General Cycling Discussion - Does Bicycle Affect What You Drive?

Previous thread got me to thinking about my automobile selection. I drive a '92 Buick Roadmaster. Costs me very little and gets 24/20 mpg highway/town. I drive as I like the room and comfort and reliability (low cost). But the real reason I still drive it is because I take off the front wheel on either of my bikes (road or MTB) and I can toss same in the trunk. Two minutes and I am loaded and ready to go. Another two minutes and I am ready to ride. If I want to take both the second bike fits between the front and rear seats (I said it was a large car). And is a true land yacht.

When I think about a new(er) car I think only about better mileage, excellent reliability (both defined as lower cost) and bicycle friendly (easy to load and unload a bike or two). I keep thinking a Taurus wagon would work well.

How about you? What do you drive and how much is your choice bicycle dependent?

i'm a roof-rack kind of guy... i had a pickup and just throwing it in the back it would slide around, so securing it was almost as much work as a roof rack. and fitting it into the trunk or cargo bay of an SUV or wagon always was a pain (i had a jeep cherokee and a subaru wagon always with roof rack)...

so i make sure a vehicle doesn't have some kind of funky new door jam that doesn't take a standard roof-rack mount --- ah, i miss the days of rain-gutters on every car so you didn't have to buy new feet for every stinking vehicle and could move the rack onto a friend's car for a road trip -- but now it seems like every vehicle has a special foot...

but i had a "nice" car, an Acura Legend, that i sold b/c i found it was a pain always watching out for the leather and i didn't want to scratch it with a roof rack... so now IF i buy a car it's for utility and bike transport is job #1!

I've got a Saab 9-5 Estate (wagon) primarily because we have two large dogs and it's big enough for them. Great car. But I can't fit my Rhode Gear shuttle to it as the tailgate has a rubber seal to the body. i'll have to invest in a roofrack, but with the seats down I can get both of our bikes in it.

However, I used my motorbike money to buy my wife a 97 MX-5 (Miata) as it means at least in summer she can use the smaller car for getting to work (public transport no good) and it is more economical, and I think the Shuttle will fit on it. (If she'll let me use it :))

We have two different cars, both were bought before we really got back into cycling. The first is a 96 Honda Accord which will be getting a roof rack pretty soon (at least I think it will based upon the discussion Donna and I had last night). The second is a 2000 Nissan Xterra. I have a Hollywood 2-inch receiver hitch rack mounted on the back of it. We chose this option because Donna can load and unload her bike on this rack much easier than she could if we bought a roof rack for it.

The vechicles I have now work fine and if/when we ever replace one of these cars I'm sure I'll be looking at how easy it will be to mount a rack on it.

Zack

Oh yeah biking is the primary reason I own the Minivan that I do...I have a windstar and I take the rear bench seat out of it so that I can put bikes/gear in it and then I don't have to carry my bike outside of the car..I love it, plus I love the interior space of the windstar, very comfortable to ride in..


Benjamin

Most definitely.
Bought a Durango to haul around the
scuba kit, Bikes and related kit.

Marty

Same here, Durango to haul bikes. Roof rack too, since Im tall. Besides the storage space is often full of gear.

Altima and a caravan.Nothing to do with cycling.

Just finished building a receiver hitch rack for four bicycles so I no longer have to worry about stuffing the bike in the back of the Cherokee (which by the way worked OK as long as my daughter didn't unwrap the handlebar tape when she was riding as the handlebars were right next to her car seat!).

Minivans are the only way to go. I can carry three people, their bikes (wheels on) and their luggage all INSIDE my 2002 Mazda MPV. The Honda Odyssey is even better in that regard. Both vans let you remove one middle seat, and fold the third bench into the floor.

My MPV gets 28mpg on the highway, we paid just over $20k for it brand new, and it's rated one of the most reliable and safe vehicles available. Its footprint (parking space size, turning circle, etc.) is smaller than mid-sized station wagons like the Taurus, but it's visibility and performance are better.

I and two friends can be halfway there while you guys are still hoisting your bikes onto your roof racks. And we can tow a camper, too.

RichC

Nope, I bought both of my cars before getting back into biking.

