Loading into SUV?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

In our Honda Element, we can load the 2 bikes in standing straight, front wheels first, without taking any wheels off. Then we just use a simple webbed luggage strap with adjustable buckle to slip through the side hooks by the ceiling (where one might hang dry cleaning if the back seats were in) and then pass the strap under the top tube and snug it up. That holds the bike against the side of the car and keeps it upright and steady. Really simple.

[roguedog]

Queen,

Lisa brings up a good point. How do you make secure the back part of the bikes so they don't skooch around or cause undue tension on the fork of the bikes?

[Pax]

Queen,

Lisa brings up a good point. How do you make secure the back part of the bikes so they don't skooch around or cause undue tension on the fork of the bikes?

I just slide my gear duffle between the bikes, if the skooch (and they usually don't) they bump into a soft duffle.

[bcipam]

This is very low tech and very cheap but this is what I've always done in my SUV.

I take off the front wheel. Load the bike in backwards (so rear wheel goes up towards the front seat, fork is facing the back window, and then using a bungee cord I have attached to the seat belt holder on the rear passenger side, I hook the seat post or top tube and secure it back to the seat belt holder. I usually place the front wheel, between the bike and the inside wall of the SUV. Bikes are very secure. Never a problem. Can easily secure two bikes this way, one on either side.

My SUV can hold 3 bikes, 3 passengers. In that case, since one of the rear seats remain up, it's just a matter of loading the bikes (sans the front wheel) in the remaining space. I usually load the first one rear wheel first, the next one, handlebar first and last one rear wheel again.

There are all kinds of racks you can buy that set inside the vehcile. You can also just buy a piece of wood, nail or screw on a wheel mount and attached your bike that way. Check the internet I'm sure there's alot of this.

[caligurl]

see here! lol!

there are some ideas and pics (including a pic of my car that used the saris traps system) my pic is of our road bikes... but mountain bikes work on it too!

[roguedog]

thanks caligurl. that was very helpful to see the pix

[Bad JuJu]

I've done a similar trick to what bcipam described, to haul my bike from Florida to Maryland. The only other thing I did was to wrap an old t-shirt around the chain, chainrings and cassette, to keep the grease in its place and off my other stuff I was carrying back there. Worked great, and all I needed were some bungees and an old t-shirt.