Yet *another* bike rack question (New bike owner needs help)
Greetings!
I am a grad student who recently purchased a bike for a variety of reasons. The bike I purchased is from the Mongoose brand; it is a men's Domain model. I'm considering buying a bike rack so I can carry the bike on my car when I travel. My car is a 1999 Mercury Sable, and I don't have any form of a hitch on the car.
I've been looking through the other threads pertaining to bike racks and have tried to find additional information about the brands and models which have been mentioned. One is the Saris Bones II 2-Bike carrier. I've seen pictures of the model alone, but not any that show the unit mounted onto a car. One question I have is this: how does the Bones II attach to the rear? -- the pictures I have seen do not show any straps or *something* with which to secure it to the trunk/rear. The only straps I notice appear to be the shorter ones on the sides which look to me like they would be the bike tie-downs?
Another question I have about the Saris Bones II is whether or not the unit places most of the bike's weight on the trunk, itself, or on the bumper of the car. Does anyone know?
The Domain model that I have has a top bar which slants down and then levels-off toward the seat, much like a women's bike, and it has a center shock, so I need to consider how the bike would sit on the rack, as well.
I am new to bicycling, and am on a pretty fixed budget (my bike was priced somewhere around $130, and I got it for $100); I would like to try to keep the amount I spend on a rack under $100 as well -- watching ebay for some possibilities.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you in advance! I'm looking forward to responses.