The best way to car carry a $1600 bike?
Well I am currently carrying around my Secteur Comp but I am nervous about going anywhere with it because I possess the most rudimentary of bicycle retention systems.
There is one pole coming up that bolts into the ball part of the bumper and it comes to a T at the top, where there are just two poles coming out with very shallow dips and no kind of straps or stabilizing system on the bars.
What’s worse is I was tying it to the bars with these little ropes which are basically shoelaces, although my dad claims that they "came with the rack" and that they "work really well" until it almost scared me by almost falling off on the freeway.
I went to Home Depot and got 12 feet of Industrial, All-Weather Velcro which I cut into 3-inch strips and wrapped many times in an X around the bars and also used all of the little ropes and a stretch cord, but it’s still kind of scary.
I crawled into the 2-door chevy blazer (the twin to the GMC Jimmy) which I use and measured all of the space, but it really wouldn’t work unless I lowered the seat and took off the front wheel. Especially because the spare tire is mounted prominently inside of the rear of the vehicle and is supremely in the way.
I understand a lot of people do this, but I’m a bit wary of it and I don’t want to wear out the seat post or the front wheel’s quick-release by constantly adjusting them.
The other options are to get a bigger vehicle or a better bike rack. The second one would be feasible except that the Blazer does not possess a real trailer hitch to which most new bike racks would be attached, but has only the ball mount on the rear bumper.
And the idea of a window-mounted bike rack is just silly because even when the bikes are firmly secured to the rack, the rack itself could fall off, which happened to a couple who came into the bike shop.
Also on the way to the Debaets-Devos Criterium the other day I noticed a couple who were forced to make a stop on the side of the freeway. They had a roof mounted rack on top of their van, and one of the bikes’ front wheel had come loose and it was dangling over the rear of the vehicle by its rear wheel. Not fun and not something I desire.
I meant 3 foot strips. Three inch strips would be useless.
I also noticed someone carry their bike in the trunk of their 2004 Monte Carlo so I figured it was possible.
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Tags: bike rack, bike racks, bike shop, chevy blazer, devos, dips, freeway, gmc jimmy, home depot, inch strips, new bike, rear bumper, retention systems, seat post, shoelaces, spare tire, stabilizing system, stretch cord, trailer hitch, velcro
Uncategorized | admin December 28, 2011
6 Comments to “The best way to car carry a $1600 bike?”
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By Tex T, December 28, 2011 @ 1:07 am
Why don’t you just carry it in your car? I just put mine in the trunk, it fits without the front wheel. I have a VW Jetta.
By wle ņ│ã∩╬α ░░▒▓▓▒░░, December 28, 2011 @ 1:07 am
so many words
what is wrong with the standard ‘trunk mount’ $40 rack, adjusted to fit the back door of the blazer
if you can;t mount this right, i wouldn;t trust you to mount anything else right either
i would still put it inside the car
won;t wear the quick release or the seat post out
also i think if all you did was ‘measure the space’ you need to really try it – put the bike in there
it doesn;t go in the back end
it goes right behind the front seats sideways
"(the twin to the GMC Jimmy)" – uh, so what?
wle
By John M, December 28, 2011 @ 1:07 am
The safest way to carry a bike is inside the vehicle. Lay a blanket down over a plastic sheet. Remove the front wheel and but the side with the gears on up. I would not let an expensive bike on a rack for very long. Even if it’s inside cover it up so people can’t see it. Removing the skewer won’t hurt anything.
By Max Cruise, December 28, 2011 @ 1:07 am
I used to put my 62 cm framed Lotus inside my 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. Removed both wheels and one pedal. Bike went in sideways behind the seat.
Here is the receiver hitch rack I use on my Hyundai Elantra.
I use a locking hitch pin and a cable and lock to secure the bike to the hitch. Thread the cable through the loops for the safety chains.
I carry my $2,600 Waterford in this manner.
Otherwise look at racks from yakima, thule, and saris.
Good Luck
You will not wear out the quick release or the seat post. Consider, a quick release runs about $20 and a new vehicle will run $20,000. Seems cheaper replacing the skewer once a year than springing for a new vehicle.
By BigE, December 28, 2011 @ 1:07 am
Change the hitch. Get a type III, 2" receiver. Then get a rack with a locking system, including
the hitch pin. The more expensive ones can move out of the way of the door. Consider the time you are spending on this, and Uhaul probably can install
the hitch in 1 hour and $150.
By Jacob, December 28, 2011 @ 1:07 am
The Thule T2 trailer hitch mount system is by far the best setup I have used. It is easy to put on and easy to load and unload the bikes. It is also very solid and sturdy. The best part is nothing touches the frame of the bike.