My Cars:
1993 Toyota MR2 Turbo - totally useless as a bike transporter.
2001 Mazda Protege ES - going to put a Hidden Hitch on it and a hitch mount rack to move the bikes around.

Originally posted by shokhead
Altima and a caravan.Nothing to do with cycling.

Heya Shok,

I have the same car... that except my Altima is Silver... my wife won;t let me put the roof racks on though, since she drives it most of the time...

I drive a Ford F-150.... now before all you Eco geeks get on me about buying a gas guzzler... I get about 17mpg... better than my Isuzu Rodeo I had before... and the only reason I really drive it, is because it was my wife's father's truck... he died last year, and my wife really wanted to keep it... and it rides pretty good for a big truck, and hauls all my bikes and photo equipment around...

I really would like somehting smaller... I like the Subaru wagons, or that new Mercedes Hatchback... those are sweet...

Jeff

Paul L. do you have any pics of the rack you built?

Zack

Originally posted by SipperPhoto

I drive a Ford F-150.... now before all you Eco geeks get on me about buying a gas guzzler... I get about 17mpg... better than my Isuzu Rodeo I had before...

I think an F-150 is a far less heinous environmental transgression than a massive SUV (i.e. Expedition, Yukon, that bigass new Toyota thing..Sequoia?... etc.). Reason being, a pickup truck is built to be used for specific purposes that only a pickup truck can fulfill. It's also necessary that it have an engine with sufficient displacement to perform many of the tasks that pickups are intended for.

On the other hand, for 99.9% of the things that soccer moms and other upper-middle class road hogs do in their monster truck SUV's, a much more fuel-efficient minivan would serve as well or possibly better. The extra fuel required to propel the bulky SUV around town is simply a waste (note, I'm mostly referring to the large SUVs, not so much the more reasonably sized models).

I know this won't sit well with everyone, but..well, what can you do :).

/rant

It definitely affected our last car purchase. In addition to being able to carry the dog, getting good mileage, and being reasonably comfortable, it had to carry the bikes.

So we bought an Audi A4 Avant (wagon). Fits us perfectly.

So anybody with a truck is only using it for truck stuff.I wonder why they make big cabs with 4 doors.I guess so they can haul more dirt.

No, I didn't say that was necessarily true. However, I'd be willing to bet alot of money that there is a much higher percentage of pickup trucks being used for 'truck stuff' than there are SUVs being used for, well, whatever SUVs are uniquely suited for.

I buy what I can afford, and it tends to not have much to do with what I might do with it. But I must say, my current 4WD, throw-it-in-the-back station wagon makes life easier, if also more expensive. :)

Nissan 350Z -- can't even find a bike rack that fits it so I guess the purchase had nothing to do with biking.

Chevy S10 Blazer -- Use it for hauling my bike to the trails. I can carry it inside and upright with the front wheel removed. Nice not to worry about a rack or locking it down to prevent theft. I also use it for "truck stuff." I don't worry about the interior getting dirty or scratched since it's older and I have another, nice car. Only advantage of a pickup would be carrying taller objects but that's what the roof rack is for.

Hmm. Just to clarify, I have to problem with SUVs as such. And certainly some people do require them. My problem is with the people who buy them (and use them exclusively for shuttling around the city) because they like the feeling of power and (false) security of being in a huge vehicle, and because SUVs are the trendy thing to own among certain social strata.

3 of my most favorite things. In size order, and the order in witch I Love/Like them. My Son (in the front seat), My Bike, and My truck.

I've often wondered why American Cycling mags are full of SUV ads. Now I know.
I don't own a car. I own a bicycle.

