Thanks, everyone, for the input and some of your suggestions may work for me. The doggie ramp is what I had in mind except I would like to have it going across the back of the car and running up to become a flat surface. It would need to be only wide enough to accommodate the bike tire. This would bring the bike up to within a few inches of the rack and I could lift it the rest of the way. It might work if I use a step stool -- I will try it. Good advice about the weights -- I have been working out with weights for several years, but I have small arms and shoulders and cannot keep them strong enough for a high lift. It's great to hear from you -- I will let you know how (if) I work this out. More suggestions are welcome (solicited!). B.Away