Car rack?

[Jen12]

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?

[Catrin]

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.

[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.

[Pax]

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.

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.

[indysteel]

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.

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.

[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.

[Jen12]

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.

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!