Thats kinda how car sales goes,trends.Right now its starting to go back to sedans and the new,crossovers,a little more un suv like and more stationwagon like.It all comes around and leaves again.I wouldnt buy a truck to have friends,ie,haul stuff.I like trucks.I wouldnt get a suv to 4-wheel,i like suv's,the middle size ones that is.Do people buy sports cars to race,race bikes to race,99% not.No diff with suv's.IMO,all the suv bashing is a load of crap.Do something about the fricken buses and semi's,trash trucks to.Factorys are let of the hook and they shouldnt be but all the crap comes back to regular tax paying people.Hey if the auto makers make them,we will buy them so its up to them.Smaller engins{a dirty word**different fuel,its there if they REALLY want to.Anybody see how much gas was over there where we were fighting,5 cents a gallon vs other places that is and have been 3-5 bucks a gallon so we are right in the middle.I love my altima,fast enough and good handling.Bummer i had to sell my suv,LOL.

i have a '78 toyota chinook mini-rv. it is the perfect rig for bicyclists and adventurists. the front end is the standard toyota pickup, but the rear is a camper including mini fridge, stove, sink, and bench that folds out to a bed. i have fit 4 bikes in it.
one great thing about it is that it's much more useful than most suv's, and still gets around 20 mpg. my outdoor activities are basically the reason i have it. i ride my bike pretty much everywhere now, so it's only used for going into the hills to ride, transporting my dog, or for the larger grocery trips.

after experiencing many different types of vehicles, i have become very partial to japanese vehicles. their designs seem to be geared more towards fuel efficiency, are cheaper to repair, and last longer than most other cars. i've had it with american car companies that focus on making bigger, badder cars that always break down after a few years. also with european cars you need to spend a small fortune every time you need to repair them.

I own a 1998 Jeep 5.9L ZJ (Grand Cherokee) and my wife has a 1996 Saturn SC2. While I didn't get the Jeep because of cycling, it did factour into it sorta. I'm an avid offroader both in my Jeep and on my MTB so I wanted something that could take me into the rough while carrying all my gear, friends and associated bikes. That said, my wife's SC2 is actually quite capable of hauling my roadbike around with the rear seats folded down. And no I don't believe you need an SUV to carry around your bikes. I once crammed my old MTB into the backseat of a Ford Festiva... granted I didn't rock-crawl the Festiva. |8^)

I drove a 89 toyota corolla until 1 year ago when a cellphone gabbing bmw suv driver totalled it at a 4 way stop sign. I loved the gas efficeincy and i could throw my bike on the bike rack and not care about the scratches on the paint of the car. Now I drive my husband's jeep wrangler with a custom made bike rack. When I pay off the car payments in 3 years , I plan to get a hybrid vehicle like the toyota prius. I fit the bike to the car, not the other way around.

Because of my cycling i dont NEED a car....if i need to get to an event i get a lift with another cyclist or from mum or dad :p

Brendon
:beer:

I have a 94 RX-7 which has nothing to do with my cycling.

I picked up a bronco II last year since it is decent gas milage and I can easily fit my bike in the back. Plus I have room in the back to keep my dogs for any needed trips with them.

When my roommate moves out (and takes his F150 with him), I will be picking up an F350 crew cab. I should have no problems fitting the bike in the back of that. Plus I can carry a few extra people. Although that purchase is geared towards the RX-7 since I need to tow the 27' enclosed trailer it travels in.

I have a '96 Ford escort wagon, 5-spd manual transmission. Since I'm under 5 feet tall, and have shoulder problems, a roof rack is out of the question for me. However, if we fold the back seat down, and remove the front wheel from Dan's recumbent, we can fit it in the back. My bike then rides the Saris "Bones" on the tailgate. That seems just fine to me, especially since I put 100 to 150 miles/month on my car. Next car seems a long way off to me, but it would be about the same size & shape, hopefully with a hybrid power system.

2002 Suzuki SV650. Still trying to figure out how to put a bike rack on that... I am sure there are bike racks for Honda Goldwings. :D

Once upon a time I had an '83 Subaru station wagon, until rust ate it (salty roads during Boone winters). I'm still partial to small wagons. For a long time we were a 1 car family, mostly thanks to my ability to bike commute. Then a little old neighbor lady drove her '84 Mercedes 300D out in her front yard and put a "for sale" sign on it. It wasn't exactly a "just drove it to church" kind of thing, but mechanically sound, and "only" 155K miles. Nothing fancy, vinyl seats, no seat heaters, or any of that stuff... very functional. 28mpg, turbo diesel has loads of torque. Big tank goes 400 miles on a fill-up, which often lasts me a month. Lotsa room inside, front seat and rear. And I can pop the wheels off the bike and toss it in the trunk, safe from thieves, weather, and low overhead clearances. What's not to like? I'll answer that... replacement parts and diesel fuel costs.

