Montagnard

Hi everyone,
I am traveling to the Sierra Nevada in June and am considering bringing my bike on the back of my car. My girlfriend and I like to hike and it is possible we may stop for a dayhike here or there. We would probably be gone a couple hours, maybe more. Is there a way to secure my bike (Motobecane Immortal Pro) so it will still be there when I get back from my hike?
Thanks!

wahoonc

Depends on the type of rack you are using. I have a hitch mount rack that is locked to the vehicle, the bike has a wheel lock that is locked and then a cable is threaded through the frame and around the rack. If you are using a trunk mount you can still lock it to the rack but it is harder to secure the rack to the car. I made a rig for my daughter that was comprised of some very thin, coated, stainless steel air craft cable that looped around the rack and was fastened to something large in the car trunk. The cable was closed up in the trunk, you could remove the rack but it wouldn't go far without cutting the cable.

Aaron

turkey9186

Most newer cars have tow "hooks" under the rear bumpers. Even with a strap on trunk rack a cable lock between the bike and the eyes would at least slow someone down.
I have left my bike in the bed of my truck on a fork mount and locked to my fifth wheel hitch before without any problems, so far, for short periods.

Nightshade

Sure, you can secure it to your car but what plans do you have for vandalism to your bike???

That said, unless you really need your bike.........leave it home and don't worry about it so you can enjoy your trip.

fietsbob

an enclosed cargo trailer will be Best, as long as someone doesn't steal the trailer.

wahoonc

I have had a couple of those disappear over the years...last one was in 2006 and it was attached to a Ford truck...truck went with it too Never been recovered, state police figure it went straight to Mexico.

Aaron

prathmann

A cable lock saved our bikes on at least one occasion. On a trip from Mi to Az we stopped in Chicago to visit the Museum of Science and Industry. When we came back out we saw both of our bikes had been pulled off the trunk rack we had on the car and were hanging there askew. The would-be thief had slashed the bungee cords with a knife but apparently hadn't noticed the cable securing the bikes to the bumper until he started to pull the bikes off the rack. Fortunately he didn't have any tools to cut the cable.

wahoonc

I have had similar attempts with bikes tied down in the back of my truck. I had one locked to my heavy bolted down job box with a heavy cable lock, came out of the grocery store and the bike was half out of the truck...

Aaron

Looigi

Parking lots for trail heads are notorious targets for thieves. If it's a popular place with lots of people coming and going it's better than if it's one that is deserted most of the time. Can you take one or both wheels off and stick it in the rear seat or something?

coldfeet

+1 this. Most cars have folding rear seats, I would pack both bike like that, with an old blanket between them, and the rest of the luggage packed around. It still wont stop a determined thief, but it will help. Throw another old crappy looking blanket over the top.

xizangstan

I would rent a motel room, condo or bed-and-breakfast and LOCK the bike up inside the room.

TromboneAl

We drove across the country with our bikes locked like this:

Bianchigirll 

but did you stop in remote areas and hike for a few hours?

just another reason to love my Windstar. I was planning a trip to Dayton OH, and being single I can just put my bike/s inside and my suicaes between them.

2manybikes

If I take the front wheel off my road bikes one bike and the front wheel easily fits in the back seat of my little Corolla. There would be room for one in the front seat too. Some other bikes like mtb or bikes with fenders do not fit.
It might be a pain, but you might fit two bikes in the car, if you take the front wheels off.

merlin55

please send locations and dates....Trailheads are notorious....I had my drivers license and credit card stolen, from my wallet....they left the wallet were I "hid" it in the locked car....and relocked the car.....

Velo Dog

Too much paranoia here for me. Of course anything CAN happen--a bear broke into my car in Yosemite last fall and did $1500 worth of damage--but at some point, you can spend so much time worrying about it that your toys are playing with you. I've left my car, mountain bike and road bikes at dozens of locations all over the western U.S. for more than 20 years with no problems at all. If you can't use the bike because you're afraid it might get hurt, you might as well not have it.
FWIW, I carry two bikes on a cartop rack secured with a cable. If I have to leave them in a place I'm not sure of, I loop together two cables, pass them through the frames and wheels and put the lock inside the car. When I need to, I can get my 64cm roadie and my wife's smaller bike inside the car, with the wheels off. But the chance of a random hiker in a remote location just arbitrarily deciding to trash your bike before he goes on down the road is pretty small.

2manybikes

A couple of well placed claymore mines will do the trick.

Montagnard

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I will remove the front wheel and put the bike in the back seat with a sheet underneath it and another on top. I'll be riding at Mammoth Lakes, Tahoe, and along the American River near Sacramento. Should be nice weather in mid June I hope. Thx again!

xizangstan

I spent a week in the Los Angeles area appearing in a film last week. I do that every so often with the same producer and director. One day, I spent the day on horseback in the mountains above Santa Barbara. Another day, we were in downtown Santa Monica near the pier. A couple other days we were shooting in Oakland and San Francisco, including along the beach. Everywhere we went, I was wishing I had brought my bike. But with the costs of checking baggage these days, getting my Lady Xizang there and back again would have been cost prohibitive. Not to mention the hassle getting through the larger airports.

I envy those who can travel by road and take their 'babies' with them in the back seat...

wahoonc

They make folding bikes that will travel quite well. Brompton, Bike Friday and others.

Aaron

Looigi

I get my bike on for free on Southwest Airlines or for the standard baggage fees (~$35) on others as described below:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/02/h...h-my-bike.html

The soft case is a lot light and smaller making it much easier to lug around.