My bike rack is trashed

[Crankin]

Yesterday my brother in law was in town, giving a presentation. So, I drove my husband to work and then later went back to pick him up so we could go into Boston together, to meet his brother for lunch. It was raining and we were stopped in traffic in Wellesley on Rt. 16. A young girl ran into the back of my car, like she just wasn't paying attention. There was no obvious damage and we went and had a nice lunch, but when we came home, the damge became clear. I have a very unusual bike rack that is made by Hertz. It attaches to a hitch and unfolds, you put the bike on the skinny platform and two metal pieces slide up and holds it. It is perfect for a mechanically challenged and short person! Anyway, it wouldn't unfold, the mechanism is broken and it's all twisted inside. We can't get the hitch off the car. There are a few scratches on the back of my BMW, but I am more upset about the rack. Now, I have to deal with the body shop... we are still dealing with having my husband's car fixed because he hit a deer a few weeks ago.
I know there are worse things, but it took me ages to research this rack and I hope it's still made!

[SheFly]

That stinks, Robyn! could have been worse - could have had a bike on the rack at the time...

This is PRECISELY the reason I bought a van - no roof or hitch racks (on my last car, when it was only a month old, I went to the drive-up teller with the bike on the roof...).

Hope you make out ok.

SheFly

[Crankin]

Well, we started researching to see if we could replace the rack and it looks like it is not made anymore... but we haven't exhausted the search.
I drove a 4 Runner for 6 years and a mini van before that, so I was really sick of bigger cars, which is why I got a smaller sedan. I can put my bike in the back, if I put the seats down, even without taking the wheel off, but that's not my ideal situation.

[Deanna]

I'm with SheFly, I would never use a rear rack for this reason. At least you're bikes weren't on the rack when it happened!

[short cut sally]

Sorry about your mishap. I have to agree that good thing your bike wasn't on the back and that you are okay after the incident. I dread having to go somewheres with my bike off the back of my vehicle, I think, I hope I don't get rear-ended. I don't care about my truck, but the bike..another story.

[Zen]

I have a Thule hitch rack and am always giving drivers behind me the hairy eyeball for getting too close.

You have (had) a hitch rack, why couldn't you use one like the Thule?

[Crankin]

Well, I am too short for a roof rack, so I had no choice. And this was SO easy to use. I don't put my bike on it that often, so I don't worry about it. The fact that we were driving closer to Boston where people generally don't drive well has something to do with it. I think the most times I've used it has been driving up to ride with Denise G! There have been a few others, but not much. And, we were lucky; my husband WAS going to ride his bike to work and i was going to pick him up, but with the rain, I drove him in. But, I think we probably would have had his bike in the back, not on the rack, since we were heading into the city.

[farrellcollie]

Well, I am too short for a roof rack, so I had no choice...

I am too short too - I carry a small step ladder to reach my roof rack (I have the thule kind where you don't take off the wheel). It woeks a lot better with my light road bike - lifting my hybrid above my head is a bit of a pain - but incentive to work out with weights.

[RoadRaven]

Bugger!

Hey Robyn, I suppose because you thought everything was sweet you didn't get her details for insurance?

Thank goodness your bikes weren't on there!

We have a bike rack but only put it on if I am taking 1-2 bikes to town and they are coming straight off when I get there (for the boys to bike home after school usually).

Otherwise one bike will go in the boot/back seat. We have a trailer for most of our trips and that can take up to 7.

[Crankin]

No, we did stop and get the insurance info. We knew the rack had pushed up against the hitch and done some damage not immediately visible. The situation is resolved; we found a similiar Saris rack. The car will go to the body shop, they can replace the hitch and fix the few scratches on my car and my husband will install the rack. The girl who hit me is an under 21 driver, so she is toast.
My bike is very light, I could put it up on the roof, but I just didn't want to deal with the step ladder. Plus, once in awhile I put my mtb on there. Most of the time I am driving to a ride, i am with my husband and he has an SUV that fits both bikes in the back and a wonderful Saris flat bed rack that even extends for 4 bikes. But, usually I ride right out of my door.
I guess I became leery of roof racks when about 6 years ago the father of one of my son's racing team mates drove into the garage with the kid's new carbon bike on the roof. I guess there is no accounting for common sense, since this guy is the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. I decided then it would be too easy to forget about the bike up there!

[LBTC]

Yay, Robyn! So glad it is all resolved! And that there is insurance, too!
I know what you mean about bikes on the roof. DH and I remind ourselves for blocks "bikes on the roof" before we get to our carport. So far it works. It would sound insanely silly to anyone else, though.
I'm comforted knowing that if the bikes were damaged in such a way the rider on our house insurance that we have, would cover the bike damage with no deductible. Yup, we have it on all of our bikes, and that insurance costs more than the house insurance!!

I can't reach the roof rack, so I really miss the room we had in the van. The expensive brand new Toyota van was a lemon though, so I'm much happier about everything else with the Mazda 6 sportwagon.

Hugs & butterflies,
~T~

[tygab]

Robyn,

Sorry to hear about your bike rack/car mishap, but glad everything is working out for you.... I am enjoying my backseat-less Element for bike hauling these days....

[Lifesgreat]

I am sorry about your car and rack and am glad you are OK. I don't know the particulars about your rack, but wanted to post a couple of links that have racks similar to what you described. (oops, I see you got it resolved, but will keep the post up in case others are looking for similar racks)

The Saris Thelma

Yakima Hookup (comes in different hitch and # of bike sizes)

Thule makes one too and it comes in different hitch sizes.


I am nearly six feet tall but would never use a roof rack. I KNOW I would forget my bike was on the roof of my car as I drove into the garage.
This is my rack, I bought it at Costco.