fork and tighten it down. Make sure you know how to properly use and tighten the quick release on your skewer - it's definitely worth having your bike shop guys or an experienced cyclist show you. (Like, make sure you need enough pressure on the quick release lever to leave a mark on your hand, and keep the lever pointing up - even with the fork - to prevent it from getting snagged on anything, and use the fork as leverage to pull the quick release closed - you want it to take some effort to close.)

video!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2k8TrqeS-E

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

Not at all. It's just the front wheel that's off. I take the wheel out first, lean against car. Wheel bike out, holding it up and then just slip the front wheel into the fork and tighten it down. Make sure you know how to properly use and tighten the quick release on your skewer - it's definitely worth having your bike shop guys or an experienced cyclist show you. (Like, make sure you need enough pressure on the quick release lever to leave a mark on your hand, and keep the lever pointing up - even with the fork - to prevent it from getting snagged on anything, and use the fork as leverage to pull the quick release closed - you want it to take some effort to close.)

video!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2k8TrqeS-E

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It's funny, when we bought the fork mounts yesterday the guy actually took a set out and showed us how to use them on a bike they had in the shop including opening the brakes, taking the wheel off and putting it back on. The knowledge came in handy because when I ate dirt today my front brake came undone. It was nice to know how to put it back together properly.

I appreciate the video. I have no doubt I'll refer back to it the first couple of times.

Hate to be a nudge/mother hen, but if you're not sure how to put on the front wheel, I'm guessing you're not sure about changing a flat either. That's something everyone should know before they go out. Back to the bike shop and have them show you how to do that too - knowledge is definitely massively powerful!