Here is my Lil' beast. I still have some work to do on her but she runs great. I have always driven trucks and always will. I do not own trucks because I cycle but it does help when I finish a muddy ride and can just through all my gear in and head home. They also help to get to those hard to reach trails that your normal auto could not get to.

:beer: :beer:

[i]How about you? What do you drive and how much is your choice bicycle dependent? [/B]

Our Caravan (Grand) is directly related to our bicycling. With the back seat out (permanently) I can throw 2,3 even 4 bikes in the back without taking a wheel off.

Yep!!

I am going to sell my 97 Altima soon and get a 90-91 CRX for a couple reasons. First, I bike to work most of the time so I don't really need a nice newer car. Second, I want something a little more economical and fun (and without monthly payments). I've got the roof rack (which is great) but they Alti does not have fold-down rear seats, which is a pain if it's raining or for longer trips through bug-filled areas.

Yes, A great influence when I bought my Jetta was that they had a special deal on Roof racks.. also, it was red, sporty,compact, and when so many of us see Trek, we think Volkswagen
I like my Red Jetta. Don't regret my Klein steered me in that direction. Otherwise would have been a Scuba diving red, Ford Ranger...

I have a VW Beetle, and recently fixed a roof rack on it. Thule has a special rack made for the bug. Now I can go biking whenever I want!

I usually ride to races or train from my front door. However sometimes I drive to different places to ride.
I have a 4WD ute (Aussie pick up truck:D ).
Pick up bike , put in ute , drive to wherever , take bike out , ride , throw back in ute , drive home. Easy;) No disassembly.
When I go MTBing I take the ute out to the bush, ride some tracks ,camp out .
Sometimes I find some really rough tracks with deep ruts and rock steps and very very steep. I don't bother riding these, I drive them in me ute :beer:
The National Parks close off tracks to keep people out of the bush. I drive to the locked gates or mounds of debris they build in front of the tracks , out comes the MTB , they won't keep me out.:beer:

Absolutely. If we didn't ride tandem bicycles I would have never considered owning a Suburban. However, if you're hauling around $7k tandems they are one of the few vehicles that are well suited / sized for it. With the split-rear seat down in back you can roll the tandems right in and secure them with a fork mount. You can also put 3 tandems on the roof rack system with 6 adults and all their 'stuff' comfortably inside for long road trips to tandem rallies away from home. Once you arrive at your destinations the rear seats can be put down and the truck becomes a secure garage if you don't want to haul you tandem(s) into a hotel room.

Originally posted by shokhead
Altima and a caravan.Nothing to do with cycling.

The Altima, especially the 2004, is now a very nice car :)

I went from a 96 corolla to a 02 RAV4, all because I wanted something to haul my mtb or road bike. The first thing I did when I went to look at the vehicle was to open the rear door and see about pulling out the seats.

I am going to see about getting a bike rack that fits on the spare tire, since now my friends and I are talking about road trips and will need to be able to haul gear. If anyone has a suggestion PM me.

well along with other factors ( like loosing some weight) ive gotten back into biking so i can try to save a little cash so i can take my gass guzzling 68 IH travelall off roading as well as hauling the family to go camping
Id like to find a scout II with the nissan diesel and try the bio diesel fuel to see how it works. but one thing at a time.
now i dont begrudge folks who drive these big SUVs, I just think they are a little goofy for buying a 4x4 with that most are never going to use off road. but it is thier money to waste. mine sees off road use as much as i can afford to take it. which is no where near as much as i would like. if i had even the slightest athletic ablity id be into off road biking. but as i am i would kill myself so i stay away from 2-3 wheeled off road vehicles motored or otherwise. 4 wheels with a seat belt and a roof or roll cage other wise nope.
Love my IHs

Well, I was driving a Geo Metro, but it got todalled a month ago. Why such a small car? Tiny parking spaces, and dense traffic cond.