NyteBlade

Back when I had a beater of a car, the good 'ol cheap trunk rack did the trick. But the bike whacked up against the back bumper, putting a few dents, the clasps scratched etc.

..but last fall I bought a new car, a 2012 Ford Fusion. Looking at the trunk space, it looks like it's potentially possible to forgo the clunky trunk rack and put the entire bike in the trunk somehow. I own a Trek 7.3FX model from a few years ago. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it possible/easy? Any tips, or should I just forgo this entire entirely?

JohnDThompson 

If it fits, why not? If I fold down the back seat and remove the front wheel from my bike it fits just fine in my Volvo sedan.

bikeguyinvenice

I fold the back seat of my 2012 Civic down take the front wheel of and my old Trek 720 MultiTrack fits back there fine. Safe and secure no chance of it falling off a rack or anything.

Wilfred Laurier

i have a very large mountain bike that i can fit in the trunk of almost any car
i have to take off the front wheel and usually drop the seat down

you can almost definitely fit your bike into the trunk
but there will be some disassembly and reassembly required
how much required depends on the size of the bike and the amount of room in the trunk

Retro Grouch 

Years ago I had a Chevrolet Citation company car. I had to take off both wheels but my road bike easily fit into the trunk without flopping down the back seat.

hamster

I move mine in the trunk all the time. I take off the front wheel when I leave and put it back on when I get wherever I'm going. It takes about 30 seconds - probably faster than to secure the bike to the rack, and safer too.

It's possible that it will not work for you if you have a sedan with a small trunk and/or very big bike. Next time you buy a car, don't make the mistake of buying a sedan. It's a thoroughly stupid form factor. Get a wagon or a small crossover/SUV. Ford Escape costs only 1..2k more than Fusion, same options, same horsepower, same fuel economy, but you get lots more usable space.

Quite a few outdoor enthusiasts (cyclists included) buy Subarus. You can do this and still have a ton of space for your other stuff.

Looigi

Sure. I do it with rental cars pretty frequently. Sometimes I stick one in the trunk and another crosswise behind the front seats (both with front wheels off). Behind the seats it takes some care not to get drivetrain gunk on the seats. An old blanket, towel, etc.. can help.

Velo Dog

Wait...you have the car, and you have the bike, and you have to go online to ask people if you can put the latter into the former? Couldn't you just wheel the bike over, open the trunk and....?
FWIW, my 64cm Atlantis has been all over the western US in the back of my Mazda Protege and Civic coupe. Just keep taking off parts until it fits.

chaadster

I'd think, in most cases, the trunk is where you'd want it ideally, out of the speed-whipped elements, road grime, and bugs, and secured against busy hands and thieves. Of course, it requires a little extra work (i.e. a wheel or two removed), but throwing on a trunk rack and losing quick access to the trunk isn't exactly convenient, either.

Retro Grouch 

That's what I think too.

By the way, the cheapest and best bike rack is a canvas drop cloth from Sherwin Williams. It's tough enough that it doesn't tear easily and it'll protect your back seat or whatever else you have in the trunk from chain grunge.

cwar

I put mine in the trunk all the time. I have a sedan and just have to put the seats down and take the front wheel off.

RonH

I have a Hyundai Elantra and fold the back seat down. With the front wheel off there's loads of room.

PaulRivers

The Trek the OP mentioned is a hybrid bike - biggest problem there is getting that the handlebars often don't fit, even if the rest of the bike will fit with the front wheel off.

If you can fit it in the trunk, that's great. I'll warn you that you'll often still end up with knicks, bumps, and scratches around the trunk entrance though as you accidentally bang the bike against it will trying to get the bike in the trunk.

If you're really concerned about your car getting scratched, your best bet is a hitch rack. It's more expensive, but you can get a hitch installed, and get a hitch rack like this that hold the bike by the wheel itself so absolutely no worries about it banging against your car -
https://www.rei.com/product/833790/sa...ike-hitch-rack

Note that I never really had a problem with a good trunk rack either though -
https://www.rei.com/product/724094/sa...ike-trunk-rack

jsdavis

Usually taking the front wheel off will suffice. Depending on the frame size, you may have to take the seat post out too. Hell, I've put two hybrids into the back of a 2001 Toyota Camry before by taking both wheels and seat posts off each bike. I still had space for a 10" sub in a 0.8 cu ft box too.

Still had space for one person in the back seat if I needed it.

jsdavis

Assuming the seat can fold down, the handle bars should not be a problem. If it's a hybrid model car or there is some other obstruction that prevents the seat from folding there is a chance the bike won't fit due to the length. I've put a 21" Marin Muirwoods 29er into the back of a 2010 Toyota Camry before even with 700mm wide handle bars and a rigid fork that is adjusted for 100mm travel.

spectastic

I put mine in the trunk too. I'll have to take off both wheels, and make sure they don't grease up my back seat. The frame fits perfectly in the trunk. It saves me 5 minutes for the time it takes me for two trips from my apartment to get my bike rack and then my bike, and put up that bike rack.

I drive a 02 honda civic, and I have a 58 cm frame. So most likely, your trunk will be big enough

cbk9811

Safest place to place a bike when transporting it... And cheaper than a rack.

nd2010

I can easily fit my bike in my trunk if I take the front wheel off and fold the back seat down. I can fit it entirely within the trunk without folding the back seat if I take both wheels off (and even fit a second bike in the back seat area. It's better than a trunk or roof rack because it's not out in the open, exposed to the rain and wind (at highway speeds, it's a hurricane force wind). When I have my bike on my friend's trunk rack, I have to lock it to the rack so that no one steals it when the car is parked. It's faster for me to take the front wheel off, fold the back seat, and put it in my trunk, than to attach it to my friend's rack.