Rinny

Hey I was wondering if there are any good bike racks for a Toyota Prius.... I've read some reviews on racks that are supposed to work for it, but they said it didn't work well.

Also, I have a female bike frame, and I've read some things about how you have to have an adapter. Seems like it's going to be awfully expensive unless I take my wheel off every time I want to ride.

Ideas/opinions?

andrewclaus

My wife just looked into the same thing for her Prius. Racks were going to cost at least $200 and the better ones need a receiver hitch for another $200. A hitch on a Prius just seemed silly, too.

She ended up not putting a rack on the Prius not only because of the cost but also because of the increased drag and reduced mileage. The last car she had a rack on, she didn't really like anyway, and once damaged the bike and rack and dented the car roof on a low clearance obstruction. She decided to just keep loading it into the back. It's easier that way, too, mostly, except for camping trips and then she just decided to deal with it. She does not have to remove the front wheel if the car is mostly empty.

CbadRider

I can fit my bike in the back of a Prius with the seats down without taking the wheel off. Lay an old towel down first to protect the interior from dirt and grease.

gforeman 

I installed a hitch on my Prius when I had it, just for the bike rack. Worked great.

shelbyfv

I bought a bolt on receiver hitch, but I already had a rack. It works, but I normally just fold the seats down and lay it in the back. Really, taking a wheel off is easier than putting the bike on a rack, strapping it down and then worrying about it out in the weather, being stolen, etc.

unterhausen

I carry mine in the back. I have carried 3 bikes on the back of a Prius a number of times. If you carry a woman's bike on a trunk rack, it is a real pain, but can be done. I have a scratch in my bike's paint from my wife's pedal to prove it.

pdlamb

The nice thing about a hitch rack is that you can use it for a long time, on many vehicles, after the first car is history.

As you note, it costs a fair bit to put the hitch on.

You should be able to get a hitch rack with a "tray" that holds the bike by the wheels; that would save you the extra hassle of the mixte bike adapter.

But if it's just you and maybe one other person in the car, carry it inside is the easy and cheap way to go. I can get a large bike (62-63 cm) in the Prius, and it's easier if you take the front wheel off. The beach towel for the dog keeps the car clean (although there's not much room for the dog when the bike's inside!).

Rinny

Yeah, I was able to get my bike in the Prius to transport it home, but it took a good 7 minutes squeezing it in with help, and ended up moving the handlebars so I had realign them.

I just thought it would be a pain to take my wheel off every time (especially since I'll have to drive to somewhere almost any time I want to ride), but I guess that's what I might have to do. Never taken a bike wheel off before so I guess it's about time I learn!

Thanks everyone for the advice :]

fietsbob

trunk racks work on hatchbacks, but the top straps that hook on by the hinge
have to be longer, a bit of a webbing sewing project.

pennstater

I have a 2nd Generation Prius. My size XL road bike fits fine without removing the wheels. I just roll it into through the rear hatch opening at a bit of an angle. Once the saddle clears the opening it lies flat. My wife's 54 frame fits without having to angle it. Your handlebars must be very high not to fit.

shelbyfv

Removing the front wheel is easy and is essential when you fix a flat. You can fix a flat, I'm certain

Surfer34

is it true that the Prius comes from the factory with an Obama sticker ?

Ranko Kohime

Because you absolutely must be a liberal if you don't feel like filling up often.

Monster Pete

and then you just save your money and buy a modern diesel instead

martianone

[QUOTE=pennstater;14252884]I have a 2nd Generation Prius. My e XL road bike fits fine without removing the wheels. I just roll it into through the rear hatch opening at a bit of an angle. Once the saddle clears the opening it lies flat. My wife's 54 frame fits without having to angle it. Your handlebars must be very high not to fit.[/QUOTE

last year in the winter i went shopping for a new fuel efficent car, wanted a hatch back so i could put a bike "in the trunk, with seats down". i took my road bike with me and probably drove a couple car salesmen crazy. two cars this was fairly easy to, a prius and a ford fiesta. i got the fiesta - after a little practice, easy to put a bike in the back. i pick up the bike, turn it over so wheels are up and angle it a little so the wheels are around two oclock. the put the front of the bike in until it comes to the front seat, then turn the front wheel so it is at a 90 degree angle, slip the rear wheel in the back - done. takes longer to explain than do, goes in and out of the back in one easy move. often when someone watches, they say wow that looked easy. it is. my road bike is a size 56, my partner's bike is a 48. both won't fit, but do have a saris hatchback rack for two bikes, there is an adapter that easily allows mixte or U frame style bikes to fit.
PS, the bike rests on it's left side with drive train up and I put the cranks in line with chainstay, left pedal to the rear.

alhedges

It will get easier and you will get faster.

esther-L

My husband has a 1st generation Prius. He put a hitch on it, and uses a hitch-mounted rack with a tray (take front wheel off). e He bought the hitch mail-order and he installed it. He does not have draw bar or wiring - just the hitch.

We actually have 2 hitch-mounting bike racks, mine does not require removing front wheel. Both of our cars have hitch mounts.

I've seen all 3 generation Prius models with hitch mounted racks.

I'm going to go car-shopping soon, and will be annoying car sales folks by stuffing my bike into the back as part of evaluation :-)

Just go to a charity ride with more than 200 people and wander the parking lot to ask people about their Prius vehicles and rack choices.

Retro Grouch 

That's what I was going to suggest. The bike is protected from weather and road grime and is relatively secure from both theft and falling off. Sherwin Williams stores sell canvas drop cloths of various sizes cheaply. I think that it's the best and cheapest bike rack for any car that has a fold down rear seat.

Retro Grouch 

Here's a tip. Stand your bike up on it's wheels before retightening the quick release. That way the axle will bottom in the dropouts and the wheel will be straight. Once you get the process down you're talking about an easy 1 minute job for the whole stowing the bike in your car thing.

Looigi

Go to the Curt Hitch website. Look up your car and check out the installation instructions to see what's involved. It's pretty easy in most cases. If you don't have the tools or aptitude, a garage should install it for around $50. Of course then you need a hitch mount rack. Many options there but best to get one that supports the bike by the wheels/tires.

Check here for hitches (~$125): https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2010_Toyota_Prius.htm
And here for racks: https://www.etrailer.com/Bike-Rack

rm -rf

I got one of these REI tent ground cloths on sale. The size is 8 feet x 7 1/2 feet. It's strong polyester, and waterproof. It's big enough to lay the bike on it, and fold half the sheet over, to disguise that there's a bike in the car.

It's easier to clean than a cotton drop cloth that soaks up water.

It's also good for messy items, like bags of mulch, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The current Prius is 6 feet from the back hatch to the edge of the folded back seat. A road bike easily fits in there. It would be tricky to put two bikes inside, though, and they would need a lot of padding between them.

Rinny

Yeah, I'm sure I could find a more pricey rack to fit- and an attachment, too (sexist racks!!). I was just looking at cheaper ones and saw some comments on it being wobbly on the Prius.

I had someone helping me get the bike into the Prius, so I didn't really think about how there could have been a way for it to go in easily... I'll have to try those suggestions.

Thanks again everyone!

p.s. no obama sticker, sorry to disappoint

Ranko Kohime

I prefer diesels, but the Prius (like any hybrid) covers more bases. That, and I don't like 4-cylinder diesels.

Now if I could get a 2.0L W-16 quad-turbo diesel with cylinder deactivation in a six-seater land yacht, I'd be in heaven.

But since the thought of buying the former or building the latter is firmly in the realm of daydreaming, it doesn't really matter.