Transporting your bike
 

I live in the middle of nowhere and would like to go to town (an hour or so away) for maybe some group rides or even to ride in the park with friends.

What is the best way to transport my bike? Right now I just have a cheap mountain bike but will have a good bike in the future and would like to outfit the car (honda civic) for what I WILL have (as long as it also works for what I've got now).

Thanks

What's "an hour or so away"? Is that driving time, cycling time, walking time, or what?

If it is driving time, that's what? ... about 80-100 km? If so I'd suggest riding to the next town, and maybe camping overnight there, then riding with your friends, and riding back. Or something like that.

If it's cycling time or walking time ... I'd suggest just riding there, riding with your friends, and riding back all in the same day.

Roof rack should work. Although, i've put my bike in my friend's Civic ('98 sedan) with the seat folded down. I think I had to take my front wheel off, but it fit with the trunk closed.

Try a folding bike. Sandsmachine.com might interest you.

Find out where the group ride is, drive there, see what every one else has strapped to backs of their cars and ask 'em where they got it (around here, it's mostly trunk-mount racks, don't see too many roof racks for whatever reason.)

too bad you dont have a pickup. I transport mine in my ranger by standing it up and strapping the handles bars down. doesnt move a lick, even with my driving!

The most important question is how much do you want to spend.

You can probably fit your bike in the back of your civic if you fold the seat down and - depending on your bike's length - remove the front wheel. For your purposes, this may be the best option, since it doesn't sound like you will be carrying more than one bike.

Unless if drive a 70's civic or ride a recumbent, this is probably your best option. You'll probably have to remove the front wheel because even the front wheel fits the handlebars probably won't.

bike transport
 

if they still make the Allen 103 A (or most any allen rack) are fabulous and work on almost anything, and any bike should fit on it.

however I perfer to keep my babies inside out of the elements

The "A" answer is definitely inside the car. That way it's away from the weather and road grime and it's relatively secure. A typical road bike with the front wheel removed can be made to fit into virtually any car. A canvass drop cloth from a paint store is a cheap way to protect your seats.

This, except I have to climb up in there with a shovel to make a bike-sized space among the scrap wood, beer cans, and animal carcasses. However you decide to transport your bike, be careful about what may come in contact with your rear derailleur, I've damaged more than one with bike-on-bike action, careless tossing of more stuff in with it, and agressive offroad driving bouncing an unsecured bike around. Moving pads and ratchet straps have advanced bicycle and upholstery-protecting properties.

Thanks for all the input. I got a trunk rack and it seems to be working pretty well right now. I usually have a toddler in a car seat in the back seat so a bike and the baby ~ not so much. :)

The Saris Bones 2 bike rack should work on that Civic. I have a Honda Fit and my bike fits just fine in it. Might can fit 2 (one carefully ontop of another) if I take off the front wheels.
Ernest

Interesting. I transport my bikes inside the Element.

Saris "Bones" works fine on our Civic Hybrid. The back seat doesn't fold down on the hybrid version (that's where the battery pack lives), so the rack is the best way to carry more than one bike.

I have a '97 Land Cruiser that I can roll my road or mtn bike into the back fully assembled if I fold one of the back seats out of the way. By removing both of the wheels, I can also fit the bike into the rear hatch area of my Cayman. Either way, the bike is out of the weather/road dirt and more secure at food/fuel/stretch stops.

FWIW - my wife has a minivan that we load 2 bikes inside of and several on top of (Yakima Rack) for the whole family to go out together. Also - good friend just got the Yak hitch carrier - a very nice option (other than leaving your bike exposed to a rear end collision).